12–15% of the AP exam. Key topics: Ottoman Empire: devshirme system, millet system, Janissaries, expansion into Anatolia and Southeast Europe, Safavid Empire: Shia Islam as state religion, conflict with Sunni Ottomans, Mughal Empire: Akbar's religious syncretism, mansabdar system, Aurangzeb's reversal, Qing (Manchu) dynasty: Eight Banners system, Han Chinese bureaucracy, tributary relationships, Russian Empire: expansion eastward (Siberia), serfdom, Romanov centralization, Gunpowder technology and its role in empire-building, Methods of administrative control: tax farming, religious legitimacy, military elites, Comparison of empire-building strategies across Eurasia c. 1450–1750, Sunni-Shia sectarian rivalry as a driver of Ottoman-Safavid conflict.
Study guide content for this unit is being prepared. Check back soon for complete lesson notes, formula sheets, and worked examples.
