World cultures spring exam study guide

mandate of heaven

The highest force of nature given by heaven.

great wall

It is a wall in the east, west, and northern parts of China.

legalism

A strong legal system and leader

civil service

A government where employees are mainly selected for their liability

silk road

Trade routes across Asia

philosophy

A system of beliefs about the world.

confusianism

It is a way of thinking in china or a philosophy.

filial piety

The devotion of children to their parents.

daosim

It is a philosophy of following the Dao which is the relationship of nature.

Bureaucracy

A system of government that has people work for them.

tribute

A foreign court

shinto

A Japanese religion that respects nature most popular religion

Meiji Restoration

The time in Japan where they made a more modern military

arable

Land to grow crops in.

steppe

A large area of flat grassland, often found in regions with dry climates, suitable for grazing.

indigenous

Living in a region since ancient times.

homogenous

Everyone is in the same ethnic group

Why did people settle in the Indus River Valley, and how did they adapt to the land?

The first farmers went there because the river would keep the land green and the crops fertilized. There was good soil, there were mountains and rivers which can be used for protection and they are at the bottom and if someone came to hurt them they could see them from the top of the mountain. They created canals to redirect water for their crops, and irrigation systems to keep water so they don't have to rely on monsoons.

What were the Vedas, and how were they passed down?

They were religious songs and stories that got passed down by telling other people generation by generation. The Vedas were the base of Hinduism. The stories and songs made a book for the Hindu religion. They used songs because they did not have good access to paper and that is easier to remember than a speech.

What are some of the beliefs of Hinduism? (Include reincarnation, karma, and the caste system in your answer).

If you are a good person and have good karma you have a good life and reincarnation is the next step and you move up to have a better life in your next life. When you die your soul gets moved up in the caste system so you are closer to becoming a king or a good person. The bottom of the list are animals and you can not even talk to them. You can keep moving up the caste system and reach enlightenment, which is the ultimate goal in Hinduism.

Who was the Buddha, and how did he achieve enlightenment?

He was a Hindu prince and his dad always protected him from bad things. Buddha did not know about bad things because of his dad for 20 years. When he fist got let out he was confused so he meditated under a tree for 49 days then he became the Buddha.

What are some of the beliefs of Buddhism? (Include Middle Way and 4 Noble Truths in your answer).

Buddhism teaches the Middle Way, which means not being too strict or too relaxed. The Four Noble Truths says that life has suffering, wanting things causes suffering, you can stop the suffering by not wanting so much, and there's a special eight-step path to follow. Buddhists also believe that nothing stays the same forever and that your actions matter.

How are Buddhism and Hinduism similar and different?

They both believe in Karma, enlightenment, and most believe in reincarnation. They also both started in South Asia. Buddhism does not believe in many gods and Hinduism does. Buddhism thinks anyone can reach enlightenment so a lot of people switched to Hinduism because you should have to reach enlightenment.

What is a colony? How was India a colony of England?

A colony is being controlled by another country and England expanded and took over India. England took over India claiming it was their land. England takes everything from India and says it is theirs and can sell it to other countries.

What is a partition? Why did those in India want to partition the country?

Partition is splitting up and the people that wanted to split up India were the people that did not like Muslims and Hindus in the same country.

How did early peoples in each region of South America adapt to their environments?

They used what was around them, they built homes with stones. They used trees and plants. Near rivers they fish and use boats.

How did the development of agriculture change the lives of South American peoples?

People no longer had to move place to place for food.

What did early South American civilizations achieve?

They created art and buildings out of stone.

How did terraces help farmers living on the steep hillsides of the Andes?

That gave them more land and they followed animals.

What were the main achievements of the Inca?

To keep records of people or goods. And the roads are new and good.

What was the purpose of a quipu?

They made a language based on rope.

How were the ayllu important to the Inca?

A group of related families that pooled resources. It distributed land, and people shared the food they produced.

How did the Inca control the people they conquered?

They used a strong military, alliances, taxes, and forced labor to conquer people.

How did European powers divide South America?

1495 Spain’s monarchs appealed to the spanish-born pope to support their claim to the Americans. The pope divided the non-European world into two zones.

What were the effects of the Spanish conquest?

Big indigenous population decline, forced labor, cultural destruction, wealth from gold and silver, and regulation of trades.

How did Portuguese colonization compare to Spanish colonization?

Spanish focused on the americans; Portuguese on Africa, Asia and Brazil with sugar and slavery economies. The Spanish had more slavery.

Why and how did South American countries gain independence?

People were inspired by the American and French revolutions in the late 1700s so they did the same thing.

Why did South American countries remain poor and unstable after gaining independence?

They remained poor because it is hard to start a country and they struggled to make it. Also, the rich people kept the money to themselves.

Why would members of the oligarchy be likely to oppose nationalizing industries?

They wanted to keep the money and they would make more money and not have as much power.

Why do you think Brazil was slower than the other countries of South America to end slavery?

They would lose the most money because they are the biggest.

How is population distributed in South America?

It is from people all over the world, some of them have always been there and some are new.

How do the cultures of South America differ?

The language spoken in each region is different because of the country that owned them.

What effect did mechanization have on farms and farmers?’

It made everything way easier and efficient. That meant that the farmers had to go to the city to get jobs.

How have resources and the environment influenced where people live in South America?

It has made people want to go to different places because there is better technology in other places.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of South American economies?

They have some of the best fishing because they are in the Pacific, but sometimes they fish too much and run out of the fish they need.

How does Brazil’s government compare with that of the United States?

They are both representative democracies.

How diversified is Venezuela’s economy, and how does that affect the country?

Venezuela mostly just sells oil, so when oil prices dropped, the whole country had problems and people suffered.

What is the connection between specialization and interdependence?

Countries make what they're good at (specialization) and then trade with other countries for things they need (interdependence).