Survey of world history unit 4 vids quiz review

Flashcards about the Age of Empires ca 300 BCE – 300 CE

What is an empire?

Group of states or peoples under 1 powerful leader with centralized authority & military control.

What 2 factors contributed to the transition from state to empire?

1. Military innovations

2. multi-ethnic cohesion

What did political consolidation & elaboration lead to?

Economic growth, increased agricultural yield, & higher populations.

What contexts did empires develop in response to social, political, & economic upheaval & innovation?

Climate changes, migration, & technological change.

What new animals were used to transport troops & supplies?

Camels & elephants

What was the significance of the Silk Road?

It connected the Afroeurasian landmass & enjoyed stability due to empires.

Why was iron significant for the rise of empires?

Its malleability & the ability to create an early form of steel

What material factors was empire built upon?

Better weapons, better tools, & better agricultural instruments.

How was authority continually asserted in empires?

Military reinvasions or political administration through a colonial apparatus.

What is a slave-empire?

Captives taken & deported to other regions for labor.

What role did a growing bureaucracy play in empires?

Transferring info, people, troops, & goods within the empire.

What was Egyptian society's agricultural production tied to?

Annual & predictable flooding of the Nile.

What was 1 problem facing Egyptian rulers?

To forge a unified culture from the different regions.

How can Egypt be imagined in terms of different zones?

The south has higher elevations while the north is lower, with different power bases & regional concerns.

How did the Pharaohs seek to unite the different regions of Egypt?

By being an embodiment of natural forces + powers, & promoting a shared religious culture.

What are the 3 periods pharaonic Egypt is divided into?

1. old kingdoms

2. middle kingdoms

3. new kingdoms

What strategy did Egyptian rulers embark on during the Old Kingdom?

Using sacred architecture to promote an idea of divine rule to centralize power across the kingdom through monumental structures like pyramids & temples, showcasing their divine authority that reflected their connection to the gods + the afterlife

What was the grandeur of the sacred buildings to the Egyptian rulers?

A visual representation of the ruler’s political power.

What did the new political leaders seek to do after the collapse of the Old Kingdom?

To reestablish political control over a unified north-south Egypt & to expand the territory under their control

How did the new rulers seek to reestablish political control over a unified Egypt?

Amenemhet I built a new cosmology by taking a formerly insignificant deity, Amun, & placing him at the center of religious & political life

Who conquered the pharaohs & their armies around 1640 BCE?

Hyskos, the Rulers of Foreign Lands.

Who was the best known leader of the New Kingdom in Egypt?

Hatshepsut.

What did Hatshepsut do to expand the kingdom during the New Kingdom?

She pushed the borders of the kingdom to the South & into Nubia, where she could control the reserves of gold.

How did the rulers of ancient Egypt create, consolidate, & expand power?

Military prowess, unifying different parts of the country, & using religion to legitimize political power

Where was Nubia located?

Located around the upper Nile, to the south of pharaonic Egypt.

What was the 1st entity to unify the various regions of Nubia between 1700 & 1500 BCE?

The state of Kush, with its capital city Kerma.

What was the commercial significance of Kerma & Kushite Nubia?

Nubia was a conduit for trade between Egypt & sub-Saharan Africa involving gold, ivory, & slaves.

What were the 4 things that Meroë kingdom (highpoint b/w 400 BCE & 300 CE) was known for?

1. Ironworkers

2. its textiles

3. cattle production

4. its unique pyramids

What is 1 of the significant factors at work in Nubia?

The degree to which the histories & political fortunes of Nubia & Egypt were intertwined.

Who began the growth of the Persian empire & when?

Cyrus the Great around 550 BCE.

What territory(ies) did the Persian empire grow to absorb?

Between India & Egypt, including present-day Turkey & Armenia.

What was the population of the Persian empire at its height?

50 million people, more than 40% of the world’s population at the time.

What was the role of the royal cult in the Persian empire?

Linking the king of the empire & his power directly to the god Ahura Mazda.

What was the Persian empire's attitude towards the Jewish people?

They were tolerant & even generous toward the Jews. (EX: by rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem)

Who were the satraps in the Persian empire?

Delegated governors who managed provinces in the name of the emperor.

What was the Royal Road in the Persian Empire?

A thoroughfare of more than 1,500 miles with fresh horses posted at stations to ensure fast communication.

How were the Greeks organized?

Each city-state maintained its own distinct identity.

What were the Greek colonies like?

Small settlements of Greek traders & farmers

What caused the conflict between the Greeks & the Persian Empire?

When some Greek colonies rebelled against their Persian overlords & drew in the support of Athens

Who expanded the power & significance of Greek culture throughout the eastern Mediterranean & Southwest Asia?

Alexander the Great.

What is the Kalinga Edict?

A series of inscriptions on the Edicts of Ashoka, detailing Ashoka's remorse over the Kalinga War & his subsequent conversion to Buddhism

Who was Chandragupta Maurya?

Founder of the Mauryan Empire, the first empire to unify most of the Indian subcontinent.

What was the Han Dynasty?

The dynasty that reunified China after the collapse of the Qin dynasty, known for its long reign, cultural achievements, significant advancements in politics, technology, & trade, with Confucianism becoming the state philosophy.

The Han succeeded in crafting what in between 149 & 87 BCE?

Pax Sinica, or the Chinese Peace period marked by stability & prosperity, allowing for significant cultural and economic growth.

What is an empire?

A state with centralized authority & military control over other states & peoples, achieved through military innovations & multi-ethnic cohesion, leading to economic growth & larger populations.

What material factors was an empire built upon?

Built upon better weapons, tools, & agricultural instruments, requiring constant assertion of authority through military reinvasions or political administration & utilizing growing bureaucracies for efficient info, people, & goods transfer.