Belief Systems
The powerful Muslim empire which ruled over much of the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.
What is the Ottoman Empire?
The Manchu-led Chinese dynasty that seized power from the Ming Dynasty in 1644.
What is the Qing Dynasty?
This European state established a presence in the Indian Ocean trade during the 16th century, due to advanced ships and the efforts of explorers such as Vasco da Gama and Francisco de Almeida, and went on to dominate the trade in spices, textiles, and precious metals for much of the next two centuries.
What is Portugal?
The primary export commodity of the colony of Brazil during the 1450-1750 time period.
What is sugar?
The Manchu leaders of the Qing Dynasty challenged the traditional values of this Chinese philosophy that was widely practiced by Han Chinese.
What is Confucianism?
The 1517 document, authored by Martin Luther, famously nailed to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, outlining objections to the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences and sparking the Protestant Reformation.
What are the 95 Theses?
The name of the Ottoman Sultan known as the "Conqueror" for his military victories and capture of Constantinople in 1453.
Who is Mehmed II?
Kilwa Kisiwani, Malindi, Mombasa, and Zanzibar are all city-states that played an important role in Indian Ocean in this region.
What is the Swahili Coast (or East Africa)?
The economic theory which dominated European economic policy in the 16th to 18th centuries, emphasizing a nation's wealth being measured by its stock of gold and silver.
What is mercantilism?
The tax on all non-Muslim residents which Akbar the Great eliminated during his rule of the Ottoman Empire.
What is the Jizya tax?
The the Spanish Dominican friar who became a fierce advocate for the rights of indigenous people in the Americas, and who wrote several influential works on the subject, including "A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies".
Who is Bartolome de las Casas?
The empire was founded by Shah Ismail I, who united the various tribes and kingdoms of Persia under his rule in 1501.
What is the Safavid Empire?
The first European to circumnavigate the globe, and who explored the coasts of Africa, India, and Southeast Asia in the process.
Who is Ferdinand Magellan?
This African kingdom went to war with Portugal during the 17th century over Portugal's increased demand for slaves.
What is the Kingdom of Kongo?
The hierarchical system of social classification that was used in colonial Spanish America which was based on racial categories.
What is the Casta System?
Guru Nanak founded this faith, which was a blending of elements of Hinduism and Islam, in the 15th century.
What is Sikhism?
The name of the capital city of the Mughal Empire, which was established by Akbar in 1571 and served as a center of art, culture, and commerce.
What is Agra?
The name of the spice-producing island chain in the Indonesian archipelago that became known as the "Spice Islands" and was a major source of nutmeg, cloves, and other valuable spices during the 16th and 17th centuries.
What is the Moluccas (aka the Maluku Islands)?
This French explorer established the first trading post in the area of present-day Canada in the 1450-1750 time period.
Who is Samuel de Champlain?
The wife of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who rose from being a slave in his harem to become a powerful political figure in her own right.
Who is Roxelana?
The European explorer and Jesuit priest introduced Christianity to Japan in 1549.
Who is Francis Xavier?
The name of the secret police force created by Ivan IV to root out treason and enforce his policies, which was notorious for its brutality and repression.
What is the Oprichniki?
The name of the island in Indonesia where the Sultanate of Aceh was located that was known for its powerful navy and played a key role in the spread of Islam in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Who is Sumatra?
The primary commodity traded by the Dutch- which they needed to support their fishing industry- at their trading post of Curaçao in the Caribbean.
What is salt?
The country that Sephardic Jews trace their heritage back to.
What is Spain?