Unit 3 Flashcards
Land-Based Empires (1450-1750)
Drill the core vocabulary before moving into practice questions.
50
Total cards
8
Recommended in one sitting
12-15 min
Estimated time
Flashcard drill
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Spaced repetition
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Card list
Use these as quick recall prompts. Add definitions after your first pass.
Gunpowder empires
Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal states that expanded with firearms and centralized rule.
Devshirme
Ottoman system of recruiting Christian boys to serve as Janissaries and officials.
Janissaries
Elite Ottoman infantry loyal to the sultan and trained with gunpowder weapons.
Millet system
Ottoman policy allowing religious communities internal autonomy under imperial rule.
Safavid Shi'a Islam
State-sponsored Shi'ism in Persia that distinguished the Safavid Empire.
Shah Ismail
Safavid founder who unified Persia and enforced Shi'a identity.
Akbar
Mughal emperor known for religious tolerance and administrative reforms.
Mansabdars
Mughal officials ranked by military/service grade; received land revenue assignments.
Zamindars
Local Mughal landholders who collected taxes and maintained order.
Qing Dynasty
Manchu-led dynasty that expanded China's territory and reinforced Confucian order.
Banner system
Manchu military-social organization that supported Qing rule.
Ming tributary system
Regional diplomacy grounded in Chinese superiority and regulated trade.
Romanov dynasty
Russian ruling family that expanded autocratic power after 1613.
Ivan IV (the Terrible)
Russian tsar who centralized power and expanded into Siberia.
Boyars
Russian nobility whose power was curtailed as tsars centralized authority.
Streltsy
Russian gunpowder infantry that helped enforce tsarist authority.
Siberian expansion
Russian eastward expansion for fur and territory across Siberia.
Tokugawa shogunate
Japanese military rule that stabilized society and limited foreign contact.
Suleiman the Magnificent
Ottoman ruler who expanded territory and codified laws.
Religious legitimation
Using faith and divine authority to justify imperial rule.
Taj Mahal
Mughal architectural masterpiece symbolizing imperial wealth and Islamic influence in India.
Zabt system
Mughal revenue system that standardized tax assessment based on land productivity.
Westernization (Peter the Great)
Russian reforms adopting European technology, military practices, and culture to strengthen the state.
Timar system
Ottoman land-grant system that rewarded military service and funded cavalry.
Grand vizier
Top Ottoman official who oversaw imperial administration on behalf of the sultan.
Topkapi Palace
Ottoman imperial residence and administrative center in Istanbul.
Shah Abbas I
Safavid ruler who strengthened the state, centralized power, and promoted trade.
Isfahan
Safavid capital known for grand architecture and commercial prosperity.
Qizilbash
Safavid tribal warriors who helped establish and defend the dynasty.
Battle of Chaldiran
1514 Ottoman-Safavid battle that showed the power of gunpowder artillery.
Sulh-i kul
Akbar's policy of universal peace and religious tolerance.
Jizya
Tax on non-Muslims in Islamic states; reimposed by Aurangzeb.
Sikhism
Monotheistic faith founded in South Asia blending Hindu and Islamic ideas.
Aurangzeb
Mughal ruler who expanded territory but weakened cohesion through religious policies.
Maratha resistance
Hindu-led resistance that challenged Mughal authority in the Deccan.
Ming Great Wall
Expanded fortifications built to defend against northern nomads.
Forbidden City
Imperial palace complex symbolizing Ming/Qing authority in Beijing.
Kowtow
Ritual of submission in the Chinese tributary system.
Queue hairstyle
Manchu-imposed hairstyle that signaled loyalty to the Qing dynasty.
Canton System
Qing policy restricting foreign trade to the port of Canton.
Jesuit missionaries in China
European priests who shared scientific knowledge and gained court influence.
Cossacks
Russian frontier warriors who aided expansion into Siberia and Central Asia.
Oprichnina
Ivan IV's policy of political terror and land confiscation to break noble power.
Time of Troubles
Period of dynastic crisis and instability in Russia before the Romanovs.
Zemsky Sobor
Assembly that elected the first Romanov tsar in 1613.
Absolutism
System in which monarchs claimed supreme, centralized authority.
Gunpowder artillery
Cannon and firearms that transformed siege warfare and state expansion.
Sankin-kotai
Tokugawa policy requiring daimyo to alternate residence in Edo to ensure loyalty.
Sakoku
Tokugawa policy limiting foreign contact and trade in Japan.
Divine right of rulers
Belief that monarchs derived authority from God, used to justify centralized power.
Study flow
- Preview each term and write a quick definition in your own words.
- Use three terms in a single sentence to connect concepts.
- Return tomorrow and test yourself with the same list.