unit 3

Land-based empires (1450–1750)

Empires that expanded primarily through control of contiguous territory rather than overseas colonies.

Consolidation

The process of making an empire stable by building forts, appointing officials, standardizing taxes, etc.

Legitimacy

The belief that a ruler has the right to govern, often supported through religion, tradition, and prosperity.

Gunpowder weapons

Firearms and artillery that played a significant role in the conquests of land-based empires.

Timar system

Land grants given to Ottoman aristocrats to maintain loyalty and administration.

Devshirme

A system of taking Christian boys to be trained as elite soldiers (Janissaries) for the Ottoman Empire.

Religious pluralism

The coexistence of multiple religions within an empire, often seen as a strategy for managing diversity.

Cavalry

Horse-mounted troops that played a significant role in expansion and warfare for many land empires.

Crown and legitimacy

A dual approach where conquerors adopt local traditions to gain legitimacy while maintaining a distinct elite identity.

Ethnic hierarchy

A social structure in which certain ethnic groups hold more power and privileges than others within an empire.

Syncretism

The blending of different religious beliefs and practices, often occurring in diverse empires.

Revenue needs

The demands for money to fund armies, bureaucracies, and state functions; often achieved through taxation.

Professional armies

Standing military forces trained and maintained to ensure state security and expansion.

Mughal religious policy

Under Akbar, the policy of religious toleration contrasted with Aurangzeb's orthodoxy and persecution.

Habeas Corpus Act

A legal statute in England ensuring protection from unlawful imprisonment.

Thirty Years' War

A major European conflict (1618–1648) primarily involving religious battles between Catholics and Protestants.

Edict of Nantes

A decree issued by Henry IV of France in 1598 granting religious tolerance to Huguenots.

Queen Nzinga

The ruler of Angola who resisted Portuguese colonization and control for 40 years.

Suleiman I

Ottoman Sultan known for military expansion and the cultural golden age of the empire (1520–1566).

Cossack revolts

Resistance movements in modern-day Ukraine against the Russian Empire during the 17th–18th centuries.