AP World History - Unit 1 Notes

BIG PICTURE IDEAS

  • The dominant regions during this period were:
    • Americas: Incas and Aztecs.
    • East Asia: Song Dynasty.
    • Middle East: Dar al-Islam.
  • Belief systems and their impact:
    • East Asia: Buddhism and Confucianism.
    • Middle East: Islam.
  • Major Chinese innovations:
    • Warfare: Gunpowder.
    • Agriculture: Champa rice.
  • Dar al-Islam innovations:
    • Mathematics: Algebra.
    • Transfers from Greco-Roman ideas: Medicine/philosophy.
  • Political systems:
    • Feudal system dominated, decentralization was common.

KEY VOCABULARY

  • Neo-Confucianism
  • Foot Binding
  • Champa Rice
  • Shogun
  • Samurai
  • Caliphate
  • Chinampa
  • Sufism
  • Mit’a
  • Abbasids
  • Great Zimbabwe
  • Turkic
  • Feudalism
  • Delhi Sultanate
  • Serfdom

MAIN CHARACTERS

  • Admiral Zhenghe
  • Pachacuti
  • Mansa Musa
  • Ibn Battuta
  • Marco Polo

EAST ASIA

  • Belief systems in Song China:
    • Buddhism
      • Middle Way
      • Nirvana
      • Eightfold Path
      • Dharma
    • Confucianism
      • Filial Piety
      • Self-Cultivation
      • Dao/Tao
      • Ancestor Worship
    • Taoism
      • Lao Tzu
      • Dao/Tao
      • Tao te Qing
      • Harmony/Nature
  • Imperial Exam/Civil service exam
    • Used by Song Dynasty rulers to appoint officials.
  • Agricultural Innovations (Champa Rice):
    • Benefits:
      • Harvested 2-3 times per season, increasing farmer profits.
      • Increased caloric intake, leading to higher populations.
  • Chinese traditions' influence on Japan/Korea:
    • Confucianism and Buddhism were transferred.
    • Japan and Korea incorporated the Imperial Exam/Civil service exam and Buddhism with varying degrees of acceptance.
  • End of Song Dynasty:
    • The Song Dynasty lost the Mandate of Heaven and was ended by the Mongol Empire invasion.

DAR AL-ISLAM

  • Turkic Domination:
    • Following Arab and Persian domination, the Turks came to dominate Dar al-Islam.
  • Spread of Islam:
    • Islam spread through the works of merchants, missionaries, and Sufis.
  • Advancements:
    • Mathematics: Algebra, Trigonometry.
    • Literature: Poetry, philosophy, history.
  • Siege of Baghdad (1258):
    • Cause: Rapid expansion of the Mongol Empire.
    • Effect: End of the Abbasid Caliphate.

SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA

  • Dominant Belief Systems:
    • Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.
  • States in South and Southeast Asia:
    • Hindu State: Vijayanagara Empire, Rajput Kingdoms, Srivijaya Empire, Khmer Empire, Majapahit.
    • Buddhist State: Sukhothai Empire, Sinhala Dynasties, Srivijaya Empire, Khmer Empire.
  • Delhi Sultanate:
    • The most influential Sultanate in South Asia during this period.

THE AMERICAS

  • Largest States:
    • Inca: Andes Mountains.
    • Aztec/Mexica: Central Mexico.
  • Mexica Society:
    • Religious: Polytheism, Human Sacrifice, Cosmology, Ceremonial warfare.
    • Political: Empire, Tribute, City-States, “Great Speaker”.
  • Incan Mit’a System:
    • Coerced labor system.
    • Males worked on state projects (roads, war, agriculture) for a few months each year.

AFRICA

  • West African Empires:
    • Ghana, Mali, and Songhai dominated African political history in this period.
  • Mansa Musa's Journey to Mecca:
    • Religious Cause: Mansa Musa and much of Sub-Saharan Africa had converted to Islam.
    • Economic Effect: Mansa Musa's spending crashed the economy of Cairo.
  • Natural Resources:
    • Gold and salt were the two most important exports from Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Great Zimbabwe:
    • Seat of political power in southern Africa.
    • Known for stone enclosures with walls of 11 meters built without mortar.
    • Key trading post between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers.

EUROPE

  • Decentralization:
    • Europe became more decentralized, and the Manorial system organized daily life.
  • Manorialism Characteristics:
    • Serfs: Coerced labor working for food and the Lord.
    • Manor: Home to the Lord and center of Feudal life.
    • Catholic Church: Dominated most of Medieval Europe.