Chapter 1: Introduction

• The time period for unit 1 is circa 1200 to 1450.

• The focus is on major civilizations and how they build and maintain their states.

• State in AP World History refers to a territory politically organized under a single government.

• The video is part of a larger resource, the AP World History Heimler Review Guide, for comprehensive exam preparation.

Chapter 2: Chinese Song Dynasty

• The Song Dynasty was in power from 960 to 1279.

• Emphasized Confucianism to maintain and justify their rule.

  • Revived Confucianism from the Tong dynasty, leading to Neo-Confucianism.

  • Neo-Confucians aimed to rid Confucian thought of Buddhist influence.

• Confucianism promoted hierarchical societal structure.

  • Emphasized filial piety, obedience, and honoring of parents and ancestors.

• Women's status declined under Confucian revival.

  • Women lost legal rights and faced social restrictions.

  • Property rights transferred to husbands, and widowed/divorced women couldn't remarry.

Chapter 2: Song China

Women in Song China

• Women faced social restrictions in Song China.

  • Limited access to education for women.

  • Elite women endured foot binding, a status symbol practice.

    • Young girls had their toes bent and bound with cloth.

    • Resulted in difficulty walking or inability to walk.

Imperial Bureaucracy in Song China

• Song rulers maintained rule through the expansion of the imperial bureaucracy.

  • Bureaucracy: hierarchical government entity implementing the emperor's will.

  • Bureaucratic jobs earned on merit through civil service exams.

    • Qualified individuals obtained jobs, not based on connections.

  • Civil service exam theoretically open to all men but required wealth to study.

Influence on Neighboring Regions

• Chinese traditions influenced neighboring regions like Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

  • Proximity to China led to adoption of bureaucratic practices.

  • Adoption of Buddhism by neighboring states due to influence from China.

Buddhism in Song China

• Buddhism originated in India and spread to China before the Song dynasty.

  • Four Noble Truths: life is suffering, craving causes suffering, cessation of craving leads to the end of suffering, and moral living according to the eightfold path.

  • Shared beliefs with Hinduism like reincarnation and Nirvana.

  • Different branches of Buddhism: Theravada and Mahayana.

    • Theravada focused on monks in monasteries, while Mahayana encouraged broader participation and helping others.

Economy in Song China

• Song rulers inherited prosperity from Tang and Sui Dynasties and further developed the economy.

  • Commercialization led to surplus goods being sold in markets across Eurasia.

    • Notable goods traded: porcelain and silk.

  • Innovations in agriculture, like Champa rice, contributed to a population explosion.

Chapter 3: New Muslim Empires

Innovations in Song China

• Introduction of Champa rice to China led to significant population growth due to its early maturation, drought resistance, and multiple harvests.

• Innovations in transportation, especially the expansion of the Grand Canal, facilitated trade and communication among China's regions.

Dar al Islam: House of Islam

• Dar al Islam refers to places where Islamic faith was the organizing principle.

• Islam, Judaism, and Christianity were major religions in the heartland of the Muslim faith.

  • Islam emphasized righteous actions for salvation.

  • All three religions were monotheistic.

• Before 1200, the Abbasid Caliphate was dominant in the Muslim world but started to decline.

• New Islamic political entities led by Turkic people emerged, replacing Arab dominance.

• Major cultural and scientific innovations emerged from the Muslim world during this period.

  • Nasir al Din al Tusi made advances in math and trigonometry.

  • Arab scholars preserved Greek works in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.

• Muslim empires expanded through military conquest and the activities of traveling merchants.

• The empire of Mali in West Africa gradually converted to Islam, enhancing trade within Dar al Islam.

Chapter 4: Muslim State

• Expansion through Sufi Missionary Activities

  • Sufis represented a new sect of Islam emphasizing mystical experience and adaptation to local beliefs.

  • Sufi missionaries played a significant role in the conversion in South Asia.

• Impact of Belief Systems in South and Southeast Asia

  • Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam were the main religions in South and Southeast Asia.

  • Hinduism remained widespread in India, while Islam became influential with the Delhi Sultanate.

  • The Bhakti movement in southern India emphasized devotion to one Hindu god, challenging traditional hierarchies.

• State Building in South Asia

  • The Delhi Sultanate struggled to impose Muslim rule on the majority Hindu population.

  • The Rajput Kingdom and the Vijayanagara Empire resisted Muslim rule in Northern and Southern India, respectively.

• State Building in Southeast Asia

  • Diverse sea-based and land-based empires interacted with China and India.

  • The Majapahit Kingdom in Java controlled trade routes, while the Khmer Empire in Cambodia showcased a blend of Hindu and Buddhist influences in Angkor Wat.

• State Building in the Americas

  • Mesoamerica and the Andean civilization were major centers of civilization by 1200.

  • Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was a magnificent city in the Americas before European arrival.