AP TEST REVIEW
Session 4
1450 – 1750 C.E.
Global Interactions
Overall Themes
• Absolutism: centralized governments with a very
powerful monarch
• Global Trade: now the Americas are involved and it is
truly GLOBAL (1492 changed everything)
• Core-Periphery Theory on full display
• Rise of Europe….Decline of China (esp. 19th century)
• Unfree or Coercive labor (bolsters economies of core
states)
• Religious Rivalries
– Catholic vs. Protestant in Europe; Islam vs. Christianity in
SW Asia and Africa; Hinduism vs. Islam in S. Asia
• Decline of Nomads (such as the Mongols)
What happened right before the era
of 1450-1750?
• Population decline and growth
• Black Plague caused decline, while improvements in
technology and agriculture brought pop. growth
• Feudalism in Japan and Europe
• Yuan Dynasty in China and Kievan Russia under
Mongol Rule (Golden Horde)
• Rise of the Inca and Aztec Empires in the Americas
• Mali (western Africa) at its height
More of what happened right
before the era of 1450-1750 C.E.
• Delhi Sultanate in India: the continuing Rise of
Islam, the Decline of Buddhism, competing power
bases
• Founding of the Ottoman Empire (1281)
• Continued decline of the Byzantine Empire
• Trade routes in Mediterranean, Indian Ocean,
South China Sea, Trans-Saharan and across the
Eurasian steppes keep the world connected
MING DYNASTY CHINA
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1368-1644 CE
Took power from Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty
Revival of Chinese culture & Removal of Mongol Influence
Neo-Confucian (strict social structure)
– Emperor > Scholar Gentry > Farmers > Artisans > Merchants
• Population Explosion (champa rice and irrigation methods
helped population grow)
• Silk, paper, porcelain in high demand in Europe allowing for a
trade advantage for China and a trade deficit for Europe…this
will come back to haunt China later!
• Active traders in Indian Ocean and South China Sea (junk ships)
• Traded with Europeans and Japanese for silver
• But for a while, the Ming Dynasty provided China with another golden
age
MING CHINA
MING CHINA (continued)
• Reestablished the Civil Service Examinations
to restore meritocracy
• Censored writings
• Continued the subordination of youth to
elders and women to men (Confucian social
order was revived)
THE MING VOYAGES
• Ming emperor Yongle sent out Zheng He on voyages throughout the
region on huge ships (junks)
• Then the Ming ended the explorations and destroyed the fleets; this
prevented the Chinese from becoming a colonizing power and led to
their isolationism (which will eventually lead to their being dominated
by other powers)
SILVER, MING CHINA, & SPAIN
• The Ming converted to a silver-based
monetary system, using Japan and then Spain
for silver for their official currency
• Made Spain (and New Spain) wealthy along
with the shoguns in Japan
• Inflation resulted because of too much silver,
damaging the economy of China
• Ming were then conquered by Manchu (Qing)
after numerous rebellions and famine
QING DYNASTY CHINA
• Took control from the Ming in 1644
and ruled China for almost 300
years
• Manchurians in leadership role but
kept much of Chinese tradition in
place
• Civil Service examinations were vital
to run the empire
• Conquered large amounts of
territory (good news in the
beginning, but what goes up…)
• Traded with Europeans but
maintained power in the
relationship (Macartney Mission is a
prime example)
The Macartney Mission, 1793
• Britain sent George Macartney to China to try
and work out a more equal trade relationship
(wanted to end the trade imbalance)
• The Qing emperor rebuffed Macartney and
the relationship between China and Europe
grows strained
TOKUGAWA
JAPAN
• Prior to the Tokugawa Shogunate, Japan had opened up
trade with Portugal and the Dutch
• Christianity was brought in along with muskets
• Eventually Japan would turn against Christianity and Western
influences and become isolationist for centuries, fearing a
loss of their traditional ways and their autonomy
TOKUGAWA JAPAN
continued
• In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu created new capital at Edo
(Tokyo) and took power from the emperor, instituting
a strict social hierarchy
• Seclusion of Japan began, fearing a takeover by the
more powerful Europeans
• Some trade continued but Japanese contact with the
outside world was very limited
• Christianity outlawed, as were certain books
• Buddhism and Shinto were big religions as
Christianity was persecuted for being foreign
THE ISLAMIC GUNPOWDER
EMPIRES
Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal
OTTOMAN EMPIRE
1281 - 1914
• Osman and the Turks invade and establish empire to
challenge the Byzantine Empire (conquered them)
• Ruled over Greece, Turkey, North Africa and Middle East
• Constantinople becomes Istanbul
• Hagia Sofia becomes a mosque
• Jews and Christians allowed to practice faith, but…
• As the empire grew, so did religious persecution (Janissaries
were children of conquered Christians who were turned into
military slaves)
• Under Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire
experienced a “Golden Age” due to artistic accomplishments
• Competed with the Safavids to their east
OTTOMAN EMPIRE continued
• Land based empire (no navy, reliant on Europe for naval
protection and sea trade…this is NEVER a good idea.)
• Led by Sultan (absolute monarch with both political and
religious authority)
• Bureaucracy in place (viziers had power)
• Declined due to sultans neglecting power, too much growth,
corruption, inability to innovate with military and technology
• Janissaries were used for military
SAFAVID EMPIRE
1502-1722
• Rivals of the Ottomans, ruled in modern
day Iran (Persia)
• Shia Islam dominates after their leader,
Ismail, forced the conversion from
Sunni Islam to Shi’ite Islam
• “Hidden Imam” expectation (like a
savior/messianic figure)
• Reliant on Europe for naval support (ask
the Ottomans how that played out…)
• Nomads from Central Asia threatened
and then conquered the Safavid Empire
MUGHAL EMPIRE
1526 - 1739
• Islamic leader Babur invaded and
conquered Northern India (Delhi
Sultanate was ruling at the time)
• Muslim Empire based on military
strength and strong economy (textiles)
• Akbar the Great stressed religious
tolerance, needing to win over largely
Hindu population
• Akbar married a Hindu princess and
then even tried creating a new religion
based on himself
• Relied on Europeans for naval support
• Taj Mahal built during Mughal Empire
Seriously, you mean to tell me that all three
Gunpowder Empires let European powers
handle all their naval support and sea trade in
an era of unprecedented global maritime trade
and imperialism?
Western Europe on the Rise
As the Ming are pulling back and becoming
isolationist in nature, the powers of the West
are just beginning to explore their world in
order to conquer it…
Explorers
Bartolomeu
Dias
(Portugal)
1488
Rounded Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa and
entered the Indian Ocean
Christopher
Columbus
(Spain)
1492
Sailed west to reach Asia and instead reached the
Bahamas. Sailed around the Carribean, but thought he had
reached island just off the coast of Asia
Vasco de
Gama
(Spain)
1497
Reached Calicut in India by rounding Africa
Ferdinand
Magellan
(Spain)
1519-1522
Sailed around South America to the Philippine Islands
(where he was killed); his men sailed back through the
Indian Ocean and were the first to circumvent the globe
PORTUGAL
• Prince Henry the Navigator explores western coastline of
Africa along with other explorers (seeking routes to Asia)
• Interested in trading ports as opposed to territorial gains
• Dominant in Indian Ocean trade as a result
• Major player in Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade early on
• Advanced naval technology: astrolabe, caravels, compass
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SPAIN
Reconquista had booted Islam from Iberian Peninsula
Power consolidated by Isabella’s marriage to Ferdinand
Backing of the Catholic Church (reciprocal relationship)
Looking to become dominant in trade (overcome Islamic
domination of Mediterranean), Spain backed Columbus in
voyages which led to “discovery” of New World
SPAIN IN THE AMERICAS
• Established colonies from North America to South America and
throughout Caribbean
• Wiped out Incas, Aztecs, and other tribes due to disease, slavery, and war
(remember Guns, Germs, and Steel)
• Transformation of Mita System (Inca Empire became slaves)
• Silver mines and relationship with China (made Spain wealthy)
• Demographic Impact: disease, death, creation of Mestizo and Mulatto
populations
• Columbian Exchange brought plants, animals, disease to different
continents, changing the world forever
POWER BALANCE SHIFT IN EUROPE
• Spain overextends itself with too many
colonies, lavish spending, and wars not won
• Britain defeats the Spanish Armada
• Britain and France are on the rise while Spain
is on the way down, although Spain still had
colonies around the world (Latin America,
Philippines)
• Netherlands and Portugal also in the mix with
trading companies
GREAT BRITAIN
• King Henry VIII’s daughter Elizabeth ruled during a
true golden age in which England gained colonies,
defeated Spain in 1588, explored the world, and
enjoyed cultural success with Shakespeare
• Protestantism, especially Anglicanism, became
favored over Catholicism
• The Glorious Revolution peacefully replaced the
Catholic James II with the Protestant William and
Mary of the Netherlands, ensuring Anglican rulers for
a long time to come in Britain
FRANCE
• France was mostly Catholic but a Protestant group,
known as Huguenots, fought the Catholics for
control of France
• 1598, Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes which
created an environment of toleration
• King Louis XIV:“I am the State.”
– Revoked Edict of Nantes forcing many Huguenots
to leave France
– Built the impressive Palace of Versailles
– Territorial expansion in Canada and Caribbean
King Louis XIV and Versailles
THE DUTCH (Netherlands)
• Dutch East India Company active in North America
and the Caribbean
• Also active in Southeast Asia – spice trade
THE AMERICAS
• Spanish Conquest of parts of North
America, all of Central America, and
most of South America
• Portugal in Brazil
• England and France in North America
• Population Impact: disease, racial mixing
creates Castas System (Peninsulares,
Creoles, etc.)
• Columbian Exchange
• Encomienda System enslaved indigenous
population (Mita)
• Mercantilism was the dominant economic
system (govt. sponsorship of private
companies)
TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
RUSSIA
• Mongol occupation (Golden Horde) stalled Russian unification
and development
• Ivan the Terrible: absolute rule and territorial expansion; makes
himself first CZAR (Caesar)
• Multicultural empire (many different ethnic groups were
conquered and this will make nationalism difficult for Russia in
the future)
• Russian Orthodox Church the only religion
• Peter the Great speeds up the Westernization process (goal: be
more like Europe in order to catch up to Europe)
• Most people were serfs (agricultural workers tied to the land) and
Russia will be the last European nation to end serfdom in the
1800’s
Peter the Great
CULTURAL AND INTELLECTUAL
DEVELOPMENTS
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The Renaissance
The Scientific Revolution
The Enlightenment
Humanism
Patronage of the Arts
Cultural and Intellectual
Developments (continued)
• The Renaissance, starting in Italy, saw a rebirth in the arts and
in learning in general (Michelangelo, da Vinci, etc.)
• The Reformation (Martin Luther) caused a split in the Catholic
Church and created a new denomination, Protestantism,
which spawned thousands of other denominations
• The Enlightenment (Locke, Rousseau) taught that kings did
not have absolute authority due a contract between ruler and
citizenry
• The Scientific Revolution (Bacon, Newton, Galileo) changed
the way people saw their universe and rationalism and
scientific knowledge began to decrease the power of
superstition and non-scientific traditions
CHANGING BELIEFS
• The Protestant Reformation
• Neo-Confucianism in China
• Missionaries: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism
spread to other lands because of missionary
work