Gun Powder Empires
Q: Name the three major Muslim gunpowder empires.
A: Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal.
Q: What is a centralized bureaucracy?
A: A government structure run by appointed officials.
Q: What does it mean for rulers to “legitimize” their power?
A: To justify rule using culture, religion, or political ideology.
Q: In Russia, who were the wealthy landowning nobles?
A: Boyars.
Q: This empire conquered Constantinople in 1453.
A: The Ottoman Empire.
Q: What was the Ottoman devshirme system?
A: Recruitment of Christian boys from the Balkans to serve the state.
Q: The Ming and Qing dynasties legitimized rule through which belief?
A: The Mandate of Heaven.
Q: What type of soldiers (like Janissaries) were common in gunpowder empires?
A: Enslaved elite soldiers.
Q: The Safavid Empire followed which branch of Islam?
A: Shia Islam.
Q: What were the elite Ottoman soldiers made through devshirme called?
A: Janissaries.
Q: Safavid shahs gained legitimacy partly through what religious identity?
A: Claiming Shia leadership.
Q: What system in the Mughal Empire resembled a caste-like social hierarchy?
A: The zamindar/social classes influenced by Hindu traditions.
Q: Define “tributary state.”
A: A state that pays another in exchange for protection or recognition.
Q: Which Mughal ruler promoted religious toleration and the Divine Faith?
Akbar
Q: Which empire used tax farming to collect revenue?
A: All gunpowder empires (Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal).
Q: What religious policy helped unify the Mughal Empire under Akbar?
A: Religious toleration.
Q: Women often gained informal political influence through their roles in what area?
A: Court politics / palace households.
Q: What technological advantage helped all three gunpowder empires expand rapidly?
A: Gunpowder weaponry (cannons, muskets).
Q: Russia expanded primarily into which region during Unit 3?
A: Siberia.
Q: Islamic rulers claiming descent from Muhammad to justify authority is an example of what?
A: Religious legitimacy.
Q: What was one major social tension inside gunpowder empires as they expanded?
A: Diversity of ethnic and religious groups within the empire.
The five core practices required of Muslims: a profession of faith, regular prayer, charitable giving, fasting during Ramadan, and a pilgrimage to Mecca.
What is Pillars of Islam?