Ottoman Empire
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The Turks were initially working for the Byzantine Empire as mercenaries. This arrangement benefited them by allowing them to gain military experience and consolidate power, ultimately leading to their rise as a dominant force in the region.
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The significance of the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 was that it marked a turning point in the Turkish conquest of Anatolia. The Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantine Empire, which opened the way for Turkish settlement and the eventual establishment of the Ottoman Empire.
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Constantinople was conquered in 1453 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. This event marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and solidified Ottoman control over the region.
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The Ottomans introduced the millet system, an administrative framework that allowed various religious communities to govern themselves under their own laws. This system lasted for centuries, facilitating a degree of autonomy and stability within the empire.
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The Ottomans addressed religious conflicts within their empire through the millet system, which allowed for a degree of religious tolerance. Each religious community had its own laws and leaders, reducing conflicts between different faiths.
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The Ottoman Empire played a crucial role in the overland trade routes by controlling key passages between Europe and Asia. They facilitated commerce, which contributed to the wealth and stability of the empire.
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The conquest of Constantinople in 1453 transformed its religious identity by establishing it as a major center of Islam, as the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, symbolizing the dominance of Islam in the city.
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Suleiman's expansion into Hungary and Austria was significant because it represented the height of Ottoman territorial expansion in Europe. His campaigns challenged European powers and expanded Ottoman influence into the heart of Europe.
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The Ottoman Empire contributed to trade and travel safety through their extensive administrative and military structures, which provided protection for merchants and travelers on the trade routes, fostering economic growth.
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Ottoman control of trade routes influenced European exploration by prompting nations like Portugal and Spain to seek alternative sea routes to Asia, as they aimed to bypass Ottoman intermediaries and gain direct access to trade.
Aztec, Inca, Maya
Civilization Influence
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The Maya were influenced by earlier Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec and Teotihuacan.
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The Aztec were influenced by various civilizations, including the Toltec and the Maya, which contributed to their culture, religion, and social structures.
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The Inca civilization was influenced by earlier cultures, such as the Moche and Nazca, which set the foundations for their society.
Geography and Timeline
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The Maya civilization was primarily located in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, and it thrived from around 250 to 900 AD.
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The Aztec civilization was centered in the Valley of Mexico, flourishing from approximately 1325 to 1521 AD.
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The Inca civilization reached its height during the 15th and early 16th centuries, primarily located along the western coast of South America in present-day Peru.
Religion
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All three civilizations practiced polytheistic religions, honoring multiple gods related to nature and agriculture.
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The Maya viewed the dead as significant in their religion, believing that ancestors could influence the living and serve as intermediaries with the gods.
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The Inca emperor held a unique religious status as he was considered a divine representative of the sun god, therefore, blending political power with religious authority.
Achievements and Architecture
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Two major achievements of the Maya in writing and timekeeping were the development of a complex hieroglyphic script and their sophisticated calendar system.
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The Aztec adapted their city planning by building Tenochtitlán on an island in Lake Texcoco, utilizing canals and causeways for transportation and agriculture suited to their environment.
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The Inca used quipus as their main method of record-keeping, which involved knotting strings to track information. This system improved trade by maintaining accurate records of goods and resource distribution.
TEST QUESTION
The ancient empire that built wide roads paved with stone, constructed bridges to cross gorges, created buildings of stone cut perfectly together, made sloping land usable for farmers, and employed irrigation to enhance farming was the Inca Empire.
Political and Economic Systems
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The Maya political structure was organized into city-states, each ruled by its own king, which differed from the centralized empires of the Aztec and Inca, who had more unified political control under a single ruler.
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The basis of the economies of all three civilizations was primarily agriculture, supplemented by trade networks that allowed for the exchange of goods and resources.
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The Inca managed their economy without currency by utilizing a system of redistribution, where the state collected surplus agricultural produce and provided for the population through resource allocation based on needs.