Discuss (compare and contrast) the idea of ‘empire’ in the Early Modern Mediterranean

I. Elaborate on the following question. Your essay should include a thesis or argument in the first paragraph. Please limit your response to no more than 5 pages. You will be evaluated for: the clarity of your writing, your argument, the examples you use to illustrate your argument, citation and other technical aspects of writing. (50 points total: argument 20; writing 10; supporting evidence 15; technical issues: citation, footnotes, etc… 5 points) Discuss (compare and contrast) the idea of ‘empire’ in the Early Modern Mediterranean, providing examples from the Ottoman, Spanish Habsburg, or any other cases. II. Please comment on the following quote. A paragraph each would suffice. The paragraph should be a reflection on the excerpt, and not a summary of the text. In your commentary, make sure to contextualize the text and its author, and identify the historical issues relevant to the quote. (25 points each: argument 10; writing 5; supporting evidence, 8; technical issues, 2) “To say that the natives of this kingdom should conform in their style of dress and clothing in spite of all the aforementioned harm that such a policy would cause, is to assert also that the privileges and freedoms of the natives of this kingdom should also be altered. We have not seen, My Lord, a single New Christian woman who wore Castilian-style clothing that was relieved of the burden of the taxes that these natives of this kingdom must pay, nor have Moriscos that married Old Christian women been relieved of this tax or been allowed to bear arms. We have not seen such a thing; rather, the natives are treated in every way as recent converts. ” Francisco Núñez Muley, A Memorandum to the President of the Royal Audiencia and Chancery Court of the City and Kingdom of Granada (1567) “ On the contrary, we believe that your lordships regard us as true and Catholic Christians, and will treat us as such by granting us this most holy favour. Otherwise we shall know that your lordships treat us worse than the Turks and Moors do their Christian subjects, for they let them have churches and conduct their ceremonies and services in public, and we, who are such loyal servants of your lordships and Christians to boot, cannot believe that you will refuse us this most honourable request, but rather hope that you will grant us even more than we ask.” Petition of the Greek soldiers to the Council of Ten (1511)