Unit 3: Gunpowder Empires and Centralized Power

Gunpowder Empires

Empires using gunpowder for territorial expansion.

Ottoman Empire

Sunni Muslim empire with diverse populations.

Safavid Empire

Shia Muslim empire known for its conflicts.

Mughal Empire

Sunni Muslim empire with Hindu majority.

Centralized Leadership

Concentration of power in a single authority.

Neo-Confucianism

Philosophy promoting Confucian values in governance.

Civil Service Exam

Test for bureaucratic positions in Chinese government.

Zheng He's Voyages

Trade expeditions sponsored by the Ming dynasty.

Bureaucratic Elites

State officials making decisions for governance.

Devshirme System

Ottoman practice of recruiting Christian boys.

Zamindars

Large landowners collecting taxes for Mughal rulers.

Legitimizing Rule

Methods to justify authority and governance.

Divine Right of Monarchs

Belief that monarchs' authority comes from God.

Tribute Systems

Regular goods owed by conquered states.

Taxation

Revenue collection for state expenses and armies.

Ottoman Tax Farmers

Individuals responsible for collecting taxes in territories.

Protestant Reformation

Movement breaking away from the Catholic Church.

Martin Luther

Initiator of the Protestant Reformation in 1517.

Sunni-Shia Split

Division in Islam due to political rivalries.

Creation of Sikhism

Religion blending Hindu and Islamic beliefs.

Incentives for Elites

Motivations provided to increase revenue collection.