Unit 3: Land Based Empires

Ottoman Empire

Islamic Empire that utilized gunpowder cannons and expanded to the west. Historically refers to as the Turkish Empire founded under Osman Bey in northwestern Anatolia in 1299.

Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conquerer)

Under his rule, Turks conquer Constantinople in 1453 with cannons and gunpowder. Transforms the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Dreams of conquering Rome.

Suleyman

Known as "The Magnificent"; Extends the Ottoman Empire to the largest extent; conquers areas of Hungary, Baghdad and the Island of Rhodes; Made Ottomans into a naval power; Married to Roxelana - a woman from the harem.

Devshirme

Name for the Ottoman practice where Christian boys are taken to be slaves, trained in Islamic ways and given administrative positions of the state or work as janissaries.

Janissaries

Infantry, originally of slave origin, armed with firearms and constituting the elite of the Ottoman army from the 15th-19th century.

Tax farming

A government's use of private collectors to collect taxes in the Ottoman Empire

Safavid Empire

(1501-1736) Iranian kingdom, part of the Shiite sect, established Persia as an economic stronghold between east and west and spread Shiite Islam

Ghulam

The soldiers in the Safavid Empire who were taken and forcibly conscripted - similar to the janissaries in the Ottoman Empire

Istanbul

New name for Constantinople - conquered in 1453 by the Ottomans

Twelver Shiism

Held that there had been 12 infallible imams (religious leaders) after Muhammad, beginning with the prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali.; believed that the 12th hidden imam had gone hiding and was still alive and will one day return to take power and spread religion.

Mughal Empire

Islamic dynasty that ruled India from the 16th - 18th century; started with Babur who was of Mongol descent; tension between Muslims and Hindus

Babur

First Mughal emperor in 1525; Descendant from Mongols, moved Mughal empire into India. Islamic rule.

Akbar the Great

Mughal's most famous emperor 1556-1605; created strong central government; policy of toleration, won support of Hindus ("Divine Faith"); removed tax on non-Muslims.

Zamindars

a local official in Mongul India who received a plot of farmland for temporary use in return for collecting taxes for the central government

Shah Jahan

Emperor of the Mughal Empire from 1628-1658; descendant of Akbar; patron of the arts; constructed the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife.

Taj Mahal

Built by Shah Jahan. In Agra, India. Built in honor of his deceased wife

Aurangzeb

6th Mughal Emperor of India whose reign lasted from 1658-1707 (son of Shah Jahan). 2nd longest reigning Mughal emperor; Wanted to purify India of Hinduism, reinstated the jizya; expansion projects drained the government of money and led to decline

Jizya

Special tax that non-Muslims were obligated to pay to their Islamic rulers in return for which they were given security of life and property and granted cultural autonomy.

Harem

Private domain of the sultan; also known as the women's residence - women were to give heirs to leader.

Decline of Ottoman Empire

Poor leadership & inefficient bureaucrats, Janissaries became outdated and didn't innovate like Europeans, Severe inflation from New World silver Sea routes avoided over land trade routes (less $$) Religious tensions Collapsed at the end of WWI

Decline of Safavid Empire

Ineffective military forces, Economic decline, rise of Russia & Mughal empires, Shiite leaders persecuted Sunnis & Sufi & non-Muslis (religious tensions) , Conquered by Afghans in 1722

Decline of Mughal Empire.

Aurangzeb destroyed Mughal legacy of tolerance towards Hindus leading to huge religious tensions, Aurangzeb died in 1707 - split empire into regional powers, British influence increased in India

Sunni Ali

First king of the Songhai Empire, located in Africa and the 15th ruler of the Sunni dynasty. Emerged after Mali declined

Ashanti Kingdom

was a powerful monarchy in West Africa in the years prior to European colonization. It created a loose confederation and united the neighboring tribes with their advanced army.

Kingdom of Kongo

Kingdom dominating small states along the Congo River that maintained effective, centralized government and a royal currency until the seventeenth century.

King Alfonso

King of the Kongo, converted to Catholicism, relationship with the Portuguese

Ndongo

Angolan kingdom that reached its peak during the reign of Queen Nzinga, modern day Angola

Ana Nzinga

17th century Angolan queen negotiated with Portuguese colonizers, created an alliance that was later broken by the Portuguese, founded a new state at Matamba as a sanctuary for runaway slaves and African soldiers who used to work for the Portuguese. She later even made an alliance with the Portugese's Dutch rival.

Yuan Dynasty

Chinese dynasty ruled by the Mongols from 1279-1368 under Kublai Khan and successors; rule modeled after former Chinese traditions of leading and a strong centralized government; Mongols held positions of government power - discriminated against Han Chinese.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (1368-1644) that overthrew Mongol rule in 1368. Focused on strengthening the Great Wall; Moved capital to Beijing and constructed Forbidden City (palace); Restored civil service exams Confucian teachings; Sponsored exploration by Zheng He.

Zheng He

Explorer, diplomat and Muslim eunuch who commanded voyages to SE Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the Swahili coast. Commissioned by Ming Dynasty & Emperor Yongle; known for his gifts given along his expeditions from 1405-1433.

Decline of the Ming Dynasty

• Poor leadership with emperors who disregarded the common person (power of the eunuchs increased) , Famines leading to peasant revolts ,Pirates controlling the sea routes , Manchu's attack the Forbidden City in Beijing

Forbidden City

Imperial palace of the Ming & Qing emperors

Qing Dynasty

Chinese dynasty founded by the Manchus that ruled China from 1644 to 1911; replaced the Ming; became largest dynasty; continued Confucian civil service exam, yet biased towards Manchus vs. ethnic Chinese.

Manchu Queue

Mandatory hairstyle for Chinese men where the front of head is shaved as a sign of submission

Kangxi

Ruled from 1661-1722 (61 years!) and was one of the greatest of the many strong emperors who ruled China during the Qing dynasties. Conquered Taiwan and prevented Russia from conquering Qing lands.

Qianlong

Expanded the Qing dynasty to its greatest size and reigned during an era of great prosperity. Even stopped tax collection 4x.

Shogun

Top military commander in Japanese feudal society; possess the real political power compared to the figurehead of the emperor

Daimyo

Land-owning nobles who shared power under the Shogun

Samurai

Powerful military class in feudal Japan; given goods/land in exchange for protection; loyal to local landowners

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Founder and first shogun of Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan in 1603. Controlled in fighting between daimyo and stabilized a unified Japan; closed Japan off from Europe except from the Dutch whom he gives trading rights.

Tokugawa Iemitsu

Passes the "Seclusion Act of 1635" - stops foreign ideas and goods from entering Japan, starts alternate attendance for Japanese daimyos

Edo

Tokugawa capital city; modern-day Tokyo; center of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Kievan Rus

The mostly east Slavic territory that was a precursor to Russia and Ukraine; emerged in the 9th century CE in the city of Kiev

Ivan III

Ivan the Great, from 1462-1505 CE who will become the first ruler of the independent state of Russia; challenges Mongol rule and stops paying tribute; used name of czar for the first time and claims lineage of the Third Rome

Cossacks

Peasants recruited to migrate to newly seized lands in Russia, particularly in south; combined agriculture with military conquests; spurred additional frontier conquests and settlements.

Ivan IV

Ivan the Terrible; Absolute ruler - attacked authority of boyars (aristocrats); continued policy of Russian expansion; established contacts with western European commerce and culture. Brutal to those that opposed him and even killed his own son.

Romanov Dynasty

Family that ruled Russia for nearly three centuries after the end of the Times of Trouble.

Oprichniki

Private army of Ivan IV, like a secret police that became the new aristocracy; settled in new lands and destroyed people who stood against the czar.

Russian Serfdom

Peasant laborers bound to the land and to the landowners who controlled them; lowest feudal class and required to work

Boyars

Upper nobility in Russia from the 10th through the 17th century. Violently opposed by Ivan the Terrible.

Czar

Male monarch or emperor in Russia (comes from Latin word Caesar)

Peter the Great

Czar of Russia who traveled to Europe and decided to westernize Russia; Focused on strengthening the army, weapons, & schools; Executed opposition; Built Russia's first modern navy and also built St. Petersburg as the new capital on the Baltic in the style of Versailles.

Westernization

The adoption of western ideas, technology and culture

St. Petersburg

A new capital city Peter built on the land captured from Sweden; "Window to the West"; Base for Russian navy

Catherine II

Queen of Russia after she married grandson of Peter the Great; eventually deposes her husband. Goals were to continue the Westernization of Russia, expand Russia's territory, and many Enlightened policies.

Suleymaniye Mosque

Built by the Ottoman ruler Suleiman in the city of Constantinople; vast complex with school, hospital and community kitchen for the poor. Domed architecture with minarets.

Askia Mohammad

Expanded the Songhai Empire. Promoted Islam and supported an efficient bureaucracy

Martin Luther

95 Theses, posted in 1517, led to religious reform in Europe. Protestant Reformation

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.

Louis XIV

(1638-1715) Known as the Sun King, he was an absolute monarch that completely controlled France. One of his greatest accomplishments was the building of the palace at Versailles.

Charles V

Holy Roman Emperor, a supporter of Catholicism and tried to crush the Reformation by use of the Counter-Reformation

95 Theses

Arguments written by Martin Luther against the Catholic church. They were posted in 1517.

simony

the selling or buying of a position/office in a Christian church