History Final

The Five Pillars of Islam

Who: The Muslims

What: The basic ethical code which contains the core requirements of the Muslim faith

When: These came about as the Koran was revealed to Muhammad.

Where: These guiding principles can be found in the Koran and the Hadith

Why: The five pillars are declaration of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting and pilgrimage. The declaration of faith is the foundation of the Islamic faith, this pillar states there is no other god but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s messenger. The Islamic faith requires that followers pray five times a day facing Mecca the holy city, this is important for connection with their faith. Almsgiving is the focus on giving to charity which helped to purify wealth. Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, this is to create self discipline, empath for the poor and a greater connection with Allah. Lastly Pilgrimage, Muslims if able are suppose to travel to Mecca at least once in their live time, this is seen as a powerful act of devotion.

The Koran

Who: Allah, the author of the Koran, the Prophet Muhammad, and Muslims

What: This is the main religious text of Islam which contains Allah’s messages and provides guidance for Muslim. The different verses and chapters were revealed to Muhammad over time.

When: 610-632 is when the Koran was revealed to Muhammad.

Where: Mecca and Medina are the places were Muhammad had received the Koran. Mount Hira, which is near Mecca, is where the first revelation is believed to have occurred.

Why: The Koran provides moral guidance, wisdom, and various principles for Muslims to follow and live by. The Koran is the primary source of Islamic law, theology, and spirituality which is believed to be a direct authentic message from Allah.

Foot-Binding

Who: Chinese women, this process would happen to young girls starting at ages 5 to 6. This procedure was carried out by mother’s and grandmothers.

What: An extremely painful process, that compressed girl’s feet to half their natural size

When: The second millennium CE, this practiced started around the 10th century

Where: In China

Why: This practice was done because it represented submissiveness and self-discipline, which were considered necessary attitudes of an ideal wife. Mother’s believed that foot binding would allow their daughters to secure a good marriage. This practice was seen as a social norm that was used to display wealth and status along wit displaying beauty.

Clovis

Who: Clovis was the first king of the Franks who united the nation.

What: He started the Merovingian Dynasty and converted to Catholicism.

When: He ruled from about 482-511.

Where: His kingdom was in the lower Rhine area and he later expanded to Gaul which is located in modern France.

Why: Clovis’ conversion to Catholicism allowed him to gain the support of the Roman Catholic Church. he had explained his territory to include France and parts of Germany. After his death however the unified territory was divided into three major sections, one for each of his sons.

The Vikings

Who: The Vikings were Scandinavian warriors

What: These were warriors who would travel and would sack villages and towns and would burn churches. Vikings also engaged in trade.

When: The Vikings were mainly active during 800-1066 CE.

Where: The Vikings came from countries such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden. There conquests stretched from Europe, North America and even Russia.

Why: Viking ships were long and narrow with craved arched prows, the ships were nicknamed "dragon ships”. Each ship could hold as many as 50 men. What led to the end of the Vikings was the Franks gave some land to one band of Vikings but in order to settle in the land the Vikings had to convert to Christianity.

Constantinople

Who: Emperor Constantine the Great, who was the founder of Constantinople

What: This was a major city and capital for various empires. It was an important place for trade and cultural exchange due to it’s location between Europe and Asia. The city was a symbol of power and continuity for both the Roman and Byzantine Empires.

When: The empire was founded by 330 CE and fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 CE.

Where: Constantinople is located in modern Turkey and also had a name change to Istanbul. Part of the Byzantine Empire.

Why: This city was important due to location which allowed for control over the Black and Mediterranean seas which made it an important spot for trading. Attack was difficult on the city since there was water on three sides and there were strong fortified walls. Empire Constantine decision to make Constantinople the capital caused a shift towards Christianity which lead to a new era for the Roman Empire.

Marco Polo

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The Kamakura Shogunate

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The Merovingian Dynasty

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The Equal Land System

Who: Emperor Xiaowendi of the Northern Dynasty

What: This was a system where the land was all owned by the state and then the state assigned plots to peasant households for cultivation which was based on family size.

When: This system was started in 485 CE

Where: This system was utilized in China starting with the Northern Wei Dynasty and was later used by the Sui and Tang Dynasty.

Why: This system was started because wealthy families had accumulated vast amounts of land which lead to economic inequality and social unrest. The purpose was to promote agricultural production and prevent land from become fallow by distributing land to all adult peasants.

Leonardo da Vinci

Who: He was a Renaissance man, he was an artist along with inventor and scientist.

What: He was very important during the Renaissance. He made very famous paintings include the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper.

When: 16th Century

Where: He lived in Italy in places such as Florence, Milan and Rome.

Why: Some of his important contribution included the virtuous man, along with designs for flying machines. He was also one of the major artists from the Renaissance along side Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello.

Martin Luther

Who: Came from the miner family, he joined the monastery in 1505 and became a priest in 1507.

What: He got his PH.D in theology and went on to teach as the university of Wittenburg from 1512-46

When: The reformation started in 1517

Where: Germany

Why: He believed in n salvation only from faith, he believed it was gift and could not be earned. He was against the sell of indulgences and wanted to reform the church. He wrote 95 theses with his dissatisfaction with the Catholic church. He led the reformations with led to the creation of Protestantism.

The Indulgence

Who: The Christian church specifically Pope Urban the second

What: The remission of part or all of the temporal punishment in purgatory due to sin; granted for charitable contributions and other good deeds.

When: High Middle Ages, began in the 11th century with the First Crusade

Where: Primarily in Europe

Why: Indulgences became a regular practice of the Christian church in the High Middle Ages, and their abuse was instrumental in sparking Luther’s reform movement in the sixteenth century. Were used to increase participation in the Crusades, raise funds for Church projects such as the St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Grand Canal

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Timbuktu

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Ashoka

Who: The third emperor of the Mauryan Empire. The grandson of Chandragupta.

What: Was a ruler who led to vast expansion but also a religious shift.

When: Came to the throne in 269 BCE

Where: India

Why: In the early years there was a focus on conquering until seeing the vast amount of deaths which lead to a conversion to Buddhism. Hunting was replaced pilgrimage along sent missionaries to Ceylon and Burma. After Ashoka’s death the Mauryan Dynasty started to decline due to internal fights which divided India into many kingdoms which made them suspectable to attack.

The Gupta Empire

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The Reformation

Who: Martin Luther

What: This was a religious revolution that challenged the Catholic Church.

When: The Reformation began in 1517 after Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis to the church doors.

Where: The Reformation started in Germany

Why: Martin Luther was unhappy with the Catholic Church for issues such as the sale of indulgences. Martin Luther wanted to return to the teachings of the Bible. The Pope excommunicated Martin Luther but he was still allowed to teach. The Reformation lead to the emergence of Protestantism.

The Silk Road

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What: The Silk road was mainly used for trade of goods such as silk, spices, and precious.

When: The silk road was prominent from about 130 BCE to 1453 CE

Where: The Silk road was vast going through central Asia and China, India Europe, Mesopotamia and even parts of Africa

Why: The Silk Road led to the exchange of ideas which spread religion and new technologies. Silk Road with helped to spread Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Negatively the Silk Road aided in the spread of the Bubonic Plague.

Muhammad

Who: He was prophet founded Islam who received messages from Allah through the angel Gabriel.

What: He established Islam based on the revelations he was receiving from Allah.

When: He received messages from god between 610-632.

Where: He was born in Mecca which is now the Holy city of Islam.

Why: He wrote the Koran based on the messages he was receiving from Allah which lead to the development Five Pillars of Islam which is the basis for the religion. Muhammad is considered the last prophet within the Islamic faith.

Mecca

Who: The last prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca.

What: This is the most important place in the Muslim faith, it is the holiest of all cities it is also where the Kaaba is located.

When: Muhammad was born in 570 CE and the Kaaba was built around 608 CE.

Where: Mecca is located in Saudi Arabia.

Why: This site is important because Muslims are suppose to travel to Mecca once in their life time if they are physically and financially able. The pilgrimage to Mecca is called Hajj. Mecca is also the direction Muslims face during their prayers five times a day.

Feudalism

Who: In this system the King has ultimate authority, there are also nobles, knights, vassals and peasants or serfs. In Japanese feudalism there samurai instead of knights.

What: This is a hierarchical system were the land is the basis of power and there is an exchanged of services for loyalty in the cases of the knights and peasants. Nobles managed their territory and dealt with things such as collecting taxes and dispensing punishment.

When: This system happened from the 9th to 15th centuries during Europe’s Middle Ages.

Where: Mainly in Western Europe during the Middle Ages but there was also feudalism in Japan.

Why: This system was created out of a need for protection and order, since there was no strong central government. Peasants worked the land and the knights defended it and land was distributed. This was a strict hierarchical system though not allowing for anyone to raise social status.

The Kingdom of Ghana

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Genghis Khan

Who: Genghis Khan unified the Mongols which created the Mongol Empire. He was the founder of the Yuan Dynasty.

What: He was a military leader and conqueror.

When: He unified the Mongols in 1205.

Where: Central Asia

Why: After unifying the Mongols Khan went on to conquer the Jin, Beijing, and Northern China. This grandson went on to further expand the empire. Khan encouraged trade throughout the Mongol Empire and allowed the practice of various religions within the empire.

Samurai

Who: Warrior class in the Heian Era

What: “Retainers” which were similar to European knights. Usually in service to a particular shogun, these warriors lived by strict code of ethics and duty.

When: The samurai emerged in the 10th century

Where: Japan

Why: These warriors had their won code of conduct which was the Bushido (way of warriors), the samurai were to be loyal only to their lords and valued honor more than their lives. The Samurai led the Japanese into an age of feudalism.

Kublai Khan

Who: The grandson of Genghis Khan, he was also a general and a statesman. He was fifth emperor of the Yuan Dynasty

What: He is known for unifying China and for making significant reforms and improvements to the Chinese society.

When: He reigned from 1260 to 1294

Where: He ruled the Mongol empire but also unified China and his capital was in Beijing

Why: Some of the reforms he carried out were: introducing paper money, he also abolished the civil service exams, he divided the population into four different classes, he focused on improving roads and waterways.

Shinto

Who: The Japanese

What: Meant Way of the Gods. A kind of state religion in Japan, derived from beliefs in nature spirits and until recently linked with belief in the divinity of the emperor and the scaredness of the Japanese nation.

When: Shinto was practiced from about 300 BCE to 300 CE

Where: Japan

Why: This was a religion that worshipped ancestors and celebrated nature. This is the indigenous religion and also a traditional way of life which is deeply ingrained with Japanese values and practices. This religion is a way of life that connects people to their heritage and nature.

The Treaty of Verdun

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Niccolo Machiavelli

Who: He was an important figure in the Renaissance, he was diplomat, political theorist and writer. He wrote the Prince.

What: He was key figure in the development of humanism.

When: The Prince was written during 1513 but was not published until five years after his death.

Where: He lived in Florence Italy until his exile.

Why: In his novel the Prince he explored various topics including successes and the failures of various historical figures along with insights into the nature of political power. He believed people were selfish by nature and rulers should manipulate people.

Florence

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What: A Roman colony

When: 12th century

Where: Europe and Africa

Why: Florence was an important trade and financial center during the Renaissance. Built wool cloth industry with 1000s of workers also developed the best weaving techniques. The cloth was sold in Europe, Africa and Asia. Merchants became rich and powerful and formed a new urban nobility.

Protestantism

Who: Martin Luther

What: Was first Lutheran but then non-Catholic Christians. Challenged the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

When: 16th century, 1517

Where: originated in Germany

Why: Luther wrote 95 theses and nailed them to the church doors. This lead to the start of a new religious denomination. Some of the reforms to the church included salvation comes only from faith, religious authority rests in the bible. Church is the entire community and all vocations have equal merit. Luther won support from cities and peasants.

Prince Shotoku

Who: A Japanese Prince during the Asuka period.

What: He started the great reform known as Taika.

When: The great reform started in 607 CE

Where: Japan

Why: The great reform had many aspects including sending students to study in China. These students studied everything during their time in China and brought back Chinese culture to Japan. These led to Chinese coins being made. The Japanese also copied Tang gardens along with clothing and food. He also build the first Japanese capital which was Nara.

The Heian Era

Who: The Fujiwara clan became most powerful.

What: This is the period that started after the move of the capital to Heian in order to get away from Buddhist influence.

When: 794-1185

Where: Japan

Why: This is the period that overturned things that started under Prince Shotoku. Students were no longer sent to China along with abandoned Chinese style government. This moves were made in order to emphasize indigenous culture and style. A phonetic system called kana was developed. This is also the period in which Lady Murasaki wrote the Tale of Genji.

Shimin Li (Tang Taizong)

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Humanism

Who: Francisco Petrarch

What: The belief in human interest and value predominant.

When: 1304-74

Where: Italy

Why: City dwellers studied ancient classics. The belief in distinctiveness of individuals along with respect for capabilities and achievements. There was no limit to what man can achieve.

The Civil Service Examination

Who: The Chinese system

What: An elaborate Chinese system of selecting bureaucrats on merit, was developed by the Tang Dynasty and refined under the Song Dynasty; later adopted in Vietnam and with less success in Japan and Korea.

When: Started in 165 CE and developed by the seventh century.

Where: China

Why: It contributed to efficient government, upward mobility, and cultural uniformity.

Bantu

Who: The Bantu were dark skinned people from West Africa

What: These people were farmer who grew yams and oil palms.

When: The Bantu migration began around 2500 BCE

Where: The Bantu dominated the sub-Sahara region.

Why: The Bantus had iron tools that they took with them when they moved south and east. They began to migrate as their population grew in order to search for more fertile land. Their iron tools gave them an advantage which allowed them to gain more territory.

The Shi’ites

Who: Half of the Muslims

What: The second largest tradition of Islam, which split from the majority Sunni soon after the Death of Muhammad in a disagreement over his succession; especially significant in Iran and Iraq.

When: After the death of Muhammad in 632 CE

Where: Iran and Iraq

Why: The reason for the split between Muslims was the disagreement over whether Muhammad had left a successor. The Shi’ites believe that Ali who was Muhammad’s cousin was the rightful successor whereas the Sunnis believe that Abu Baker was the first caliph.