contextualization

• the middle east was experiencing ottoman expansion
• china had the ming and qing dynasties
• the indian ocean was experiencing trade
• africa/europe/americas were experiencing the columbian exchange
• americas were experiencing european presence
• india was under mughal control
• in europe, renaissance --> reformation --> scientific revolution --> enlightenment --> maritime exploration
• prior to the mongols, russia was fragmented, unified by eastern orthodoxy, and centered in kiev
• during the mongols (1200), moscow became the capital (up north for protection), wealth was extracted, skilled workers were taken, and the eastern orthodox church became powerful
• by the 1300s, russian princes and leaders were wealthy. by the 1400s, they raised an army and defeated the mongols, giving princes power to unify russia. they focused on central asian expansion for protection
• fur trade, a luxury item, was important to russia. they competed with french canadians to build wealth. fur traders were nomadic, disobedient to authority, and unified
• kongo/west africa and portugal had a good relationship that eventually skewed toward the portuguese (who had more goods and merchants, and ignored rules)
• portugl betrayed kongo by enslaving kongolese, not just captives (under afonso's rule)
• sugar delegitimized africa's power
• moroccans wanted songhai's gold mines and defeated the songhai empire using advanced ottoman warfare technology. they gave up on governing the empire though
• the early modern era saw the beginnings of globalization, distinctly modern societies, and a growing european presence
• overall, there were stronger, more cohesive states that produced goods for foreign markets