Chinese Dynasties and the Expansion of Dar al-Islam

Flashcards covering the unification and belief systems of China, the rise and expansion of Islam, and the cultural and scholarly transfers within Dar al-Islam.

What are the four early Chinese dynasties listed in the notes before the Sui?

Shang, Zhou, Quin, Han

What concept gives Chinese emperors their legitimacy or right to rule?

Mandate of Heaven

Following the Han dynasty, what became a major religion in China?

Buddhism

According to Legalist Doctorine, what were the two keys to a state's strength?

Agricultural production and military forces

What were the primary methods of control used in Legalist Doctorine to unify China?

Clear and strict laws with harsh punishments and collective responsibility (obligation to report)

In Confucianism, who are the 'Junzi'?

Superior individuals who are well educated and follow a moral code of conduct to fill official positions

What does the Confucian principle 'Ren' represent?

Family relationships and kindness (ruler-subject, husband-wife, father-son, older brother-younger brother, friend-friend)

What is the key principle of Daoism regarding involvement in world affairs?

Wuzei, which is disengagement from competitive exertions and active involvement in favor of living in harmony with nature

What did Daoism envision as the ideal world structure?

A world of small self-sufficient communities rather than centralized bureaucracies

How did Islam spread outward from Arabia?

Through military, merchants, and missionaries

What was the House of Wisdom?

A center of learning in Baghdad during the Abbasid Empire

Which caliphate conquered Spain after defeating the Byzantine in North Africa?

The Umayyad caliphate

What was the significance of the Battle of Tours?

It was a rare defeat for the Islamic military that limited rapid Islamic expansion into western Europe

What were 'Dhaos' and what was their structural characteristic?

Trade ships with long thin hulls that were more useful for carrying products than producing warfare

Which location had the largest library and served as a place where Christians, Muslims, and Jews tolerated each other?

Cordoba, in al-Andalus

What were common exports for Muslim traders during the Abbasid Caliphate?

Pearls, Livestock, Cloth, medicines, paper, and sugar

Who conquered Baghdad, marking the end of the Islamic Golden Age?

Hulagu Knan

Who were the Egyptian Mamluks?

Enslaved people in North Africa

What was the title of the leader of the Seljuk Turks?

Sultan