World History Midterm: Ms Style

12/03/25

What is history?

the study of past events particularly human affairs

what is the difference between subjective and objective history?

subjective is all based on individual view point, objective is all based on facts

primary sources?

A first-hand account of a topic, from a person who had a direct connection with it (example: a letter or diary)

secondary sources?

One step removed from a primary source, they often quote or reference primary sources as evidence. (example: a textbook or biography)

sourcing

to gather basic information

• Who wrote it and what were their opinions?

• When and where was it written?

• Why was it written?

• Do we think its reliable?

contextualization

 to put it into context

corroboration

to prove that its contents are reliable

close reading

• you can read!

• When reading you want to make note of claims the author makes and evidence they use to support their claims

• Take note of how the author writes

archeology vs anthropology

is a specific branch of anthropology that focuses studying past people and culture through material remains

where as that is the study of humans past and present

Technology

refers to the skills and tools people use to meet their basic needs and wants

Domestication

process of training and changing plants or animals so they are useful to humans.

Paleolithic Period

Begins about 2 million years ago when earliest human ancestors began making tools from stone

Ends about 12,000 years ago

Neolithic Period

Begins about 12,000 years ago and ends about 5,000 years ago when people started making tools from metal

Neolithic Revolution

major turning point in human history when people shifted from hunting and gathering to farming and settling in permanent villages.

- one of the most important events in world history because it laid the foundation for civilization.

Nomad

A person who moves from place to place in search of food

animism

The belief that spirits inhabit plants, animals, or other natural objects

Australopithecines

Earliest group including Lucy and other fossils found in Africa

Likely lived in Africa as early as 7 million years ago

Not all hominids that lived in Africa were ____ but all _____ lived in Africa

Homo habilis

Came after the australopithecines about 2 million years ago

Called the "handy man" because they are believed to be the first hominids that made stone tools

Homo erectus

- Also appeared around 2 million years ago

"Upright man"

Larger brains and bones and smaller teeth than all other hominids

Thought to be the first group to use fire

Created the hand axe which they used for digging, shattering stone & bone, and making holes in surfaces

Homo sapiens

- Between 250,000-100,000 years ago Homo erectus were replaced by Homo sapiens (that's us!)

Organized government

Oversaw food & irrigation projects

Power first held by religious, then warriors

Created laws, taxes, and armies

Complex religions

Polytheistic

Made sacrifices to gain favor with the gods

Job specialization

Artisans: skilled craftsmen who made pottery, statues, or woven goods

metal workers specialized in weapons

Social classes

People ranked based on jobs

Ranked by priest/noble, wealthy merchants, artisans and then everyone else including enslaved people

Arts and Architecture

Temples and palaces reflected the beliefs and values of civilizations

Public Works

Central governments could organize public projects like temples, irrigation canals, and roads

Writing

Began with the need to record religious rituals or rulers recounting their achievements

Pictographs

drawings that represent ideas or objects

Nomads and City Dwellers

Came into contact with each other for trade and warfare

jericho

• Located in the Jordan river valley, modern day Palestine

• Had a few thousand people

• About 10,000 years ago a huge stone wall was built around the village

  • The wall was likely either to protect from invasion or floods

  • The size suggests the village had a strong central government 

how did the Paleolithic people live?

they were nomads who moved place to place in search for food and they were in small hunting groups

The geography of the Middle East

Sumer, the first civilization was located between the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers 

In the eastern Fertile Crescent

• An area of fertile land that stretches in an arc from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea

Mesopotamia / why it was the Fertile Crescent

The land was fertile because it was between the Tigris and Euphtrates

Good for growing crops because when the rivers flooded it left behind good soil

Sumer & city states

by 3000 BC they built many cities with clay & water

earliest cities included Ur and Uruk

city states included the main city and all of the land and people that surrounded it

The importance of laws and prophets for the Jewish people

The Jewish believed that Cannan was their promised land, they were monotheistic, and their sacred text was called the Torah.

Empires of Mesopotamia

Assyrian, Persian, New Babylonian, Akkadian,

Sargon

founded the Akkadian empire

conquered city-states of Sumer creating the Akkadian Empire

The first multicultural empire

Ashurbanipal

Founded the Assyrian empire

Settled in the Fertile Crescent in 2000 BC then started expanding in 1100 BC

founded the first library at Nineveh

First to use bronze weapons

Hammurabi

Located in present-day Iraq

started the Babylonian Empire

In 1790 he unifies most of Mesopotamia under his control

Created ____ code which unified his empire under one law

Fell apart soon after his death in 1750 BCE

Cyrus the Great & Darius I

founded the Persian empire

took over Babylon

Spanned over modern-day Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Pakistan

Nebuchadnezzar & Hanging Gardens

612 BC neighbors of the Assyrian Empire joined forces to defeat it together

takes over and expands from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean

Known for creating the _____

Fertile Crescent

Region in the Middle East in which Civilizations first arose

Mesopotamia

Region between the Fertile Crescent that lies between the Tigris and Euphrates River.

Sumer

Site of the world's first civilization, located in southeastern Mesopotamia.

hierarchy

System of ranking groups.

Amon Re

The pharaoh, whom Egyptians viewed as god as well as king.

Osiris & Isis (Egyptian god and goddess)

• a legendary couple 

• god & goddess of death and the afterlife 

Anubis

a god who weighed your soul against a feather to determine if you are worthy to go to the afterlife

fertile crescent

An area of fertile land that stretches in an arc from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea

Mesopotamia

“between two rivers”

Queen Hatshepsut

Reigned from 1472BC - 1457 BC

Became regent when her nephew / stepson Thutmose III became heir to the throne, but was too young to rule

Assyrian empire

Settled in the Fertile Crescent in 2000 BC Began expanding in 1100 BC

Northern part of Mesopotamia

Violent and fierce takeovers, but very orderly society

New Babylonian Empire

612 BC neighbors of the Assyrian Empire joined forces to defeat it together 

• Nebuchadnezzar takes over and expands from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean

  • Known for creating the Hanging Gardens

Advances in astronomy and astrology

Why Cannan important?

was viewed as the promised land when God made a promise with Abraham that if he left Ur and moved there and he would be the leader of His chosen people

Basic beliefs of the Israelites and what made them different

Israelites were unique because they were monotheistic, or believed in one God

The Torah is their sacred text containing the stories of Abraham’s descendants

Old kingdom

(2575 BC--2130 BC) had a strong central government ruled by a pharaoh, who people believed was both a human and a god.

-Power stayed within royal families

-The pharaoh’s top helper, the vizier, managed farming, taxes, and government duties.

Middle Kingdom

(1938 BC--1630 BC) was a period of stability and growth

• Pharaohs improved farming and building projects, supported art and trade, and expanded Egypt’s territory.

• It ended when the Hyksos took over.

Ramses II

• is known for building programs the wars he waged with Hittites and Libyans.

• Reigned for 66 years

New Kingdom

(1539 BC--1075 BC) was Egypt’s strongest and most powerful era.

• Pharaohs expanded the empire through military conquest, built huge temples, and increased trade.

• Famous rulers like Hatshepsut and Ramses II helped Egypt reach its peak. The period eventually declined due to invasions and internal problems.

Egyptian Art

• Made statues, paintings, and carvings for palaces, temples, and tombs

• Art depicted everyday scenes like the harvest and religious ceremonies

• Also depicted significant events like wars 

• Built huge monuments

Egyptian technology

• Wheeled carts & wagons

• Potter’s wheel

• Bronze tools

• Looms for weaving

• Irrigation, dams, and flood control

Egyptian religious beliefs

• Polytheistic 

• Each city-state had its own special god or goddess to pray to

• Believed they had to please the gods by making sacrifices 

• Also believed in an afterlife

Confucian

-(Kong Fuzi) was born in 551 BC to a noble but poor family that wanted to be an advisor to a local ruler, but never found a job

-he learned a lot of wisdom from all the rulers and he taught others what he knew

The Analects

A book made by Confucius's followers after his death filled advice on how to live a good and honorable life.

Daoism

-focused on harmony with nature

founded by LAOZI who lived without any traces during the time of Confucius

-Made writing called The Way of Virtue

-Daoists hated conflict and found peace with nature. they also hated government because it would lead to conflict

Geography of China and how it impacted our government

-China has so much area, so several district regions were developed

-Huang and Change river valleys were fertile farming areas

-areas on the outskirts like Xinjiang, Manchuria, and Mongolia had bad weather resulting in nomadic groups

-"yellow river" or "river of sorrows" was named b/c it had horrible flooding and destroyed villages and crops

Shang Dynasty

in 1766BC to 1122 BC the ___ dynasty dominated northern china

small groups of land ruled by princes and kings that were head of clans

Zhou Dynasty

-In 1122 BC the ___ (Joh) people marched out of their kingdom on the western frontier to overthrow the Shang

-lasted until 256 BC

-claimed the Mandate of Heaven

feudal state

a system of government where lords govern their own load but owed military service and support to their rulers above them

-this helped Zhou stay in power by rewarding their supporters with land

economic growth

by the 600s BC iron reached china allowing farmers to replace wooden tools with iron ones resulting in more food production

-Chinese also started using coin money making trade easier across china

-increased population

Zhou dynasty ends

though china was gaining power size and wealth a line of weak Zhou rulers failed to stop wars between feudal lords for more land

overthrew the Zhou and started Qin dynasty in 256 BC

filial piety

respect for parents was above all other duties even loyalty to state

EXAMPLE: husband to wife or ruler to subject

legalism

establishes harsh rule and is based on teaching of hanfeizi

believes that beloved men are naturally evil and goodness is found by strict laws

-rejected confucian idea people need to follow a good leader jailed, tortured, and killed opposers to his rule

qin dynasty

began in 246 BC

Shi Huangdai set up a new government under the __ dynasty abolished feudal state and set up 36 military districts by officials

built the Great Wall of China

qin dynasty ends

Death of Shi Huangdi revolted over the harsh rules

-rebellion was led by Chen who helped throw Qin out

-Liu Bang rose to power and started Han Dynasty

Han dynasty

Led by emperor Liu Bang who took the title Gao zu

focused on restoring order and justice

lowered taxes and eased the qin emperor's harsh Legalist policies

Emperor Wudi

emperor Wudi brings great changes like improved canals and roads set up all over china

ruled from 156 to 87 BC

also chose Confucist scholars as officials

focused on learning and set up an imperial university

put a government monopoly on iron and salt to raise funds

monopoly

when one person owns majority of a market

Silk Road

4,000 mile of trade routes that linked China to the Middle East

brought new foods to China like figs, grapes, cucumbers, and walnuts
china in return sent silk westward

spread ideas like religion, inventions, stories, poetry, and art

Han Civil Service System

adopted an idea that people should gain political positions through their merit or works rather than from their money or family

remained in use in china until 1912

scholar-officials run the government

under the Han dynasty confucianism becomes the official belief of china

government official systems were run by confucian scholars who were expected to represent confucian morality.

moksha

Achieving it Is the Goal of Life for Hindus

you become in union with Brahman

Through reincarnation, or re-birth, people can work towards it in many lives

Karma

If you live with moral actions, they will have good fortune and Dharma

Religious and moral duties that need to be fulfilled to break the cycle of reincarnation 

Dharma

The religious and moral duties of an individual

Ahmisa

the Hindu belief of non violence and reverence for all life

Braham

union with the universe and release from the cycle of the rebirth

Eightfold Path

taught by Buddha, the path one must follow to achieve nirvana

4 noble truths

the four basic beliefs that form the foundation of Buddhism

Tripitaka

Three Baskets of Wisdom”

• Two Branches of Buddhism

  • Theravada: closely followed Buddha’s original teachings that only the most dedicated can reach nirvana

  • Mahayana: made salvation easier for the average person 

Bhagavad-Gita,

700 verse scripture that guides a person to living a moral life

Jainism

About 500 BC the teacher Mahavira founded the Jain community 

• Focused on meditation and ahimsa, or nonviolence

•  Monks tried hard not to harm any living thing. They carried brooms to avoid stepping on bugs and ate only vegetarian food.

Buddha

• Siddhartha Gautama was born into a wealthy Kshatriya family around 490 BC.

• When he saw people suffering outside his rich life, he left home to find a way to end suffering.

• He spent six years traveling, meditating, and fasting until he finally reached enlightenment, called nirvana.

Hinduism & Buddhism and major beliefs

• Buddhism had roots in the Vedas and Hindu concepts like karma, dharma, and ahimsa 

• Also said the gods of Hinduism were not divine and rejected formal rituals 

• Instead, each person would gain their own enlightenment through a personal journey 

Theravada

• closely followed Buddha’s original teachings that only the most dedicated can reach nirvana

Mahayana

• made salvation easier for the average person 

geography of India

Sub-continent includes 3 of the world’s most populous countries today

• India, Pakistan & Bangladesh 

• Mountains, Plateaus, and Plains of India

• 3 zones:

  • Northern Plains

  • Deccan Plateau 

  • Coastal Plains 

  • India’s large size and geography made it very diverse, with many different cultures and traditions.

  • One thing that helped unite people across the region was shared sacred texts and religious teachings

How varna became the caste system

• Thousands of subcastes or jati developed in India each with their own customs and roles 

• The lowest jobs like gravediggers or street cleaners were called “untouchables” and were severely discriminated against 

• Led to huge inequalities, but a stable society 

Indus River Valley civilization

The first South Asian civilization began around 2600 BC in the Indus and Saraswati River valleys in what is now Pakistan and India

- It lasted from about 3300 BC to 1700 BC.

-People didn’t discover this civilization until the 1920s, and archaeologists are still finding new artifacts today

Rise and decline of the Indus Valley civilization

The first South Asian civilization began around 2600 BC in the Indus and Saraswati River valleys (now Pakistan and India) and lasted until about 1700 BC

- Its cities, like Mohenjo-Daro, were well-planned, but around 1750 BC, they began to decline, shown by lower-quality artifacts, and many were eventually abandoned

Gupta empire and its golden age

The Gupta Empire (A.D. 320–540) brought a Golden Age of peace, prosperity, and learning.

• Trade, farming, math, medicine, and literature thrived, influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. The empire later fell due to weak rulers, civil wars, and invasions.