AP World Unit 1 Review

What are the names of the major dynasties (China) in this era?

Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, early Ming Dynasty.

What are traditional methods of Confucianism?

Focus on hierarchy, social harmony, respect for elders, education, and merit-based civil service.

How did Chinese dynasties use an imperial bureaucracy to maintain their rule?

By selecting officials through the civil service exam based on Confucian teachings, legitimizing their rule as based on merit and moral governance.

What are the core beliefs of Buddhism and how did it shape Chinese society?

Core beliefs include the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the pursuit of enlightenment; influenced art, literature, and created monasteries as centers of learning and charity.

How did Confucianism help Chinese dynasties maintain their authority?

Confucian ideals such as filial piety, loyalty, and the Mandate of Heaven reinforced authority and order.

When and how did Buddhism reach China?

Buddhism reached China via the Silk Roads during the Han Dynasty (1st–2nd century CE), primarily as Mahayana Buddhism.

What technological innovation increased agricultural productivity in the Song dynasty?

Champa rice, leading to population growth.

What was the impact of the Grand Canal expansion during the Song dynasty?

Improved internal trade and transportation, boosting the economy.

What does Dar al-Islam mean?

The term meaning 'house of Islam,' referring to lands under Islamic rule.

Identify 2 Islamic beliefs and explain how each led to cultural or technological innovations:

Value of Knowledge - The establishment of libraries and universities (like House of Wisdom) and advances in medicine, astronomy, and mathematics.

Religious tolerance - Facilitated cultural blending and the exchange of ideas with conquered peoples.

Describe 2 ways Islam spread to North India (use Turkish and Delhi Sultanate in 1 of your descriptions):

Through Turkish-speaking invaders like the Ghaznavids and Ghurids, who established Islamic rule.

Through the Delhi Sultanate, which ruled northern India and promoted Islam via cultural diffusion and administrative policies.

Describe 2 ways Muslim States and Empires encouraged significant intellectual innovations and transfers:

Translation movements – Translated Greek, Persian, and Indian texts into Arabic.

Centers of learning – Creation of institutions like Al-Andalus and the House of Wisdom, where scholars advanced science and philosophy.

Describe how Sufism influenced South and SE Asia

Sufis used a mystical approach to Islam, making it more accessible and appealing to local populations by incorporating indigenous traditions.

Describe how Buddhist Monasticism influenced S and SE Asia

Centers of education, economic support, and cultural exchange, spreading Buddhism.

Identify one Buddhist and one Hindu state in South and Southeast Asia.

Buddhist: Srivijaya Empire; Hindu: Vijayanagara Empire.

How did the Aztec government maintain authority?

Through a tribute system from conquered peoples.

How did the Incan government maintain authority?

By the Mit'a system requiring labor as a tax.

What was a key feature of Aztec and Incan social systems?

Both had rigid social hierarchies with a powerful nobility and priesthood.

What was a notable aspect of Aztec and Incan cultural systems?

Strong emphasis on religion, including human sacrifice (Aztecs) and ancestor veneration (Incas).

Describe an important feature of the Aztec and Incan economic systems.

State-controlled economies where tribute (Aztec) and communal labor (Inca) supported the empire.

How did the government in Mali maintain authority?

By using Islamic governance structures like Sharia law to legitimize rule.

What was a key feature of the social structure in Mali?

Strong kinship ties and clan-based social organization, with oral traditions preserving history.

Describe a significant feature of Mali's economic system.

Active participation in the trans-Saharan trade, especially in gold and salt.

What does it mean for Europe to be politically fragmented?

Europe was divided into many small kingdoms and manors due to the collapse of centralized Roman authority.

What caused political fragmentation in Europe?

The need for local protection after the collapse of centralized Roman authority.

What are the components of the feudal pyramid?

1. King 2. Nobles 3. Knights 4. Peasants/Serfs.

Define the manorial system. How is it different from the feudal system?

Manorial system is the economic system based around self-sufficient manors; feudalism is the political/military system based on loyalty and land grants.

What is serfdom, and how did agriculture affect social organization in Europe?

Serfdom is a labor system where peasants are tied to the land; agriculture led to a rigid class structure based on land ownership and labor.

Describe Eastern Europe during this era.

Influenced by Byzantine culture and Orthodox Christianity, less feudalized compared to Western Europe.

How did systems of belief affect European society?

Christianity unified Europe culturally, provided justification for rulers' authority, and shaped education, art, and politics.

What were the effects of agriculture on Europe?

Led to population growth, urbanization, and economic revival through surplus production and trade.