Qing Dynasty -

The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty in China. It was important because it was only the second time that the Han people didn’t rule China.

Manchus -

The Manchus people established the Qing Dynasty. They could do this when the Ming Dynasty asked them to help their crumbling government. The Manchus people took advantage of this opportunity and conquered them.

The Mughal Empire -

The Mughal Empire (gunpowder empire) was a Muslim dynasty that conquered most of northern India. They were significant for building the Taj Mahal and for their attempt to combine Hindus and Muslims into a united state.

The Ottoman Empire -

The Ottoman Empire (gunpowder empire) began as a small, nomadic Turkish tribe in Anatolia. Over time, they grew in power and size. When they conquered Constantinople, this marked the beginning of the empire. They are well-known for converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque and building the Suleymaniye Mosque.

Safavids -

The Safavid Empire (gunpowder empire) ruled present-day Iran from 1501 to 1736. The empire was mainly composed of Shiite Muslims. They had a significant military presence and power over the regions around them.

Songhai -

The Songhai Empire was in West Africa. The Songhai replaced the Mali empire and became incredibly powerful. The Songhai Empire is known for its economic prosperity and control of trade networks along its borders.

Devishirme -

The Devishirne was a system of forced labor in which Christian boys from the Balkans regions were taken from their homes to work in the Ottoman government. They were taken to Istanbul, forcibly converted to Islam, and put in the care of a Muslim family. They were essentially slaves, but some were able to become a person of power and authority.

Janissary -

The Janissaries were the soldiers of the Ottoman Empire who were recruited through the Devshirme system. This means that they were essentially kidnapped Christian boys from the Balkans who were forced to serve the Ottomans. The Janissaries allowed the empire to have military success.

Samurai -

The Samurai were the salaried military professionals in Japan. They were wealthy in times of conflict, but could not gain any income during times of peace. Samurai were highly respected in Japan.

Divine Right -

Divine Right is the concept that kings received their power and authority from God. This also provided the idea that the kings could not be held accountable for their actions.

Absolute Monarchy -

An absolute Monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. It also means that the monarch is not limited and has absolute power.

Versailles -

Versailles is a large city in France that is well known for the Palace of Versailles. The palace was built by Louis XIV on the property that his father had a hunting lodge on. The palace is well-known and thousands of tourists go every year.

Zamindars -

Zamindars were rulers over a large section of land that they owned during the Mughal Empire. They then leased the land out to farmers. They were able to control their land the way that they wanted.

Taj Mahal -

The Taj Mahal is a large, white marble building in India (Mughal Empire). Its architecture represents both religious and cultural aspects. It was built by Shah Jahan.

Tax Farming -

Tax farming is a tax system where the taxing rights are sold to the highest bidder. The one who bought the rights then collected the taxes in a certain area, kept a portion for themselves as payment, and then gave the rest to the government. (Ottoman and Mughal Empires, Qing Dynasty)

Protestant Reformation -

The Protestant Reformation was when different branches of Christianity began to form. One of the most well-known protestants is Martin Luther who started Lutheran Christianity.

95 Theses -

The 95 Theses were the 95 statements that Martin Luther nailed to the Church door that he believed disputed church beliefs and academics. This is one of the events that was a part of the Protestant Reformation.

Martin Luther -

Martin Luther was the man who disagreed with the Church’s beliefs and nailed the 95 theses to the Church door. He was a major part of the Protestant Reformation. He started Lutheran Christianity.

Counter/Catholic Reformation -

The Counter-Reformation ( AKA The Catholic Reformation) was the opposition to the Protestant Reformation. The Counter-Reformation reformed the Catholic church to try and convince followers to stay/come back.

Jesuits -

Jesuits were principal agents in the Counter-Reformation and later leading forces in modernizing the church. They are remembered for their education, missionary, and charitable works.

Indulgence -

Indulgence in the Catholic Church was the forgiveness of the punishment due for past sins as a reward for wrong choices against the church.

Simony -

Simony is the act of buying or selling church benefits such as pardons, relics, etc. This is one of the reasons many different branches of Christianity began forming.

Inquisition -

A religious inquisition was a court that decided if someone was guilty of heresy, a belief contrary to orthodox religious doctrine. This was established by Pope Gregory IX.

Thirty Years War -

The Thirty Years War was an excruciatingly long battle over religious, territorial, and commercial aspects. There were over 8 million casualties. The battles left the map of Europe completely changed.

John Calvin -

John Calvin was the leading French Protestant reformer. The institutional was social patterns he established in Geneva deeply influenced Protestantism through the modern world.

Sikhism -

Sikhism is a religion established in Punjab, India during the late 15th century. Followers of Sikhism, Sikhs, worship a sculpture (Guru) that they believe was their last Guru who put himself inside the statute.

Shogunate -

The shogunate was the military dictator of Japan. Technically, the empower was at the top of the pyramid, but he was just a figurehead. The Shogun had all of the power.

Daimyo -

The Daimyos were the next level below the shogun. The Daimyos were in charge of a section of land where the shogun ruled. The Daimyos reported to the shogun. The Shogun issued an order to the Diamyos and the Daimyosd enforced it in their area.

Jizya -

The Jizya was a tax that non-Muslims had to pay when they were under a Muslim ruler. However, the jizya was never consistently enforced. Depending on the ruler and where the people were, sometimes the tax was not issued.

Millet System -

The Millet System allowed for non-Muslim groups to rule themselves when under Muslim rule. This was put in place during the Ottoman Empire, and it helped to keep the people at peace. When the people feel that they are in control, there is a less likely chance for revolt.

Suleiman the Magnificent -

Suleiman the Magnificent was the greatest ruler of the Ottoman Empire. The empire reached its largest amount of land covered under his rule and they were very wealthy. He also built the Suleymaniye Mosque which resembled the Hagia Sophia to prove that he was more powerful than everyone else (even Justinian).

Shah Abbas -

Shah Abbas was the greatest ruler of the Safavid Empire. He looked to others around him for ideas, used a merit system to employ government workers, and he tolerated other religions in his empire.

Babur -

Babur was a descendant of Ghengis Khan and founded the Mughal Empire. He had close ties to Safavid Persia. His grandson led the empire to its height.

Akbar -

Akbar was the grandson of Babur. He led the empire to its height and expanded the empire to almost all of India. His greatest achievement was cultural blending and religious toleration. This allowed for peace and a flourishing state. He ended the Jizya tax that taxed non-Muslims. In order to show his religious toleration, he married women of different faiths. He also created the Divine Faith.

Divine Faith -

Akbar combined Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism into one faith called the Divine Faith. He thought that it would end religious fighting. However, people were devoted to their religions and did not convert in large numbers. Because of this, the faith died when Akbar died.