AP World History Unit 1 Exam

Who were the Bantu-speaking people and what were they known for?

The Bantu-speaking people came from modern-day Cameroon and Nigeria. They are famous for a huge migration across sub-Saharan Africa, which changed the continent's culture, languages, and technology.

When did the Bantu Migration start and where did it spread?

The Bantu Migration began around 2000 BCE and lasted for many centuries. It spread Bantu languages and culture through Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa.

What new things did the Bantu bring to the areas they moved into?

The Bantu brought farming, ironworking, and better ways to farm. This helped them make more food and increase population. They also brought the skill to make iron tools and weapons.

What was the main effect of the Bantu Migration on languages?

The spread of Bantu languages created one of the world's biggest African language families, with over 400–500 languages still spoken today, like Swahili and Zulu.

Who were the Bantu-speaking people and what were they known for?

The Bantu-speaking people came from modern-day Cameroon and Nigeria. They are famous for a huge migration across sub-Saharan Africa, which changed the continent's culture, languages, and technology.

When did the Bantu Migration start and where did it spread?

The Bantu Migration began around 2000 BCE and lasted for many centuries. It spread Bantu languages and culture through Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa.

What new things did the Bantu bring to the areas they moved into?

The Bantu brought farming, ironworking, and better ways to farm. This helped them make more food and increase population. They also brought the skill to make iron tools and weapons.

What was the main effect of the Bantu Migration on languages?

The spread of Bantu languages created one of the world's biggest African language families, with over 400–500 languages still spoken today, like Swahili and Zulu.

How did the Bantu Migration affect the people already living in those areas?

The Bantu's movement caused earlier groups (like Cushitic, Nilotic, Khoisan, and Pygmy groups) to move away or mix with the Bantu. This led to many Bantu-speaking societies being set up across Africa.

What was Great Zimbabwe?

Great Zimbabwe was a powerful kingdom in what is now Zimbabwe. It was known for its amazing buildings, like the Great Enclosure, and for its farming.

What were some important Islamic influences in science and medicine?

Islamic scholars made advances in astronomy, mathematics, alchemy, geography, and medicine, especially during the Islamic Golden Age.

What was the House of Wisdom and where was it located?

The House of Wisdom was a major center for learning in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. Scholars gathered there to study and learn.

What were some medical achievements in the Islamic world?

Medical achievements included important texts (like The Canon of Medicine by Ibn Sina), hospitals in Baghdad and Cairo, new surgeries, and pharmacies. Ibn Sina's text became foundational in the Islamic world and Europe.

What mathematical ideas were created or spread widely during the Islamic Golden Age?

The invention of Trigonometry and the concept of 0 (zero) spread from the Islamic world across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Describe the 'three-field technique' used by European peasants.

The three-field technique meant farmers would leave one field empty each year. This allowed the soil to become fertile again for the next year's planting.

What new farming tools were used in medieval Europe?

New farming tools included the steel plow and horse collars, which made farming easier and more productive.

How did European peasants try to avoid contact with outsiders and taxes?

Peasants often tried to avoid contact with outsiders and worked to avoid government taxes.

How were peasants in medieval Europe divided?

They were divided based on their living status: a few were freeholders (owned land), most were serfs (bound to the land), and others were seasonal laborers or slaves.

What was the role of most serfs in medieval Europe?

Most serfs were tied to the land they worked on. They stayed on the manor even if the noble owner changed.

What does Angkor Wat show about the Khmer Empire's religion?

Angkor Wat, originally a Hindu temple then later Buddhist, shows that the Khmer Empire started as a Hindu state and later became Buddhist.

What were the main trade routes in Asia?

Main trade routes included sea routes (like through the Strait of Malacca), land routes (like the Silk Road and routes across the Sahara Desert using camels), and canals.

How did China's government compare to Western Europe's?

China had a strong central government with officials chosen by exams (a bureaucracy). Western Europe had less central control, using feudalism where power belonged to nobles and social class was usually inherited.

What was a main way to become a government official in China?

China used civil service exams. Even peasants could take these exams to join the scholar-gentry class, sometimes with money from rich sponsors.

What were some things that stayed the same in social structures across different regions, like in feudalism and the caste system?

Similarities included that men held power, social class was often inherited, and religious leaders often had divine support for their authority.

What helped the population grow during the Song Dynasty in China?

The population grew because of Champa Rice (allowing two harvests a year), new farming tools like the iron plow, and new transport canals like the Grand Canal.

Why was the Song Dynasty important after the Tang Dynasty?

The Song Dynasty followed the Tang, which was important because the Tang had reunified China after a period of division.

What changes happened in cities and markets during the Song Dynasty?

Cities grew (urbanization), and markets became more focused on trade and money (commercialization), as shown in paintings like the Qingming Scroll.

How did religions adapt to different cultures, for example, the Bhakti Movement in India?

The Bhakti Movement in India shows how Islam and Sufism influenced Hinduism, leading to a blending of religions. It rejected the caste system and stressed personal devotion.

How did Islam and Hinduism blend in India under Muslim rule?

Muslims started having earlier marriages, and religious leaders, scientists, and scholars from both cultures worked together. The Bhakti Movement itself showed this blending.

How did Buddhism change when it reached Japan?

In Japan, Chan and Zen forms of Buddhism mixed with elements of Shinto, focusing on nature, simplicity, and discipline. Japanese elites also supported Buddhism to strengthen their power.

Describe the Inca government structure.

The Incas had an administrative hierarchy led by an Emperor. They used the Mit'a system, where people provided labor instead of paying taxes.

How did Inca rulers justify their power?

Inca rulers were seen as 'sons of the sun god.' Religious rituals reinforced their power and authority.

How did Buddhism manifest in South Asia, Japan, and India?

In Japan, elites adopted Buddhism, strengthening their power. Theravada (Southeast Asia) focused on monastic life; Mahayana (China, Japan, Korea) featured Bodhisattvas; Vajrayana (Tibet) offered a faster path to enlightenment.

How were the Abbasids and Confucianism similar in terms of government?

Both had important scholars (in Baghdad's House of Wisdom and China's bureaucracy). Both also grew large empires, spreading their cultures and religions far and wide.

How did China affect Korea, Japan, and Vietnam?

The Song Dynasty of China influenced these cultures through control, alliances, and trade. Each region took parts of Chinese culture while also keeping their own traditions.

How did Vietnam's interaction with the Song Dynasty shape its development?

China controlled Vietnam until 939. During this time, Vietnam gained stronger rice strains, better cultivation practices, and a bureaucratic government, while resisting full assimilation of Chinese language and other cultural aspects.

How did Japan selectively adopt Chinese culture from the Song Dynasty?

Japan borrowed key pieces of Song culture, such as certain Buddhist strains, but was wary of cultural displacement. They retained the Shinto religion, Japanese language, and a military-dominated hierarchy.

How did Korea interact with Chinese influence during the Song Dynasty?

Korea was periodically occupied by the Song, and Korean dynasties imported many Chinese features like bureaucracies, palace layouts, and technologies. They also improved on some Chinese inventions, such as ceramics and printing.

What was Sufism and what did it emphasize?

Sufism was a mystical and personal approach to Islam, emphasizing spiritual connection and tolerance. It allowed anyone to join and featured worship practices like the whirling dervish.

Why did Sufism become popular, especially in India?

Sufism's leniency and emphasis on personal connection made it appealing. It also tolerated Hinduism, as Hindus were considered 'people of the book,' which aided its spread in India.

What similarities existed between Sufism and the Bhakti Movement?

Both Sufism and the Bhakti Movement were more lenient and allowed more people to join their respective religions, emphasizing personal devotion over strict adherence to social stratification.

Describe the political structure of feudal states in Europe.

Feudal states were not united under a single monarch but were controlled by powerful landowning nobles (Feudal Lords) who held large territories called Manors.

What characterized Manors in feudal Europe?

Manors were self-sufficient, often containing small towns, and serfs who were bound to the land, working there even as nobles changed.

Outline the chronology of the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate.

After a golden age until the mid-9^{th} century, local powers (Turkic/Persian) emerged. Buyids (Persian) conquered Baghdad in 945, making caliphs religious figureheads. Seljuk Turks controlled Baghdad in the mid-11^{th} century, ruling as sultans. The Mongols captured Baghdad in 1258, leading to the complete fall of the Abbasids.

How were women generally treated under Confucian principles?

Women were treated quite poorly. Practices like foot-binding caused permanent damage. They were seen as property of their father or husband, expected to do household chores, and serve men.

What were some similarities between the Incas and Aztecs?

Both were skilled builders (Incas built roads, Aztecs built Tenochtitlán), practiced human sacrifice, and believed their rulers were gods or closely linked to them.

Why was Baghdad an attractive city for groups like the Mongols?

Baghdad was a key stop along the Silk Road and a major trading hub, which made it very valuable economically.

What was a shared idea in Asian and European philosophies regarding knowledge?

A common feature was the exchange and translation of texts from ancient Greek and Roman philosophers (like Plato or Socrates), often facilitated through centers like the House of Wisdom.

What caused the split between Sunni and Shia Islam?

The split happened because of different ideas about who should lead Islam after Muhammad's death. Shias believed the leader should be a direct descendant of Muhammad, while Sunnis believed the best qualified person should lead.

How did Sufism relate to the Sunni-Shia divide and the spread of Islam?

Sufism was typically Sunni. While Shias sometimes didn't view Sufism as true Islam, its lenient approach and practices like the whirling dervishes (used to draw crowds and spread Islam) helped Islam expand.

How did the Vijayanagara Empire justify its governmental power?

The Vijayanagara Empire justified its power through association with Hindu deities/gods, serving as a safe haven for Hindus amid Muslim states, and its rulers were anointed by Hindu deities.