Summary Notes on Legitimization and Consolidation of Power

Key Terms:

• Legitimization: Methods used by rulers to communicate their authority.

• Consolidation: Methods to centralize power and diminish other groups' influence.

Ways of Legitimizing and Consolidating Power ($1450-1750$):

1. Imperial Bureaucracies:

   • Established large bureaucracies to manage expansive empires.

   • Example: Ottoman Devshirme system - Christian boys were educated to serve in the bureaucracy and military (Janissaries).

2. Religion, Art, and Architecture:

   • Religion: European monarchs utilized Divine Right, while the Aztecs used human sacrifice to align political rule with divine authority.

   • Art: The Qing Dynasty used imperial portraits of Emperor Kangxi to demonstrate Confucian values and gain legitimacy among the Chinese.

   • Architecture: Structures like the Palace of Versailles and the Inca Sun Temple projected monumental power and helped centralize authority.

3. Taxation Systems:

   • Mughal Empire used the zamindar system with local landowners to collect taxes.

   • Ottoman tax farming allowed bidders to collect taxes, ensuring state income without high bureaucratic costs.