AP World History Modern - Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (1450-1750) Test Prep Notes (copy)

What time period is referred to as 'Land-Based Empires' in AP World History?

1450 to 1750 CE.

What significant event occurred in 1453?

The fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans.

What are the three big themes for Unit 3?

State Building and Expansion, Political Centralization, Belief Systems.

What was the significance of the Protestant Reformation initiated by Martin Luther in 1517?

It challenged the authority of the Catholic Church, leading to the split and emergence of new Christian denominations.

What was the Devshirme System in the Ottoman Empire?

A system of forcibly recruiting young Christian boys for military and government roles.

Who was known as Suleiman the Lawgiver?

Suleiman the Magnificent, for his significant legislative changes.

What was the predominant religion of the Safavid Empire?

Shia Islam.

What does the acronym HAPPY stand for in document analysis?

Historical context, Audience, Point of view, Purpose, Why.

What major transition occurred in Russia with the reign of Peter the Great?

Modernization and Westernization of Russia.

What was a primary method used by rulers to legitimize their power during this period?

Religion, sponsorship of art, and grand architectural construction.

Land-Based Empires Time Period

1450 to 1750 CE, a period characterized by the expansion and centralization of major empires across Afro-Eurasia.

1453 CE

The year the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire and marking a major geopolitical shift.

Gunpowder Empires

Land-based empires, specifically the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires, that relied heavily on advanced gunpowder technology to expand and centralize power.

Absolutism

A form of monarchy where full, centralized power rests with the ruler, unquestioned by earthly authorities.

Divine Right

The doctrine asserting that a monarch's authority comes directly from God, making their rule absolute and sacred.

Protestant Reformation

A 16th-century religious movement initiated by Martin Luther in 1517 that challenged Catholic Church authority and led to the creation of Protestant denominations.

Martin Luther

A German Catholic monk who posted the 95 Theses in 1517, criticizing Church practices like indulgences and triggering the Protestant Reformation.

Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church's effort to address internal corruption, such as ending the sale of indulgences, and reaffirm core doctrines in response to Protestantism.

Ivan III (the Great)

The Russian ruler who threw off the 'Mongol yoke' in 1480, refused to pay tribute, and laid the foundations for Russian absolutism.

Caesaropapism

A political-religious system where the head of state also holds supreme authority over the church, as practiced in Russian Orthodoxy.

Peter the Great

Russian Czar who forcefully modernized and westernized Russia, built the new capital of St. Petersburg, and expanded naval power.

Devshirme System

An Ottoman administrative system where young Christian boys were forcibly recruited, converted to Islam, and trained for elite military or governmental service.

Janissaries

An elite force of Ottoman infantry soldiers recruited through the Devshirme system and fiercely loyal to the Sultan.

Mehmet the Conqueror

The Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453 using massive gunpowder cannons and clever naval strategy.

Suleiman the Magnificent

Ottoman Sultan under whom the empire reached its peak; known as the 'Lawgiver' for combining Sharia law with imperial decrees.

Safavid Empire

A land-based Persian empire centered in modern-day Iran that established Shia Islam as its state religion and frequently fought the Sunni Ottomans.

Sunni-Shia Divide

A schism in Islam over succession after Muhammad; Sunnis believed caliphs should be chosen by consensus, while Shias believed caliphs must descend from Muhammad's bloodline.

Shah Abbas I

Safavid ruler who modernized the military using slave troops (Gulams) equipped with artillery, and secured peace with the Ottomans in 1590.

Gulams

Enslaved military troops loyal directly to the Safavid Shah, created to strengthen central royal power over traditional tribal forces.

HAPPY Acronym

A source analysis framework for AP World History standing for Historical Context, Audience, Point of View, Purpose, and Why it matters.