HIST - Exam 1

Cuneiform

It was developed by the Sumerians and was likely the first written script. It was used for business structure and religious purposes. This writing was only restricted to the educate elite.

Desication

it refers to drying up. This caused people in Ancient Africa to move closer to the Nile River

Epic of Gilgamesh

it is the most famous Sumerian text, which centers around a ruler who may have ruled Uruk around 2500 BCE

Fertile Crescent

This word mean “between the rivers” which refers to the Tigris and Euphrates river. This area had dark and rich soil and the early humans used canals to control the water here

Gobekli Tepe

It was built around 12000 BCE. It was a temple that was larger than a city that didn’t have any proof of permanent residency ( like agriculture). It had large monoliths that had carved depictions of scorpions, lions and other images

Hammurabi’s Code

It is the most famous law code, developed near the end of Hammurabi’s reign. It was cared onto stele and it contained 282 laws. It also included that Hammurabi got his power from the gods. It established that people are responsible for their own action and made the punishment fit the crime (based on class of course). For example, if someone of a higher class commits a crime on the lower class, they only pay a fine.

Ishtar Gate

it is a potential part of the hanging gardens of Babylon, however it was not found in the spot that historians said it would be at

Jericho

This was built around 9600 BCE along the Jordan River. This area flooded a lot, which meant that the area had rich soil that led to farming and city development. It had a a population of 100+ people and had mud houses, grain storage and defensive towers. It was one of the first towns

Kerma

It existed around 2400 - 1500 BCE around the Nile River (south of the first cataract). The economy/society relied on cattle grazing, agriculture, unique language and settlements. It housed the Western Deffufa, but was eventually invaded and conquerd by Thutmose II of Egypt and remined for 500 years.

Kush

It existed from 1000 BCE to 300 CE. It invaded Egypt under Piye and ruled as the 25th dynasty by unifying upper and lower Egypt and adopted much of Egyptian culture. For example, they built different versions of the pyramid. The first capitol, at Napta, was abandoned due to Assyrian invasion and move its capitol to Meroe. This move was better, because the population boomed.

Natufian Adaptation

It took place around 12000 - 9500 BCE. This marked the rise in sedentary living in the Levant and the cultivation of cereal gains.

Nebuchadnezzar II

He was the ruler of the Neo - Babylon Empire and he was famous for architectural projects. For example, he rebuilt structures from previous empires and built the Hanging Garden of Babylon (its one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world)

Nile Cataracts

They are shallow/narrow points in the Nile river that are impassable by boat. Big cities were built near them to tax boats passing through

Paleolithic Age

It also know as the “Old Stone Age” and is characterized by hunter-gatherer lifestyles, small nomadic tribes, no agriculture, no control of the weather and a division of labor by sex.

Western Deffufa

its a large tomb structure located in Kerma where people where buried in the fetal position

Aryan

They are from central Asia as pastoral nomads with iron, chariots and no complex government. They invaded via the Indus River around 1500 BCE. They settled in different parts of Northeast India. They introduced the Sanskrit/ Hindi belief, the Vedas (Book of Knowledge), early righting of Hinduism and collections of poems/hymns.

Arthashastra

its treaties of statecraft, economic policy and military stragity credited to Kaulikya, the chief political advisor to Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta I

He ruled the Gupta Empire from 320 - 330 BCE and created a large empire through conquest and strategic marriage alliances

Chandragupta II

He ruled the Gupta Empire from 375 - 415 CE and used subordinate states to rule surrounding areas and expanding Gupta power around the Ganges River

Chandragupta Maurya

He founded the Mauryan Empire by taking advantage of Alexander of Greats invasion of India. He defeated Greek troops and made a treaty with Seleucus by marrying one of his daughters. He established is capitol with the help of his chief political advisor, Kautilya. Near the end of his reign, he converted to Jainism, abducted his thrown and retired from political life

Fu Hao

She was the wife of Song King Wu Ding, who ruled with the help of spirit mediums. Her tomb was found intact in 1976, which contained military equipment and sacrifices made out for her

Gupta Dynasty

It existed from 300 to 550 CE during the “Golden Age of the Guptas.” Which featured classical civilization and a common culture spread across the subcontinent. This Dynasty had key rulers, like Chandragupta I, Samudragupta and Chandragupta II

Indus Valley Civilization

The first settlement appeared around 3000 BCE. It traded with Persian Gulf, Sumer and regions across India. This city featured a lower City with 10 - meter - wide avenues, grid patterns, public sanitations, clean water, wastewater removal and plumbing (the Great Bath). They also had a common language and culture, grew cotton, made woven clothing and engaged in widespread regional trade.

Neolithic Age

also known as the “New Stone Age” and was marked by the earliest examples of sculpture and fired ceramics, such as clay figures made of clay and bone ash

Ramayana

It was an important Sanskrit epic poems dating from around 1000 BCE. It focuses on themes of Aryan life and wars during the Epic Period (1200 - 500 BCE)

The Vedas

lt is sacred religious texts that became the foundations of the Hindu religion, compiled round 1200 BCE

Varnas

a system of social classification that categorized people into distinct classes based on occupation, with priest and teacher being the highest and the servant class being the lowest

Chinese Examination System

a merit - based system using formal examinations in Confucianism history, law and literature for civil service positions. It set up a university to train civil servants. It also allowed the poor to elevate their children and it remained in effect until the end of the Chinese dynasty’s. It was also restored during the Sui and continued under the Tang, but only to select government officials

Equal Fields System

This was implemented during the Tang Dynasty to support farmers with land redistribution. It attempted to fix uneven land distribution where farmers without land became thieves, however it only world for a short amount of time

Foot binding

This developed during the Song Dynasty. It involved curling women’s toes under the rest of the feet to slow foot growth. It made it difficult for women to walk, which was a symbol of of beauty

Gauzu/ Liu Bang

He was a former farmer and minor military figure who won the Chu-Han contention and named himself emperor. He found the Western Han Dynasty. He reduced taxes and lessened corvee labor requirements while merging Confucianism and Legalist. His death led to succession issues, causing 15 years of conflict by Empress Lu.

Grand Canal

It was constructed under Emperor Yang of the of the Sui Dynasty, spanning 115 miles long. It linked the yellow and the yangzee river to facilitate trade, transport and administration

Great Wall

Construction began under Qin Shi Hangdi (the first emperor) in an effort to keep northern nomadic tribes out. It linked several pre-existing walls and over 1 million people were believed to have been involved in the construction. It was rebuilt and expanded under the Sui Dynasty.

Khanate of the Great Khan

it was founded by Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan) from 1260 - 1294 covering China and East Asia. It transformed into the Yuan Dynasty in China, representing a powerful foreign ruling group that embraced aspects of Chinese culture and government methods

Secondary State Formation

it refers to a state that developed and centralizes authority over its territory in response to the impact or influence of a neighboring state that developed. It is characterized by copying state organization from larger, neighboring state powers. For example, the formation of Korea

Song Dynasty

it was founded by the Zhao Kuangyin (960 - 1279 BCE). It featured a high civil service system use, agriculture improvements, commercialization of China and economic prosperity. There was external threats from northern nomads and they eventually losing the northern half of the empire which made them move the capitol. It was eventually conquered by the Mongols led by Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan.

Sui Dynasty

It was founded by Sui Wendi in 581 CE, unifying Northern and Southern China. This restored the tax bas, centralized government, rebuilt the Great Wall, constructed the Grand Canal, Confucian education and the civil service examination system. It eventually collapsed under Emperor Yang due to failed military campaigns that exhausted the money and manpower.

Tang Legal Code

it established uniform law codes across China. It combined Legalist principles with Confucian interpretations of law. It was designed to express the will of the emperor and maintain order in society and the natural world

King David

the second king of the united kingdom of Israel and Judah