AP World History

Regional and Transregional Interactions (c. 600 CE - 1450 CE)

Major Changes Leading Up to 600-1450 CE

  • Islam emerges and the Islamic empire expands.

  • The Industrial Revolution occurs in China during the Song Dynasty.

  • Neo-Confucianism spreads in China, blending Confucianism and Buddhism.

  • The Christian Church undergoes schism, dividing into Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity due to icon disputes.

  • Camels are introduced in the Sahara, boosting trade.

  • The Black Death devastates Europe, impacting its population, politics, and economy.

  • The Italian Renaissance begins, marking the start of European cultural dominance.

New Empires and Political Systems

  • Tang Dynasty (618-906):

    • Employed a merit-based bureaucracy, recruiting educated, loyal, and efficient government officials; although powerful families still managed to place relatives, most were chosen based on intellectual ability.

  • Mongols: Established a vast empire through conquest.

  • Caliphate System: A theocracy where the religious and political leader are the same person.

  • Feudalism: A hierarchical system consisting of Kings, Lords, Knights, and Peasants.

Continuities and Breaks within the Period

  • Byzantine Empire: Remained a major entity with a diverse population and a key bureaucracy, similar to the Tang Dynasty.

  • Viking Raids: Prompted Europeans to improve defenses, leading to European feudalism; they targeted rural areas.

  • The Crusades: Increased European exposure to Eastern goods, stimulating exploration.

  • Mongolian Empires: A new wave of invaders from Mongolia, led by Genghis Khan.

  • Mamluk Rule in Egypt: Non-Arab slaves overthrew the Egyptians.

The Islamic World

Dar al-Islam as a Unifying Force

  • Islam acted as a unifying cultural and economic force in Eurasia and Africa with a shared religion (Islam), language (Arabic), and art (geometric designs). Compare to European Catholicism.

Islamic Political Structures

  • Caliphate: A theocracy with unified political and religious leadership, governed by Sharia (Islamic Law).

  • Sultanate: A monarchy.

Islamic Arts, Sciences, and Technologies

  • Arts:

    • Arabesque design (geometric designs, no human figures).

    • Miniature painting in Persia.

    • Poetry.

    • Mosques with domes, pillars, and minarets.

  • Science:

    • Medical treatises.

    • Use of steel for swords.

    • Paper and printing adopted from contact with China.

Interregional Networks and Contacts

Development and Shifts in Interregional Trade, Technology, and Cultural Exchange

  • Trans-Sahara Trade:

    • Exchanged gold, ivory, slaves, and spices from below the Sahara for salt, cloth, and metalware from the Sahara.

    • Connected North Africa and Europe to West Africa.

    • Facilitated the growth of African empires and kingdoms in West Africa and spread Islam.

  • Indian Ocean Trade:

    • Traded slaves, ivory, gold, and iron from Africa; porcelain from China; pottery from Burma; cloth from India.

    • Major route between East Africa and Asia, enabled by monsoons.

    • Traded with China through Arabs, Indians, Malayans, and Indonesians.

    • Lasted until the 1400s when direct trade began.

    • Led to East African prosperity, the rise of trading cities like Sofala and Kilwa, the development of Swahili (a mix of Arabic and Bantu languages), and the spread of Islam to coastal Bantu speakers.

  • Silk Routes:

    • Exchanged silks and porcelain from China for woolen and linen cloth, glass, horses, and ivory.

    • Extended from China across Asia to the Middle East.

    • Facilitated the spread of Buddhism and Christianity.

    • Stimulated European interest in a water route to China.

  • Missionary Outreach:

    • Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism all had missionaries traveling through Asia.

  • Contacts between Major Religions:

    • Islam and Buddhism: trade, peace.

    • Islam and Christianity: Crusades, war.

Impact of Mongol Empires

  • Created the largest land empire in the world.

  • Spread other cultures.

  • Improved trade throughout Asia and Eastern Europe.

  • Introduced paper money, banking, and letters of credit.

  • Established periods of extended peace after conquest.

The Rise of the Mongols

  • Originated in the Central Asian steppes and were pastoralists organized into clans.

  • Movement likely started due to the search for new pastures and possibly a severe drought.

  • Around 1200 CE, Temujin unified the Mongol clans and took the title Genghis Khan (