Empires, Trade, and Colonialism
Yuan Dynasty in China
- Kublai Khan, leader, recognized China's cultural stability.
- Established dynasty, aiming to rule rather than eradicate Chinese culture.
- Followers increased, leading to greater contentment among minorities, especially Buddhists and scholars.
- Civil service exams reopened, met with approval.
Failures of the Yuan Dynasty
- Failed to expand further due to military weaknesses.
- Unsuccessful conquests of Japan and India.
- Led to perceptions of weakness and growing disapproval.
- Confucian scholars were unhappy, Mongols leaned towards Buddhism.
- Han nobles sought restoration of Han society.
- The Red Turban Rebellion emerged, led by a general named Zhu Yuanzhang.
Ilkhanate and the Destruction of Baghdad
- Bureaucrats given special privileges, Arabs dominated merchant trade.
- Turks were near equals to Mongols.
- Baghdad's House of Wisdom was destroyed in December.
- Baghdad resisted Ilkhanate rule.
- Mamluks and the caliph fled to Egypt, establishing the Mamluk Sultanate.
- Persians were brought in, laying groundwork for future developments.
Mongol Empire Impacts
- Internal discontent and instability led to its decline.
- Black Death spread through trade networks, affecting Asia and Europe.
- Approximately a quarter of the world's population died.
Silk Roads
- Caravan serais: pit stops for travelers and merchants.
- Banking houses and flying cash: early banking systems to prevent theft.
Indian Ocean Trade
- Extensive trade, diasporic communities.
- Zheng He's expeditions revealed Arab wealth, but China remained uninterested.
- Ming Dynasty isolated itself, halting further exploration.
Importance of Historical Units
- Focus on Units 3 and 4 for AP exams.
The Rise of Tamerlane (Timur)
- Utilized guns and cavalry, establishing a large Central Asian and Middle East empire.
- Integrated diverse groups, fostering a Persian cultural resurgence.
- Supported arts and architecture, solidifying Persian culture.
Gunpowder Empires
- Timur's legacy led to rise of Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires.
- These empires were administered by Turkic-Persians.
Ottoman Empire
- Founded in 1299, lasted until 1922.
- Continued fighting Byzantines and assimilating Greeks and Turkic peoples.
- Established Janissaries: elite soldiers recruited from minorities.
- Invaded Egypt, taking over the Mamluk Sultanate and the Abbasid Caliphate, using the caliphate as figureheads.
- Some historians debate whether the Ottomans constitute a true caliphate.
- Sultanate of Women: influential wives in the Sultan's harem.
Safavid Empire
- Rose under Shah Ismail and the Qizilbash.
- Declared Shia Islam as state religion, ensuring its survival in Iran.
- Qizilbash: Turkic warriors with red hats, bodyguards of the Shah.
- Shah Ismail promoted Turkic and Persian culture.
- Developed a meritocracy, incorporating Armenians, Georgians, and Azerbaijanis.
- Created a third force of loyal soldiers, which eventually dominated under later shahs.
Mughal Empire
- Descended from Delhi Sultanate and Timurids.
- Babur moved into India, founding the empire.
- Sought to rule culturally and religiously diverse populations.
- Akbar the Great known for tolerance.
Colonialism: Motivations and Early Actions
- European poverty drove desire to access India and China's wealth.
- Ottoman Empire's trade taxes motivated exploration.
- New technologies: caravels, compass, astrolabe facilitated exploration.
- Treaty of Tordesillas divided world between Spain (West) and Portugal (East).
Inca Empire
- Terrace farming due to mountainous terrain.
- Mita system: labor tax for public works.
Disease & Enslavement
- Disease decimated Americans due to isolation.
- Portuguese contacted Africans, initiating large-scale slave trade.
- West African kingdoms facilitated Transatlantic slave trade for guns and profit.
- (9=3)