The challenges that land-based Eurasian empires faced from European sea-based empires were very similar. The solutions they attempted were not. Compare the situations of the Ottoman and Qing Empires in the nineteenth century and their responses to the European challenge

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
Students should understand that the land-based empires were vulnerable to the military strength and industrial wealth of western Europe, but some of them fared better than others. The treasuries of these land empires were not sufficient to compete with the wealth of Europe or its military might. Nevertheless, the Ottoman Empire fared well. It was geographically close to Europe and fairly early began reforms designed to maintain equilibrium with Europe. Those reforms included modernizing its financial and military systems, standardizing taxation and land tenure, and eliminating the influence of religious elites from much of the state and the economy. Distant from Europe, both geographically and ideologically, the Qing Empire began reform efforts so late that even the central territories could not unite against European pressure. The Russian state was eventually included as a part of Europe. Being on the eastern border of Russia, the Qing failed to see a connection between Russian expansion and European seaborne expansion to the southeast, and they were consequently less prepared for the European challenge.