World History Lecture Review: Ancient Dynasties to 20th Century

Comprehensive review of lecture notes covering early Asian dynasties, Mongol expansion, Islamic empires, European development, the Industrial Revolution, and 20th-century political shifts.

What concept in the Zhou dynasty is similar to the 'divine right of kings' in Western Europe?

Mandate from heaven

List five aspects standardized or created by the Qin dynasty to centralize government.

Standardized weights & measures, money, language (Mandarin), an extensive road system, and the Great Wall.

What was the Han dynasty's method for filling government positions?

Standardized civil service exams

According to the transcript, what were the major technological innovations of the Han period?

Paper, wheelbarrow, compass, black powder, and writing press.

What were the primary achievements of the Tang dynasty?

Woodblock printing, Buddhism, poetry, ceramics, and the encouragement of education.

Which dynasty was the first to issue paper money?

Song dynasty

What Chinese practice is considered 'China\'s renaissance'?

The Song dynasty

In Mongol society, how were leaders at all organizational levels chosen?

They were elected by free men.

How did the Mongol conquest affect the political center of Russia?

Kiev was destroyed and the center shifted to Moscow, where princes paid tribute to the Mongols (Tatars) for 250 years.

Why did the scholar gentry class in China oppose the Yuan dynasty (Mongol rule)?

They saw Mongol policies as endangering traditions, including the lack of state exams for Confucian scholars and the favoring of artisans and merchants.

What was the Japanese warrior code called that stressed honor and death over retreat?

The bushi or samurai warrior code (associated with the practice of seppuku).

Define 'bakufu' in the context of Japanese history.

A military gov’t established by the Minamoto family.

What are the Five Pillars of Faith in Islam?

Confession of faith in one god (Muhammad is his prophet), praying five times a day facing Mecca, fasting during Ramadan, the zakat (tithe for charity), and the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).

What caused the Sunni-Shi'a split in Islam?

The murder of the third caliph; Sunnis backed the Umayyads while Shi'a backed Ali (Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law).

What ended the Abbasid Empire in 1258?

The Mongols

What is 'Dar al-islam'?

 'The house of islam,' referring to parts of the world where Muslims were in the majority and were the rulers.

What was the significance of the Magna Carta in 1215?

It led to the rise of parliaments in England and limited royal power.

Which family became the greatest bank in Europe during the 15th century Italian Renaissance?

The Medici family in Florence.

Who was the 'Lion prince' of the Empire of Mali?

Sundiata (Sunjata)

What was the 'mita' in the Inca Empire?

A system where communities took turns working on state and church projects, used by the gov’t to extract land and labor.

What was the 'quipu' used for by the Inca?

A system of knotted strings to record numerical and other information.

Define 'chinampas' as used by the Aztecs.

Floating gardens used for agriculture.

Who was the Ming dynasty explorer who led the 'treasure fleets'?

Zhenghe

What was the purpose of the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas?

It divided up lands claimed by Spain and Portugal.

Define the 'encomienda system'.

Large farming estates (plantations) where Spanish colonists used enslaved Native Americans to grow cash crops.

What is the economic doctrine of mercantilism?

The belief that a nation-state should not import goods from outside its empire but sell exports as widely as possible while using tariffs to discourage colonial manufacturing.

How did the 'Columbian exchange' affect world population?

New World crops like potatoes and corn caused large population increases in the Old World.

What were John Locke's three 'natural rights'?

Life, liberty, and property

What formula did Johannes Kepler develop regarding the solar system?

He put Copernicus’s theory on planetary motion into a mathematical formula describing the shape and speed of orbits.

What were Adam Smith's three laws of business in 'Wealth of Nations'?

The law of competition, the law of supply and demand, and the law of self-interest.

What were the main arguments of Martin Luther's '95 thesis'?

He opposed the selling of indulgences, argued only faith leads to salvation (no sacraments needed), and advocated for the Bible to be translated from Latin.

Who patented the steam engine during the Industrial Revolution?

James Watt

What was the 'Bessemer process'?

A new furnace invented by Henry Bessemer that helped the refining process of steel.

What is the difference between Utopian and Scientific Socialism?

Utopian socialism (e.g., Robert Owen) sought voluntary better conditions; Scientific socialism (Marx/Engels) believed a violent revolution was necessary to overthrow capitalism.

What political strategy did Otto von Bismarck use to unify Germany?

Realpolitik (using whatever means necessary to achieve practical goals).

What was the significance of the 1884-85 Berlin Conference?

European nations divided up Africa without regard for ethnic or linguistic groups.

What triggered the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857?

A new rifle issued to Indian recruits (sepoys) that used bullets greased with cow or pig fat, violating Hindu and Muslim laws.

What was the 'Meiji era' in Japan?

A period of 'enlightened peace' under Emperor Mutsuhito where Japan ended feudalism, reorganized the army, and created a new constitution.

Who was 'Ataturk' and what did he do for Turkey?

Mustapha Kemal; he modernized Turkey by introducing secular laws, extending women's suffrage, and replacing religious schools with state schools.

What did the 1917 Balfour Declaration state?

That England viewed with favor the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

What was Lenin's 'New Economic Policy' (NEP)?

A policy that abandoned 'war communism,' allowing private ownership of small shops and letting farmers sell surplus crops for profit while keeping heavy industry under gov't control.