APWH: Foundations Flashcard

Warring States

• 403-221 BCE

• Period of Civil War in China

• Led to the rise of Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism

Persian Empire

• 558-330 BCE , Middle East and South Asia

• Founded by Cyrus

• Expanded by Darius

• Empire spread from India to the borders of Egypt

• Darius created a centralized government with a bureaucracy

• Capital, Persepolis

Zoroastrianism

• 6th century BCE

• Book: Ahura Mazda

Qin Dynasty

• 221-207 BCE

• First Chinese empire under Shi Huangdi

• Founder of Qin Empire

• The first centralized dynasty of China that used Legalism

• Achievements: standardized weights, script writing

Emperor Wudi

• 140 BCE

• Emperor of the Han Dynasty

• Strong central government by taxing land from lords and raising taxes

• Confucianism became China’s government philosophy 

• Expanded Silk Road

Civil Services

• 650 CE and 1905

• A system of testing designed to select the most studious and learned candidates for appointments in the Chinese government.

• Based on Confucian philosophy

Alexander the Great

• 558-330 BCE, Asia and Africa

• Macedonian king

• Created one of the largest empires of the world

• Legacy: cultural diffusion and syncretism, Greco-Buddhism, new Hellenistic civilization.

Polis

• Started around the 8th c. BCE, Europe

• The name of Greek City states

• Political and military unit

Socrates

• Around 350 BCE, Europe

• Greek philosopher that used questioning to explore ethics

Plato

• Around 350 BCE, Europe

• Believed that everything was based on ideal forms or idea.

• Student of Socrates

Julius Caesar

• 44 BCE, Europe

• Roman dictator

• Extended Roman citizenship to Gaul and consolidated government

• Assassinated by senators

Aristotle

• 350 BCE, Europe

• A disciple of Plato believed people could on observation and logic to answer questions of the world

Han Empire

• Founded in 202 BCE

• After the collapse of the Qin Empire

• Founded by Gaozu

• Adopted by Confucianism; merit system for government exams

• Introduce Buddhism

Laws of the Twelve

• 450 BCE

• Rome’s first written laws, applied to all citizens

• Made al laws public and consistent, preventing the patricians (the elites) from changing rules at will

Constantine

• 306 and 337 CE, Europe

• Roman emperor

• He issued the Edict of Milan which outlawed the persecution of Christians

• Founded Constantinople

Pax Romana

• 27 BCE to 180 CE Europe

• A 200 year long period of peace in the Roman Empire

• Rome reached its greatest territorial extent and population

Indus River Civilization

• 3300 to1300 BCE, South Asia

• Two main cities: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro

• Grid cities

• Used standardized weights and measures

• Unknown cause of decline

Hammurabi’s Code

• 1755-1750 BCE, Middle East

• Babylon

• A set of 282 laws governing daily life; the earliest known collection of written laws.

Chavin

• 900 to 200 BCE, Latin America

• Peru

• Earliest pre-Incan culture

• Domesticated llamas

• Grew maize, potatoes, and quinoa

• Urban centers around a temple

Olmecs

• 1200-400 BCE, Latin America

• First Mesoamerican civilization

• Authoritarian rule

• Known for pyramids and stone heads

Cuneiform

• Around 3200 BCE, Middle East

• System of writing first developed by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia 

• Wedge marks on clay

Yellow River Civilizations

• 9500 to 1500 BCE, East Asia

• The first civilization established in Ancient China

• Founder: Yu

• Extensive irrigation and water control systems

Nile River Civilizations

• 3150 BCE-417 CE, Egypt, Middle East

• Unified by Menes

• Ruled by a pharaoh

• Mummification, building of tombs/pyramids

• Hieroglyphics, papermaking, 365 calendar, architecture

• Women had more rights than other societies 

Mesopotamia

• 8000 to 2000 BCE, Middle East

• Between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

• World’s first cities: Ur and Babylon

• Polytheistic, built ziggurats

• City states and canals

Ziggurats

• 2200 until 500 BCE, Middle East

• Sumerian tiered temples for religious ceremonies

Neolithic Revolution

• 10K BCE, Middle East

• Called New Stone Age

• Domestication of animals and cultivation of crops

• Permanent villages

• Pottery

• Textiles

Paleolithic Age

• Predates agricultural societies

• Clans formed tribes with chiefs

• Hunter gatherers, stone tools ability to control fire

• Early religons

• Expressions of art include cave paintings

Zhou Dynasty

• 1050-400 BCE, East Asia

• Longest dynasty in Chinese history

• Feudal rule

• Emperor was the first to claim to be a link between heaven and Earth (mandate of Heaven)

• Iron tools

Bantu Migration

• 2000 BCE to 1500 CE, Africa

• Migrated to the Eastern coast of Africa

• Spread farming, iron tools and languages across Africa

Mandate of Heaven

• 1046-256 BCE

• Claim by Chinese kings of the Zhou dynasty that they had directed authority from Heaven to rule and keep order in universe

Legalism

• 475-221, East Asia

• Strict laws and punishments to strengthen the state

• Government strength lies in its agriculture and military

Mauryan Dynasty

• Height in 320 BCE, South Asia

• Classical Indian dynasty under Ashoka, conquered the kingdom uniting the entire subcontinent

• Promoted Buddhism

• Built irrigation systems, roads, and encouraged religious tolerance.

Gupta Dynasty

• 4th to late 6th century CE, South Asia

• Indian empire known for a golden age of Hindu culture

• Advances in math (zero, decimals), science, art, and literature.

• Power was decentralized. 

• Trade across the Indian Ocean and Silk Roads

Jainism

• 7th century BCE- c. 5th century CE, South Asia

• Indian belief system that practiced non violence to living things or their souls

• Rejected caste hierarchy

Mayan Civilization

• 300-900 CE, Latin America

• City states, developed writing, calendar, math (zero), terrace farming

Shang Dynasty

• 1600 to 1046 B.C, Asia

• Earliest ruling dynasty of China to be established in recorded history

• Oracle bones

• Bronze weapons

• Horse drawn chariots

• Compound bows