Unit 1 Test: Ottomans, Mughals, Qing and Tokugawa Japan

Hinduism

The religion, or way of life, of the majority of people in India and Nepal. Roots were brought by the Aryan invaders.

Why Hinduism is different than most religions

It has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings. This is why historians refer to it as “a family of religions” or “a way of life”.

Vedas

Most ancient religious texts (1200 BCE-200 CE) which define truth for Hindus. Introduced by the Aryans. Hindus believe that the texts were received by scholars directly from God.

Upanishads

One of the four compositions of the Veda texts that emphasize brahman.

Brahman

A Sanskrit word which refers to a transcendent power beyond the universe—everything.

Why Hindus are not “polytheistic”

The many deities are the infinite representations of Brahman, not separate gods.

Dharma

The power that maintains society—gives humans opportunity to be good.

Karma

The law that every action has an equal reaction either immediately or later in the future. Good [blank]= good stuff happens to you, bad [blank]= bad stuff.

Samsara

The process of reincarnation.

Moksha

The liberation from endless rebirth and to become one, gained by practicing a lifestyle prescribed by the dharma.

Fakirs

Itinerant holy men in Mughal empire.

Significance of weighing a prince

Because it’s a Hindu ritual, it shows religious tolerance and the wealth of the Mughal empire.

Indian trade items

Porcelain, silk, and other artisan items from China, and spices from India.

Gupta empire

The first empire that led India under one rule. Lasted about a century, native dynasty.

Mughal empire

Outsiders who conquered India for the second time ever and created an empire. One of the gunpowder empires.

Babur

First ruler of Mughal empire who invaded India from the north and made his way down. Sunni muslim.

Mughal Characteristics

• Technologically advanced with flourishing trade

• Centralized rule

• Religiously flexible

Akbar the Great (1556-1605)

Grandson of Babur who made the Mughal empire reach its peak.

Akbar’s Achievements in government/society

• certain percentage of officials were Hindu

• efficient bureaucracy

• tried abolishing sati (high caste women dying w/husband on pyre)

• conquered most of subcontinent except tip

Akbar’s Achievements in Religion

• Religiously tolerant

• tried creating new Muslim-Hindu “fusion” religion

• married Hindu princess

• rescinded tax on non-Muslims (jizya)

• invited the Jesuits to court

• Open mind

Akbar’s Achievements in Arts

• made royal library w/lots of different languages

• invited scholars, artists and intellectuals to court

• patron of arts and poetry

• Book of Hamza

• Persian influence (official court language)

Shah Jahan

Akbar’s grandson, created the Taj Mahal (mausoleum for his wife).

Jahangir

Akbar’s son. Along with his son Shah Jahan, he helped create groups of artists in the court and loved poetry so much it became a super important hobby.

Aurangzeb (1658-1707)

Militant Muslim who forced thousands to convert against their will. Made the sikhs rebellious when he beheaded their guru (leader).

What does the Sikh rebellion show?

The obstacles the Mughal empire faced to suppress certain communities.

Themes in Chinese History

• Orderliness

• Family = center of life

• Confucianism

• Northern Nomads

• Emperor rules over empire

• Bureaucracy to control large land mass

• Agriculturally-based society

• Belief in own superiority

Orderliness

If stars move in orderly pattern, then terrestrial life and society should be orderly too.

Dynastic Cycle

Political theory to explain rise and fall of Chinese dynasties.

1. new leader & dynasty

2. prosperity and power

3. decline

4. rebellion (loss of Mandate of Heaven)

Then it loops.

Mandate of Heaven

The Chinese emperor is given the right to rule by Heaven.

Family = center of life

Family is above all, do things for the good of the family. Pray to ancestors (veneration) and oldest male was leader of family—made decisions, girls at bottom of hierarchy.

Veneration

Worship of ancestors for guidance. Many had altars in their homes.

Filial Piety

Respect and honor for elders.

Confucius

The creator of Confucianism, a moral framework that brought order to society.

Confucianism Beliefs

Encouraged loyalty, trustworthiness, and respect your elders. You can attain these through education and living respectful and ethical lives.

Civil Service Exam

An exam that tests people on Confucianism. It was the backbone of education and gave people an opportunity to enter government service.

Confucianism social order

5 key relationships which were unequal but worked well. Figure with more power gave advice to the other with less power.

Northern Nomad Invasions

Northern nomads kept on invading, so the Chinese rulers decided to give them tribute to stop invading. Also built the Great Wall.

Gunpowder empires

Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires. Known for being early adopters of gunpowder weaponry.

Key characteristics of the gunpowder empires

All Muslim, expansionist states, multi-religious and multi-cultural

Gunpowder empires government

Centralized bureaucracies were very organized and sophisticated.

Ottoman empire dates

1300 to 1922

Sultan

The leader of the Ottoman empire who had absolute religious and political authority.

Ottoman Achievements

Global trade routes, established regional stability + arts, sciences, and culture

Conquering of Constantinople date

1453

Mehmet II

The sultan who conquered Constantinople.

Decline of Ottoman empire

Could not capture Vienna in 1683, led to end of Ottoman expansion and beginning of slow decline because Ottoman empire exhausted resources without more land.

Janissary

Christian boys converted to Islam who trained to serve the empire. They provided the empire with a continuous supply of loyal recruits in the military and, later, the government.

Suleiman the Magnificent/Lawgiver

Sultan of the Ottoman empire who led the Ottomans to their height of military achievement and culture.

Suleiman Achievements

Codified Ottoman law, built schools for Muslim boys, and was a patron of the arts and culture.

Hagia Sophia

Early Christian church turned mosque.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

The first Western person to visit the Sultan’s harem and share the experience of it. She also brought the idea of antibodies of smallpox to Britain and West Europe. People thought she was crazy because of that.

Ottoman Government Characteristics

Very centralized- all decisions made in one place and supervised by the sultan. Also had 3 divisions: Imperial harem, religious bureaucracy (the Sharia) and the Divan/Sultan’s council.

Imperial Harem

Leader: Queen Mother (Sultan’s mom)

A place where the concubines (many of them slaves) and wives of the Sultan resided. No man was allowed in.

Religious Bureaucracy

Leader: Shaykh ul-Islam

Responsibilities:

• supervise Sharia law (Muslim law)

• gives religious practice guidelines

• upkeep of mosques

• administration of religious charities

Divan/Sultan’s Council

Leader: Grand Vizier

Responsibilities:

• military matters

• taxes

• diplomacy

• trade

• supervise sultan’s court

Millet System

Jewish and Christian communities that were allowed to run their own civil, religious and cultural affairs. Their rights were limited, though, and were taxed more heavily.

Muhammad Dates

570-632 CE

Prophet Muhammad

Was in a cave, got message from Angel Gabriel that was the Koran. Muhammad the last prophet God sent. Islam spread after his death.

Shahadah

one of the 5 pillars, “there is no god but God.”

Salat

5 pillars, prayers 5 times a day facing Mecca.

Sawm

5 pillars, fasting.

Zakat

5 pillars, 2.5% of total income goes to poor people.

Hajj

5 pillars, pilgrimage to those who can.

Sunni

Belived that the next caliph should be the most competent successor.

Shia

Believed that the next caliph should have blood relations to Prophet Muhammad.

Sharia

Muslim law, not completely codified