Land Based Adminstration 3.2

Introduction to Land-Based Empires (1450-1750)

  • Focus: How rulers of land-based empires maintained and consolidated power.

Key Terms

Legitimizing Power

  • Methods rulers use to communicate authority to subjects.

Consolidating Power

  • Actions taken to transfer power from other groups to themselves.

Methods of Legitimizing and Consolidating Power

1. Creation of Large Imperial Bureaucracies

  • Effective administration through skilled bureaucrats.

  • Example: Ottoman Empire's bureaucratic system contributed to effective governance.

2. Expansion of Militaries

  • Development of elite military units to support rule.

  • Example: Ottoman janissaries formed from enslaved Christians through the devshirmay system.

3. Use of Architecture to Legitimize Rule

  • Construction of grand structures to symbolize power.

  • Example: Palace of Versailles, built for Louis XIV of France, showcased royal grandeur and legitimacy.

Tax Collection and Administration

  • 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.

robot