The World @ 1500AD—MAJOR WORLD POWERS & TRADE
NAME
LOCATION
Aztec
England
French (1st Empire)
Spanish Empire
Russia
Ming
__________________________
Inca
__________________________
Ottoman
ACHIEVEMENTS
Built pyramids and developed a pictorial
____________________________
written language
Most of the British Isles
The _________________________________ and
English Bill of Rights were foundations
for democracy
France, the Americas, Africa,
________________________________________
Asia
_________________ in the 100 Years’ War
Spain, the Americas, Asia
The first to ________________________
_________________________________ and
establish colonies
Ousted the Mongols and preserved the
____________________________
Eastern Orthodox religion
China
Reclaimed China from the Mongols and
established a period of
______________________________
Western and Central Europe Was the strongest state in Europe until
about 1100
South America
Built a vast empire linked by an
extensive _________________
_________________________
India
Built the Taj Mahal
Turkey, North America,
Southwest Asia, Southeast
Europe
Songhai
____________________________
Became the __________________________
_____________________________________ in the
1500s-1600s and built architectural
masterpieces
Gained control of trans-Saharan trade
routes and built a thriving empire
Exchange of Goods
COUNTRY/REGION OF ORIGIN
GOOD
Porcelain and silks
India/Indian Ocean Region
Amber
Textiles
Africa
Exchange of Ideas
Country/Region of ORIGIN
China
India
Southwest Asia
Idea(s)
Advances in
and mathematics
Exchange of Goods and Ideas: The Silk Roads
 Mongol control of Eurasia allowed for _______________________________ and peace among empires
 Traders/travelers were ________________________________________________ while traveling Silk Roads
 Trade between China and the West _______________________________
 Merchants carried ________________________________, such as gunpowder, printing technology,
compass, paper money, silk, porcelain to the West
 Chinese merchants brought new foods, plants, and minerals beck from their trips
 Merchants, missionaries, and travelers from India, Central Asia, Persia, and Europe visited
China—____________________________________________________________________
Exchange of Goods and Ideas: Trans-Saharan
 _______________ was mined in the Sahara and ________________________________________________________ in
the south, as well as crops and enslaved laborers from the flat, grassy plains of the savannah
region
 3rd Century, camels were used in _________________________________________________________—could
travel long distances without water, making journeys easier
 Along the coast of North Africa/West Africa, salt and gold were transferred to Mediterranean
trade routes; these ________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________ via the Silk Roads
Exchange of Goods and Ideas: Europe’s Waterways
 While trading with _______________, they also traded with one another; Eastern Mediterranean,
Black, and Baltic Seas provided trade routes for Russia and other countries in _____________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________; Northern
Europe could exchange furs and salted herring for wine, fruits, and olive oil
 ____________________, such as the Rhine, Danube, and Seine provided trade routes from central
Europe to countries such as France
 Ireland, Great Britain, and Scandinavia used the ____________________________ as a major trade route
 Europe’s waterways also provided a route for ________________________________________ to spread
throughout the continent
The World @ 1500AD—MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
World Religions: BUDDHISM
 No God; followers worshipped the __________________________ (Siddhartha Gautama)
 No specific holy book
 Leadership—Buddhist monks and nuns
 Beliefs:
 Persons achieve _____________________________________________________ and happiness, known as
_______________________, by eliminating their attachment to __________________________________________
 Nirvana is reached by following the Noble ________________________________________________—views,
resolve, speech, conduct, livelihood, concentration, mindfulness, meditation
 Distribution:
 Circa 1500 (Southeastern and Eastern ________________)
 Today (____________________________________; Eastern and Southeastern Asia, including Korea and
___________________)
World Religions: CHRISTIANITY
 ONE God—The ____________________________________________; God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Spirit
 Holy book—Holy Bible
 Leadership—priests, ministers, monks, and nuns
 Beliefs:
 There is only God, who _______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
 Jesus Christ is the son of God; he died to ___________________________________________________________
____________; his death and resurrection made eternal life possible for others
 Distribution:
 Circa 1500 (Europe and Southwest ______________)
 Today (_______________________________; Europe, Africa, and the Americas)
World Religions: HINDUISM
 THREE main gods—_______________________________________________________________________________________
 No main holy book; sacred texts—_________________________________________________________________
 Leadership—Brahmin priests, monks, gurus
 Beliefs:
 The soul never dies but is continually reborn (_______________________________________)
 Persons achieve happiness and enlightenment after they free themselves from their
_______________________________________________
 Freedom from earthly desires comes from a lifetime of ________________________, knowledge, and
_______________________________________

Distribution:
 Circa 1500 (__________________; part of Southeast Asia)
 Today (____________________________________; ______________________ and Southeast Asia)
World Religions: ISLAM
 ONE God—______________________
 Holy book—Qu’ran (Koran)
 Leadership—no clergy but a scholar class called the ulama and the imam, who may _______________
___________________________
 Beliefs:
 Persons achieve salvation by following the _________________________________________________________
and living a just life
 These pillars are ____________________, almsgiving (charity to the poor), fasting (during
______________________________), pilgrimage to Mecca, and ________________________
 Distribution:
 Circa 1500 (parts of ______________, Africa, and ____________________________________________)
 Today (_________________________________; Southwest Asia, northern Africa, and Southeast Asia)
World Religions: JUDAISM
 ONE God—___________________
 Holy book—Hebrew Bible, including the ___________________ (first 5 books of Bible’s ___________
Testament)
 Leadership—Rabbis
 Beliefs:
 There is only one God, who watches over and cares for his people
 God loves and protects his people, but also holds his people ______________________________________
_____________________________ and shortcomings
 Persons serve God by studying the Torah and ______________________________________________________
 Circa 1500 (Europe and Southwest Asia)
 Today (__________________________________; _____________________________, Europe, and the United States)