Unit 3: Land Based Empires (1450-1750) Vocabulary

Flashcards covering the vocabulary and key concepts of land-based and maritime empires between 1450 and 1750.

Gunpowder Empires

States in SE Asia, Asia, and SW Asia, such as the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal, that relied on gunpowder to maintain power and expand their territories.

Tamerlane

A military leader from Samarkand who took land in Persia and India; his empire's failure due to funding needs for military and internal disputes led to the rise of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires.

Mehmed II

Ottoman leader known as "the Conqueror" who sieged and took Constantinople in $1433$ using advanced cannons and renamed it Istanbul.

Suleiman the Magnificent

Ruler of the Ottoman Empire from $1520$ to $1566$ who pushed the empire to its peak by conquering Mediterranean areas and attempting to advance into Europe.

Ismail I

The conqueror of most of Persia and parts of Iraq who founded the Safavid Empire and established Shia Islam as the state religion.

Babur

A descendant of Tamerlane who founded the Mughal Empire in $1526$ and established a central government in Northern India using gunpowder.

Akbar

A Mughal ruler known for promoting religious tolerance towards Hinduism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity to consolidate power.

Sikhism

A syncretic religion developed in the Punjab region around $1500$ that combines elements of Islam and Hinduism and values equality and social justice.

Shah Jahan

Mughal ruler who commissioned the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife and as a display of imperial power.

Ivan IV

Also known as Ivan the Terrible, the Russian tsar who expanded the empire further east into Mongolian territory using gunpowder starting in $1547$.

Tokugawa Shogunate

A feudal government in Japan ( $1603-1868$ ) led by the Tokugawa family that used high centralization to maintain political stability and peace.

Gutenberg Printing Press

A European technology that spread ideas and contributed to the end of the feudal period and the centralization of power by monarchies.

Humanism

An emphasis on the individual and the rebirth of Roman and Greek ideals that characterized the Renaissance.

Ming Dynasty

The Chinese dynasty ( $1368-1644$ ) that replaced the Yuan Dynasty, reintroduced the civil service exam, and finished the Great Wall of China.

Qing Dynasty

Established in $1636$ by Manchu Jurchens who overtook Ming China and expanded territory into Taiwan, Mongolia, Central Asia, and Tibet.

Divine Right of Kings

The European belief that God put rulers in power and that a king was the vice regent of Jesus, placing him outside the law.

Justices of the Peace

Officials utilized by the Tudor Dynasty in England to settle legal disputes and carry out the will of the monarch.

English Bill of Rights

A $1689$ document that guaranteed freedom to petition and protection from cruel and unusual punishment, limiting the power of the monarchy.

Absolutism

A monarchical system in France where the king holds absolute power, exemplified by Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles.

Intendants

French officials, also known as tax farmers, created by Louis XIII to execute the king's will and collect taxes.

Devshirme

An Ottoman system that enslaved Christian boys from the Balkans, educated them, and forced them to serve in the military or as administrators.

Janissaries

The elite military corps of the Ottoman Empire composed of boys recruited through the Devshirme system who were fiercely loyal to the sultan.

Daimyo

Landowning aristocracy in feudal Japan who employed samurai and were later required to live in the capital city by the Tokugawa shogunate.

Zamindars

Administrative officials in the Mughal Empire used by Akbar to collect taxes and settle disputes.

Askia the Great

Ruler of the Songhai Empire who claimed Islam as the official religion to create a sense of cultural unity.

Bhakti Movement

A spiritual and social movement in India emphasizing a personal relationship with a deity, which influenced music and literature.

Sufism

A mystic Islamic belief system featuring rituals and prayer to achieve a closer connection to God, often spread by missionaries.

Sunni-Shia Split

A religious divide in Islam that intensified conflict between the Ottoman (Sunni) and Safavid (Shia) empires.

Ninety-Five Theses

A document published by Martin Luther in $1517$ challenging the authority of the Pope and the sale of indulgences, triggering the Protestant Reformation.

Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church's attempt to regain followers through the teachings of the Jesuits and the outcomes of the Council of Trent ( $1545-1563$ ).

Millet System

An Ottoman administrative structure where each religion was granted its own political zone, though the Islamic zone held the highest status.

Trading Post Empires

Maritime systems established by countries like the Portuguese and Dutch that focused on controlling trade routes and overseas trade centers rather than large-scale land colonization.