Unit 1: The Global Tapestry

Why was the introduction of Champa Rice so important for the Song Dynasty?

Drought resistant, matured early which led to population growth

Describe new Islamic political entities that replaced the Abbasid caliphate

They were dominated by ethnic Turks, not Arabs

What were some main ideas of Confucianism?

Society is hierarchical, which is shown in many different relationships like men over women, state over citizen, and elder over junior.

Ultimately, harmony is maintained by keeping proper relationships.

Filial Piety

What is filial piety?

Children obeying and honoring parents, grandparents, and ancestors (an idea of confucianism and previous religions)

How did the Song Dynasty maintain and justify their rule?

1. Neo-Confucianism

   1. ancient history with it, leading to legitimization

   2. hierarchical order = maintain order

2. Imperial Bureaucracy Expansion

   1. Civil Service Exam based on merit to join (not always fair because of wealth = better education)

What is a state?

A territory that is politically organized under a single government

What religions could be found in Southeast Asia?

Buddhism and Islam: both widely practiced

EX: Cambodia = Buddhism

What religions could be found in South Asia and what effect did they have on society?

3 belief systems: Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism

By 1200 c., Buddhism reduced to monastic communities

Most people were Hindu

• Bhakti Hinduism

Delhi Sultanate made Islam religion of the elite

Describe the emergence of new states in South and Southeast Asia and how they maintained power

• Delhi Sultanate (Northern India): elite Muslims but majority Hindu

• Rajput Kingdoms (Central/Northern India): warriors that held sultanate back from conquering more land

• Vijayanagara Empire (Hindu Kingdom in Southern India): formed by pre-Islam converts, rivaled sultanate in power

• Majapahit Kingdom (Buddhist): controlled sea routes until decline (b/c of China’s support of Malacca city-state)

• Khmer Empire (Hindu to Buddhist): Angkor Wat depicts syncretism between two religions

What are some different forms of Buddhism?

Theravada Buddhism: THE OG!!

• Buddhist monks in monasteries to achieve enlightenment (normal life too busy for Nirvana)

Mahayana Buddhism: East Asia

• inclusive, achieved enlightenment through bodhisattvas who didn’t go to Nirvana to teach the common people (the true G’s)

• SYNCRETISM WITH OTHER CULTURES!!!

How did Chinese culture influence Heian Japan?

1. Confucianism (syncretism w/ Shintoism)

2. Zen Buddhism

3. Kanji w/ Chinese influence

4. Imperial Bureaucracy (merit system)

How did Chinese culture influence Korea?

1. Buddhism

2. Civil service exam

What similarities and differences existed between Song dynastic rule and previous dynasties?

Similarities:

• Neo-confucian movements

• Monetary + Pop. growth

Differences:

• Tang = militaristic VS. Song = pacifist + culture

• Tang = Buddhism VS. Song = persecution of religion in exchange for confucianism

• Song had less land mass

Describe the development of the Aztec Civilization

Founded in Mesoamerica in 1345 by Mexica

• their capital = Tenochtitlan

In 1428, they began a program of expansion and created a huge empire that was mainly…

DECENTRALIZED

How did the Aztecs maintain control of their empire?

Conquered people were:

• forced to pay tributes in goods or labor

• enslaved and sometimes sacrificed in religious rituals

Describe the expansion of the Islamic world circa. 1200-1450

• Military (Delhi, Seljuks, Mamluks)

• Travel of Muslim merchants (EX: Mali)

• Missionaries (Sufism)

What practices in the new Islamic empires were borrowed from previous empires?

Sharia: based on the Quran legal code

Describe how the developments of Great Zimbabwe in Southern Africa was similar and different from other African States in this time

Similarities:

• Capital (1250-1450) contained massive strucutres

• Wealthy due to agriculture and gold trade globally

Differences:

• Rulers maintained indigenous faiths

What was life like for women in Song China?

Subordinate position, no legal rights (no property, no remarriage), less education

Footbinding in elite to display that women don’t need to work

Describe the rise of the Seljuk Empire

Turks from Central Asia that were hired by Abbasid to prop up their failing state —> created their own Empire in the region

Explain Song technological development

Shipbuilding:

• world leaders in innovation

• maritime trade

Grand Canal:

• led to more transportation and communication

Explain Song economic paper money developments

Became government policy:

• easier to carry around

• copper and other metals could be saved for other objects and uses

Explain Song economic trade patterns and exchange developments

Maritime trade:

• Indian Ocean + Shipbuilding + Grand Canal

International trade:

• traded silk and porcelain on the Silk Roads

What were some intellectual innovations of Dar al-Islam and their effects?

• Nasir al-Din al-Tusi invented trigonometry

• Muslim Scholars —> House of Wisdom in Baghdad

  • preserved Greek philosophers’ works which led to European Rennaisance

Describe the belief systems of Europe and how they affected European society

Europe = Christian

• Byzantine and Kievan Rus in the east = Orthodox

• West Europe = Roman Catholic (fall of Rome led to small decentralized states united by religion)

• Muslims in Iberia

• Jews forced to European outskirts due to Anti-Semitism

What is Bhakti Hinduism?

Began in Southern India which emphasized the worship of one form of God

• challenged social and gender heirarchies

What was manorialism?

The economic system of decentralized Europe where peasants were bound to the land and worked in exchange for the lord’s military protection

What Is the connection between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity?

Abrahamic

All practiced in Dar al-Islam

• Mohammad claimed to be final prophet in God’s messengers (throughout Christian and Jewish scripture like Jesus)

MONOTHEISTIC

Who were the Mamluks?

Non-arab ethnically diverse enslaved mercenaries and slaves

Changed when Mamluk won political control over several Muslim states, leading to the Mamluk dynasty

Describe the Song dynasty labor system

Tenant farming: rent land out to farmers

Compare Buddhism and Hinduism

Similarites:

• Both originated in India

• Both believe in reincarnation

• Trying to achieve oneness with the universe (Nirvana for Buddhism)

What is serfdom?

• Peasants bound to the land (different from slavery)

• Not owned by people, but by an amount of land

What helped Song China have a strong economy?

1. Commercialization of Economy (producing silk and porcelain)

2. Agriculture Innovations (Champa Rice)

3. Transportation Innovation (Grand Canal expansion)

Describe the development of Swahili Civilization in East Africa

Swahili city-states grew powerful due to Indian Ocean Trade

• politically independent by influenced by Dar al-Islam

• Swahili = combination of Bantu and Arabic

Describe the developments of the empire of West Africa

• Powerful, highly centralized

• Grew with trade; Dar al-Islam w/ Trans-Saharan

• Elites converted to Islam with a majority holding indigenous beliefs

Describe condition of Abbasid caliphate c. 1200

ARAB

The Caliphate began to break apart + Baghdad conquered by Mongols c. 1258

How did the Inca maintain and improve their empire?

• Elaborate bureaucracy through Andean region to control conquered territories

  • Used Mit’a system as a source of labor

CENTRALIZED

Describe Mississippian culture

• Located in North America around Mississippi River Valley, they focused on agriculture

• Larger towns controlled smaller ones around it

• Mound-builders

  • one of the largest built by the Cahokia people and consisted of 80 burial mounds up to 100 feet people

What are the basic tenants of Buddhism?

Four Noble Truths

• suffering in the world and desire and craving is the CAUSE

Eightfold Path —> to achieve enlightenment

constant reincarnation to achieve NIRVANA!!!

What was feudalism?

Political system of decentralized Europe where powerful lords and kings gained allegiance from lesser lords, who became VASSALS

• got land in exchange for military service

Describe how the development of Ethiopia in East Africa was similar and different from other African states in this time

• Grew to trade with Med + Arabian Peninsula

• Monarch and strict hierarchies

• CHRISTIAN!

How was the Hausa Kingdom, also West Africa, different from the empires there?

• Decentralized city-states similar to the Swahili civilization

• Common culture + grew powerful through trade b/c of the Trans-Saharan trade

States demonstrate continuity, innovation, and diversity of state systems in Africa