AP World History: Modern - Unit 3 Topic 3.1: Empires Expand

Comprehensive review flashcards covering AP World History Unit 3: Land-based gunpowder empires, including the Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals, Qing dynasty, and Songhai Empire.

What technologies and methods did land-based empires rely on to expand and establish control from 1450 to 1750?

Imperial expansion relied on the increased use of gunpowder, cannons, and armed trade to establish large empires.

For what three primary purposes did gunpowder empires utilize advanced gunpowder weaponry?

To suppress rebellions, conquer new lands, and defend against external threats.

What major military event in 1453 demonstrated the transformative role of gunpowder technology in siege warfare?

The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, which was made possible by massive cannons.

From which region did the Ottoman Empire originate before expanding across Southern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa?

Anatolia.

What did Sultan Mehmed do to the Hagia Sophia following the conquest of Constantinople in 1453?

He converted the Hagia Sophia, the city's great Byzantine church, into a mosque.

What major victories and territorial gains did Ottoman Sultan Selim achieve between 1514 and 1517?

He defeated the Safavids at Chaldiran in 1514 and conquered the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Syria in 1516-1517, gaining guardianship of Mecca and Medina.

Which major battle did Suleiman win in 1526, and which famous siege of his failed in 1529?

He won the Battle of Mohacs in 1526 (taking most of Hungary), but his 1529 siege of Vienna failed.

What shared methods allowed land-based empires like the Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, and Songhai to develop and expand?

Military power and centralized governance.

What distinct religious identity did the Safavid Empire establish to set itself apart from neighboring Sunni empires?

A Shia Muslim identity (specifically Twelver Shia Islam).

Who founded the Mughal Empire, and which ruler did he defeat at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526?

Babur, a Timurid ruler from Kabul, who defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi.

How did Babur's smaller army defeat a much larger force at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526?

By fighting from behind a line of linked carts and utilizing field cannons and matchlock muskets.

Who helped Babur's son Humayun regain the Mughal throne in 1555?

The Safavids.

Which Mughal ruler won the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556?

Babur's grandson, Akbar.

Which land-based empire's reach across South Asia is shown in this map?

The Mughal Empire.

Who founded the Safavid Empire in Iran in 1501, and what state religion did he establish?

Shah Ismail I, who made Twelver Shia Islam the official state religion.

How did Shah Abbas (r. 1588-1629) reform and strengthen the Safavid military after their defeat at Chaldiran?

He built a standing army of ghulams (slave soldiers often from the Caucasus) along with corps of musketeers and artillery.

To which city did Shah Abbas relocate the Safavid capital from Qazvin in 1598?

Isfahan, which he rebuilt to display Safavid power.

Which empire in Persia, lasting from 1501 to 1736, is shown in this map?

The Safavid Empire.

Who organized the Manchus into military and administrative units called banners?

Nurhaci.

How did the Manchus take Beijing and establish the Qing dynasty in 1644?

After rebels seized Beijing, the Manchus allied with Ming general Wu Sangui to take the city.

What major territorial expansions and military campaigns took place under the Kangxi Emperor?

The Qing defeated the Dzungar Mongols in 1696 and extended control into Tibet by 1720.

Which land empire, with its capital at Beijing, is depicted in this map?

The Qing dynasty (Manchu Empire).

Why did Morocco invade the Songhai Empire in 1591, and what battle decided the conflict?

Morocco invaded to seize control of West Africa's gold trade routes and decisively defeated Songhai at the Battle of Tondibi using early firearms like arquebuses.

What strategic fortress city was the centerpiece of the rivalry between the Safavids and the Mughals?

Kandahar, a frontier fortress city in present-day Afghanistan that changed hands multiple times between 1622 and 1649.

What three commodities formed the foundation of the Songhai Empire's trans-Saharan trade wealth?

Gold, salt, and slaves.

Why did Timbuktu and Gao flourish into major centers of Islamic scholarship and trade under the Songhai Empire?

Because Songhai rulers controlled trans-Saharan trade networks and actively supported scholarship and Islamic learning.