Unit 3 AP World History: Land-Based Empires ($$1450$$-$$1750$$)

Land-Based Empires and Expansion

  • Definition: Empires whose power was primarily derived from territorial holdings rather than maritime trade.

  • Time Period: 14501450 to 17501750.

  • Ottoman Empire:
        * Founded in the 14th14^{th} century; expanded rapidly using gunpowder weapons (cannons).
        * Conquered Constantinople in 14531453, renaming it Istanbul, which facilitated expansion into Eastern Europe.
        * Utilized the Janissaries, an elite military force composed of converted Christian slaves from the Balkans.

  • Safavid Empire:
        * Established in the early 16th16^{th} century in the Middle East by Shah mail.
        * Lacked natural defensive barriers, leading Shah Abbas to build a gunpowder-based military.
        * Employed an enslaved army of Christians from the Caucasus region.

  • Mughal Empire:
        * Founded in 15261526 by Babur after defeating the Delhi Sultanate in South Asia.
        * Expanded further under Akbar through gunpowder and effective administration.
        * Ruled a Hindu majority with varying levels of religious tolerance.

  • Qing Dynasty (Manchu Empire):
        * Replaced the Han-led Ming dynasty in the 17th17^{th} century.
        * Expanded Chinese territory using gunpowder technology.

  • Conflicts:
        * Safavid-Mughal Conflict: A series of wars over territory in modern Afghanistan; complicated by the Sunni (Mughal) vs. Shia (Safavid) religious divide.

Methods of Administration and Legitimacy

  • Power Consolidation and Legitimation:
        * Legitimize: Methods to establish authority.
        * Consolidate: Methods to transfer power from other groups to the central ruler.

  • Bureaucratic Systems:
        * Ottoman Devshirme: Selection and education of enslaved Christians for elite bureaucratic and military roles.

  • Religious and Cultural Methods:
        * Divine Right of Kings: European monarchs asserted they were God's representatives on earth.
        * Imperial Portraits: Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty used portraits with Confucian symbols to legitimize Manchu rule over the Han population.
        * Monumental Architecture:
            * The Sun Temple Of Cusco (Inca) used for religious legitimation.
            * The Palace Of Versailles (France) used by Louis XIV to consolidate power by forcing nobility to reside there.

  • Taxation Systems:
        * Mughal Zamindar System: Elite landowners collected taxes for the central government.
        * Ottoman Tax Farming: Rights to tax were auctioned to the highest bidder.
        * Aztec Tribute Lists: Specified goods and quantities required from conquered regions.

Evolution and Conflict of Belief Systems

  • Christianity:
        * Protestant Reformation: Initiated by Martin Luther in 15171517 with the 95 theses at Fintanburg; protested corruption like simony and indulgences.
        * Counter-Reformation: The Catholic Church responded via the Council of Trent, correcting corruption but reaffirming fundamental doctrines.

  • Islam:
        * The Ottoman-Safavid rivalry intensified the Sunni-Shia split.
        * Shah Ismail enforced Shia Islam in the Safavid Empire, often through public execution of Sunnis.
        * Safavid ritual cursing of the first three caliphs exacerbated tensions with Sunni neighbors.

  • Sikhism:
        * A syncretic religion in South Asia blending Hindu and Islamic doctrines.
        * Maintained beliefs like one God and reincarnation; rejected caste systems and gender hierarchies.