Modern world history study guide

c.570

Muhammed born in Mecca to a merchant family

610

Muhammed receives his first visions and begins preaching Islam.

622

Muhammed expelled from Mecca

629

Muhammed returns to Mecca.

632

Muhammed dies

Arabic Religions

Judaism, Christianity,Islam.

People of the Book

Jews and Christians

Simple message

There is only one god (Allah), one prophet(Muhammed), no saints

Haram

“Forbidden”.Islamic dietary restrictions

The five Pillars of Islam

1.There is no god but God and Muhammed is his prophet.

2. Daily Prayers in the direction of Mecca.

3. Fasting during Ramadan

4. Giving to the poor

5. Hajj

Hajj

The obligation ( for those able) to go on pilgrimage to Mecca.

Umma

The community of the faithful (those who follow these pillars).

Quran

Islam’s holy book, dictated by God himself.

Hadiths

Traditions recorded about Muhammed’s life and teachings.

The Tenets of Islam

Quran, Hadiths, Everyone is born Muslim, Apostacy is punishable by death.

Jihad

The internal struggle against sin, The external struggle against the infidel (kafir).

Goal of external Jihad

Conquest not conversion

God demands all lands should be ruled by Muslims:

Dar al- Islam, Dar al-Harb

Dar al-Islam”Abode of Islam”

Lands ruled by Muslims

Dar al-Harb”Abode of war”

Lands where infidel temporarily rule

Theocracy

A state ruled by religious authorities on Gods name

Caliph(“Successor”

The leader of the faithful after Muhammads death

Umayyads

Islams first dynasty comes to power by killing Muhammads son-in-law

Narrow Arab aristocracy

Meccans control all top positions and Non-Arab converts have no power.

Schism

Islams major religious schism arises over dissatisfaction with Umayyads.

Sunni

The caliph should be appointed by the Umma

Shia

The caliph can only come from someone from Muhammads family

Shia Islam favored by non-Arab converts

it delegitimizes the Umayyads.

Abbasid Dynasty

The second hereditary ruling family overthrows the Umayyads in 751.

Baghdad

The new capital is the cultural capital of the world

Madrassa

Religious school that offer education to a broad swath of the populace

Dhimmi

The protected non-Muslim population

Jizya

A special tax 820on non-Muslims.

820

Persia rebels

868

Syria and North Africa rebel

Fatimid Caliphate (909-1171)

Shia dynasty in North Africa.

Umayyad Caliphate (929-1031)

Reestablished in Cordoba

Islamic world is politically splintered

Abbasid caliph remains religious leader but loses most political power.

Mamluk

Turkish slave soldier forcibly converted to Islam.

Mamluks rebel and form own sultanates

Rulers must be slaves of the former ruler

Sultan(“power”)

New title for rulers lacking the universal claims of the caliph.

Seljuk Turks

Turkish dynasty seizes Baghdad in 1055 and takes over most of the Middle East

Roman (Byzantine)

Empire loses Anatolia and requires crusades to reclaim a portion of it.

Persian becomes the language of high culture and politics

Arabic remains language of religion.

Seljuk empire splinters over dynastic disputes

Islamic world remains divided into numerous powerful and wealthy states.

Heaven (Tian)

Impersonal but benevolent force imposing order and harmony on the universe

Middle Kingdom

China is at center of the universe, closest to heaven

Divine order

China is the center of the world and source of all worth knowing knowledge and culture

Logogram

Characters indicating meaning not sound.

Chinese is monosyllabic language

All possible syllables are complete words.

Since characters represent entire words they have magical meanings and power

Names pronounced the same way but spelt with different characters bring different fates.

Confucius (551-c. 479 BC)

China’s most influential philosopher.

deals of human behavior based on service to state

All other professions are ignoble (particularly

trade).

Humans are inherently good

Rulers should lead by example.

Cosmic Harmony

So long as the ruler is morally perfect his rule will be peaceful and prosperous.

The key to maintaining harmony

ensure behavior and world aligns with the structure established by Heaven.

Five Relationships of Master Kung

1. Son is subordinate to father (filial piety)

2. Wife is subordinate to husband

3. Younger brother is subordinate to older brother

4. All are subject to ruler

5. Friends are equal to friends

Filial Piety

The obligation to honor one’s parents and their legacy.

Civil Service Examinations

Regular series of exams to identify individuals suitable for high office.

Generalist studies

Classics are all an administrator needs to know.

All degree holders share same worldview and values

education not family instills virtue.

Three-tiered exam system

•Prefectural exams – qualifies for local

offices such as schoolteachers.

• Provincial exams – qualifies for

higher offices.

• Capital exams (jinshi) – qualifies for

highest offices in government.

Scholar-bureaucrats (Mandarins)

Elite class of exam holders who run China.

Social mobility

• Elite families lose status over time –

Each generation must pass the exam.

• Ruling class still wealthy – Only

wealthy can dedicate leisure time to

intense study.

Buddhism

An Indian religion that preaches that suffering can be ended by surrendering desire

Desire comes from attachment to things of this world

Only by abandoning all attachments can one achieve inner peace

Reincarnation

Souls are reborn after death into and endless cycle of suffering

Nirvana

A state of divine oblivion where the self will be extinguished and the soul

escape reincarnation

Dynasty

A series of rulers from a single family

Emperor (Huangdi, lit: “August One”)

Absolute ruler; no legal restrictions

Mandate of Heaven

Heaven chooses the most virtuous dynasty to be the emperor

Mandate is universal

All other rulers inferior to emperor

Mandate of Heaven proven by success

• Successful challenger is legitimate and

continuator (not new empire)

• Natural disasters and corruption proves

loss of mandate

Emperor

The ruler of all China (chosen from within ruling

dynasty).

Moral reciprocity

Superiors expected to reward virtue in

inferiors.

Emperors remain in capital

all government carried out by officials who can be dismissed

at will.

Three ministries:

•Civil Authorities,Military Authorities,Censorate

Civil Authorities

Govern the provinces and administer

justice.

Military Authorities

Run the army.

Censorate

Investigates the other two.

Chang’an

China’s main capital.

Song Dynasty

The dominant dynasty from 960 on

Heavily Confucian

Buddhist monasteries defunded and sidelined

Civilian focused

Civil administrators outrank military ones

Militarily weak

Despite strong army they face continual struggles to hold off rival kingdoms to the north

Song birds

Confucian separation of the sexes enforced

Foot binding

Binding a girl’s feet so that the bones grow inwards

Widespread education

immoral behavior comes from ignorance

Moveable type

Mass printing

Compasses

Navigation out of sight of land

Gunpowder

Firearms and fireworks

Astronomical observations

supernova witnessed in 1054 (now the Crab Nebula)

Tribute System

All political relations/trade involve states sending tribute mission demonstrating submission

China

Emperors demonstrate they can command people from great distances

Tributary states

Emperors confirm kings’ rule and grant prestigious titles to shore up legitimacy

Joseon (1392-1910)

Korea’s ruling dynasty

Yangban

Rigid hereditary aristocracy controls all positions of power

Han’gul

Phonetic alphabet created to write Korean (although only commoners

use it)

Yamato Dynasty

Japan’s ruling imperial dynasty

Heian Era

The period of centralized Chinese-influenced rule from Kyoto