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Land-based empires 1450–1750 – Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, Ming/Qing, Russia, Songhai and Spain

HistoryRevolutions & Industrial AgeAges 12–13

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A world map with a year slider from 1450 to 1750 shows the growth and decline of seven large empires: the Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires, Ming and Qing China, Russia (from Muscovy to the Russian Empire), Songhai and Spain's holdings in the Americas. Key battles and treaties appear as dots with short notes. Tabs explain gunpowder warfare and how each empire ruled, and a chart compares their area and estimated population.

Lesson: Land-based empires and gunpowder empires, 1450–1750

What it shows

Between 1450 and 1750 a few large states ruled much of Eurasia, Africa and the Americas. This map follows seven of them year by year: the Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires, Ming and Qing China, Russia, Songhai and Spain's American viceroyalties. Battles such as Constantinople (1453), Chaldiran (1514), Panipat and Mohács (1526), Tondibi (1591) and Vienna (1683) show how cannons and muskets changed warfare. Tabs compare administration, religion and trade, and a chart compares area and population. Outlines are hand-generalised from atlases. See also "The Age of Exploration – four great voyages" and "Medieval China and India – dynasties and empires".

How to use

Press Play or drag the Year slider and watch the coloured areas grow and shrink. Click an empire button (Ottoman, Mughal, Russia…) to zoom in on it, and click an event dot to read about a battle or treaty. Open How they ruled to compare governments, Gunpowder for military change, and Compare for the area and population chart, switching between This year and 1450–1750.

Parameters you can change

  • Year shown on the timeline 1450–1750 year
  • Empire shown All empires, Ottoman Empire, Safavid Iran, Mughal Empire, Ming / Qing China, Russia, Songhai Empire, Spanish Empire (Americas)
  • Timeline playback speed 1–40 years/second
  • Information panel Events, Gunpowder, How they ruled, Compare
  • Show event labels on the map

Questions to explore

  1. Which empires grew fastest between 1500 and 1550, and what did their armies have in common?
  2. How did the Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal rulers treat religious groups different from their own?
  3. Why might area and population tell different stories about an empire's strength?

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