Focus: How rulers of land-based empires maintained and consolidated power.
Methods rulers use to communicate authority to subjects.
Actions taken to transfer power from other groups to themselves.
Effective administration through skilled bureaucrats.
Example: Ottoman Empire's bureaucratic system contributed to effective governance.
Development of elite military units to support rule.
Example: Ottoman janissaries formed from enslaved Christians through the devshirmay system.
Construction of grand structures to symbolize power.
Example: Palace of Versailles, built for Louis XIV of France, showcased royal grandeur and legitimacy.
Tax farming system: contracts given to individuals to collect taxes.
Tax farmers often collected more than necessary, enriching themselves while providing stable income for the empire.
Benefit for the Ottomans: Reliable annual revenue without direct costs from tax collectors.