Unit 3: Land Based Empires Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering the expansion, administration, and belief systems of major land-based and maritime empires from 1450 to 1750.

Gunpowder empires

States in SE Asia, Asia, and SW Asia that relied on gunpowder to keep power and expand their territories, such as the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires.

Tamerlane

A military leader from Samarkand who seized land in Persia and India and whose empire's collapse led to the rise of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal states.

Mehmed II

The Ottoman leader known as "the Conqueror" who in $1453$ sieged and took Constantinople using gunpowder and advanced cannons.

Suleiman the Magnificent

Ottoman ruler from $1520-1566$ who represents the peak of the empire, conquering area around the Mediterranean and pushing into Europe.

Ismail I

The founder of the Safavid Empire who conquered most of Persia and parts of Iraq using gunpowder and established Shia Islam as the state religion.

Babur

A descendant of Tamerlane who founded the Mughal Empire in $1526$ after completing the conquest of Northern India using gunpowder.

Akbar

A Mughal ruler who led the empire to prosperity, promoted religious tolerance for Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity, and consolidated power by promoting differences.

Sikhism

A syncretic religion started in Punjab, India around $1500$ that combines Islam and Hinduism and values equality, social justice, and tolerance.

Taj Mahal

A cultural achievement built by Shah Jahan to honor his dead wife and display the power of the Mughal Empire.

Ivan IV

Also known as Ivan the Terrible, he became tsar in $1547$ and expanded the Russian Empire east into Mongolian territory using gunpowder.

Humanism

A key emphasis of the Renaissance involving a rebirth of Roman and Greek ideals with a focus on individualism.

Qing Dynasty

Established in $1636$ by Manchu Jurchens who overtook Ming China; they restored the Great Wall and expanded territory into Taiwan, Mongolia, and Tibet.

Divine Right of Kings

A European political concept, similar to the Mandate of Heaven, claiming that God put rulers in power as vice regents of Jesus himself.

Justices of the Peace

Officials used by the Tudor Dynasty in England to settle legal disputes and carry out the will of the monarch.

English Bill of Rights

A document passed by Parliament in $1689$ granting freedom to petition and protections from cruel and unusual punishment.

Absolutism

A monarchical system in France giving absolute power to the king, exemplified by Louis XIV who consolidated legislative and judicial systems.

Intendants

Officials created by Louis XIII, also known as tax farmers, who executed the will of the king and collected taxes.

Devshirme

An Ottoman system that took enslaved Christian boys, typically aged $8-20$, from tribute states to be educated and serve as administrators or soldiers.

Janissaries

The elite military corps of the Ottoman Empire composed of soldiers from the Devshirme system who were fiercely loyal to the sultan.

Tokugawa Shogunate

A Japanese feudal government from $1603-1868$ where the shogun held actual power while the emperor remained a symbol in Kyōto.

Daimyo

Landowning aristocracy in Japan who employed samurai for protection and were eventually required to live in the capital city by the Tokugawa shogun.

Zamindars

Mughal administrative officials who traveled around India collecting taxes and settling disputes.

Bhakti Movement

A spiritual and social movement in India that emphasized a personal relationship with a deity and was less formal than traditional rituals.

Sufism

A mystic Islamic belief system with rituals and an emphasis on "brotherhood" used by missionaries to spread Islam.

Protestant Reformation

A $16th$ century movement led by Martin Luther that challenged the authority and corruption of the Pope and the sale of indulgences.

Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church's attempt to gain back followers through the Council of Trent and the creation of the Jesuits.

Millet System

An Ottoman administrative system where each religion was given its own political zone, with the Islamic zone being the highest.

Trading Post Empires

A type of maritime empire, such as the Portuguese in Africa and India, that focused on controlling overseas trade routes.