Social Studies Unit 10

Gunpowder Empires

Empires that used gunpowder weapons, centralized governments, and developed bureaucracies to strengthen their rule.

Fall of Constantinople

Event in 1453 when Mehmet II and the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire.

Mehmet II

The Ottoman sultan known for conquering Constantinople in 1453.

Istanbul

The city formerly known as Constantinople, renamed after its conquest by the Ottomans.

Hagia Sophia

A former cathedral and mosque in Istanbul, which was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest.

Byzantine Empire

A major Christian empire in Eastern Europe that fell to the Ottomans.

Mughals

A gunpowder empire that established control over parts of India and was known for its trade and cultural achievements.

Akbar

A notable leader of the Mughal Empire known for his effective leadership and religious tolerance.

Suleiman

A significant ruler of the Ottoman Empire known for his legislative reforms and military conquests.

Shah Abbas

A prominent leader of the Safavid Empire known for his cultural and economic development.

Gunpowder technology

Innovations in military technology, including cannons and muskets, that gave empires a significant advantage in warfare.

Centralized government

A political system where a single central authority has control over the state, typical of gunpowder empires.

Religious tolerance

A policy of allowing different religions to coexist, which varied among the different gunpowder empires.

Trade routes

Paths or networks used for the exchange of goods, significantly influenced by the rise of the Ottoman Empire.

MOS (Mughal, Ottoman, Safavid)

Mnemonic used to remember the three major gunpowder empires.