Currently, there are very few regionally-specific cultures struggling to become a recognized nation-state. Tibet is one of these, Palestine another, and even Quebec provides us with an example of a group dealing with the dual identity of state and culture. Such modern exceptions contrast with the period we studied this week, when there were very few nation-states, and more attempting to find a centralized, cohesive culture. Borders and traditions that define a specific civilization were in dispute. Why is the formation of nation-states important to history? And do you consider early modern Empires like the Ming, Mughal, or Ottoman to be nation-states? Why or why not?