Main Ideas

Introduction

• The speaker is Steve Heimler, guiding stressed AP World History students for their unit one exam.

• The time period for unit 1 is circa 1200 to 1450, focusing on major civilizations and their states.

Chinese Song Dynasty

• The Song Dynasty (960-1279) emphasized Confucianism to maintain and justify their rule.

  • Neo-Confucianism was a revival with changes, emphasizing hierarchy and filial piety.

  • Women faced legal rights restrictions and social limitations, like foot binding.

• Expansion of the imperial bureaucracy helped maintain rule through merit-based bureaucratic jobs.

  • Civil service exams were based on Confucian classes, open theoretically to all men.

Influence on Neighboring Regions

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

• These regions adopted similar state-building tactics and bureaucratic systems.

Role of Buddhism in Song China

• Buddhism spread to China before the Song Dynasty, with teachings like the Four Noble Truths.

• Buddhism evolved in different regions, with Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Mahayana Buddhism in East Asia.

• Mahayana Buddhism encouraged broader participation and help from Bodhisattvas.

Economy in Song China

• The economy in Song China is a final consideration for state building efforts.

Resource Mentioned

• The speaker mentions a larger resource, the AP World History Heimler Review Guide, for additional help in studying for the course and exam.

Song Dynasty Economic Development

• Prosperity Inheritance: Song rulers inherited prosperity and population growth from Tang and Sui Dynasties.

  • Population Growth: Population doubled between 8th and 10th centuries.

• Commercialization: Manufacturers and artisans produced more goods than consumed, leading to trade across Eurasia.

  • Significant Goods: Traded goods included porcelain and silk.

• Agricultural Innovations: Introduction of Champa rice led to increased food production and population growth.

  • Champa Rice Benefits: Early maturation, drought resistance, multiple harvests per year.

• Transportation Innovations: Expansion of the Grand Canal facilitated trade and communication among regions.

Dar al Islam Developments

• Islamic Faith: Dar al Islam referred to places where Islamic faith was dominant.

• Religions Practiced: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were practiced in the heartland of the Muslim faith.

• Abbasid Caliphate: Dominant before 1200, began to decline, replaced by Turkic Muslim empires.

• Seljuk Empire: Established by Turkic Seljuks, played a significant role in the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate.

• Cultural and Scientific Innovations: Muslim scholars made advances in math, preserved Greek works, established House of Wisdom.

• Expansion of Muslim Rule: Expanded through military conquest, merchant activities, and missionary work of Sufis.

South and Southeast Asia Belief Systems

• Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam vied for dominance in South and Southeast Asia.

• South Asia:

  • Buddhism Decline: Buddhists mainly in monastic communities in Nepal and Tibet.

  • Hinduism: Remained the most widespread religion in India.

Belief Systems and State Building

Bhakti Movement and Spread of Islam

• Bhakti Movement in India

  • Innovation on traditional polytheistic Hinduism

  • Emphasized devotion to one Hindu god

  • Attracted ordinary believers tired of complex Hindu hierarchies

• Spread of Islam

  • Delhi Sultanate established Islam as the religion of the elite in India

  • Islam spread to Southeast Asia alongside Buddhism

State Building in South Asia and Southeast Asia

• South Asia

  • Muslim Delhi Sultanate struggled to impose total Muslim state on Hindu population

  • Rajput Kingdom resisted Muslim intrusion

  • Vijayanagara Empire emerged in the south as a counterpoint to Muslim rule

• Southeast Asia

  • Majapahit Kingdom in Java controlled sea routes for trade

  • Khmer Empire in Cambodia showcased religious continuity and change through Angkor Wat

State Building in the Americas

• Aztec Empire

  • Established through alliances with Mesoamerican states

  • Administered through tribute states and human sacrifice

• Inca Empire

  • Intrusive bureaucracy to maintain power

  • Implemented the Mit'a system for labor contributions

• Mississippian Culture

  • Focused on agriculture in the Mississippi River Valley

  • Organized around monumental mounds and large towns

State Building in Africa

• Swahili Civilization

  • Cities organized around commerce on the East African coast

  • Influenced by Muslim traders leading to the emergence of Swahili language

  • Demonstrated intermingling of African Bantu and Arab cultures through language hybridization

Main Ideas

African Civilizations

• Swahili States and West African Civilizations

  • Rapid Islamic influence in Swahili states due to Muslim influence.

  • West African civilizations like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empire grew through trade and adopted Islam.

  • Majority of the population in these empires retained indigenous beliefs.

• Hausa Kingdoms

  • City-states in West Africa, similar to Swahili states.

  • Grew powerful through trade, particularly Trans-Saharan trade.

Great Zimbabwe and Ethiopia

• Great Zimbabwe

  • Grew wealthy through trade, mainly gold exports.

  • Maintained indigenous religion, unlike Swahili and Hausa states.

• Kingdom of Ethiopia

  • Flourished through trade, especially with Mediterranean and Arabian states.

  • Unique as a Christian state in a predominantly Islamic region.

European Belief Systems

• Christianity in Europe

  • Two main branches: Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism.

  • Byzantine Empire represented Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

  • Roman Catholicism dominated Western Europe post-Roman Empire fall.

European Political Organization

• Feudalism and Manorialism

  • Feudalism: Lords gaining allegiance from vassals in exchange for land and military service.

  • Manorialism: Peasants working on lord-owned land in exchange for protection.

  • European society and economics centered around feudal and manorial systems.

European States

• Political Fragmentation

  • Europe decentralized politically, organized around feudalism.

  • Monarchs began to centralize power after 1000 CE, diminishing nob