AP WORLD HISTORY UNIT 3

omgggg

Land-based Empire

An empire whose power comes from the extent of its territorial holdings. These types of empires grew during this time period.

Ottoman Empire

(Modern-day Middle East) A powerful land-based Islamic empire that began in the 1300s in Anatolia and expanded through military conquest, especially using gunpowder weapons and a strong, organized army. They grew by capturing key territories like Constantinople in 1453, which allowed them to control important trade routes between Europe and Asia and strengthen their political and economic power.

Janissaries

An elite infantry unit of the Ottoman army made up of enslaved Christian boys taken through the devshirme system, converted to Islam, and trained for military and government service, becoming a highly disciplined and loyal force that helped the Ottoman Empire expand through conquest and maintain strong centralized control.

Safavid Empire

(Modern-day Iran) A land-based Islamic empire that began in the early 1500s in Persia and expanded through military conquest under Shah Ismail and later Shah Abbas, using gunpowder weapons and a strong army. The Safavids also used Shi’a Islam as a unifying force, converting much of their population and distinguishing themselves from neighboring Sunni empires like the Ottomans, which helped strengthen their identity and control as they expanded.

Sunni Muslim

The largest branch of Islam that believes leadership of the Muslim community should be based on consensus and the most qualified leader, rather than bloodline, which shaped major empires like the Ottoman Empire, where rulers used Sunni beliefs to legitimize their authority and unify diverse populations.

Shi’a Muslim

A branch of Islam that believes leadership should remain within the Prophet Muhammad’s family (blood relatives), specifically through his cousin and son-in-law Ali, which shaped the identity of empires like the Safavid Empire, where rulers enforced Shi’a Islam to unify their population and distinguish themselves from Sunni neighbors.

Mughal Empire

(Modern-day Pakistan and India) A powerful land-based empire in South Asia that began in the early 1500s and expanded through military conquest using gunpowder weapons, strong leadership, and alliances. Founded by Babur, they grew by defeating regional powers and later maintained control by incorporating local elites and practicing religious tolerance under rulers like Akbar, which helped unify a diverse population and strengthen the empire. They were Sunni Muslims.

Qing Dynasty

(Modern-day East China) The last imperial dynasty of China, founded in the 1600s by the Manchu people from northeast Asia, who conquered the Ming Dynasty and expanded China’s territory through military conquest (use of gunpowder).

Safavid-Mughal Conflict

A series of conflicts between 2 empires during the 1500s–1600s over control of territory, especially the region around Kandahar, and influenced by religious differences in Islamic beliefs, as both empires competed for political power and influence in South and Central Asia.

Legitimize Power

The process by which rulers justify and strengthen their right to rule, often through religion, tradition, military success, or laws, to gain loyalty and reduce resistance from the population. Like when the Safavid Empire made Shi’a Islam the official state religion and claimed that the ruler was both a political and religious leader, which helped unify the population and strengthen loyalty to the shah.

Consolidated Power

The process by which rulers strengthen and centralize control over their state by reducing the power of local elites, strengthening the bureaucracy, and increasing loyalty to the central government through military force, law, or cultural unity. Like when the Ottoman Empire used the devshirme system to train loyal officials and Janissaries, giving the sultan a strong central army and bureaucracy that reduced the power of local nobles and strengthened imperial control.

Large Bureaucracies

A system of government administration made up of trained officials who carry out laws, collect taxes, and manage the daily functions of the state, helping rulers maintain control over large empires through organized and hierarchical structures.

Devshrime System

A system used by the Ottoman Empire in which Christian boys from the Balkans were taken from their families, converted to Islam, and trained as soldiers or government officials, creating a loyal administrative and military class that strengthened central control.

Divine Right of Kings

A way monarchs legitimized their rule. A political and religious belief in Europe that monarchs were chosen by God to rule, which helped justify their absolute authority and discourage opposition by claiming that resisting the king was the same as resisting God. This idea strengthened centralized power in many European states during the 1500s–1600s.

Qing Dynasty (Manchu’s) legitimized its rule

This state used art, literature, and cultural traditions to legitimize its rule by presenting itself as the rightful and capable rulers of China. They sponsored paintings, official portraits, and cultural works that emphasized harmony, order, and the emperor’s role as a wise and powerful leader, while also adopting traditional Chinese artistic styles to show continuity with earlier dynasties and gain acceptance from the Han Chinese majority.

The use of monumental architecture to legitimize and consolidate rule

The use of large, impressive structures by rulers to demonstrate power, control labor, and connect authority to religion or divine approval, helping legitimize their rule and strengthen control over their population. Like how the Inca Empire built massive stone structures like Machu Picchu and temples in Cusco, using precise stone masonry without mortar. These monumental buildings (Sun temple) showed the emperor’s divine authority. The Palace of Versailles was expanded by Louis XIV to show his absolute authority, where he used its size, luxury, and controlled court life to impress subjects, weaken the power of nobles, and strengthen centralized control over France.

Zamidar System

The Mughal Empire used this system to govern rural areas, allowing local landowners to collect taxes and maintain control over villages while supporting the central government’s revenue and administrative system.

Tax Farming

The Ottoman Empire used this system by allowing wealthy individuals to purchase tax-collecting rights in specific regions, which increased state income while giving local tax farmers an incentive to collect as much revenue as possible.

Tribute Lists

The Aztec Empire used tribute lists to record the goods demanded from conquered city-states, such as food, textiles, and precious materials, which helped the empire maintain its economy and support its capital city of Tenochtitlan.

Christianity Changes and Continuity

The Protestant Reformation led to a new type of Christianity, and the Catholics cleaned up their corruption. But Catholicism was still the most popular form of Christianity, also said that their doctrine of salvation was fine. Overall, Christianity grew significantly

Martin Luther

A German religious reformer who challenged the authority of the Catholic Church in the early 1500s. Simony and Sale of Indulgences He posted his 95 Theses in 1517, criticizing Church corruption and initiating the Protestant Reformation, which divided Christianity in Europe and reduced the power of the Catholic Church.

Ottoman-Safavid Conflict

A long-term political and religious conflict between the 2 empires during the 1500s–1600s over control of territory in the Middle East, especially Mesopotamia, as well as competition for political dominance and religious influence, with one promoting Sunni Islam and the other enforcing Shi’a Islam as the state religion, killing people in their countries who didn’t align.

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion that developed in South Asia in the late 1400s through the teachings of Guru Nanak, combining ideas from Hinduism and Islam while rejecting strict caste divisions and emphasizing devotion to one God, equality, and honest living.