Gunpowder Empires Expand

Gunpowder Empires (1450-1750)

  • Large, multiethnic states in Southwest, Central, and South Asia.
  • Relied on firearms to conquer and control territories.
  • Included the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires, where Islam was strong, and Russia
  • Societies tended to be militaristic.
  • Left artistic and architectural legacies.

Europe

  • 1450: End of medieval period, beginning of early modern period.
  • New monarchies centralized power by controlling taxes, the army, and religion.
  • Bureaucracies increased, and the middle class gained power.

Russia

  • Pivotal position for trade between East and West.
  • Ivan IV (ruled 1547–1584) expanded the Russian border eastward using gunpowder.
  • Stroganovs hired Cossacks to fight local tribes and the Siberian khan to control the Volga River.
  • By 1639, Russians had advanced east to the Pacific Ocean.

East Asia

  • Ming Dynasty (1368) overthrew the Yuan Dynasty (Mongols).
  • Qing Dynasty (1644) was established by the Manchu.
  • Ming Dynasty restored and expanded the Great Wall of China for protection.
  • Emperor Kangxi (ruled 1661-1722) expanded into Taiwan, Mongolia, and Central Asia.
  • Emperor Qianlong (ruled 1736–1796) expanded into Xinjiang and Tibet but had unsuccessful campaigns against Burma and Vietnam.
  • Qing Dynasty sold limited trading privileges to European powers but confined them to Guangzhou.
  • White Lotus Rebellion (1796-1804) was brutally suppressed by the Qing government.

Rise of the Islamic Gunpowder Empires

  • Descended from Turkic nomads.
  • Spoke a Turkic language.
  • Took advantage of power vacuums left by the breakup of Mongol khanates.
  • Relied on gunpowder weapons.

The Rule of Tamerlane

  • Tamerlane (Timur the Lame) led conquests in Persia and India in the late 14th century.
  • His rule in Samarkand encouraged learning and the arts.
  • His government was dependent upon his military and the use of heavy artillery.
  • Failed to leave an effective political structure.

The Ottoman Empire

  • Founded by the Osman Dynasty in the 1300s and lasted until 1918.
  • Mehmed II (ruled 1451-1481) captured Constantinople in 1453 and established Istanbul as the capital.
  • Suleiman I (ruled 1520–1566) expanded into Hungary but failed to take Vienna.
  • The Ottoman navy captured the island of Rhodes and took control of Tripoli in North Africa.

The Safavids

  • Originated in the Safavid order of Sufism in Azerbaijan.
  • Shah Ismail conquered most of Persia and was proclaimed shah in 1501.
  • Shah Abbas I (ruled 1588-1629) used Shi'a Islam as a unifying force.
  • Conflicts with the Ottoman Empire (Sunni Islam) over religion and trade routes.
  • Women had rights provided by Islamic law for inheritance and divorce.

Mughal India

  • Founded by Babur in the 1520s.
  • Akbar achieved religious and political goals, making it one of the richest and best-governed states.
  • Overseas trade flourished, and trade within the borders was carried on by merchant castes.
  • The caste system divided Hindu people into four categories.

Decline of the Gunpowder Empires

  • The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires declined as Western Europe grew in strength.
  • Russia modernized its army, modeling it after those of England, France, and the Netherlands.
  • The Ottoman Empire fell victim to weak sultans and strong European neighbors and was known as the Sick Man of Europe.
  • Safavid decline was due to ineffectual leaders and military spending.
  • Mughal decline was due to Aurangzeb's policies, which led to conflicts and rebellions.