Gunpowder weapons and military organization helped rulers build large land empires. Expansion brought new peoples and territories under imperial control.
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Unit 03 · c. 1450–1750
Land-Based Empires
Study how large empires expanded through military power and kept control through administration, religion, and art.
The big picture
What to know
Study how large empires expanded through military power and kept control through administration, religion, and art.
States used religious traditions to support rule, but different beliefs could also lead to conflict or accommodation.
Compare expansion, administration, and belief in two or more land empires. Strong comparisons explain how specific policies served similar goals or led to different results.
Check your understanding
01 / Multiple choice · 3 questions
Choose one answer for each question. Feedback appears below it.
Question 01
Which topic helps explain this development? Gunpowder weapons and military organization helped rulers build large land empires. Expansion brought new peoples and territories under imperial control.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
Question 02
Which topic helps explain this development? States used religious traditions to support rule, but different beliefs could also lead to conflict or accommodation.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
Question 03
Which topic helps explain this development? Compare expansion, administration, and belief in two or more land empires. Strong comparisons explain how specific policies served similar goals or led to different results.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
02 / Write with evidence
Write a short response
How did rulers gain and hold power over diverse peoples?
- Make a claim that answers the question.
- Use two examples from the review.
- Explain how the examples support your claim.
See a model response
Study how large empires expanded through military power and kept control through administration, religion, and art. Ottoman rulers used firearms and organized armies to expand their territory. Ottoman rulers supported Sunni Islam as part of imperial legitimacy.
Resources & review
Quick study check
Before opening another resource, explain these examples from memory. Reveal each explanation to check yourself.
Empires Expand
Gunpowder weapons and military organization helped rulers build large land empires. Expansion brought new peoples and territories under imperial control.
Empires: Belief Systems
States used religious traditions to support rule, but different beliefs could also lead to conflict or accommodation.
Comparison in Land-Based Empires
Compare expansion, administration, and belief in two or more land empires. Strong comparisons explain how specific policies served similar goals or led to different results.
Read / watchOER Project · Unit 3 ↗
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Video / reviewKhan Academy · World History AP ↗A second explanation when you need to see a topic another way.
Official practiceAP Classroom ↗AP Daily videos and teacher-assigned topic questions. Sign in with your school AP account.
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Explore every topic
TOPIC 3.1
Empires Expand
Gunpowder weapons and military organization helped rulers build large land empires. Expansion brought new peoples and territories under imperial control.
TOPIC 3.2Empires: Administration
Rulers used officials, taxes, military elites, and monumental buildings to control diverse populations and display authority.
TOPIC 3.3Empires: Belief Systems
States used religious traditions to support rule, but different beliefs could also lead to conflict or accommodation.
TOPIC 3.4Comparison in Land-Based Empires
Compare expansion, administration, and belief in two or more land empires. Strong comparisons explain how specific policies served similar goals or led to different results.