Unit 3 AP World History

BIG PICTURE IDEAS

  • Empires from 1450-1750

    • Major land-based empires were:

    • Manchu/Qing Empire in East Asia

    • Ottoman Empire in the Middle East

    • Mughal Empire in South Asia

  • Role of Gunpowder Technology

    • Gunpowder was a key military technology that significantly contributed to the rise of land-based empires during this period.

  • Legitimization of Power

    • Land-based empires utilized monumental architecture for legitimizing their power.

    • Bureaucracies were staffed through the recruitment of military professionals.

    • Financing was achieved via tribute and tax collection.

  • Religious and Political Rivalries

    • Expansion in power and size often led to religious and political rivalries, frequently escalating into military conflicts.

  • Role of Religion

    • Religion served both to unify and divide empires:

    • In the Mughal Empire, Sikhism emerged as a new syncretic religion.

    • In Europe, the Protestant Reformation caused a significant fracture in the previously unified Catholic world.

KEY VOCABULARY

  • Divine Right of Kings: The belief that monarchs derive their authority directly from God.

  • Taj Mahal: A mausoleum in India, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife.

  • Tax Farming: A fiscal policy where the government sells the right to collect taxes to private individuals or groups.

  • Bannermen: In the Manchu system, hereditary military elite who pledged loyalty to the emperor.

  • Alhambra Decree: A decree issued in Spain that mandated the expulsion of Jews.

  • Sikhism: A religion founded in the Mughal Empire blending Islam and Hindu teachings.

  • Devshirme: A system used by the Ottomans to recruit boys for military and administrative positions.

  • Millets: Autonomous religious communities in the Ottoman Empire.

  • Zamindars: Local nobility in the Mughal Empire responsible for tax collection.

MAIN CHARACTERS

  • Kangxi: Important emperor of the Qing dynasty; known for consolidating power.

  • Suleiman: The Ottoman sultan who greatly expanded and organized the empire.

  • Akbar: Notable Mughal emperor, known for his policy of religious tolerance.

  • Shah Ismail: Founder of the Safavid Empire, known for his promotion of Shi'a Islam.

  • Guru Nanak: Founder of Sikhism, known for promoting a syncretic approach to spirituality.

THE MANCHU (QING) EMPIRE

  1. Establishment

    • The Manchu Empire emerged as the final dynasty in the Chinese Dynastic Cycle after conquering the Ming Dynasty.

  2. Comparison to Ming Dynasty

    • Similarity: Continued practices such as Confucianism, the Imperial Exam, and the dynastic system.

    • Difference: Ethnically distinct, coming from Manchuria, and introduced the Banner System.

  3. Manchu Banner System

    • An administrative system that categorized various ethnic groups (Chinese, Manchus, Mongols) under separate banners, allowing self-rule.

    • Established hereditary Bannermen as the nobility, facilitating military organization and census data collection.

  4. Queue Hairstyle

    • The Queue haircut was enforced by the Manchus as a symbol of loyalty to their rule.

  5. Neo-Confucianism Policy

    • The Qing regime maintained the prominence of Neo-Confucianism; emperors like Kangxi promoted adherence through proclamations.

  6. Staffing Bureaucratic Positions

    • The Manchus utilized the Imperial Examination system to populate bureaucratic roles, showcasing continuity in governance practices.

THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

  1. Capture of Constantinople

    • The Ottomans utilized gunpowder artillery to breach Constantinople, renaming it Istanbul post-conquest.

  2. Hagia Sophia

    • Originally a Christian church, transformed into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest; symbolized the power shift from the Byzantine to the Ottoman Empire.

  3. Devshirme System

    • Boys recruited through the Devshirme system were trained for roles as:

      • Janissaries (military)

      • Religious scholars and bureaucrats.

  4. Janissaries

    • Elite infantry trained with advanced weaponry; played a pivotal role in military expansions; members were loyal solely to the Sultan due to their lack of familial ties.

  5. Battle of Chaldiran (1514)

    • Political cause: Territorial expansions of the Ottoman and Safavid Empires.

    • Religious cause: Sunni/Shia divide; the Ottomans were predominantly Sunni and the Safavids were Shi'a.

  6. Revenue Collection

    • The Ottomans employed tax farming, streamlining bureaucracy and enhancing revenue.

  7. Religious Tolerance

    • Following the Alhambra Decree, the Ottomans welcomed large Jewish immigrant populations, showing a policy of religious tolerance.

THE SAFAVID EMPIRE

  1. Comparison with Ottoman Empire

    • Similarities: Both empires were ruled by dynasties with hereditary succession and Islamic leaders.

    • Difference: The principal distinction lay in their religious affiliations; the Ottomans were Sunni while the Safavids followed Shi'a Islam.

  2. Rivalries

    • The Safavid Empire faced political and religious conflicts with:

      • Ottoman Empire to the west

      • Mughal Empire to the east.

THE MUGHAL EMPIRE

  1. Rise to Power

    • The Mughals gained control by defeating the Delhi Sultanate at the Battle of Panipat in 1526.

  2. Founder

    • Babur was the founder, claiming descent from Genghis Khan and Tamerlane.

  3. Religious Policies

    • Similarity: Both Akbar the Great and Shah Ismail were Muslim.

    • Difference: Akbar was known for religious tolerance; Shah Ismail was critical of non-Shi'a Muslims.

  4. Emergence of Sikhism

    • Sikhism began during this period, blending Islamic and Hindu beliefs, guided by Guru Nanak.

  5. Conflict with Marathas

    • The struggle was over control of South Asia and the religious dynamics; the Mughal Islamics ruling over a Hindu majority contrasted with the Maratha Hindu opposition.

  6. Role of Zamindars

    • Local Hindu princes (Zamindars) acted as tax collectors for the Mughal Empire, simplifying bureaucratic needs.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

  1. Use of Imperial Portraits by Manchus

    • Imperial portraits were utilized to enhance emperors' prestige, establishing legitimacy in the dynastic context.

  2. Louis XIV's Palace

    • Converted his father's lodge into Versailles, centralizing French political life by requiring nobles to reside there.

  3. Monumental Architecture

    • Forbidden City: Exclusive royal residence in Beijing.

    • Hagia Sophia: Largest building in Europe for a millennium, converted post-1453.

    • Taj Mahal: Constructed by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife in 1631.

  4. Miniatures

    • Artists commissioned for monumental structures also created small-scale book illustrations known as miniatures.

BELIEF SYSTEMS

  1. Differences in Sunni vs. Shi'a

    • Disagreement over Muhammad’s successor; Sunnis favored Abu Bakr, whereas Shi'a supported Ali.

    • Differences between Protestant vs. Catholics: Protestant reformers opposed Latin Bible usage and questioned Church authority.

  2. Mexica Religious Justification

    • Employed polytheism and human sacrifice, asserting divine support for their reign through rituals to ensure prosperity.

  3. European Monarchs & Divine Right

    • Monarchs claimed divine appointment from God, utilizing the concept of Divine Right to justify their authority.

  4. Emergence of Sikhism

    • A syncretic belief system born from Islamic and Hindu interactions during the Mughal era.

  5. Treatment of Hindus

    • Akbar was known for relative toleration and syncretism; Aurangzeb enforced stricter Islamic practices, suppressing Hindus and Sikhs.

RUNNING AN EMPIRE

  1. Innovative Tax Collection Systems

    • Tax Farming: Ottomans auctioning off tax collection rights.

    • Zamindar System: Mughal collection through local nobility.

    • Banner System: Used by the Manchu for tax collection and governance.

  2. Bureaucratic Practices

    • Zamindars: Local tax collectors in the Mughal Empire.

    • Salaried Samurai: Former warriors who became bureaucrats.

    • Bannermen: Leaders from diverse ethnic groups within the Qing Empire.

    • Imperial Exam: Examination process for high governmental roles in the Chinese system.

    • Devshirme: Forced recruitment system for Ottoman military and administration.