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• What period does the expansion of empires discussed in the material cover?

  1450-1750
• What does the term "Gunpowder Empires" refer to?

  Large, multiethnic states in Southwest, Central, and South Asia that relied on firearms
• Which empires are included in the Gunpowder Empires?

  Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires
• Who ruled the Ottoman Empire at its height?

  Suleiman the Magnificent
• What was Suleiman the Magnificent's approach to religious worship?

  He declared it the happiest of all practices
• What territories did Suleiman the Magnificent conquer?

  Christian strongholds in Belgrade, Rhodes, and Hungary
• What type of societies did the Gunpowder Empires tend to be?

  Militaristic
• What legacies did the Gunpowder Empires leave behind?

  Splendid artistic and architectural legacies
• How did the Qing Empire of China expand during this period?

  It experienced invasions but also prospered during long periods of stability
• What significant change occurred in Europe around the year 1450?

  It marked the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the early modern period
• What major event concluded in the mid-1400s in Europe?

  The Hundred Years' War between France and England
• What invention contributed to an increase in literacy in Europe during the mid-1400s?

  The Gutenberg printing press
• What was the nature of the new monarchies in Europe during the 1500s?

  They aimed to centralize power by controlling taxes, the army, and religion
• Which monarchies are mentioned as examples of new monarchies in Europe?

  The Tudors in England, the Valois in France, and Isabella and Ferdinand in Spain
• How did the new monarchies affect the power of the middle class?

  The power of the middle class grew at the expense of lords and churches
• What pivotal position did Russia hold in trade?

  It was able to exchange goods and services with cultures farther east and west
• Who was Ivan IV and what was he known as?

  Ivan IV, known as Ivan the Terrible
• What territories did Ivan IV expand into during his reign?

  He expanded eastward by taking control of the khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia
• How did Ivan IV's expansion rely on gunpowder?

  His expansion increasingly relied on the use of gunpowder weapons
• Who were the Cossacks and what role did they play in Ivan IV's expansion?

  They were fierce peasant warriors hired by the Stroganovs to fight local tribes
• What was the significance of controlling the Volga River for Moscow?

  It allowed Moscow to trade directly with Persia and the Ottoman Empire
• What was the outcome of Russia's expansion into Siberia after Ivan IV's reign?

  Fur traders and militias defeated indigenous tribes and advanced to the Pacific Ocean
• What was the role of missionaries in Siberia?

  They converted many indigenous people to the Eastern Orthodox faith
• What was the Ming Dynasty's relationship with the Yuan Dynasty?

  The Ming Dynasty overthrew the Yuan Dynasty in 1368
• What did the Ming Dynasty achieve during its rule?

  It stabilized the East Asian region for nearly 300 years
• What significant event occurred in China in 1644?

  The Manchu from Manchuria seized power and established the Qing Dynasty
• What areas did the Ming Dynasty expand into?

  It conquered lands in Mongolia and Central Asia
• What was the purpose of the Great Wall of China during the Ming Dynasty?


  To protect against invaders from the north
• Who was Emperor Kangxi and what was his significance?

  He was one of China's longest-reigning emperors, presiding over stability and expansion
• What areas did Kangxi incorporate into the Qing Dynasty?

  He sent forces into Taiwan, Mongolia, and Central Asia
• What was Emperor Qianlong known for during his reign?

  He was a poet knowledgeable in art and calligraphy
• What military campaigns did Qianlong initiate?

  He initiated campaigns in lands west of China, leading to the annexation of Xinjiang
• What was the outcome of Qianlong's campaigns against Burma and Vietnam?

  They were unsuccessful and costly, emptying the empire's treasury
• How did the Qing Dynasty respond to European demands for trading privileges?

  They sold limited trading privileges confined to Guangzhou
• What was the response of Emperor Qianlong to King George III's request for more trading rights?


  He stated that the Chinese had no need for British manufactured goods
• What led to the White Lotus Rebellion during Qianlong's reign?

  High taxes and a desire to restore the Ming Dynasty
• What was the outcome of the White Lotus Rebellion?

  The Qing government suppressed the uprising brutally, killing around 100,000 peasants
• What are the shared traits of the warrior leaders of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires?

  • Descended from Turkic nomads
  • Spoke a Turkic language
  • Took advantage of power vacuums from the breakup of Mongol khanates
  • Relied on gunpowder weapons
• What contributed to the initial success of the Gunpowder Empires?

  Their military might and the weakness of the regimes they replaced
• Who was Tamerlane and what was his impact?

  Tamerlane was a Mongol-Turkic ruler whose invasions set the stage for Turkic empires