Unit 3: Land-Based Empires, c. 1450 to c. 1750

The Early Modern Period, lasting from 1450-1750, begins in Unit 3. The empires focused on in this unit are all land-based, and many of them rose to power through the power of gunpowder, newly transformed into weaponry. The empires covered in this unit include the Ottoman Empire, Safavid Empire, Mughal Empire, Russian Empire, Qing Dynasty, Tokugawa Shogunate, Songhai Empire, Inca Empire, and the Aztec Empire. Each one has a unique story behind its expansion, how rulers consolidated and legitimized power, its administration, and its belief system. Students should strive to develop comparisons between these empires across all aspects of their rule.