World History empires name meanings study guide

Goal of this article is to help students identify context and historical recollection via definitions of historical names and terms

• along with memorizing names, places (map literacy) and dates
• historical knowledge and test-day recollection can be enhanced through etymology, or word origins of key historical places, empires or dynasties

China empires/ dynasties

Name	Name definition	Dates	Region	Notes
Chinese dynasties follow four general categories of name origins:	geographic origins (Qin, Han dynasties) capital cities (Sui and Tang dynasties) material properties (Liao (iron), Tang (jade) dynasties word meanings (Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties; see below
Yuan Dynasty	as used by Kublai Khan, mean "origin" or "center" of the universe "Great Yuan" named by the empire's founder, Kublai Khan, likely in order to inlude his rule within Chinese dynastic history as well as to claim the Mandate of Heaven	1271–1368		established by Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan 1st non-Han dynasty to rule China Yuan emperors spoke Chinese but kept use of Mongolian Kublai Khan's 1st capital was called "City of the Khans," but was changed in Han Chinese to "Great Capital" he used the name changes to claim Chinese legitimacy Sources: History of the Yuan Dynasty (wikipedia)
Ming Dynasty	Ming is from the Chinese characters for sun and moon; it also means "luminescent" the name was taken by Han Shantong who led early rebellions against the Yuan Dynasty; Han Shantong took on the name "King Ming" for "King of Light"	1368-1644		followed the collapse of Mongol rule under the Yuan Dynasty the "Red Turban Rebellions" weakened the Yuan (named for red banners and hats) Red Turban movement was started by a Chinese monk (associated w/ the Bhuddist White Lotus secret society that believed in fight of good v. evil, influencd by Manichaeism from ancient Persia, called in China "Mingjiao") represented a Han Chinese ethnic rebellion against Mongol rule reinstituted Confucian culture, which was largely Han Ming emperors used court eunuchs (couldn't have children so posed no dynastic threat) to balance power w/ Confucian administrator Sources: 7 Things You May Not Know About the Ming Dynasty (History.com) The Ming Dynasty Facts (encyclopediaoffacts.com) The relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Mingjiao (nif.news) (not academic; seems to be a Chinese cultural magazine) Why did Zhu Yuanzhang name his dynasty the Ming Dynasty? (Quora user answer)
Qing Dynasty	Qing means, "blue, aqua, clear, transparent" Qing character contains 3 strokes of the water symbol the 1st Qing emperor renamed "the Great Jin" empire ("Jin" signifies "metal and fire") to "Great Qing" Jin was understood to represent the fiery tempers of the Manchu royalty Qing for "transparent" and "water" indicated an end to feuds in the royal family	1644–1911	Manchuria, China	Arose from the "Later Jin Dynasty" from Manchuria (northeast region of China thus is also known as the "Manchu Dynasty "Manchu" = people from Manchuria Jin dynasty ruler Hong Taiji, renamed the "Great Jin" to "Great Qung" in 1636 Qing was a Chinese name he renamed the "Jurchen" people to "Manchu" "Manchu" may come from the word for "brave" the renaming reflects his conquest of all of Manchuria key Hong Tajji's rise was adoption of artillery, which the Ming had used to defeat him before he conquered the Ming capital in Beijing in 1644 as ruler, he accepted ethnic Han into his military and government, and even married 10000 Manchu women to Han men sources: Qing Dynasty (New World Encyclopedia)

Mongol empires

Name	Name definition	Dates	Region	Notes
Mongol Empire	started by Genghis Khan or "Temüjin" Temüjin is Chinese and may mean or be related to Truco-Mongol for "blacksmith" Temüjin was given to him by his father upon defeat of a Tatar chief named Temüjin-üge "Genghis Khan" means "great leader" or "universal ruler" Khan meant chief of a clan (tribe) Genghis may mean "sea" thus suggesting "ruler of the seas," thus all of the world "Mongol" means "whole great nation"	1206–1368	Eurasia	Genghis Khan conquered / united central/northern Asian "tribal confederations" who were in constant warfare with one another Mongol Empire c. 1207, upon Genghis Khan's consolidation of Mongol tribes in the northern steppe. Temüjin took the name "Genghis Khan" that year. upon Genghis Khan's death the empire was divided into four "fragment" empires: Yuan Dynasty Golden Horde Chagatia Khanate Ilkhanate Asia in 1335, showing the four "Khanates", successor empires to the Mongol Empire, often referred to as "fragments" of it.
Yuan Dynasty	see above under China dynasties for Yuan
Golden Horde (Mongol)	"Golden Horde" means "Great State" in Turkic. founded by Batu Khan, a grandson of Ghengis Khan Genghis Khan conquered many "Tatar" tribes, including the "Tatar Confederation" that became part of the Golden Horde so the Golden Horde was referred to by Europeans as "Tatars" "Tatar" probably comes from persian for "mounted messenger" "Tatar" came to refer to all the Turkic people in Russia thus "tartar sauce", "steak tartare"			the Golden Horde ruled over central/northern Eurasia from the China bove the Black and Caspian Seas Later Russians referred to the The Golden Horde rule as the "Tatar yoke" "yoke" = a hitch used to constrain oxen due to excessive taxes and political consolidation of rule over local princes
Chagatai Khanate	named for the 2nd son of Ghengis Khan, Chagatai Khan Chagatai was considered rebellious and refused to recognize Ghengis Khan's first son, Jochi, as his full brother (thus marking a weakness in such imperial arrangements that have different sons from different wives of an organizing ruler) a Turkic language later developed in the region of Chagatai's rule, and was called "Chagatai"; the modern languages, Uzbek and Uyghur, a direct descendants of Chagatai	1242-1347 / 1347-1487		Chagatai inherited this region after the death of Genghis Khan in 1227; Chagatia died in 1242 during reign of Kublai Khan (who started the Yuan Dynasty), Chagatai rulers broke away from his rule Chagatai Khanate consists of modern Central Asian states in 1347, the Khanate was divided when Moghulistan was declared independent under a tribal alliance led by Tughlugh Timur Tughlugh Timur converted to Islam over time, his successors were also Muslim and eventually imposed Sharia Law in the 1400s the region underwent "Turkification," where by Turkic populations / culture largerly replaced Mongol culture adn/or Moghul populations

Europe monarchies/ empires

Name	Name definition	Dates	Region	Notes
Holy Roman Empire	from origins under Charlemagne who was crowned "Holy Roman Emperor" in 800 by Pope Leo III Charlemagne thus gained Church legitimacy in exchange for vassalhood to the Church "Holy Roman" = representing the Roman Church Empire = power supposedly inherited from ancient Roman emperors, i.e., considered in their lineage	800-1806 (962 alternative start date)	early stages, included France under the Carolingian line of French (Frankish) kings, but as France emerged as independent kingdom under the Capetian dynasty ( 987 to 1328, started by Hugh Capet; no certainty for the name, "Capet", but one can think of "head" for Capet, as in "head of France") The Holy Roman Empire between 972 and 1032
House of Valois (France)		1328-1589
House of Bourbon (France)		1589-1792, 1815-1830, 1830-1848		note the interrupted timeline, starting w/ the French Revolution, 1792, and the Napoleonic period, then 1815, 1830 and 1848 revolutions
Napoleon
Austrian Empire / Hapsburgs	"House of Hapsburg" from Habsburg Castle, a fortress built in in early 1000s in modern day Switzerland empire indicates conquest, so think of Hungary, Slavic countries, lower Germany, etc.	1804–1867		mixed politically with Spanish monarchy under the Holy Roman Empire

India empires

Name	Name definition	Dates	Region	Notes
Timurid Empire	also called "Gurkani" empire, its Persian name for "son-in-law" the title was for founder Tamerlane (Timur), who married a descendent of Ghengis Khan, but was not himself a direct descendant Timurid means "sign of Timur": a symbol of the empire with three concentric, equal circles which represented different parts of the empire Tamerland was also called "Sahib-Qiran" for "ruler of three benevolent planets"	1370–1507	Persia (Iran), central Aisa, northern India	Sources Timurid Empire (wikipedia)
Mughal Empire	"Mughal" is Persian for "Mongol" founded by Babur, a warrior chief from central Asia a descendant of Tamerlane (Timur) and also of Genghis Khan also called the Timurid Empire, from Tamerlane's Turco-Mongol empire Babur was from Moghulistan, an independent central Asian Khanate (from Mongol empire), but he was kicked out, which led him to invade India	1526–1857

Middleastern empires

Name	Name definition	Dates	Region	Notes
Ottoman Empire