1. Questions of Periodization
Era includes 300 years, but profound changes took place…some events that characterize the era include:
Globe was encompassed
Sea based trade rose in proportion to land based
European kingdoms that emerged gained power
Relative power of nomads decline
Labor systems were transformed
“Gunpowder Empires” emerged in ME and Asia

2. Major developments
Changes in Trade Technology and Global interactions…
The Atlantic Ocean trade led to crossing of Pacific. New maritime technologies made these interactions possible resulting in major change of global trade patterns
Powerful Empires- maritime and gunpowder. Need to know specifics about Portugal, Spain, Britain, France and Ottoman, Qing/Ming, Mughal, Russia, Tokugawa and Songhay
Slave Trade
Demographic and environment changes
Cultural Intellectual Developments

3. Major Empires: Maritime
Centralization of Governments-
Absolutism vs. Constitutionalism
Absolutist- divine right
Constitutionalist- Netherlands and England- limits placed on monarch
Hapsburgs- ruled Spain but also large parts of the HRE. Charles, unable to control entire land divided it up between his brother Ferdinand and son Philip (Spain)
How was power achieved, maintained and legitimized in this period?
Centralization of government is necessary for colonization

4. Colonial Models of Maritime Empires
Spain and Portugal- Absolutist. Appointed viceroys (personal representatives to rule in king’s name).
Spain Council of Indies
England- autonomy for colonists- “salutary neglect”
Spain- mistreatment of Amerindians. New social classes . Encomienda and mita
England- More diverse than Spain. Diversity Depends on region

5. Major Empires: Gunpowder
Land-based remains dominant political form in parts of eastern hemisphere.
Built power on use of gunpowder. Al had huge land armies with guns
Impact on nomadic groups…direct contact with empires (no more nomadic intermediaries)

6. Ottomans
Developed modern day Turkey. Parts of E and S Medit., Eastern Europe
Great army- Janissaries
Ruled by a sultan aided with bureaucracy
Suleiman the Magnificent
Great navy as well
More sustained trade than other empires due to location
More equality for women
Sunni Muslim- but culturally diverse given empire
Important merchant class
Constantinople highly sophisticated

7. Safavid East of Ottomans (Iran)
Shia Islam- belief in hidden imam- ruler is stand in until then
Strong army equipped with firearms- no navy
Marginal trade- inland capital
Rigidly patriarchal with few freedoms for women
Most were shia- forced conversion by ismail
Less diversity of people

8. Mughal
Modern day Pakistan and Afghanistan- northern part of Indian continent
Strong military that attacked from west
Muslim rulers with centralized power- wars meant high taxes. Muslim authority over Hindu population
Akbar most famous ruler- tried to mediate with Hindus
Tension from beginnings with Hindu subjects
New faith and Sikhism

9. Muslim Empires decline
Had special reasons- they faces similar ones
Inadequate transportation and communication systems
Unruly warrior elites!
Inadequate bureaucracies
Rise of European Rivals

10. Ming and Qing…
Ming- cultural brilliance and economic achievements continued till 1600…same problems as Muslim empires. Borders difficult to guard, armies $$$, transportation and communication issues
Weakened Ming:
Climatic Change
Nomadic invasions
Pirates- arggghh
Decline of Silk Road
Inept rulers

11. Qing (Ching) 1644 by Manchus, lasted till 1911
Rulers used many of the same precepts, forbid intermarriage
Golden age
Kangxi ( ) enlightened ruler
Qianlong ( )- so prosperous cancelled taxes

12. China’s contact with Europe
Jesuits China (Matteo Ricci) Dazzled Chinese with European mathematics (fixed calendar)
Finally kicked Jesuits out after Pope forbade ancestral worship
Trade inspired by Jesuits
Canton System- very regulated

13. Tokugawa Japan
Before 1600’s daimyos operate independently….Early 1600’s feudalistic leaders united under one powerful family- the Tokugawa (bakufu) tent government
Emperor as ceremonial head
Centralized but decentralized…Edo capital (had daimyos stay every other year) ALTERNATE ATTENDANCE
Less patience with Christian missionaries.
Closed Japan in 1649.
Daimyos on far islands difficult to control trade

14. Russia
Moscow powerful after Mongols thrown out Very little contact with Europe- Lack of warm water ports meant Russia shut out of maritime revolution. Feudalistic political and economic structure meant tsars had difficulty controlling boyars (nobility)- absolutism
Ivan IV  establishment of Romanov family 1613
Peter the Great : no infrastructure, no navy, limited army, few warm water ports and few roads westernize! Led to reforms
Military reform
Building of infrastructure
Expansion of territory (Great Northern War, Ottomans)
Reorganization of bureaucracy
Relocation of capital
By time of golden age of Qing Russia expanded to Pacific Coast-> conflict with Chinese. Conflict with Ottomans and Sweden
Peter left transformed empire Catherine the Great

15. African Kingdoms
Songhai, Sunni Ali (1450’s to 1500’s) controlled earlier by Mali.
Centralized with governors
Created an army and navy to protect trade
Prosperous cities that gained wealth from trade
Islam strongly supported by elite
1590’s destroyed by Europeans
Swahili City States
Destroyed by Europeans in 1500’s
Kongo-
trade with Portuguese and converted to Christianity. Eventually slave trade would undermine local power.

16. Slave Trade African slave trade
Trade to Muslim lands Trans Saharan trade (how is it different)
Trade to Americas:
Continental Passage, Middle Passage as part of Great Circuit
Treatment of Slaves: means to an economic end
Plantation life
African Diaspora and Cultural syncretism in new World

17. Trade to Americas
Success of Atlantic economy was based on PRIVATE business
Mercantilism
developed most effectively by British and Dutch., with private companies under charter from governments.
Main goal- trading goods to accumulate precious metals. Bring goods from places that were abundant to places that were scarce.
Great Circuit: goods and exchange
Labor Systems in Americas
Mita
Encomienda
Indentured Servitude
Slavery

18. Demographic and Environmental Change
Population shifts, increases and decreases (Columbian exchange)
1000 and 1700 population of Asia (ME, India and East Asia) more than doubled 415 million
Little Ice Age
Columbian Exchange and environmental stress-
Soil exhaustion
Deforestation

19. Changes in Gender and Social Structure
Rise of the bourgeoisie
Changes in marriage arrangements-
Tendency to marry later and choose partner
However, most were still arranged
Growth in gap between rich and poor
Urban and rural poor

20. Cultural and Intellectual Developments 1450-1750
1)Renaissance
Crusades, wealth of city states
Rebirth- less focus on religions
Think in different ways
2)Scientific Revolution
Revival of Greece and Roman math and science
Copernicus, Galileo, Newton

21. Cultural Developments
3) Protestant Reformation
Luther, Calvin
Division between protestants and Catholics
Rulers not under the power of church
4) PRINTING PRESS
5) Enlightenment
6) Cultural Life in China

22. Art
Renaissance
Patronage in Islamic Empires