Chapter 17 Questions: New Asian Empires

Section 1

  1. How did the Ottomans build a powerful empire?
  2. When did the Ottomans capture the city of Constantinople, and why was the city’s conquest significant?
  3. What were their cultural accomplishments?
  4. Who were the Janissaries, and what was their role in the success of the Ottomans?
  5. How did Suleyman improve the Ottoman Empire?
  6. Why did Westerners refer to Suleyman I as “the Magnificent”?
  7. Why did the Safavid Empire come into conflict with other Muslim empires around it?
  8. How did events of the Safavid period shape culture in the present-day country of Iran?

Section 2

  1. How did Muslims come to rule India?
  2. What was the first Muslim government established in India? Where did its name come from?
  3. How did Babur and Akbar the Great help create a new empire in India?
  4. How did Akbar bring stability to the Mughal Empire?
  5. Why was Akbar considered a great ruler?
  6. Why do Sikhs continue to wear turbans today?
  7. Why were most European trading posts in India located along the coast?
  8. What were two artistic achievements made in India under Shah Jahan?

Section 3

  1. How did the Ming Dynasty bring stability, prosperity and isolation to China?
  2. How did Zheng He’s voyages demonstrate Ming China’s sea power and increase China’s influence?
  3. How did the Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty earn the support and loyalty of many of the Chinese people?
  4. Why did the British fail in their efforts in the 1790s to expand trade relations with Qing China?
  5. What cultural developments occurred during the Ming and Qing periods?
  6. Which book is considered to be China’s greatest novel, and when was it written?
  7. How did Ming porcelain contribute to China’s economy?

Section 4

  1. How did the Tokugawa Shogunate bring stability, peace, and prosperity to Japan?
  2. Who was Tokugawa Ieyasu, and why is he significant in Japanese history?
  3. How did the rise of the daimyo alter Japanese society?
  4. What were the main features that characterized Japan’s feudal warrior society?
  5. What factors motivated rulers in medieval Japan and Korea to close their societies to the outside world?
  6. How did kabuki and haiku contribute to Japanese culture?
  7. Who founded the Choson dynasty in Korea, and when?