Gunpowder Empires in Asia

Gunpowder Empires

• Gunpowder Empires were large, multiethnic states in Southwest, Central, and South Asia.
• They relied on firearms for conquest and control.
• The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires were examples of Gunpowder Empires.
• Gunpowder Empires developed sophisticated artistic and architectural legacies.

Key Terms and Events

• Gutenberg Printing Press: Revolutionized the spread of information.
• Ivan IV: Expanded Russian borders east.
• Volga River: A key river for Russian expansion.
• Ming Dynasty: Succeeded the Mongols in China.
• Qing Dynasty: Replaced the Ming Dynasty.
• Kangxi: Notable Qing emperor; expanded Chinese rule.
• Emperor Qianlong: Expanded China further; faced resistance.
• Tamerlane: A powerful Central Asian ruler who conquered vast territories.
• Ghazi Ideal: A concept of holy warriors that motivated the Gunpowder Empires.
• Ottoman Empire: A major Islamic empire in the Middle East.
• Mehmed II: Ottoman sultan who conquered Constantinople.
• Suleiman I: Renowned Ottoman sultan.
• Shah: Safavid ruler, title.
• Safavid Empire: Iranian empire.
• Shah Abbas I: Prominent Safavid ruler.
• Akbar: Famous Mughal emperor.
• Mughal Empire: Empire in India.
• Caste: Social hierarchy in India.

Europe

• 1450: A significant year marking various changes in Europe.
• Early Modern Period: Began in the mid-1450s; marked by Renaissance, Reformation, etc.
• Monarchies of 1450: Sought control over territories and resources.
• Powerful Social Class (Europe): The rising merchant class gained influence.

Russia

• Influences on Russia: Byzantine and Mongol empires.
• Eastern Expansion (Ivan IV): Used Cossacks to facilitate expansion.
• Russian Expansion: Relied on geographic advantages and military force.
• Cossacks: Military groups aiding Russian expansion.
• Volga River: Vital for trade and control of the region.
• Religion (Siberian Tribes): Russian missionaries tried to convert them to Orthodox Christianity.
• 1639 Russian Expansion: Extended to the Pacific Ocean.

East Asia

• Ming Dynasty Result: Established a stable Chinese government after the Mongols were ousted.
• Qing Dynasty Establishment: It replaced the Ming dynasty.
• Great Wall Rebuilding: China rebuilt sections of the Great Wall for defense.
• Kangxi's Rule: Incorporated Taiwan, Mongolia, and more.
• Qianlong's Rule: Expanded borders; faced rebellions during his period.
• Tibet: Expansion in Tibet had mixed success.
• Burma: Expansion into Burma was largely unsuccessful.
• Vietnam: Expansion efforts in Vietnam mostly unsuccessful.
• Late Years of Qianlong: Problems with rebellion (White Lotus Society) emerged.
• White Lotus Society: Caused uprisings, earlier known for their resistance to powerful governments.
• Result of Uprising: The Chinese government struggled to put down the rebellion.

Islamic Gunpowder Empires

• Commonalities: Used gunpowder and firearms in warfare.
• Success Factors: Effective military leadership and strong administrative systems.
• Tamerlane: Powerful leader who built a vast empire.
• Ghazi Ideal Impact: Supported the expansion of the empire(s).
• Conquest Characteristics: Marked by large-scale violence and destruction.
• Tamerlane's Art Patronage: Supported the arts, especially architecture.
• Tamerlane's Legacy: Demonstrates the power of conquest and empire-building.
• Tamerlane's Government: Relied on military strength and tributary systems for stability.
• Tamerlane's Failure: Empire’s disintegration upon his death.
• 14th Century Battles: The Islamic Gunpowder Empires and the Mongol Empire continued opposing each other.

The Ottoman Empire

• Location: Spanning across parts of Southeastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
• Significance: A major Islamic empire with significant cultural contributions.
• Mehmed II's Capital: Constantinople (Istanbul), a strategically crucial location.
• Ottoman-Venice Relationship: A complex relationship with Venice, sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile.
• Suleiman I's Siege: A notable Ottoman military campaign.
• Ottoman Decline: Various factors, including internal conflicts and external pressures.

The Safavid Empire

• Origin: A member of a Sufi religious order known as the Safavids.
• Problems: Religious conflict and competition with the Ottomans.
• European Assistance: Limited European intervention.
• Safavid Control: Over important trade routes and provinces.
• Safavid-Ottoman Tensions: Religious differences and territorial conflicts.
• Ottoman Dominance Attempt: Warfare among them.
• Women's Role: Limited public role but evidence of influence within the Harem.

Mughal India

• Significance: A significant empire in South Asia.
• Arab Traders: Played a key role in trade throughout the Empire.
• Goods Traded: Significant imports and exports, including spices and precious materials.
• Hindu Castes: Social hierarchy in India with distinct castes.
• Mughal Architecture: Known for its impressive buildings.

The Decline of Gunpowder Empires

• Causes: Various factors; military overreach, internal conflicts, and economic difficulties.
• Russia's Resilience: Continued stable control and development despite other Empires' downward trajectories.

UNIT 3.2| Empires: Administration

• (Note: This section is incredibly detailed and requires significant summarization for brevity. The summary below presents core topics and key points.)*

England

• Divine Right of Kings: Used to solidify royal power.
• Justices of the Peace: Played a valuable local role in Tudor England.
• Feudalism: Stronger Tudor rule diminished feudalism in England.
• Parliament's Role: A significant institution in English governance.
• English Bill of Rights: Limited the power of the monarch in England.

France

• French Government Growth: Expanded in comparison to England.
• Louis XIV's Reign: Centralized royal authority and fostered absolutist rule.
• Tax Farmers (Intendants): Collected taxes for the French crown.
• Louis XIV's Dictatorship Characteristics: Centralized control, expanded military.
• Versailles: Reflected royal power and grandeur, but also served to keep nobles under Louis XIV's watchful eye.

Russia

• Russian Class System: Nobility (boyars) and serfs made up a significant portion of the populace.
• Serf Connection to Land: Serfs were legally tied to the land and often forced to give labor to the elites in return for protection.
• Boyars and Ivan IV: Ivan IV distrusted the boyars and often executed those who challenged his authority.
• Oprichnina: Ivan IV created this elite group meant to oversee government affairs.
• Romanov Dynasty Power Struggles: Different factions vied for power within Russia, under the Romanov rulers.
• Peter the Great: Consolidated power; reorganized the government.

Ottoman Empire

• Devshirme System: Christian boys were taken to serve in the Ottoman military or government in order to be loyal and dependable servants to the Sultan.
• Devshirme Religious Background: Christian boys were taken because they could not oppose; their faith offered them an advantage over a Muslim background.
• Devshirme Duties: Served in the military and government, often amongst a prominent position in a society, becoming Janissaries.
• Janissary Loyalty: A high position, Janissaries were loyal because they were loyal to the Sultan, in turn.

East and South Asia

• Ming Dynasty Mongol Influence Erasure: Refocusing on culture; restoring traditions, and removing foreign influences.
• Daimyo and Decentralization: Daimyo's influence hindered centralization efforts in Japan.
• Samurai Economic Power: Significant because they held power and wielded a presence on the economy throughout Japanese culture.
• Oda Nobunaga: Instrumental in unifying Japan.
• Tokugawa Shogunate Organization: Reformed the government of Japan to unify the daimyo.
• Tokugawa Shogunate Control: The Shogunate controlled the powerful daimyo.
• Akbar's Efficient Government (Mughal Empire): Established a bureaucracy and improved judicial systems.
• Zamindars' Impact: Though a system of landowners, Zamindars eventually became corrupt and caused the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Religion and Art

• European Monarch Legitimization: Used art and religious symbols to depict their legitimacy.
• St. Petersburg: Reflected Russia's new ambitions and was a significant architectural location.
• Askia the Great's Rule Legitimization: Reformed the legal system, built mosques.
• Mughal Architectural Accomplishments: Impressive architecture including the Taj Mahal and significant palaces, mosques, etc.
• Islamic Influence on Mughal Art: Reflected influences in Mughal art.
• Mughal Artistic Accomplishments: Showed a harmonious blend of cultures.
• Ottoman Changes: Continued use of architecture and arts to further their position as a power, and established a significant presence on the political landscape of the Holy Roman Empire.
• Ottoman Continuities: Continued use of existing Islamic practices to further cultural unification and tradition within a Muslim background.
• Grand Bazar: A central trading hub for goods, and crucial for trade.
• Istanbul's Importance: Significant trading hub and location for the Ottoman Empire's authority.
• Ottoman Cultural Contributions: Spread of Islamic culture across Southeast Europe.
• Versaille Power Over Nobles: It brought power by showing the king's importance and power and kept nobles under supervision.

Financing Empires

• Peter the Great's Industrialization Attempts: Focused on raising revenue to fund industrialization.

• Increasing Revenue (Peter the Great): Used taxes and other methods to gain revenue.

• Ottoman/Mughal Tax Collection: Ottoman tax farming and Mughal system of Zamindars.

• Tax Farmer Corruption: Could be corrupt.

• Mughal Economic Decline: Reasons for the economic downfall of the empire.

• Ming Tax Collection: Responsibilities for collecting taxes resided amongst specific groups.

• Tribute Systems: Used for collecting tribute and payments towards the Ming.

UNIT 3.3| Empires: Belief Systems

• (Note: This unit is exceedingly detailed. Below are core summaries.)*

Protestant Reformation

• Challenges to Catholic Church: Corruption, indulgences, abuses of power were significant problems.
• Reform Success: Mixed success in reforming the Church.
• John Wycliffe: Challenged Church teachings; was condemned.
• Hussites: Followed Wycliffe's ideas; religious conflict.
• Babylonian Captivity Impact: Weakened the Church's authority.
• Plague's Impact: Social disruption and question of faith.

Lutheranism

• Luther's Conclusions: Criticized Church practices like indulgences and simony and challenged Church teachings.
• Luther's Actions: Challenged Catholic authority through writing, speeches, etc.
• Sola Fide: Faith alone is sufficient for salvation.
• Church Reaction: Sharp opposition led to major religious division.
• Division Result: Split into different communities, mostly between Protestants and Catholics.
• Luther's Beliefs on Women: Believed women were equal to men in dignity and morality.

Calvinism

• Calvin's Beliefs on Elect: Elect should live pious lives.
• Calvinists and Puritans: Sought to purify the Church from perceived corruption.
• Calvinist Work Ethic: Hard work was seen as important behavior and a way of honoring God.

Anglicism

• Henry VIII's Split: Wanted a divorce and control over the English Church.

Orthodox Church and Reforms in Russia

• Orthodox Church's Role: Unifying force; tied the people together.

• Peter's Power Assertion: Restricted the Orthodox Church's independence.

• Holy Synod: Controlled the Orthodox Church and held their policies under strong government control and oversight.

• Raising Monk Age: Peter the Great raised the age of clergy to try and gain better control of priests in the Russian church.

Counter-Reformation

• Purpose: Counter the Protestant Reformation.
• Inquisition: A Church court to combat heresy.
• Jesuits: A religious order supporting Catholicism.
• Council of Trent: A council to reform the Catholic Church.
• Counter-Reformation Success: Strengthened Catholicism.
• Charles V's Action: Gave up the Holy Roman Empire.

Wars of Religion

• Europe's Division: Led to religious conflicts.

• Peace of Augsburg: Ended religious wars in some parts of Europe.

• France's Unification Attempts (Henry IV): Sought to unify the nation by converting to Catholicism.

• Edict of Nantes: Tolerated Protestants; later revoked.

• Revocation Effects: Increased religious tension in France.

• Thirty Years' War Consequence: Resulted in the division of religious authority amongst the countries of Europe into regions of control.

• Peace of Westphalia Religious Divisions: The division of Europe's religions continued to change with the changes of rules and leaders.

Islamic Religious Schisms

• Ottoman Dominant Religion: Islam.
• Islam's Impact (Ottoman): Shaped Ottoman society and culture.
• Safavid Islam: Shi'a Islam became important in the Safavid empire.

Mughal Toleration

• Akbar's Tolerance: Supported religious tolerance policies amongst communities.
• Sikhism support: Didn't affect religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims.
• Akbar's Actions to Unite: Attempted to reduce tensions by incorporating aspects of different religions into the Mughal system.

Scientific Revolution

• Scientific Thought: Challenged traditional ideas and encouraged observation.
• Empiricism: Challenged relying solely on reason.
• Principa: Example of scientific collaboration.
• Intellectuals' View of Science: Saw science as revealing universal truths about the world.

UNIT 3.4| Comparisons in Land-Based Empires

• (Note: This section is highly detailed, and a concise summary is necessary):*

• Gunpowder Empires' Inability to Maintain Rule: Factors including military overstretch, weak leadership, economic challenges.

• Janissaries and Ghulams: Military forces with different origins and roles in different empires.

• Ottoman-Safavid Wars: Conflicts over religion, trade, and territory.

• Safavid-Mughal Conflicts: Rivalries and border disputes.

• Bureaucracy Influence (Emipres): Different methods used by empires to manage populations (e.g., taxes, laws).

• Aztecs vs. Other Land Empires: Aztec tribute system was unique and differed from others.

• Tax Collection Systems: Different ways for various empires to maintain funds (e.g., tribute, tax farming).

• Religion: Art: Architecture Legitimization: Rulers used these methods to demonstrate and claim their authority through symbolism.