Name: ______Date: ______Pd: ______

AP World History

Autopsy of a Gunpowder Empire Instructions

“Gunpowder Empires” is a term used to describe the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires. Each of these empires was able to monopolize the production of cannons and small arms in a way that allowed them to consolidate large regions under tight control. Your task this week is to perform an “autopsy” of those empires. An autopsy is a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death. This week, you are medical examiners who must first create your empire, then perform the autopsy to determine what lead to its downfall.

  1. You will be working in small groups.
  2. The categories you are responsible for showing with regard to your assigned empire are:

Head = significant leaders and accomplishments, political structure

Hands = art, architecture, technological advancements

Torso = societal infrastructure, social classes

Heart = religious beliefs

Legs = labor systems

Feet = trade routes and goods traded

  1. You will need to use at least three sources to research these categories for your empire. One source may be your textbook. These should be cited in MLA format at the bottom or on the back of your poster.
  2. First, research and make notes.
  3. Second, trace one of your group members (use the shortest!) or just draw a person onto the paper provided.
  4. Third, give your empire person a name (be creative).
  5. Fourth, design and create your poster. Each of the categories above need to be included and detailed on the poster, labeling different parts of the body. Use color, be bold, be creative.
  6. Fifth, add the injuries where appropriate. The injuries should be associated with the causes of each empire’s demise in history.
  7. Fill out the coroner’s report (or autopsy paper). Doing so will help you double check that your poster includes all relevant illustrations necessary for someone else to perform an autopsy on your empire’s body even if he/she knew nothing of the empire in life.
  8. You will be graded on your poster (neat, complete, creative), your research (three sources cited correctly), and on your coroner’s report (detailed, accurately reflecting injuries from the poster).

My group members:

______

______

______

______

My Gunpowder Empire:

______