Cultures of Splendor and Power, 1600-1780
After you read the assigned section, you need to answer the following questions
for that section in note form. You also need to come up with one significant
question of your own and answer it. Be prepared for a homework check or
a possible readingquiz each day.
Assignment 1 pages 163-167 (stop at Safavid)
The Ottoman Empire
1. Give examples of how the rulers of the Ottoman Empire shaped Ottoman
culture. How did culture relate to empire prestige?
2. Why could the Ottoman Empire be described as a tolerant society in the 17th century?
Assignment 2 pages 168-170 India and the Mughals
1. Describe high culture in India and its significance in bringing people together.
Why is the Taj Mahal the greatest symbol of high culture during the Mughal
empire?
2. How did the Mughals view the Europeans? Why might this be the case?
Assignment 3 pages 171-176 (stop at Japan) Chinese Culture
1. How did the increase in book production affect Chinese society? Who was
reading the books being produced?
2. Describe the lifestyle of Chinese villagers. How was their culture transmitted?
What contact did they have with the outside world, and how did they view
outsiders in general?
Assignment 4 pages 179-183 Enlightenment and Scientific Rev.
1. In general, what were the goals of Enlightenment thinkers? How were their
ideas transmitted?
2. What is the relationship between the “new science” and the Enlightenment?
Assignment 5 pages 183-186 European Enlightenment
1. Why do you think Enlightenment ideas were viewed as threatening by the government
and church, but were also appealing to well-to-do commoners?
2. Where do you see Enlightenment influences in our society today?
Making Connections
Assignments 1-3
Assignments 4-6
Outside Reading:
“America: An Empire to Rival Rome?”
“What is Free Speech, and What is Terrorism?” by Richard Bernstein
“Indian Emperor Akbar The Great - Relied On Tolerance And Justice to Build Stability For His Mughal Empire” by Scott Smith
Sayings of Confucius
“The Use of Biblical Quotations in Matters of Science” by Galileo Galilei
“Scientists Speak Up on Mix of God and Science” by Cornelia Dean
Excerpt from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
Possible Essay Questions
Two of these questions will show up on your test and you will choose to answer one.
1. What factors play a role in determining the strength and stability of a nation/empire? Use examples from the Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, China, and Europe as your evidence.
2. “Like many other civilizations, the Chinese empire cultivated an image of its own superiority, and tended to see others through its own prism” (176). How was this evident in the way the Islamic empires, China, and Europe all viewed each other?
3. In what ways were the discoveries and innovation of the Scientific Revolution instrumental to the beginning of the Enlightenment?
Test Format
10 Multiple Choice (2 Points Each)
1 Short Answer (30 Points)
1 Essay (50 Points)