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AMSCO 3.4 Comparison in Land-Based Empires Notes
1 min read•june 18, 2024
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UNIT 3 — Period 2: 1450 to 1750
📖 AMSCO p.177 - p.181
Key Timeline
Image Courtesy of Risha Vankalapati
Practice Essay Questions
Prep for Unit 3 Essay Questions
Expansion of Land-Based Empires
| Land-Based Empire | Causes/Reasons Allowing Expansion | Effects of Expansion |
| European Empires: France, England | Expansion was possible due to a decline in plagues, the end of regional wars, an increase in literacy, and greater control over taxes, army, and religion. | The power of bureaucracies and the middle class grew at the church's and nobles' expense, and monarchs began to create overseas colonies. |
| Russian Empire | Russia was in a prime area to control and utilize trade, so expansion was ideal and often fueled by gunpowder. | Russia could now trade directly with the Ottoman Empire and Europe and many of the conquered were converted to the Eastern Orthodox faith. |
| East Asia: Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty | The Qing Dynasty was able to overthrow the Ming Empire (which was weakened through expansion) and maintain their empire through an efficient bureaucratic system and strong centralized power. | The treasury was depleted due to frequent expansion by the Qing Dynasty, and the corruption of the bureaucracy led to peasant uprisings. |
| Islamic Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires | The use of gunpowder-based weaponry allowed them to expand quickly (earning these empires the name Gunpowder Empires). Mongol power vacuums, and a shared language and religion allowed for an easier conquest. | The conquest left behind a rich artistic and architectural heritage, as well as spread Islam through the region through conquest and trade. |
Centralization of Land-Based Empires
| Land-Based Empire | Reasons for Centralization | Effects of Centralization |
| European Empires: France, England | The “divine right” of kings was used to justify the right to rule and overarching political decisions in England. France drifted farther towards absolutism, with the monarch having basically all of the political power. | The eventual creation Bill of Rights in England granted some protection for citizens and was the start of the decline of the monarchy. The absolute power in France ultimately made it difficult for any action against the monarch. |
| Russian Empire | Originally a hierarchical system with the monarch overseeing the nobles (called boyars) who presided over peasants (serfs) in a system called serfdom. | Peter the Great eventually created a council to advise the monarchy and replaced boyars with provincial officials. |
| East Asia | Many of these powers used feudal systems (ex: Japan) with the Qing and Ming dynasties relying on a bureaucratic system and tribute and tax system to maintain power. | These systems were eventually overthrown due to lack of financial support and inability to sustain themselves. |
| Islamic Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires | They held Christian boys of citizens “hostage” in order to guarantee support from all regions of the empire. Artistic innovation and reform also helped fuel the legitimacy of the empire. | They left behind a rich religious and artistic heritage in these regions through their use of art and religion to maintain central power. |
Belief Systems
| Belief | Definition | Effects |
| Protestant Reformation | A series of breaks from the Catholic Church ultimately resulted in various Protestant factions. | Introduced secularism to states (ex: England) and ultimately allowed for greater freedom of speech within Europe. |
| Orthodox Church | The faction of the Catholic Church kept “intact” from the Protestant Reformation. | Was used to legitimize the Russian Empire and its various rulers. |
| Islamic Schisms | Various factions of Islam and hierarchical systems were used in the Gunpowder Empires. | Used to centralize and hold together the Islamic Gunpowder Empires. |
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