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Major World Leaders and the Role of the Individual in Society, 1450-1750
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by Timothy Connell
World History Center, Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
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The period 1450-1750 was a time of "empires in transition" for many areas of the world. The purpose of this four-lesson unit is to examine the leaders of several empires at this time and consider what challenges they faced and how they met those challenges. A broader goal is to have students consider in a general way what it takes to be a successful ruler. The focus is on five major rulers -- Akbar the Great of India, Louis XIV of France, Kangxi of China, Queen Nzinga of Angola, and Tokugawa Ieyasu of Japan.
Lessons include an introduction to the historical model of the Great Individual, with application of the model to the five selected leaders; detailed study in groups of each of the five leaders; a PowerPoint demonstration of the use of architecture and visual art to enhance the prestige of rulers; and an assessment of the relative success of the rulers and the effectiveness of the Great Individual model of history.
In the course of the unit, students study and apply the model of the Great Individual in history, explore five individual leaders in detail through primary source texts, experience the role of art and architecture in conveying greatness, participate in a class debate, and write comparatively.
Main Points of the Unit
Big Questions
Best Practices
Lesson Summary
Assessment Overview
AP World History Course Description Connections
Objectives
Materials
Big Questions:
- Evaluate the statement by Thomas Carlyle that "The history of the world is but the biography of great men."
- What characteristics make a ruler great? Are these characteristics universal or do they vary based on circumstances?
- What choices do rulers make to enhance their success?
- Analyze how imperial authority is conveyed by character and symbols in order to strengthen the legitimacy and success of a ruler.
Best Practices
Best Practices are teaching strategies that are interactive and involve high-level thinking skills (see AP World History Best Practices Guide, eds. P. Manning and D.S. Johnston). Recognizing that Best Practices vary widely due to teacher strengths, school environment, student population and experience, strategies are highlighted to show that world history is much more than a lecture survey about facts and dates. Detailed below within the lessons, this unit includes the following examples of Best Practice teaching strategies:
- Analyze primary text documents
- Apply analytical model of "greatness"
- Participate in role-playing debate
- Write a comparative essay
Lesson Summary
Lesson 1. What is Greatness?
Students are introduced to the Great Individual model based upon Plato's Allegory of the Cave. After this is modeled, students read a variety of statements, all of which date from the period roughly 1450-1750. In groups, students work to define greatness.
Lesson 2. Study of Individual Rulers
Students work in groups to research five selected rulers -- Akbar the Great of India, Louis XIV of France, Kangxi of China, Queen Nzinga of Ndongo, and Tokugawa Ieyasu of Japan. Using prepared biographies, students answer questions through applying the Great Individual model to their ruler and prepare a map. One individual in each group prepares to be the opposition to the ruler (devil's advocate).
Lesson 3. Art and Architecture in the Pursuit of Power
Students explore the role that art and architecture played in enhancing the power and prestige of rulers. Through a PowerPoint presentation, teachers use portraiture, buildings, and other symbols of power to convey a visual image of the rulers. (Alternatives are given for non-computer applications.)
Lesson 4. Class debate
The culminating exercise is a class debate among the five student groups on which of these rulers was most successful. Students then write a compare-and-contrast essay on two or more of these rulers.
Assessment Overview
Teachers have the choice of evaluating formally or assessing informally. Activities include classroom participation in listing the qualities of greatness in Lesson 1, the geography of empire assignment for Lesson 2, individual and group accountability in research groups for Lessons 2 and 3, journal reflection on representations of power in art and architecture for Lesson 3, participation in debate for Lesson 4, and a comparison essay.
AP World History Course Description Connections
Themes
- Interactions in economy and politics
- Cultural and intellectual developments
- Changing functions of states
Habits of Mind
- Constructing and evaluating arguments
- Using texts and other primary documents
- Assessing claims of universal standards
Major Developments, Comparisons, and Snapshots
AP World History Course Description Foundations, Major Developments, 1450-1750: 3 - Knowledge of major empires and other political units; 6 - Cultural and intellectual developments; 7 - Diverse interpretations.
Objectives
Content Objectives
- Define what it means to be an effective ruler
- Understand the issues that several rulers faced in the period 1450-1750
- Understand what policies rulers undertook to enhance their power and how effective these policies were
- Consider the role that art and architecture played in enhancing the power and prestige of rulers
- Compare empires based on leadership
Skill Objectives
- Analyze primary and secondary text documents
- Identify points of view
- Conduct a role-playing debate
- Write comparative essays
Materials
- Handouts as provided
- Poster paper or blackboard (to be used in making the lists of qualities of a great leader on Lesson 1)
- Internet connection to access images, PowerPoint capabilities OR a good quality color printer to print out images and then laminate
General Editors: Patrick Manning and Deborah Smith Johnston; World History Center, Northeastern University
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