Unit 3 – Land-Based Empires (1450–1750)

1. What were the main land-based empires from 1450–1750?

Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, Qing, and Russian Empires.

2. What allowed these empires to expand their territory?

Gunpowder weapons and strong militaries.

3. What religion was dominant in the Ottoman Empire?

Sunni Islam

4. What religion was dominant in the Safavid Empire?

Shia Islam

5. What religion was dominant in the Mughal Empire?

Islam (with a large Hindu population).

6. Which empire ruled China during this period?

The Qing Dynasty

7. Which empire expanded across northern Asia into Siberia?

The Russian empire

8. Where was the Ottoman capital located?

Constantinople (later called Istanbul)

9. Which ruler conquered Constantinople in 1453?

Mehmed II

10. What elite military group served the Ottoman sultan?

The janissaries

11. Where were Janissaries recruited from?

Christian boys taken through the devshirme system.

12. What was the devshirme system?

The Ottoman practice of recruiting Christian boys, converting them to Islam, and training them for government or military service.

13. What title did Ottoman rulers use?

Sultan

14. Which famous Ottoman ruler greatly expanded the empire?

Suleiman the magnificent

15. What legal code did Suleiman develop?

A standardized imperial law system.

16. Where was the Safavid Empire located?

Persia (modern Iran)

17. Who founded the Safavid Empire?

Shah Ismail I

18. What religion did Safavid rulers enforce?

Shi’a Islam

19. What conflict existed between the Safavids and Ottomans?

Sunni vs. Shia religious conflict.

20. What was the Safavid capital city?

Isfahan

21. Which Safavid ruler strengthened the empire’s military and economy?

Shah Abbas I

22. What military reform did Shah Abbas introduce?

A standing empire army with gunpowder weapons

23. Where was the Mughal Empire located?

South Asia (India)

24. Who founded the Mughal Empire?

Babur

25. What battle started Mughal rule in India?

The Battle of Panipat (1526).

26. Which Mughal ruler promoted religious tolerance?

Akbar

27. What policy did Akbar promote to unify religions?

The “Divine Faith” (Din-i-Ilahi).

28. What tax did Akbar remove to gain Hindu support?

The Jizya tax

29. Which Mughal ruler built the Taj Mahal?

Shah Jahan

30. What was the Taj Mahal built for?

A tomb for Shah Jahan’s wife Mumtaz Mahal

31. Which Mughal ruler enforced strict Islamic law and weakened the empire?

Aurangzeb

32. Who founded the Qing Dynasty?

The Manchus

33. What ethnic group ruled China during the Qing Dynasty?

Manchus ruling over the Han Chinese majority.

34. What was the queue hairstyle?

A braided hairstyle required for Chinese men under Qing rule.

35. Why did Qing rulers enforce the queue hairstyle?

To show loyalty to the dynasty

36. What government system continued under the Qing?

The Confucian civil service system.

37. Which Qing ruler expanded the empire significantly?

Kangxi emperor

38. What exam system selected government officials in China?

The civil service examination

39. Which ruler expanded Russia westward and modernized the country?

Peter the great

40. What city did Peter the Great build as Russia’s new capital?

St. Petersburg

41. What was Peter the Great’s goal?

Westernizing Russia

42. Which Russian ruler expanded the empire further?

Catherine the great

43. What economic system dominated rural Russia?

Serfdom

44. What was serfdom?

Peasants tied to land and forced to work for landowners.

45. How did land-based empires maintain control over large territories?

Bureaucracies and centralized governments.

46. What role did religion play in government?

Religion helped legitimize rulers’ authority.

47. What was the Mandate of Heaven in China?

The belief that rulers governed with divine approval.

48. What was the Ottoman millet system?

A system allowing religious minorities to govern themselves.

49. What role did bureaucrats play in empires?

They administered laws, taxes, and government policies.

50. What architectural style flourished in Mughal India?

Islamic architecture.

51. What famous Mughal building represents this style?

The Taj Mahal

52. What role did art and architecture play in empires?

They demonstrated power and wealth.

53. What cultural blending occurred in Mughal India?

Islamic and Hindu traditions mixed.

54. What languages were used in Mughal administration?

Persian and local languages

55. What weakened many land-based empires in the 1700s?

Corruption and economic decline

56. Why did the Mughal Empire weaken after Aurangzeb?

Religious intolerance and internal rebellions

57. What weakened the Ottoman Empire over time?

Military decline and administrative corruption.

58. Why were Janissaries eventually a problem?

They became politically powerful and resistant to reform.

59. What problem faced the Safavid Empire after strong rulers died?

Weak leadership

60. What external pressures later threatened these empires?

European expansion and global trade competition.