During the medieval and early modern period, a number of empires and absolutist states emerged stretching from Europe to East Asia. These include but are not
limited to Qing China, the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the France of Louis XIV, Spain, and England. Using any two of these for the purpose of
comparison, discuss how these states/empires were organized and expanded. In what ways were they similar and where did they differ? How might we explain these
differences? You may focus on politics, economics, the military, education, or another perspective you would like to explore. Remember, this is open book/open
note so feel free to bring in whatever materials you think might be helpful.