Mamluks
A military class in Egypt, originally composed of enslaved Turks, that dominated the region for centuries.
Muhammad Ali
An Albanian officer turned governor in Egypt who implemented military and economic reforms, modernizing the country.
Commodore Matthew Perry
A U.S. naval officer who compelled Japan to open trade in the mid-19th century, ending its isolation.
Automatic loom
A machine designed to weave cloth automatically, revolutionizing textile production in the early 20th century.
Meiji Restoration
A period of rapid modernization in Japan (1868) that restored imperial rule and abolished feudalism.
Charter Oath
A document from 1868 that outlined the modernization goals of Japan's new government, promoting democracy and reforms. Structures
Cecil Rhodes
A British imperialist who promoted resource extraction in Africa, notably through the De Beers diamond company.
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
A major bank established in 1865, facilitating global banking and corporate finance.
Unilever Corporation
A multinational company focused on consumer goods, known for household products including soap.
Bessemer process
An efficient method for producing steel, critical to the development of the industrial economy in the 19th century. Communists
Karl Marx
A German philosopher and economist who critiqued capitalism, advocating for the proletariat's revolutionary role in establishing socialism.
Friedrich Engels
A collaborator with Marx who co-authored the Communist Manifesto, emphasizing class struggle and the need for societal change.
Communist Manifesto
A political pamphlet outlining the theories of communism, detailing the struggles between the proletariat and bourgeoisie.
John Stuart Mill
A British philosopher advocating for utilitarianism, promoting reforms to improve worker conditions and social justice.
Tanzimat
A series of reforms (1839–1876) aimed at modernizing the Ottoman Empire, including legal and educational changes.
Self-Strengthening Movement
A late 19th century reform effort in China aiming to modernize military and industrial capabilities to resist foreign powers.
Hundred Days of Reform
A brief but ambitious attempt in 1898 to modernize China's political and educational systems, ultimately blocked by conservatives.
Empress Cixi
The conservative dowager empress of China who initially opposed reforms but later recognized the need for modernization efforts.