Changing SOCIAL HIERARCHIES, 1450-1750 [AP World History Review—Unit 4 Topic 7]
Summary
TLDRThis video explores how social hierarchies evolved globally between 1450 and 1750, focusing on responses to ethnic diversity and changing power structures. It covers the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal, the relative tolerance of the Ottoman Empire, the ethnic divides in the Qing dynasty, and Akbar the Great's tolerance in the Mughal Empire. The video also discusses the rise of new elites in Spanish America through the caste system and the decline of aristocratic powers like the Russian Boyars and Ottoman Timars, all presented with a lively and engaging tone.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The period from 1450 to 1750 saw significant changes in social hierarchies around the world.
- 🇪🇸 Spain and Portugal expelled Jews after the Reconquista to strengthen Christian dominance, while the Ottoman Empire welcomed displaced Jews with relative tolerance.
- 🕍 Although the Ottoman Empire tolerated Jews, they still faced restrictions, such as paying a non-Muslim tax and living in designated areas.
- 🇨🇳 The Qing Dynasty imposed a sharp ethnic division between the ruling Manchu and the Han people, with Han men forced to wear specific hairstyles as a sign of subjugation.
- 🤝 In the Mughal Empire, Akbar the Great fostered profound tolerance toward ethnic and religious minorities, including lifting certain taxes and funding religious buildings.
- 🚢 The rise of European maritime empires and global trade led to the emergence of new political elites, particularly in colonial regions like Spanish America.
- 🇪🇸 In the Americas, Spain implemented the casta system, a social hierarchy based on race, which organized people into ranked groups, erasing much of the cultural diversity of the native populations.
- 🏰 In Russia, Peter the Great curbed the power of the Boyar aristocracy, consolidating power under himself and requiring service to the state for employment in bureaucracy.
- 🏞️ The Ottoman timars, or land grants to the aristocracy, were slowly converted into tax farms by the state, reducing the power and wealth of the elite class.
- 📚 The script ends with a call to review more content or grab an AP World review guide to succeed in class and exams.
Q & A
What were some of the different responses to ethnic diversity between 1450 and 1750?
-Responses to ethnic diversity varied widely. In Spain and Portugal, Jews were expelled, while the Ottoman Empire offered refuge to displaced Jews. The Qing Dynasty established a sharp division between the ruling Manchu and the Han people, while the Mughal Empire, under Akbar the Great, promoted tolerance of ethnic and religious minorities.
How were Jews treated in Spain and Portugal during this period?
-In Spain, Jews were expelled in 1492 after the Reconquista. The Spanish crown feared that Jews who had converted to Christianity might influence others to renounce the faith. Many Jews fled to Portugal, only to face further expulsion due to a marriage alliance with Spain.
How did the Ottoman Empire respond to the Jewish expulsion from Spain and Portugal?
-The Ottoman Empire, under Sultan Mehmed II, welcomed displaced Jews, allowing them to settle in the empire. Although Jews did not enjoy full equality and had to pay a special tax, they were relatively tolerated, and some even rose to prominence in the Ottoman court and contributed to the economy and culture.
What was the Qing Dynasty's approach to managing ethnic diversity?
-The Qing Dynasty, ruled by the Manchu people, maintained a sharp division between the Manchu and Han populations. While they adopted some Chinese cultural practices, the Manchu reserved the highest bureaucratic positions for themselves and imposed cultural symbols, such as the mandatory hairstyle for Han men, as a reminder of their dominance.
How did Akbar the Great's Mughal Empire handle ethnic and religious diversity?
-Akbar the Great's Mughal Empire promoted tolerance of ethnic and religious diversity. He abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims, funded the construction of religious buildings for different faiths, and fostered a more inclusive environment. However, the jizya tax was later reintroduced after his reign.
What was the Spanish caste system in the Americas, and how did it impact social hierarchies?
-The Spanish caste system in the Americas was a racial and hereditary social hierarchy imposed by conquistadors. It ranked people based on their birthplace and ethnicity, with Peninsulares (born in Spain) at the top, followed by Creoles (born in the New World of European descent), Mestizos (European and Indigenous ancestry), Mulattos (European and African ancestry), and at the bottom, enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples.
What role did the Reconquista play in shaping Spain's approach to ethnic diversity?
-The Reconquista, completed in 1492, aimed to restore Christian rule in Spain by expelling Muslim rulers. After defeating the Muslims, the Spanish Crown also sought to eliminate other potential threats to Christian domination, leading to the expulsion of Jews from the kingdom.
What changes did Peter the Great introduce to Russian social hierarchies?
-Peter the Great reduced the power of the Boyars, Russia's aristocratic landowning class, by consolidating power under himself. He abolished the rank of Boyar and required bureaucrats to serve the state directly, weakening the traditional aristocracy.
How did the Ottoman Empire's Timar system change in the 16th century?
-The Timar system, which granted land to aristocrats in exchange for military service, began to decline in the 16th century. Ottoman Sultans started converting Timars into tax farms, redirecting revenue to the state, thereby diminishing the power and wealth of the aristocracy.
What was the significance of global trade in altering social hierarchies during this period?
-Global trade and imperial expansion led to the rise of new political elites, particularly in maritime empires like Spain. For example, in the Americas, conquistadors established a new social order through the caste system, creating a racial hierarchy that differed from traditional European noble structures.
Outlines
👑 Shifts in Social Hierarchies: Ethnic Diversity and State Responses (1450-1750)
This paragraph discusses how social hierarchies evolved globally between 1450 and 1750, especially in terms of state responses to ethnic diversity. Some states, like Spain and Portugal, reacted with extreme intolerance, exemplified by the expulsion of Jews following the completion of the Reconquista in 1492. Fearing that Jews would undermine Christian rule, both countries forced Jews into exile. In contrast, the Ottoman Empire demonstrated relative tolerance, allowing displaced Jews to settle within their borders, although they still faced limitations, such as the requirement to pay the jizya tax and live in designated areas.
👑 Ethnic Hierarchies in the Qing Dynasty and Mughal Empire
The Qing Dynasty’s approach to ethnic diversity was marked by sharp divisions between the ruling Manchu and the Han majority. Manchus held the highest political positions, while Han people were excluded from these roles and forced to adopt humiliating cultural practices, like wearing the traditional Manchu braided hairstyle. In contrast, the Mughal Empire under Akbar the Great promoted ethnic and religious tolerance, even abolishing the jizya tax temporarily and funding religious infrastructure for various faiths, including Hindus, Catholics, and Muslims.
⚓ The Rise of New Elites in the Americas: The Casta System
This paragraph explains how European maritime empires, especially Spain, created new social hierarchies in their colonies. Conquistadors, lacking traditional Spanish nobility in the New World, established the casta system, a racial and hereditary social order. At the top were Peninsulares, those born in Spain, followed by Creoles, born in the New World of European descent. Mixed-race groups like Mestizos (European and Indigenous ancestry) and Mulattos (European and African ancestry) occupied intermediate positions, while enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples were at the bottom. This system erased native cultures and imposed a rigid, hierarchical society.
🏰 Challenges to Existing Elites: The Russian Boyars and Ottoman Timars
The final paragraph highlights the struggles of existing elites to retain their power. In Russia, the Boyars (aristocratic landowners) saw their influence wane under Peter the Great, who centralized power and required bureaucrats to serve the state directly, effectively abolishing the Boyar class. Similarly, in the Ottoman Empire, the aristocracy lost control of their timars (land grants) as the sultans converted them into tax farms, stripping these elites of their land and income. This centralization of power left traditional elites in both empires powerless and marginalized.
📘 Conclusion: Resources for AP World History Review
The script ends with a call to action, encouraging viewers to download an AP World History review guide to help prepare for exams. It also invites viewers to continue reviewing other topics from the same unit. The speaker signs off playfully, suggesting that more content is available for those interested in further studying.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Social Hierarchy
💡Reconquista
💡Expulsion of Jews
💡Ottoman Empire
💡Jizya
💡Qing Dynasty
💡Casta System
💡Peter the Great
💡Timars
💡Ethnic Diversity
Highlights
Social hierarchies during the period 1450 to 1750 were not new but evolved significantly, with varied responses to ethnic diversity.
Spain and Portugal expelled Jews from their kingdoms due to fears they might revert to Judaism and undermine Christian dominance.
The Ottoman Empire provided relative tolerance to Jews expelled from Spain and Portugal, allowing them to rise to positions of influence and contribute economically.
The Ottoman's 'relative tolerance' included restrictions like paying a special tax (jizya) and living in designated areas.
The Qing Dynasty created a sharp division between the ruling Manchu people and the Han population, reserving the highest bureaucratic positions for Manchu only.
Qing rulers enforced cultural conformity by requiring Han men to adopt the traditional Manchu hairstyle, which was a symbolic reminder of foreign domination.
Mughal Emperor Akbar practiced profound tolerance toward ethnic and religious minorities, abolishing the jizya tax and funding places of worship for multiple religions.
Economic opportunities from global trade and imperial ventures led to the rise of new political elites, like the Spanish casta system in the Americas.
The Spanish casta system established a strict racial hierarchy, with peninsulares (Europeans born in Spain) at the top, followed by Creoles (Europeans born in the New World), and other mixed and indigenous groups lower down.
The casta system erased much of the cultural and linguistic diversity among Native peoples by imposing a new social structure based on racial categories.
Existing elites, such as the Russian boyars, saw their power reduced under centralizing rulers like Peter the Great, who abolished their rank and required state service for bureaucratic positions.
Ottoman timar holders, an aristocratic class with military service land grants, lost power as the Ottoman state converted these lands to tax farms, reducing aristocratic wealth and influence.
Both Russian boyars and Ottoman timar holders faced declines in power due to centralization and state control over land and administration.
European maritime expansion during this period created new economic and social opportunities, which disrupted traditional hierarchies and created new elite classes.
Overall, the period saw various states adapting to and transforming social hierarchies in response to changing political, economic, and cultural landscapes.
Transcripts
and finally it's time to talk about how
social structures changed throughout the
world During the period 1450 to 1750 I
can see in your eyes you are hungry for
hierarchy baby so if you're ready to get
them brand cows milks let's get to it so
if you've been with me for any time at
all you know that social hierarchies are
not a new thing during this period but
here we're focusing on how they change
the first change we'll consider is
various States responses to ethnic
diversity and those responses range from
expulsion to relative tolerance so first
let's consider the different kinds of
treatment the Jews experiened in various
states on the expulsion side of the
spectrum there's no better example than
the treatment of Jews by Spain and
Portugal you see by 1492 Spain had
completed the Reconquista which was a
centuries long effort to rid the Iberian
Peninsula of Muslim rule himler you said
we were talking about Jews but now
you're talking about Muslims I know it's
context baby anyway in that year Spanish
forces defeated the Muslims at Granada
and that meant that they finally
reestablished Christianity as the
official religion of the region and so
with all the Muslims gone the Spanish
Crown began looking around and thought I
wonder who else might pose a threat to
our Christian domination here oh it's
you guys so Spain issued a decree
expelling all Jews from their Kingdom
because they were afraid pray that the
Jews who had converted to Christianity
would be tempted to renounce if any Jews
remained to influence them and so many
of these Jews fled to Portugal to seek
Refuge there but instead got a further
kick in the face because of a new
marriage alliance with the Spanish Crown
Portugal likewise expelled Jews from
their land but then on the tolerant side
of the spectrum we have the Ottoman
Empire hearing the news of this Jewish
expulsion ottoman Sultan mhmed II opened
his Empire to the displaced Jews who
then immigrated in drobes and because of
the relative tolerance of the Ottomans
toward the Jews some of them Rose to
prominence in the ottoman Court While
others contributed to the economic and
cultural environment but let's not paint
too Rosy a picture relative tolerance
does not mean that Jews enjoyed full
equality under ottoman rule because they
were not Muslims they were required to
pay the Gia which is a tax that
non-muslims had to pay and they were
only permitted to live in designated
parts of urban areas so that's a taste
of how Jews were treated but let's check
in with the Ching Dynasty and see how
they're responding to ethnic diversity
and as it turns out it's not great now
remember that the Ching dynasty was
established by Outsiders namely the Mano
people and although the Mano rulers took
some pains to adopt certain trappings of
traditional Chinese culture most notably
some confusion principles of leadership
they made a sharp division between the
ethnic Manu people and the Han people in
their empire for example the Manu did
retain the Civil Service examination to
staff their Imperial bureaucracy but all
the highest positions were reserved for
Manu people and ethnically Han people
were barred from those positions
additionally all Han men were required
to wear their hair in the traditional
braided cues of the mansion and maybe
that doesn't sound like a big deal to
you because you know it was a haircut
but the imposition of this hairstyle was
a humiliation for the ethnic Han because
it was a constant reminder of their
foreign domination but over the mugal
Empire responses to ethnic diversity
were a lot better under the leadership
of abbar the great a profound tolerance
was extended to ethnic and religious
minorities not only did he refuse to
implement the Gia though it would later
be reintroduced he also funded the
construction of churches for Catholics
and temples for Hindus and Mos for
Muslims okay now in this period you'll
recall that European states were going
crazy building and expanding their
Maritime Empire so in terms of social
hierarchies the new economic
opportunities of increasing global trade
and the increased political power of
Imperial Ventures led to the rise of new
political Elites and I'm just going to
give you the most dramatic example
namely the Spanish cter system in the
Americas now here's where I tell you
that almost none of the traditional
Spanish nobility migrated to the new
world therefore the most powerful
conquistadors who established Spain's
Empire in the new world work to impose a
new social hierarchy on the people's
there the result was the cast a system
which organized their colonial society
into a ranked social hierarchy that was
based on race and heredity so
peninsularis were those who were born on
the Iberian Peninsula and they not
surprisingly situated themselves on top
Creoles were those of European descent
but were born in the new world so there
we go new political Elites unlock and
then under both were the castes which
grouped all the remaining members of
society based on race and ethnicity
mesos were people of European and
Indigenous ancestry mados were people of
European and African ancestry and then
at the bottom of everything were
enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples
and look it's not as important that you
remember exactly which ethnicities were
in each group what's more important to
remember is that prior to the imposing
of the castus system native peoples were
part of a wide variety of linguistic and
cultural groups but the castus system
erased much of that cultural complexity
and ordered their society by the
standards of a small minority of Spanish
elit but while the Spanish and the
Americans were busy inventing ways to
become Elite the existing Elites in
other places were struggling to hold on
to their power and I'm going to give you
two examples first let's check in with
the Russian Boyard now this group made
up the aristocratic landowning classes
in Russia and they exerted great power
in the administration of the empire for
centuries but when Peter the Great Rose
to power he got a little drunk on the
idea of absolutism and took all kinds of
measures to remove power from the boyars
and Consolidated it under himself so the
boards protested this curtailment of
their power obviously and Peter went
ahead and responded with level tactics
and abolished the rank of boar in Russia
additionally he required anyone who
wanted employment in the Russian
bureaucracy to serve the state directly
so the hierarchical power of the boards
had officially uh Wayne okay now the
second example is ottoman timars now
tars were land grants made by the
ottoman state to an aristocratic class
and payment for service to the
government usually military service and
those Aristocrats who controlled the
timars grew exceedingly rich and
Powerful through taxation of the people
living on those Parcels of land however
by the 16th century ottoman Sultans
began increasingly taking over these
tars and converting them to tax Farms
which directed Revenue directly to the
state therefore existing Elites in the
Ottoman Empire found themselves
powerless landless and uh real sad okay
it's the end of the unit so click here
to grab my AP World himler review guide
which has everything you need to get an
A in your class and a five on your exam
in men or if you're feeling saucy you
can click right here and keep reviewing
other topics in unit four I'll catch you
on the flipflop himler out
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