3.1 empires expand

mughal empire (india)

• founding: central asian ruler named babur invaded india, bringing killed cavalrymen + strong horses, established a new state

• babur’s grandson akbar saw expansion of mughal state into empire

• used rupee coin , shared currency connected makretplaces under mughal rule

• sulh-i kul: universal toleration in mughal empire, gave non-muslims the same rights as muslims

safavid empire (persia, now iran)

• founding: ismail conquered persia under shia muslim, knowing that ottoman sunnis were too strong to be conquered

• ismail unified kingdom under shia islam, spread the faith, and met resistance from sunnis with force

• ismail had bureaucracy + divided up his empire into offices like military/politics, religion, and treasury

• safavids expanded the production of silk for their economy

ottoman empire

• founding: osman, chief of turkish tribe, led warriors from turkey west across eurasia, conquering cities like constantinople (byzantine) with gunpowder mastery

• sultan mehmet wanted constantinople to be capital, broke walls with cannons

• ottoman empire was powerful at sea, dominance in mediterannean + participating in indian ocean trade

• had supreme sultans + promotion in empire was mostly based on merit

• devshirme: christian families were forced to sell children to become trained as government officials or janissaries (elite soldier corps)

• many people seeking refuge from persecution like jews or christians migrated to ottoman

russian empire

qing/manchu dynasty (china)

• mongol yuan was overthrown by ming dynasty, and manchuria people took over china in the 1600s, establishing the qing dynasty

• sold limited trading privileges to european powers

• for ex. british wanted trading rights but china did nto want their manufactured goods

• qing dynasty implemented high taxes

• desire to restore ming dynasty

• peasants organized white lotus rebellion (due to high taxes and corruption), which the qing brutally suppressed

tokugawa shogunate (japan)

• japan had feudalistic hierarchy:

  • emperor (figurehead)

  • shogun (military authority)

  • daimyos (territorial lords)

  • samurai (loyal to daimyo)

  • peasants/artisans/merchants

• samurai: followed the bushido (way of the warrior) which was born from neo confucianism, shintoism (traditional japanese religion) and zen buddhism

• trade fluorished and merchants gained wealth

• water control, irrigation, fertilizer, and rice meant economic growth and population growth

• japanese women escape oppression of chinese confucianism

3.2 administration

bureaucratic elites/military professionals

• devshirme system (ottomans): christian boys brought to palace system, converted to islam, and educated to become elites, officers, administrators, commanders, jannisaries

• devshirme gave opportunities to peasant boys, gave ottomans a chance to use christian manpower

• samurai: followed the bushido, way of life

• rulers used religion, art, architecture

  • mexica (aztec) practice of human sacrifice

  • european notion of divine right (the right to rule, given by god)

  • songhay’s promotion of islam (rulers hoped islam would unite empites

• art/architecture

  • versailles/sistine chapel in europe

  • forbidden city and imperial portraits of qing

  • suleymaniye of ottoman

  • taj mahal of mughal

  • all these legitimized the rule of rulers by displaying their power, glory, wealth

tax collection

• mughal: zamindar system (landowners of a certain region collected taxes from all the peasants in that area on behalf of the government, under akbar;s rule, these tax collectors could keep about a third of taxes)

• ottoman: timar system (sultan made land grants in timars to ottoman military officers) changed tax faming (states held auctions for taxation rights, and tax collector kept profits for themselves)