Exam Review Session

Introduction

• The speaker is hosting a review session for an upcoming exam.

• The review will cover units 1 through 3 over three nights.

• The session will last roughly 90 minutes each night.

• Shoutouts to teachers can be requested through super chats before 9:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry

• Time period: 1200 to 1450.

• Emphasizes state building worldwide with continuity, innovation, and diversity.

• Focus on how states relate to predecessors.

• Six big ideas for unit one.

Big Idea 1: Song China

• Maintained rule through Confucianism and bureaucracy.

• Buddhism shaped society.

• Economy flourished.

• State building through Confucianism and bureaucracy.

  • Confucianism: hierarchical understanding, civil service exam.

  • Imperial bureaucracy: appointed officials for policy implementation.

• Buddhism: Chan Buddhism innovation.

• Economy: Champa rice, Grand Canal, commercialization.

Conclusion

• The review covers key concepts of state building in Song China during the specified time period.

• Emphasis on continuity, innovation, and diversity in relation to predecessors.

Big Idea 2: Rise of New Islamic Political Entities

• Context: Abbasid Caliphate falling apart, new Islamic empires emerging

• New Islamic Empires: Delhi Sultanate in Northern India, Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt and Levant

  • Different from Abbasid, Turkic instead of Arab or Persian

• Governance: Similar practices to Abbasid despite different ethnicity

• Dar al-Islam: Cultural region formed by these states

• Spread of Islam:

  • Military Expansion: Delhi Sultanate example

  • Merchants: Revival of trade on Silk Roads, leading to urban centers and literate officials

  • Sufis: Mystical sect adapting to local cultures for easier spread

• Intellectual Innovations and Transfers:

  • Innovations: Development of algebra, trigonometry, long-form poetry

  • Transfers: Translation of Greek classics, adoption of papermaking technology

Big Idea 3: Influence of Religion on State Building in South and Southeast Asia

• Religion in State Building:

  • South Asia:

    • Delhi Sultanate: Islamic in predominantly Hindu region, struggled with bureaucracy

    • Vijayanagara Empire: Hindu kingdom established by former converts from Delhi Sultanate

  • Southeast Asia:

    • Introduction of Hinduism and Buddhism: Basis for new kingdoms

    • Srivijaya Empire: Hindu, prospered through taxing sea lanes

    • Majapahit Kingdom: Buddhist, prospered through controlling trade routes

• Continuity and Diversity: Religions shaping societies with diverse impacts on different regions

Big Idea 4: Unveiling the Fourth Big Idea

• Content: To be continued in the next part of the transcript

Main Ideas from the Transcript

Americas Civilizations

• Strong States and Urban Centers

  • Developed by various civilizations in the Americas.

• Complex Belief Systems

  • Demonstrated by civilizations like Cahokia, Mississippian, and Inca.

• Focus on Mississippian (Aztec)

  • Notable for continuity in state building with earlier American states.

  • Magnificent capital city Tenochtitlan with monumental structures.

  • Utilized a tribute system for political dominance over conquered lands.

  • Inherited decentralized state model from the Maya.

  • Continued practices like human sacrifice from the Maya.

African State Building

• Facilitated by Trade Networks

  • Great Zimbabwe as an example of a state growing in power through trade.

  • Prosperity from trade, agriculture, and gold deposits.

  • Participation in the Indian Ocean trade network crucial.

  • Development of Swahili language due to trade interactions.

• Diversity in African States

  • Great Zimbabwe influenced by Islam, while Ethiopia was a Christian kingdom.

  • Ethiopian Christianity a blend of traditional beliefs and Christianity.

State Building in Europe

• Characterized by Religious Belief

  • Roman Catholic Church's influence on European culture.

  • Strong Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula until the Reconquista.

• Feudalism and Decentralized Monarchies

  • Feudal system based on loyalty and land ownership.

  • Decentralized power structures in Europe.

• Agricultural Innovations

  • Three-field system increased food production in Europe.

• Shift to Monarchs

  • Rise of monarchs consolidating power and land.

  • Establishment of bureaucracies and standing armies by kings.

Conclusion

• Diversity in Europe

  • Transition from feudalism to centralized monarchies.

  • Establishment of bureaucracies and standing armies by monarchs.

• End of Unit One

  • Marks the significant changes in Europe from 1000 to 1450.

Unit Two: Networks of Exchange

Silk Roads

• Definition: Trading routes facilitating exchange of luxury goods, mainly for elite markets.

• Cities: Cities like Kashgar and Samarkand grew in power due to their strategic locations along the Silk Roads.

  • Example: Kashgar at the eastern edge of China became a center for Islamic scholarship.

• Innovations:

  • Transportation: Caravanserai provided safety and cultural exchange.

  • Animal Technology: Yokes, saddles, stirrups made travel on camels, horses, and oxen more efficient.

  • Commercial Technology: Development of money economies and new forms of credit.

Indian Ocean Network

• Significance: World's most significant sea-based trade network before 1500.

• Goods: Trade facilitated by desire for goods not found locally, including Chinese porcelain, Indian cotton, spices, slaves, gold, etc.

• Innovations:

  • Technological: Lateen sail, magnetic compass, astrolabe, new ship designs.

• Spread of Islam: Facilitated by connections among Muslim traders, praising the work of merchants.

• Cities: Growth of powerful trading cities and states like Swahili city-states and Sultanate of Malacca.

• Diaspora Communities: Settlements aiding economic relationships and trade connections.

• Cultural and Technological Transfers: Zheng He's voyages under the Ming Dynasty increased Chinese influence over the Indian Ocean trade.

Trans-Saharan Trade

• Connection: Linked North Africa and the Mediterranean with West Africa.

• Innovations:

  • Transportation: Introduction of Arabian camel and development of camel saddle.

• Empires: Rise of empires like the Empire of Mali, profiting from the gold trade and taxing merchants.

  • Example: Mansa Musa, influential ruler of Mali, monopolized trade, increasing wealth and facilitating network growth.

Conclusion

• Expansion of Trade: Led to the establishment of diaspora communities, cultural and technological transfers.

• Innovations: Transportation technologies played a crucial role in the growth of trade networks.

• Impact: Networks of exchange not only facilitated trade but also influenced the rise of powerful cities, states, and empires.

Cultural Diffusion and Trading Routes

• Religion and Belief Systems

  • Buddhism's journey from India to China through the Silk Roads

  • Transformation of Buddhism in China and its adoption as Zen Buddhism in Japan

  • Hinduism and Buddhism entering Southeast Asia through trade

  • Spread of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia due to trade and conquest

• Literary and Artistic Transfers

  • Translation of Greek classics into Arabic by Islamic scholars

  • Timbuktu becoming a hub for Islamic education in South Asia

• Scientific and Technological Innovations

  • Introduction of Champa rice in China leading to population growth

  • Impact of the Mongols on facilitating international trade and communication

Environmental Consequences of Interconnection

• Spread of Crops and Diseases

  • Introduction of bananas to Africa through Indian Ocean trade

  • Champa rice spreading through trade networks

  • Devastating effects of the Bubonic plague (Black Death) in China, the Middle East, and Europe

Mongols and Their Influence

• Creation of the Largest Land-Based Empire

  • Facilitation of interconnection and interaction across Afro-Eurasia

  • Promotion of international trade and communication

• Technological and Cultural Transfers

  • Transfer of skilled people leading to technology, ideas, and culture exchange

  • Advances in astronomy and astronomical tools in the Ilkhan region

  • Contribution to the Scientific Revolution through predictions of solar and lunar eclipses

Unit 3:

Land-Based Empires

• Use of Gunpowder

  • Ottoman Empire's growth through strategic control and gunpowder weapons

  • Safavid Empire's establishment and adoption of gunpowder under Shah Abbas

  • Mughal Empire's expansion under Akbar's tolerant rule and use of gunpowder

  • Qing Dynasty's rise after the decline of the Ming Dynasty, with tension between Han Chinese and Manchu rulers

Main Ideas from the Transcript

Land-Based Empires and Rivalries

• Four major land-based empires: Safavid, Mughal, Songhai, Moroccan.

• Significant rivalries between these empires due to territorial ambitions and religious conflicts.

• Examples of conflicts: Safavid-Mughal conflict, Songhai-Moroccan conflict.

Consolidation and Legitimization of Power

• Rulers of land-based empires maintained control through bureaucracies, art, tax collection, and large militaries.

• Terms to know: legitimize power and consolidate power.

• Examples of consolidation: Ottomans using Devshirme, Tokugawa shogunate employing samurai, European kings claiming divine right.

• Examples of legitimization: Aztec human sacrifice, Incan Sun Temple, Emperor Kongi's use of art.

Methods of Consolidating Power

• Use of tax collection systems like Zamindar in the Mughal Empire and tax farming in the Ottoman Empire.

• Mexica tribute lists in the Aztec Empire to ensure a steady flow of goods and communicate authority.

• Role of belief systems in binding people together or causing conflicts, like the Protestant Reformation in Europe.

Role of Art and Architecture

• Art and monumental architecture used to legitimize and consolidate power in various empires.

• Examples include the Palace of Versailles in France, Incan Sun Temple in Cusco, and Emperor Kongi's portraits in China.

Impact of Gunpowder

• Gunpowder played a significant role in conflicts, like the Moroccan invasion of the Songhai Empire, showcasing the importance of military technology in power dynamics.

Main Ideas

Counter Reformation

• Catholic Church responded to Protestant Reformation with Counter Reformation.

  • Introduced reforms to address corrupt practices.

  • Reaffirmed ancient doctrines and biblical authority.

  • Made the split between Catholics and Protestants permanent.

Sunni-Shia Split

• Intensified during the period, leading to conflicts between empires.

Interaction of Belief Systems

• Sometimes, belief systems interact, producing new and innovative belief systems.

• Sikhism in South Asia emerged from the interaction of Islam and Hinduism.

  • Demonstrates continuity and change with parent religions.

  • By blending Islam and Hinduism, Sikhism became a distinct faith.

  • Rejects some doctrines of both parent religions.