AP World History Units 1 and 2 Review: Global Tapestry and Networks of Exchange

Comprehensive practice flashcards in Question and Answer format covering AP World History Unit 1 (Global Tapestry, 1200-1450) and Unit 2 (Networks of Exchange, 1200-1450).

How did Song China expand its imperial bureaucracy, and what effect did this have on social mobility?

Song China expanded the civil service examination system and opened it to individuals regardless of social class, creating a meritocracy that promoted upward social mobility.

What agricultural innovation was introduced to Song China from Vietnam, and how did it affect China's population?

Champa Rice, a drought-resistant strain capable of yielding two harvests per year, caused a major population boom and created a surplus of food.

What was the economic significance of the Grand Canal in China?

It was a state-sponsored man-made waterway that connected northern and southern China, facilitating domestic trade and transporting interior goods to coastal ports for international export.

In Confucianism, what does the concept of filial piety dictate?

It requires younger family members to respect and defer to their elders, and requires women to defer to men.

What is Neo-Confucianism, and how does it demonstrate cultural syncretism?

Neo-Confucianism is a blend of traditional Confucianism with Zen (Chen) Buddhism, incorporating Buddhist spiritual framework into a Confucian social and political structure.

What was the function of the Chinese Tribute System during the Song and post-Song eras?

Foreign tributary states paid money or luxury goods to the Chinese emperor to acknowledge Chinese supremacy, prevent invasions, and obtain permission to trade with China.

How did the political structure of feudal Japan differ from the imperial government of Song China?

Japan had a decentralized feudal structure ruled by military leaders (shoguns) and regional landowners (daimyos), whereas China was governed by a centralized imperial bureaucracy.

What core disagreement caused the historic split between Sunni and Shia Muslims following the death of Muhammad in 632 CE?

Sunnis believed caliphs should be selected by the Islamic community, whereas Shia Muslims maintained that leadership belonged exclusively to direct descendants of Muhammad.

What was the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, and what academic movement did it host?

It was a grand library and research center in the Abbasid capital where scholars led the Translation Movement, formalizing the translation of classical Greek works (such as Aristotle) into Arabic.

Who was Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, and what was his major academic accomplishment?

He was a 13th-century Islamic scholar who laid the mathematical foundations for the discipline of trigonometry.

Who was A'ishah bint Yusuf al-Ba'uniyyah?

She was a 15th-16th century female Sufi writer and poet, recognized as the most prolific female Muslim author prior to the 20th century.

What Turkic-led Muslim government ruled over a majority Hindu population in northern India from 1206 to 1526?

The Delhi Sultanate.

What was the Reconquista in the Iberian Peninsula?

The centuries-long military campaign by European Christian monarchs—completed in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella—to reclaim Muslim Spain (Al-Andalus) for Christianity.

How did the Hindu Caste System maintain social order in South Asia in the absence of a strong centralized government?

It established a strict, immobile social hierarchy based on karma and dharma, dictating each individual's occupation and social status for life.

What agricultural technology allowed the Aztecs to significantly increase crop yields around Tenochtitlan?

Chinampas, which were floating agricultural gardens constructed on Lake Texcoco.

What was the Mit'a system in the Inca Empire?

A mandatory state labor tax requiring citizens to periodically work on public infrastructure, construction projects (such as the Carpa Nan road network), agricultural lands, or military service.

Who founded the West African Mali Empire in 1235 CE, serving as the historical inspiration for The Lion King?

Sundiata Keita.

What major global effect resulted from Mansa Musa's 14th-century pilgrimage to Mecca?

He distributed so much gold that he temporarily devalued it in regional economies, spreading stories of West Africa's wealth and attracting foreign merchants and diplomatic interest.

What primary types of goods moved along the land-based Silk Roads network?

High-value, lightweight luxury goods (such as silk, porcelain, textiles, and precious gems) intended for wealthy elites.

What were caravanserai, and why were they critical for long-distance Silk Road trade?

They were roadside rest stops/inns where travelers could water and feed camels, shelter safely from bandits, and exchange cultural ideas.

What financial innovation developed in Song China allowed merchants to deposit paper money in one location and withdraw cash in another?

"Flying cash" (which laid the foundation for bills of exchange and European banking houses).

Who united the pastoral nomadic steppe tribes in 1206 to form the Mongol Empire?

Genghis Khan (Chinggis Khan).

What dynastic title did Khublai Khan give to Mongol rule in China, and where was the capital established?

The Yuan Dynasty, establishing its capital in Beijing (Khanbaliq).

Why did the Mongols choose to rule Russia indirectly as the Khanate of the Golden Horde rather than establishing permanent cities there?

Russia lacked major urban centers or developed trade economies, allowing the Mongols to remain on the grasslands/steppes and extract heavy tribute through Russian princes.

How did Mongol rule in Persia differ from Mongol rule in China regarding cultural assimilation?

In Persia, many Mongols converted to Islam, made use of the Persian bureaucracy, rebuilt damaged cities, and fully assimilated into Persian society.

What was Pax Mongolica, and how did it impact Eurasian trade?

A period of relative peace and unified state rule under the Mongol Empire that provided security along trade routes, boosting Eurasian trade and facilitating the spread of technology, culture, and disease.

What triangular maritime technology enabled ships in the Indian Ocean to sail against the wind?

The lateen sail.

How did environmental knowledge of monsoon winds affect Indian Ocean trade?

Merchants timed voyages according to seasonal wind changes (eastward in summer, westward in winter), causing traders to stay in foreign ports for extended periods and create permanent diasporic communities.

What were diasporic communities in medieval trade networks?

Settlements established by foreign merchants in key trade hubs where they introduced their cultural, linguistic, and religious traditions into indigenous societies.

What was the primary goal of Ming Dynasty admiral Zheng He's 15th-century naval voyages?

To project Chinese naval power, establish Chinese prestige, extend the tributary system, and control trade networks across the Indian Ocean Basin.

What three main commodities were exchanged across Trans-Saharan trade routes, and what innovation made this travel viable?

Salt, gold, and enslaved people; made viable by camel caravans equipped with specialized saddles (such as the Somali camel saddle carrying up to $600\,lbs$).

What was the significance of Marco Polo's written accounts of his travels in Yuan Dynasty China?

His book, The Travels of Marco Polo, introduced Western Europeans to Chinese innovations (such as paper money, coal, and porcelain) and provided geographical details used to refine European cartography.

Who was Ibn Battuta, and what did his written works illustrate about the 14th-century world?

He was a Moroccan Muslim scholar/qadi whose travel writings (The Travels of Ibn Battuta) highlighted the interconnectedness, regional diversity, and geographic reach of Dar al-Islam.

How did the 14th-century Bubonic Plague pandemic affect Western Europe's social and economic structure?

The plague killed roughly $30\text{--}50\%$ of Western Europe's population, causing severe labor shortages that increased worker bargaining power and accelerated the decline of feudalism and manorialism.

What is the structural difference between Feudalism and Manorialism in medieval Europe?

Feudalism was a political and military alliance between kings and nobles based on land grants and military duties; Manorialism was an economic and social arrangement between landowning nobles and peasant serfs working a self-sufficient estate.