AP Modern World History Flashcards: Changing Social Hierarchies
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
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What two factors contributed to the formation of new political and economic elites in places like China and the Americas?
Imperial conquests and widening global economic opportunities contributed to the formation of new political and economic elites.
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What two factors contributed to the formation of new political and economic elites in places like China and the Americas?
Imperial conquests and widening global economic opportunities contributed to the formation of new political and economic elites.
What major political event in China led to the formation of new elites?
The imperial conquest that resulted in the transition to the Qing Dynasty contributed to the formation of new political and economic elites in China.
How did the power of existing elites, like the Russian boyars and European nobility, change over time?
The power of existing political and economic elites fluctuated as they faced new challenges to their influence from increasingly powerful monarchs and leaders.
Provide an example of a state that suppressed diversity by limiting the role of a specific ethnic group.
The Qing Dynasty in China suppressed diversity by implementing restrictive policies against the Han Chinese.
How does the varying status of women in the Ottoman Empire illustrate a change in social practices?
The varying status of different groups of women in the Ottoman Empire shows how social roles and practices for a specific demographic could change over time within a state.
What was the Casta system?
The Casta system was a new social hierarchy that formed in the Americas due to imperial conquests, creating new political and economic elites.
What were two general ways that states dealt with the ethnic and religious diversity of their subjects?
States either adopted practices to accommodate diversity and utilize the contributions of various groups, or they suppressed diversity and limited certain groups' roles.
Name two empires mentioned that adopted practices to accommodate the diversity of their subjects.
The Mughal and Ottoman empires both adopted practices to accommodate the ethnic and religious diversity of their subjects.
Contrast the policies of Spain/Portugal with the Ottoman Empire regarding their Jewish populations.
Spain and Portugal expelled their Jewish populations, representing a suppression of diversity, while the Ottoman Empire accepted them, demonstrating a practice of accommodation.
Who were the Ottoman timars and Russian boyars?
They were existing political and economic elites in the Ottoman and Russian empires, respectively, whose power was challenged by strengthening central rulers.