Key Themes in Global Empires and Cultural Interactions

Qing Dynasty (Manchus)

A dynasty that ruled China from 1644 to 1912, established by the Manchu people.

Gunpowder Empires

Empires that utilized gunpowder for military expansion and control, including the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals.

Ottoman devshirme

A system where Christian boys were taken to serve in the Ottoman military and bureaucracy.

Qing imperial portraits

Artworks that depicted the emperors of the Qing Dynasty, showcasing their power and authority.

Mughal mausolea and mosques

Architectural structures built during the Mughal Empire, notable for their grandeur and intricate designs.

Mughal zamindar tax collection

A system where local landlords (zamindars) were responsible for collecting taxes on behalf of the Mughal Empire.

Ottoman tax farming

A practice where the right to collect taxes was auctioned off to private individuals or groups.

Ming practice of collecting taxes in hard currency

The Ming Dynasty's approach to tax collection, requiring payments in coins rather than goods.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement in the 16th century that led to the creation of Protestant churches and reforms in Christianity.

Martin Luther

A key figure in the Protestant Reformation known for his 95 Theses criticizing the Catholic Church.

95 Theses

A list of propositions for debate by Martin Luther, challenging the practices of the Catholic Church.

Indulgences

Payments made to the Catholic Church for the reduction of punishment for sins.

Simony

The act of selling church offices and roles, considered a corrupt practice.

John Calvin

A Protestant reformer known for his teachings on predestination and the sovereignty of God.

Counter-Reformation

The Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation, aimed at reforming the Church and reaffirming its doctrines.

Inquisition

A group of institutions within the Catholic Church aimed at combating heresy.

Thirty Years' War

A series of conflicts in Europe from 1618 to 1648, primarily involving religious disputes between Catholics and Protestants.

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region of India in the 15th century, emphasizing equality and community service.

Caravel

A small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese.

Carrack

A large ocean-going ship used in the 15th to 17th centuries for trade and exploration.

Fluyt

A Dutch type of sailing vessel that was designed for efficient cargo transport.

Lateen sail

A triangular sail that allowed ships to sail against the wind, enhancing navigation.

Compass

An instrument used for navigation and orientation that shows direction relative to the Earth's magnetic poles.

Astronomical charts

Maps used for navigation that depict the positions of celestial bodies.

Printing press

A mechanical device for transferring text and images to paper, revolutionizing the spread of information.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that emphasizes the role of the state in managing international trade and accumulating wealth.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer known for his voyages across the Atlantic Ocean and the discovery of the Americas in 1492.

Prince Henry the Navigator

A Portuguese prince who sponsored explorations along the West African coast in the 15th century.

Bartholomew Diaz

A Portuguese explorer who was the first to sail around the southern tip of Africa in 1488.

Vasco Da Gama

A Portuguese explorer who was the first to reach India by sea, linking Europe and Asia via the ocean.

Trading post empire

An empire based on the establishment of trade posts rather than territorial conquest.

Manila

The capital of the Philippines, established as a major trading hub in the Spanish colonial period.

Horses

Domesticated animals used for transportation, agriculture, and warfare.

Pigs

Domesticated animals raised for food and other products.

Cattle

Domesticated bovines raised for milk, meat, and labor.

Okra

A vegetable brought to the Americas by African enslaved persons, used in various cuisines.

Rice

A staple food crop introduced to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade.

The Great Dying

The massive decline in Indigenous populations in the Americas due to diseases brought by Europeans.

Transatlantic slave trade

The forced transportation of enslaved Africans to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

African diaspora

The dispersion of Africans and their descendants across the world, particularly due to the slave trade.

Ming China

A dynasty that ruled China from 1368 to 1644, known for its trade expansion and cultural achievements.

Tokugawa Japan

The period of Japanese history from 1603 to 1868 characterized by the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and isolationist policies.

Indentured servitude

A labor system where individuals worked for a specified number of years in exchange for passage to a new country.

Chattel slavery

A form of slavery where individuals are treated as personal property to be bought and sold.

Middle Passage

The sea journey undertaken by slave ships from West Africa to the Americas.

Treaty of Tordesillas

A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe.

Encomienda

A system where Spanish settlers were granted the right to extract labor and tribute from Indigenous peoples.

Hacienda system

A large estate system in Spanish America that relied on forced labor for agricultural production.

Mit'a system

An Incan labor system that required communities to provide labor for public works projects.

Commercial Revolution

A period of European economic expansion, colonialism, and mercantilism from the 11th to the 18th centuries.

Joint-stock companies

Business entities where different stocks can be bought and owned by shareholders, facilitating trade and exploration.

Triangular trade

A historical trade route connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, involving the exchange of goods and enslaved people.

Western Europe—wool and linen

Regions in Western Europe known for producing textiles, particularly wool and linen.

India—cotton

India's significant role in the global cotton trade, known for its high-quality cotton textiles.

China—silk

China's historical production of silk, a highly valued commodity in trade.

Polygyny

A marital practice where a man has multiple wives simultaneously.

Peninsulares

Spanish-born individuals residing in the colonies, often holding the highest social status.

Creoles

People of European descent born in the colonies, often holding a position below peninsulares.

Mestizo

Individuals of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in Latin America.

Mulatto

Individuals of mixed European and African ancestry.

Casta paintings

Artworks depicting the racial hierarchy and mixed-race individuals in colonial Latin America.

Vodun/Vodou

A syncretic religion that originated in West Africa and developed in the Americas, combining African traditions with Christianity.

Santeria

A syncretic religion that blends African traditions with Catholicism, primarily practiced in Cuba.

Candomblé

A syncretic religion that combines African traditions with Catholicism, practiced mainly in Brazil.

Virgin of Guadalupe

A significant religious figure in Mexican Catholicism, representing a blend of Indigenous and Spanish cultures.

Pueblo Revolts

A series of uprisings by Indigenous Pueblo people against Spanish colonization in the late 17th century.

Fronde

A series of civil wars in France during the 1640s and 1650s against the royal authority.

Cossack Revolts

Uprisings by Cossacks against the Russian state, particularly in the 17th century.

Ana Nzinga's resistance

The efforts of Queen Ana Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba to resist Portuguese colonization in the 17th century.

Metacom's War (King Philip's War)

A conflict between Native American inhabitants of New England and English colonists from 1675 to 1678.

Maroon societies

Communities formed by escaped enslaved people in the Americas, often in remote areas.

Resistance of enslaved persons in North America

Various forms of opposition and rebellion against enslavement by African Americans in the United States.

Expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal

The forced removal of Jews from the Iberian Peninsula during the late 15th century.

Acceptance of Jews in the Ottoman Empire

The relatively tolerant policies towards Jews in the Ottoman Empire compared to Spain and Portugal.

Restrictive policies against Han Chinese in Qing China

Policies implemented by the Qing Dynasty that limited the rights and freedoms of Han Chinese.

Varying status of different classes of women within the Ottoman Empire

The differing rights and social standings of women based on their class within Ottoman society.

Ottoman timars

Land grants given to military officers in the Ottoman Empire in exchange for military service.

Russian boyars

The noble class in Russia, holding significant power and land before the rise of the tsars.

European nobility

The aristocratic class in Europe, often holding land and titles, with significant political influence.