AP World History UNIT 3 REVIEW—1450-1750

Summary

In this video, Heimler explores how land-based empires from 1450 to 1750 gained and maintained control. Key empires like the Ming, Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid centralized power through bureaucracy, taxation, military structures, and religious legitimization. Examples include the Chinese civil service exam, the Ottoman devshirme system, and the Aztec tribute system. Empires also legitimized their rule through art, architecture, and religion, using titles like 'caliph' and building monumental structures like the Taj Mahal and Versailles. The video offers key insights to help students excel in their AP World History exams.

Takeaways

• 🛡️ The major theme of Unit 3 is how land-based empires from 1450 to 1750 gained and maintained power through consolidating and legitimizing their authority.
• 🏛️ Empires like the Manchu (Qing), Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid used centralized bureaucracies to consolidate power by controlling the government through appointed officials.
• 📜 In China, the Qing dynasty reinstated the Civil Service examination to ensure bureaucrats shared the same beliefs, aiding in power consolidation.
• ⚔️ The Ottomans used the devshirme system to enslave Christian boys, train them in various fields, and employ them in military and bureaucratic roles, making them fiercely loyal to the Sultan.
• 👑 The Aztecs ruled a vast empire through a tribute system rather than centralized bureaucracy, demanding goods and people from conquered states.
• 💰 Land-based empires collected taxes to fund their military, bureaucracy, and grandiose projects. The Mughals used zamindars to collect land taxes, while the Ottomans relied on tax farmers.
• 🎖️ Empires maintained military power with elite troops like the Ottoman Janissaries and Safavid Guls, both made up of enslaved individuals loyal to their rulers.
• ⛪ Religion was key to legitimizing power: Islamic rulers took the title of caliph, European kings used the divine right of kings, and African rulers in Songhai converted to Islam to solidify authority.
• 🎨 Empires used art and monumental architecture to legitimize their power, such as the Mughal Taj Mahal or portraits of Chinese emperors and high officials.
• 🏰 Monumental architecture, like the Palace of Versailles, was a way for rulers to showcase their authority and keep nobility close, preventing rebellions.

Q & A

What is the central theme of Unit 3 in AP World History?

The central theme of Unit 3 is how land-based empires gained and maintained control over large territories from 1450 to 1750 by consolidating and legitimizing their power.

Which major empires are covered in this unit and why are they important?

The major empires covered include the Manchu (Qing Dynasty), Mughal, Ottoman, and Safavid Empires. These are important because they exemplify key strategies for consolidating and legitimizing power during this period.

How did the Qing Dynasty consolidate power after its establishment?

The Qing Dynasty consolidated power by reintroducing the Civil Service examination, which ensured that bureaucratic leaders thought and believed in similar ways, legitimizing the foreign Manchu rule.

What role did the Devshirme system play in consolidating power for the Ottoman Empire?

The Devshirme system involved enslaving poor Christian boys, educating them in philosophy, politics, and art, and placing them into military or bureaucratic roles, creating fierce loyalty to the sultan and consolidating Ottoman power.

How did the Songhai Empire maintain power differently compared to the Qing and Ottoman Empires?

The Songhai Empire consolidated power through control of trade routes, military expansion, and alliances, rather than a centralized bureaucracy. Their kings also used court rituals to demonstrate their power.

What was the tribute system in the Aztec Empire, and how did it differ from centralized bureaucratic control?

The Aztec Empire used a tribute system where conquered peoples had to provide goods, services, or even people for human sacrifice. This allowed the Aztecs to rule a diverse empire without centralized, direct control.

How did the Mughal and Ottoman Empires collect taxes, and how were their systems different?

The Mughal Empire used zamindars, bureaucrats who collected taxes based on land holdings or production. The Ottomans, on the other hand, used tax farmers who collected taxes for the government but could also profit by collecting extra.

What role did military might play in consolidating power for these empires?

Land-based empires consolidated power by building strong militaries, often using elite groups of soldiers such as the Ottoman Janissaries, the Safavid Ghulams, and the Aztec warriors, many of whom were enslaved or tribute members.

How did religion serve to legitimize the power of rulers during this period?

Rulers used religion to legitimize their power. For example, Islamic emperors took on the title of caliph, claiming to be successors to Muhammad, while European rulers embraced the divine right of kings, claiming to rule by God’s will.

What role did monumental architecture play in legitimizing the rule of emperors?

Monumental architecture, such as the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal or Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles, was built to symbolize the power and grandeur of the ruler, helping to legitimize their authority.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Unit 3: Overview of Land-Based Empires (1450-1750)

The video introduces Unit 3 of AP World History, focusing on how land-based empires from 1450 to 1750 gained and maintained control over large territories. The key theme revolves around consolidating and legitimizing power. Major empires discussed include the Qing (China), Mughal (South and Central Asia), Ottoman (Europe and the Middle East), and Safavid (Middle East). These empires centralized power by creating bureaucracies, and legitimized it through various methods. The introduction sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of these empires' strategies for governance.

05:01

🏛️ Centralizing Power Through Bureaucracy

This section details how empires consolidated power by centralizing their bureaucracy. The Qing Dynasty in China reinstated the civil service examination, allowing the state to promote unity and loyalty within its administration. The Ottomans employed the devshirme system, where enslaved Christian boys were educated and trained to serve in the military or bureaucracy, eventually becoming fiercely loyal to the Sultan. The Songhai Empire in West Africa consolidated power by controlling trade routes and performing elaborate court rituals. An exception was the Aztec Empire, which used a tribute system instead of centralized power to maintain control over its vast territories.

💰 The Role of Bureaucracy in Tax Collection

Empires also used their bureaucracies to collect taxes, essential for funding their expansion and grandeur. The Mughal Empire employed zamindars to collect taxes based on land production, while the Ottoman Empire used tax farming, where collectors could profit by demanding extra. The Aztec Empire, instead of taxes, used a tribute system where conquered states regularly supplied goods or people, which were sometimes used for religious sacrifices. All these methods helped fund military expansions and impressive infrastructure.

⚔️ Military Might and Gunpowder Empires

This section discusses how military forces were a key to consolidating power. Land-based empires like the Ottomans and Safavids relied heavily on gunpowder weapons. Each empire had elite military units, such as the Ottoman janissaries and Safavid gholams, both made up of enslaved people loyal to their rulers. Although the Americas lacked gunpowder, the Aztecs inspired fear through religious practices like human sacrifice, maintaining control through intimidation.

🌍 Using Religion to Legitimize Power

Empires legitimized their rule through religion. Islamic rulers adopted the title of 'Caliph' to assert their authority as Muhammad’s successors, while European rulers invoked the divine right of kings. In the Songhai Empire, elites embraced Islam as a unifying force. However, religion could also divide empires, as seen in the Protestant Reformation, which split Christian Europe and forced rulers to take sides. The Ottoman-Safavid rivalry also highlights how religious differences, between Sunni and Shia Islam, fueled long-standing conflicts.

🎨 Art, Architecture, and the Display of Power

Rulers used art and monumental architecture to further legitimize their authority. The Qing Dynasty in China commissioned portraits of rulers and officials, reinforcing their image of power. In Europe, kings patronized artists to glorify their reigns. Monumental architecture, like the Taj Mahal, commissioned by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, and Louis XIV’s extravagant Palace of Versailles, symbolized the greatness and absolute control of the rulers. These grand structures were built not just for practical reasons but to send a clear message of the ruler’s dominance and grandeur.

Keywords

💡Consolidation of Power

Consolidation of power refers to the process by which rulers centralize and strengthen their control over large empires. In the video, land-based empires from 1450 to 1750 consolidated power by establishing bureaucracies, controlling trade, and maintaining military dominance. This process was crucial for empires like the Qing, Ottoman, and Mughal to manage vast territories and diverse populations.

💡Bureaucracy

A bureaucracy is a system of government where state officials or employees carry out the will of the ruler. In the video, the Qing dynasty reintroduced the Civil Service examination to create a unified bureaucratic system. The Ottoman Empire used the devshirme system to recruit Christian boys into government and military positions, reinforcing loyalty to the state. Bureaucracies allowed empires to efficiently collect taxes and enforce policies.

💡Devshirme System

The devshirme system was a method used by the Ottoman Empire to consolidate power by enslaving Christian boys from the Balkans and southern Europe. These boys were educated and trained to serve in the military or bureaucracy, becoming fiercely loyal to the sultan. This system helped strengthen the empire’s central authority and create an elite class of soldiers and officials.

💡Tribute System

The tribute system was used by the Aztec Empire as a method to consolidate power. Instead of directly controlling conquered territories, the Aztecs demanded regular payments of goods or people from tribute states. This allowed them to rule a vast empire without needing a centralized bureaucracy, and also helped them maintain their religious rituals, including human sacrifice.

💡Tax Farming

Tax farming was a method used by the Ottoman Empire to collect taxes. Instead of using government bureaucrats, the empire appointed private individuals, known as tax farmers, to collect taxes. These tax farmers were allowed to keep any excess they collected, leading to corruption but also ensuring efficient tax collection across vast territories. This system helped fund the empire’s military and governmental needs.

💡Gunpowder Empires

Gunpowder Empires refers to the Eurasian empires during this period, such as the Ottoman and Safavid Empires, which used gunpowder-based weapons to expand their territories and maintain control. The video highlights how these weapons gave them military superiority and helped intimidate their enemies, solidifying their rule. This was a key element in the military strategies of land-based empires from 1450 to 1750.

💡Monumental Architecture

Monumental architecture refers to large and often elaborate structures built by rulers to showcase their power and legitimacy. In the Mughal Empire, for example, Shah Jahan commissioned the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife, which also served to demonstrate his authority. Similarly, Louis XIV built the Palace of Versailles to reflect his dominance. These structures sent a message of the rulers’ greatness and authority over their subjects.

💡Divine Right of Kings

The divine right of kings was a doctrine embraced by European rulers, which claimed that monarchs were appointed by God and therefore were beyond question or challenge. This religious justification helped rulers like those in Europe legitimize their power. It was a key method of maintaining control over diverse and sometimes fractious populations by linking their rule directly to divine will.

💡Religious Legitimacy

Religious legitimacy refers to rulers using religion to justify and solidify their authority. In the Islamic world, rulers took on the title of caliph to present themselves as the rightful successors to the Prophet Muhammad. In Europe, rulers used the divine right of kings to claim God’s endorsement of their reign. Religious legitimacy provided a moral and spiritual foundation for rulers to maintain control over their empires.

💡Janissaries

Janissaries were an elite military force in the Ottoman Empire, formed from Christian boys who were taken through the devshirme system. These boys were converted to Islam, educated, and trained to become fiercely loyal soldiers. The janissaries were key in maintaining the sultan’s power, as they were highly trained, disciplined, and capable of quelling internal or external threats to the empire.

Highlights

Introduction to how land-based empires from 1450 to 1750 gained and maintained power through consolidation and legitimization.

The major empires considered in this unit include the Qing Dynasty, Mughal Empire, Ottoman Empire, and Safavid Empire.

Land-based empires centralized bureaucracy to consolidate power, with examples from China’s Qing Dynasty and its civil service examination system.

The Ottomans used the devshirme system, where enslaved Christian boys were educated and trained to serve in the military and bureaucracy, ensuring loyalty to the Sultan.

The Songhai Empire consolidated power by controlling trade routes, forming alliances, and expanding militarily, while showcasing their power through court rituals.

The Aztec Empire used a tribute system instead of a centralized bureaucracy to maintain control over conquered peoples and collect goods.

Bureaucracies were essential for tax collection across empires, with the Mughal zamindar system and the Ottoman tax farming system as key examples.

The Aztecs demanded tributes from their states in goods and sometimes people, using human sacrifice as part of religious rituals.

Land-based empires, especially Eurasian ones, relied on gunpowder weapons to consolidate power, while American empires like the Aztecs used other forms of intimidation.

Elite soldiers were important for consolidating power, like the Ottoman janissaries, Safavid guls, and Aztec elite warriors.

Rulers legitimized their power through religion, with Islamic rulers taking the title of caliph, and European rulers using the divine right of kings.

Religious conflicts, such as the Protestant Reformation in Europe and the Sunni-Shia divide between the Ottoman and Safavid Empires, also shaped power dynamics.

Art and monumental architecture, like the portraits of Chinese emperors and the Taj Mahal commissioned by Shah Jahan, were used to display and legitimize imperial power.

Louis XIV of France legitimized his power by building the Palace of Versailles and keeping nobility close to control them.

Unit 3 of AP World History emphasizes the central theme of how land-based empires consolidated and legitimized power during 1450-1750, covering topics from military tactics to cultural symbols.

Transcripts

hi and welcome back to heimler's history

in this video we're going to look at all

you need to know about unit 3 of AP

World History so if you're ready buckle

up let's get to

[Music]

it now a major theme in unit 3 is this

how is it that landbased Empires gain

and maintain control over such large

Empires from 1450 to 1750 and the short

answer is this they did it by

consolidating power and legitimizing

their power and that just means that

rulers were basically concerned to

communicate the following message I'm in

charge and let me show you how I'm in

charge so first let me list the major

Empires that we'll be considering during

this period we're going to look at the

Manu in their establishment of the Chin

Dynasty in Central and Southeast Asia

the mugal in South and Central Asia the

ottoman in southern Europe the Middle

East and North Africa and the safavid in

the Middle East now these aren't the

only Empires I'll mention but they're

among the most important when we're

considering these themes so let's start

with how these Empires Consolidated

power the first way they did so was by

centralizing a bureaucracy the

bureaucracy is just a group of people

employed by the government who carry out

the will of the emperor let me start by

giving you some examples in China the

Manu people established the Chin Dynasty

in 1644 and one of the ways they

Consolidated power is by reintroducing

the Civil Service examination anyone who

wanted to work in the bureaucracy had to

pass this examination and therefore it

provided the means by which the

leadership in China would both think the

same things and believe the same things

this is important to know because the

Ming Dynasty which preceded it was the

last native Chinese dynasty when the

Manu came in to establish the Chin

Dynasty they had a lot of incentive to

legitimize their power because they were

essentially foreigners the Ottomans

Consolidated power through the dev Sher

system and this was a system in which

the Ottomans enslaved poor Christian

boys from southern Europe and the

Balkans and made them to serve in their

military and their bureaucracy these

enslaved boys received a thorough

education and philosophy and politics

and art and once they were educated some

of them joined the janissaries which was

an Elite Force in the army or they

became bureaucratic workers and some of

them even Rose to the highest ranks of

government either way these folks ended

up being fierce loyal to the sultan okay

let's go over to the songi Empire the S

rulers Consolidated their power

essentially in three ways by controlling

trade routes alliances and Military

expansion additionally their kings put

their power on display through Court

rituals if you had been there you would

have seen a king on a platform

surrounded by 700 Unix and if you wanted

to approach you had to do so face down

on the ground and that is a way of

convincing you who's in charge now there

is an exception to this centralizing of

power through bureaucracy and that's our

friends in the Aztec empire now their

empire was still pretty massive but they

relied Less on centralized power the way

they Consolidated power was through

something called a tribute system this

manner of ruling meant that the

conquered peoples or tribute States owed

certain Goods to the conquerors on a

regular basis and the result of this is

that the Aztecs could rule a diverse

Empire without being directly present

okay the Aztec being accepted it was

pretty common for Empires during this

period to consolidate Power by creating

a bureaucracy okay I've already

mentioned some uses of the bureaucracy

what else is a bureaucracy good for you

know what it is collecting taxes I mean

come on Border expansion and ens slaving

form peoples giant palaces full of

Emperor swag it Ain going to pay for

itself so land-based Empires relied on

collecting taxes from their respective

subjects and this review would not be

complete unless we talked about how they

did it in the mugal Empire the emperor

appointed a group of bureaucrats called

zamindar and they went out to various

places in the Empire to collect taxes

based on land Holdings or production the

Ottomans had a system called tax farming

rather than having government

bureaucrats go out and collect taxes

they had a group of folks called tax

Farmers that went out and did it for

them now tax farmers were told the

amount that they needed to collect but

that didn't keep them from collecting a

little more to pad their own Pockets if

we go across the world and look at the

Aztecs they didn't exactly collect taxes

but they did something similar for each

of their tribute States they made up

different tribute lists which outlined

the kinds of goods they wanted from

those places depending on where those

states were located those items could

include food or Goods or sometimes

people oh they needed people cuz they

needed slaves right uh no they needed

people because they had religious

rituals that required Human Sacrifice

all right everyone quiet down quiet down

we just got our trib list from the Aztec

here and it looks like they're going to

need some maze some grain and Kevin what

do they need me

for okay one other thing that taxes are

good for is supporting giant military

complexes and that's another thing that

land-based Emperors did to consolidate

power during this time Eurasian Empires

relied on gunpowder based weapons to

blow people up and secure a healthy

amount of intimidation over in the

Americas they didn't have gunpowder but

those Empires were Fierce nonetheless

and caused a healthy amount of

intimidation without it see previous

statement on human sacrifice now one of

the common features in the militaries of

these land-based Empires was that they

each had an elite group of soldiers the

Ottomans had the janissaries who were

enslaved Christians but who through lots

of Education and Training became

fiercely loyal to the sultan and the

safavids had the guls who were fiercely

loyal to the Sha and that was true even

though they were taken from Minority

enslave populations like the Armenians

and the circassians and the Aztecs also

had an Elite Squad of soldiers made up

of enslaved people and this was part of

what they called the blood tax to their

tribute States okay we've talked about

two ways that landbased rulers can

Consolidated their power during this

period and now let's talk about how they

legitimized their power I mentioned

before that these Empires were huge and

covered lots of territory and included

lots of diverse populations and in

general sheer military might is not

enough to help the people see the power

and submit to and that's where religion

art and Monumental architecture come in

and let's start with religion how did

these Emperors use religion to show that

they were the ones in charge well

Islamic Emperors took on the title

caleff which indicated that they were

legitimate successors to Muhammad in

Europe Kings and rulers embraced the

doctrine of the divine right of kings

and that just means that the king is

God's man on Earth and is therefore

necessarily carrying out God's will in

his actions in the saai empire in Africa

the rulers and Nobles all converted to

Islam now all things being equal

religion in an Empire can be a real

unifying force and can really put the

legitimacy of the power of the emperor

on display but sometimes religion can

crack the whole thing apart over in

Europe the Protestant Reformation

challenged the Corrupt Practices of the

Catholic church and led to a lasting

split between Catholics and Protestants

so now European rulers had to decide

whether their kingdom was going to be

Catholic or Protestant and as you can

imagine that led to some bitter disputes

even so the split actually contributed

to the growth of Christianity because as

it turns out when Christians live in

different houses they can actually think

about something other than fighting

another example of religious conflict is

the ottoman safavid conflict both of

these neighboring Empires were Muslim

but not the same kind of Muslims the

Ottomans were sunnis and the safavids

were Shia each considered the other

Heretics and although they had many

disputes over border territory these

conflicts were deeply religious too

another way rulers legitimized their

power was through ART officials in

China's Chin Dynasty commissioned

portraits of their Emperors and high

officials and if you pass by those

portraits enough you're likely to start

thinking to yourself I think that guy's

in charge and in Europe rulers took care

to patronize artists as well and a third

way that rulers legitimize their power

was through Monumental architecture now

what does that even mean well Monumental

architecture basically refers to these

giant structures built by these Emperors

whose features far outstrip their

functionality for example in the mugal

Empire Sha Jan commissioned the Taj

Mahal to be built as a tomb for his wife

now what do you need to bury someone

basically you just need a box and a hole

in the ground so what's with all the

extra here well it sends a message what

message is that well Shah Jahan wanted

everyone to know who saw it that he was

great and that he was in charge Louis

the 14th also did this in France when he

built a palace at Versailles again

nobody needs this size of Palace and

nobody needs this degree of beauty and

ornamentation to live but such a

structure sends a message to the people

it has a way of legit legitimizing the

power of the guy who lives there not to

mention Lou had all the nobility living

right there with him so he could keep

tabs on exactly what they were doing you

can imagine how difficult it would be

for any of the Nobles to challenge him

under those conditions all right I

reckon if you can cram all that into

your brain folds you got what you need

for unit 3 I'm here to help you get an A

in your class and a five on your exam so

if that's something you're into then

subscribe and come along and hey if you

liked this video then like it I'm L out