Unit 3.2: Land-Based Empires Administration

What does it mean when rulers take measures to legitimize their power?

It refers to the strategies used by leaders to establish the authority and right to govern, often through cultural, religious, or political means, to gain the consent of the governed and maintain stability.

What does it mean to consolidate power?

To strengthen and centralize authority within a governing body, often by diminishing the influence of rivals and integrating resources (take power from other groups and claim it for him or herself, essentially).

What is a bureaucracy?

A body of government officials responsible for administering the empire and ensures the laws are maintained.

How did empires legitimize and consolidate their power? (three main methods)

The creation of large imperial bureaucracies, military expansion + the creation of elite military professionals, and through religion, art, and architecture.

What is the Devshirme System?

The Devshirme System was an Ottoman practice in which Christian boys were recruited by force to serve in the empire, often as soldiers (Janissaries) or bureaucrats, effectively assimilating them into Islamic culture and loyalty to the Sultan.

Who were the Janissaries?

The elite infantry units of the Ottoman Empire, originally formed from Christian boys taken through the Devshirme System and trained to serve the Sultan.

How did European empires legitimize and consolidate their authority with religion?

European empires often legitimize and consolidate their authority through religion by promoting their divine right to rule (ruled with the approval of Jesus).

How did the Aztecs legitimize and consolidate their authority with religion?

The Aztecs used the religious practice of human sacrifice to appease their gods, believing that such acts ensured agricultural fertility and military success, thus reinforcing their power and social order.

How did the Qing dynasty legitimize and consolidate their power with religion, art, and/or architecture?

The Qing used art to legitimize their power through the display of imperial portraits of the emperor (during this time, Kangxi).

Why did the Qing dynasty’s approach appeal to Chinese subjects?

Kangxi is depicted according to traditional Confucian values.

What is the Palace of Versailles (built by Louis XIV) an example of?

An example of architecture assisting in the legalization or consolidation of authority.

How did the Palace of Versailles contribute to the consolidation of power?

Louis XIV forced French nobility to live at Versailles, which centralized his power and allowed him to control and monitor their activities closely, diminishing their influence outside of the court.

What is the Inca Sun Temple an example of?

An architectural representation of state power in the Inca Empire, reflecting their religious and political authority.

What are the key (architectural) features of the Inca Sun Temple?

It has a large courtyard, walls covered with sheets of gold, and precise stone masonry that showcases the Incas' advanced engineering skills.

What are some (two) examples of empires financing major militaries and monumental architecture.

The Mughal Empire and the Zamindar system, tax farming and the Ottomans.

What was the Zamindar system?

A system of land revenue collection where local landlords (zamindars) were given the authority to collect taxes from peasants. This system was used in the Mughal Empire, in which Mughal rulers were Muslim) to finance military and infrastructure projects.

What was tax farming in the Ottoman empire?

Tax farming was a system where the Ottoman government delegated tax collection to private individuals or groups, who paid a fixed amount to the state and kept the surplus. This method allowed for efficient revenue collection but often led to exploitation of the peasantry.