Make Connections
A History of World Societies
Volume 2 since 1450 10th Edition Mckay, Embrey, Beck , Crowston, Wiesber- Hanks, Davila
Read these Chapters and Answer the Questions
1 paragraph for each question
Chapter 18
1.This chapter has argued that, despite their political differences, rulers in absolutist and constitutionalist nations faced similar obstacles in the mid-seventeenth century and achieved many goals. Based on the evidence presented her, do you agree with this argument? Why or Why not?
2.Proponents of absolution in western Europe believed that their form of monarchical rule was fundamentally different from and superior to what they saw as the “despotism” of Russia and the Ottoman Empire. What was the basis of this belief, and how accurate do you think it was?
3.What common features did the Ming empire in China and the Muslim empires of the Middle East and India share with Russian and other European empires? How would you characterize interactions among these Eurasian Empire?
Chapter 19
1.How did the era of European exploration and discovery (Chapter 16) affect the ideas of scientist and philosophers discussed in this chapter? In what wats did contacts with new peoples and places stimulate new forms of thought among Europeans?
2.What was the relationship between the scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment? How did new ways of understanding the natural world influence thinking about human society?
3.Compare the policies and actions of seventeenth-century absolutist rulers (chapter18) with their “enlightened” descendants described in this chapter. How accurate is the term “enlightened absolutism”?
Chapter 20
1.In what ways did Islam enrich the Sudanic empires of West Africa?
2.Discuss the ways in which Africa came into greater contact with a larger world during the period discussed in this chapter?
3.How did the transatlantic slave trade affect West African society?
Chapter 21
1.How does the Qing Dynasty compare as an empire to other Eurasian empires of its day?
2.How were the attractions of city life in China and Japan of this period similar to those in other parts of Eurasia?
3.Can you think of any other cases in the world in which farmer’s son rose to the top of the power structure the way that Zhu Yuanzhang and Hideyoshi did? What was this uncommon?