APWH Units 3-6

Gunpowder Empires

Large Islamic land-based empires (Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal) that used gunpowder weapons to expand and consolidate power in the 1450–1750 period.

Ottoman Empire

A dominant Sunni Muslim empire that ruled much of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa from the 1300s until the early 20th century.

Safavid Empire

A Shi’a Muslim empire in Persia that rivaled the Ottoman Empire and helped establish Shi'a Islam as the state religion of Iran.

Mughal Empire

A Muslim-led empire in South Asia that blended Hindu and Muslim cultures and was known for architectural achievements like the Taj Mahal.

Zamindar System

A system used by the Mughal Empire where tax collectors (zamindars) managed local areas, sometimes gaining significant regional power.

Divine Right of Kings

The belief that monarchs received their power from God and were only answerable to Him, common in European absolute monarchies.

Mandate of Heaven

Chinese belief that rulers were chosen by divine forces; loss of the mandate justified rebellion and dynastic change.

Devshirme System

Ottoman practice of recruiting Christian boys, converting them to Islam, and training them for military or bureaucratic service (e.g., Janissaries).

Janissaries

Elite infantry units of the Ottoman Empire, originally Christian boys taken through the devshirme system, later became politically powerful.

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system that rewarded conquerors with the labor of Indigenous people, leading to severe exploitation in the Americas.

Mit'a System (Colonial)

Adapted by the Spanish from the Inca system, requiring Indigenous people to perform forced labor in mines like Potosí.

Chattel Slavery

A system where people are treated as personal property to be bought and sold, intensified with the Atlantic slave trade.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

The forced migration of Africans to the Americas between the 16th–19th centuries, part of the broader triangular trade.

Mercantilism

Economic theory where colonies exist to enrich the mother country by exporting more than importing; dominated 1450–1750.

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses owned by shareholders that enabled risky overseas ventures (e.g., British East India Company, Dutch VOC).

Triangular Trade

A trade system connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas: slaves to Americas, raw goods to Europe, manufactured goods to Africa.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Old and New Worlds following 1492.

Industrial Revolution

Began in Britain in the 18th century; shifted economies to machine-based manufacturing and factory systems.

Steam Engine

Revolutionary invention that powered trains, ships, and factories, drastically increasing industrial productivity.

Urbanization

Mass movement to cities due to industrial job opportunities; often resulted in overcrowding and poor living conditions.

Labor Unions

Organizations of workers that formed in response to industrial exploitation, demanding better wages and conditions.

Capitalism

Economic system where private individuals control production and operate for profit; promoted by Adam Smith.

Socialism

An economic system advocating for communal or state control of production to ensure equality and welfare.

Marxism

A radical form of socialism proposed by Karl Marx, arguing that class struggle would lead to a proletarian revolution and communism.

Communism

A classless society where all property is publicly owned; inspired revolutions in Russia and later China.

Nationalism

The belief that people who share a common culture, language, and history should form independent nations; fueled revolutions and unification.

American Revolution (1776)

Colonists in North America rebelled against British rule, inspired by Enlightenment ideals like liberty and democracy.

French Revolution (1789)

A radical revolution that overthrew the monarchy and promoted ideas of equality, liberty, and fraternity.

Haitian Revolution (1791)

The first successful slave revolt, which led to the independence of Haiti from France.

Latin American Revolutions (1800s)

Series of movements across South and Central America for independence from Spanish and Portuguese rule.

Meiji Restoration (1868)

Period of rapid modernization and industrialization in Japan after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Imperialism

The domination of one country by another, especially prominent in the 19th century during the "Scramble for Africa" and colonization of Asia.

Berlin Conference (1884–85)

European powers met to divide Africa without African input, formalizing imperial borders and intensifying colonization.

White Man’s Burden

Racist justification for imperialism that argued Europeans had a duty to "civilize" non-European peoples.

Social Darwinism

Application of Darwin’s theory of evolution to human societies; used to justify imperialism and racial hierarchies.

Scientific Racism

The use of pseudo-science to justify racist ideologies, including ideas like eugenics and superiority of certain races.

Suffrage Movements

Movements, especially in industrialized nations, demanding women’s right to vote (e.g., Seneca Falls, Emmeline Pankhurst).

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

The first women's rights convention in the U.S., marking the start of the organized suffrage movement.