APWH: Period 2 Review

Ming Dynasty

Restored Chinese rule after Mongols, sponsored Zheng He’s voyages, and expanded the economy through silver trade.

Mughal Empire

Muslim rulers governed a Hindu majority, promoted tolerance under Akbar, and built wealth through agriculture and trade.

Russia

Autocratic tsars expanded into Siberia and modernized under Peter the Great.

Ottoman Empire

Controlled key trade routes, used the devshirme system, and peaked under Suleiman the Magnificent.

Safavid Empire

Established Shi’a Islam as the state religion and rivaled the Sunni Ottoman Empire.

Tokugawa Japan

Shoguns ruled militarily, enforced isolation, and maintained a strict social hierarchy.

Spain & Portugal

Led exploration, built global empires, and gained wealth from silver, sugar, and forced labor.

England, France, and the Dutch

Built maritime empires through trade, joint-stock companies, and overseas colonization.

Aztec and Inca Empires

Advanced American empires with tribute systems that fell to Spanish conquest and disease.

Absolutism & Divine Right

Monarchs held total power over the state and claimed their authority came directly from God.

Age of Exploration (Dias, da Gama, Columbus, Magellan)

European voyages seeking new trade routes and wealth that led to global contact, colonization, and maritime empires.

Capitalism

Economic system based on private ownership, profit motive, and markets driven by supply and demand.

Columbian Exchange

Exchange of plants, animals, people, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds that transformed populations and economies.

Conquistadors (Cortés and Pizarro)

Spanish conquerors who defeated the Aztec and Inca empires using superior weapons, alliances, and disease.

Counter-Reformation

Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation that reformed church practices and reinforced doctrine.

Devshirme System (Janissaries)

Ottoman practice of taking Christian boys, converting them to Islam, and training them as elite soldiers loyal to the sultan.

Encomienda, Haciendas, Mit’a System

Systems of coerced Indigenous labor used in Spanish colonies to support mining and agriculture.

Galleons and Caravels

Ships designed for long-distance sea travel that enabled exploration and global trade.

Gutenberg Press

Movable-type printing technology that increased literacy and spread new ideas rapidly.

Indentured Servitude, Chattel Slavery, Coercive Labor

Colonial labor systems that relied on forced or enslaved workers to fuel economies.

Joint-Stock Companies (VOC & BEIC)

Businesses funded by multiple investors to reduce risk and expand overseas trade.

Las Castas System

Racial hierarchy in Latin America based on ancestry, with peninsulares ranked highest and Africans lowest.

Louis XIV & Versailles

Absolute monarch of France whose palace symbolized royal power and centralized control.

Maritime (Trading Post) Empires

Empires that controlled trade routes rather than territory, relying on naval power and commerce.

Mercantilism

Economic theory that measured wealth in gold and silver and used colonies to benefit the mother country.

European Colonies in the New World

Colonies established for resources and settlement that displaced Indigenous populations.

Mughal Empire & Akbar

Muslim empire in India where Akbar promoted religious tolerance and centralized administration.

Ottoman Empire & Suleiman I

Islamic empire spanning three continents that reached its height under Suleiman’s rule.

Peter the Great

Russian tsar who modernized and westernized Russia while strengthening state power.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese leader who sponsored exploration and improved navigation and mapmaking.

Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther, Indulgences)

Movement criticizing Catholic practices that led to new Christian denominations.

Russian Boyars

Powerful landowning nobles who often resisted the authority of the tsar.

Sikhism

Monotheistic religion founded in India blending Hindu and Islamic traditions.

Spanish Inquisition

Church courts enforcing Catholic orthodoxy and targeting heresy, Jews, and Muslims.

Sugarcane, Engenhos, Cash Crops

Plantation agriculture focused on export crops and reliant on enslaved labor.

Sunni and Shi’a Islam

Division within Islam over leadership succession that caused lasting religious conflict.

Syncretic Beliefs in the Americas (Vodun)

Blended African, Indigenous, and Christian beliefs that preserved culture under slavery.

Scientific Revolution (Galileo, Newton)

Intellectual movement emphasizing observation and experimentation that challenged traditional beliefs.

Thirty Years’ War & Peace of Westphalia

Religious-political conflict that ended by establishing state sovereignty.

Tokugawa Shogunate & Daimyo

Military rule in Japan where daimyo were powerful regional lords under the shogun.

Transatlantic Slave Trade & African Diaspora

Forced migration of Africans to the Americas creating lasting cultural and demographic change.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Agreement dividing the New World between Spain and Portugal with Church approval.

Triangular Trade & Middle Passage

Trade system linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas; Middle Passage was the brutal slave voyage.

Viceroys & Audiencias

Spanish colonial officials who governed colonies and enforced royal authority.

Zheng He

Ming dynasty admiral who led massive naval expeditions across the Indian Ocean.