Intro 1: Rise of Europe Flashcards
(14 cards)
What were the main agrarian empires of Eurasia during 1500-1750?
Ming dynasty China, Mughal India, Safavid Iran, Ottoman Empire
These empires were agrarian-based, with elites taxing peasant producers.
What types of goods were primarily produced and traded in the agrarian empires?
Luxuries and arms
Luxuries included jewelry, textiles, wares, spices, and manuscripts; arms included gunpowder weapons and horses.
Which major European kingdoms were agrarian-based during this period?
Spain, France, Russia
Similar to Asian empires, these kingdoms also relied on agrarian structures.
What transformation occurred in Asia from the 16th to the 18th centuries?
The decline of nomadic power
Nomadic groups had traditionally threatened settled agricultural empires.
What was one of the greatest military feats achieved by agrarian empires in Asia?
Closing the steppe frontier
This marked a significant shift in power dynamics between nomadic groups and settled empires.
What were the pioneers of European sea power in the late 15th century?
Portugal, Spain
They sought alternative trade routes due to the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
What unexpected discovery did Columbus make while sailing for Spain?
The Americas
This led to rapid Spanish conquests of native empires like the Aztecs and Incas.
What was the impact of infectious diseases on the native populations of the Americas?
Killed up to 90% of the population
This facilitated Spanish conquests.
Which countries followed the Portuguese and Spanish in sea exploration from the late 16th century?
Dutch Republic, England, France
These nations expanded their maritime power in search of wealth and luxuries.
What major biological exchange was initiated by the Spanish conquest of the Americas?
The Columbian Exchange
This included the exchange of animals and crops between the Old and New Worlds.
What was the distinction between European power projection in the New World versus the Old World until the 1750s?
In the New World, Europeans established dominance; in the Old World, they could only maintain small maritime outposts
European power was limited and could not penetrate major Asian empires until later.
What was the primary source of luxuries for Europeans during this period?
Asia
Most silver mined in the Americas ended up in China to purchase goods like silk and porcelain.
Fill in the blank: The __________ was a major motivator for Portuguese exploration of ocean routes.
rise of the Ottoman Empire
True or False: The Safavid Empire was founded by a nomadic group.
True
The Safavid Empire, like others, was established by nomadic groups before settling into urban life.
