Non-Western EmpiresAbout 1500

Ottoman Empire

Mughal EmpireAztec Empire

Ming Dynasty

Incan Empire

Songhai Empire

Tokugawa Shogunate

Safavid Empire

Aztec Empire

Aztec Empire1325-1519

Location: Mexico

Religion: polytheistic, sacrifices performed

Famous city: Tenochtitlan, built on an island in the center of Lake Texcoco (Mexico City is located on this spot today)

Contributions/inventions/innovations:

floating gardens, calendar

Tenochtitlan

Incan Empire

Incan Empire 1400-1535

Location: Andes Mountains of western South America-Peru

Religion: polytheistic, sacrifices performed

Famous city: Cuzco, Machu Picchu

Contributions/inventions/innovations: Quipu (knotted system of keeping records), large road system, surgery, bridges.

Machu Picchu

Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire1453-1918

Location: Turkey and most land surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

Religion: Islam

Famous city: Istanbul

Contributions/inventions/innovations: Legal code, Islamic art and architecture. Exported coffee, ceramics, and textiles.

Famous leaders: Suleiman the Magnificent

Sultan Suleiman

the Magnificent

The Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent

Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty1368-1644

Location: China

Religion: polytheistic

Famous city: Nanjing and Beijing

Contributions/inventions/innovations: Great Wall was redesigned, the novel, porcelain, and dictionary.

Famous leaders: Hong-wu

Mughal Empire

Mughal Empire1556-1707 (at its height)

Location: India

Religion: Islam, but toleration for other religions

Famous city: Agra

Contributions/inventions/innovations: The Taj Mahal

Famous leaders: Akbar and his son Shah Jana

Taj Mahal

Tokugawa Shogunate

Tokugawa Shogunate1603-1868

Location: Japan

Religion: Shinto-Buddhist

Famous city: Edo (now Tokyo)

Contributions/inventions/innovations: Central government, unified society

Famous leaders: Tokugawa Ieyasu - Founder

* strict class hierarchy

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan

Safavid Empire

Safavid Empire1502-1736

Location: Iran (ancient Persia) and other parts of central Asia.

Religion: Islam (Shi’a)

Famous city: Isfahan

Contributions/inventions/ innovations: Leaders of the Safavid Empire were known as Shahs. Textiles (Persian carpet)

Famous leaders: Abbas I

Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque

Started in1615 and was completed in 1618

Songhai Empire

Songhai Empire1464-1591 (at its height)

Location: West Africa-present day Mali

Religion: Islam

Famous city: Timbuktu, major trade center for gold and salt. Timbuktu was also a center for learning.

Contributions/inventions/innovations: In the city of Timbuktu, the Songhai built an international university. Established gold and salt trade in West Africa.

Famous leaders: Sonni Ali and Askia the Great

Askia the Great 1442-1538

Links

http://www.mughalhistory.com

http://sun.menloschool.org/~sportman/westernstudies/first/1718/2000/gblock/tokugawa/home.html