Northern Eurasia

Japan Daimyo = Regional warlords who gained control of Japan –Invasion & Occupation of Korea ( ) Tokugawa Shogunate (1600) takes over –Loyal Lords = Farm lands in Central Japan –“Disloyal” Lords = Undeveloped lands in the North / South –Emperor has no political power Decentralized Govt. has direct effect on economy –Regional Lords = Development of many Urban centers –Shogun Req. Visits = Transportation & Commerce –Samurai = Creation of Wealthy Merchant class

Fall of the Shogunate Japan “Closed” –1649 after a rebellion was blamed on Christians (Jesuits) –Intended to prevent the spread of foreign influence –Dutch given limited access / “Dutch Studies” allow access to European knowledge –“Outer Lords” of North / South ignored this ban & traded with Korea, China, SE Asia = Wealthy maritime system Population & Economic Growth Changes Political Power –Inner Lords = Pop. Growth strains agricultural economy –Outer Lords = Econ. Growth exceeds Pop. Growth –Rice Prices Rise = Samurai dependent on loans from merchant class –Merchant class gains power in the 1700’s Forty-Seven Ronin Incident (1702) = Illustrates transformation from military to civil society

The Russian Empire Former Mongol Controlled Areas / Diverse Populations make up “Russia” –Cossacks = Independent, close-knit, “guns for hire” –Boyars = Russian Aristocracy –Russian Peasants legally made serfs in 1649 –Siberia = Furs, Timber, Gold, Coal, Iron (Eventually becomes prison colony) Peter the Great Ruled Russia ( ) Romanov Royal Family –Goal = Use European Tech / Culture to make Russia a European Power Actions –Well educated and well traveled –Modernized (Westernized) Russia’s Economy, Military, and Education system –Reduced power of nobles –Built St. Petersburg (110,000 people died in construction) –Had a violent temper –Heavily taxed Russian people

Peter’s Legacy & Catherine the Great Impact of Peter’s Rule –Russia became a powerful European country –Advanced the role of women in Russia –Fought in expensive and costly wars against Swedes & Ottomans –Destroyed many Russian traditions in order to modernize Catherine the Great Ruled –Russia = Largest Empire in the world –Continued policies of Peter (very harsh on serfs) –Friend of the Enlightenment = Western European Law, Art, architecture –Economy built on territory, agriculture, logging, fishing, furs