AP World Unit 1 - The Global Tapestry (c. 1200-1450)

Topic 1.1: Developments in East Asia

Learning Objective A: Explain the systems of government employed by Chinese dynasties and how they developed over time.

Key Concept A: Empires and states in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity in the 13th century. This included the Song Dynasty of China, which utilized traditional methods of Confucianism and an imperial bureaucracy to maintain and justify its rule.

Chinese Dynasty Timeline

Zhou ➡ Qin ➡ Han ➡ Six Dynasties Period ➡ Sui ➡ Tang ➡ Five Dynasties Period ➡ Northern Song ➡ Southern Song ➡ Yuan ➡ Ming ➡ Qing

Confucianism: A Background

• Confucianism originated during the Zhou Dynasty

• Confucianism was made state ideology during the Han Dynasty

• Filial Piety: Confucian principle; attitude of respect for parents

Song Dynasty 960 - 1279

• Song territory did not include all of China, but was a very large territory

• The Song Dynasty existed within the medieval time period

• It was a time of great economic prosperity

• Technology and innovation led to a more sophisticated life

• The population more than doubled

Song Dynasty Imperial Bureaucracy and Meritocracy

• Civil service exams ➡ really good paychecks ➡ expanded education opportunities ➡ creation of a huge Scholar Gentry class (which became an issue)

• Civil service exams turned Song China from an aristocracy to a meritocracy by giving everyone the opportunity to be equal

Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty

Buddhism arrives in China from India during the Han Dynasty ➡ Buddhism becomes most popular during the Tang Dynasty ➡ Five Dynasties Period is wrought with instability ➡ Song Dynasty favors the more native ideology of Confucianism ➡ Confucianism is blended with Buddhist and Daoist ideas ➡ Neo-Confucianism is a crucial component of in the success of the Song Dynasty’s imperial bureaucracy

Government Organization in the Song Dynasty

Six Major Ministries

1. Ministry of Personnel

2. Ministry of Revenue

3. Ministry of Rites

4. Ministry of War

5. Ministry of Justice

6. Ministry of Public Works

Learning Objective B: Explain the effects of innovation on the Chinese economy over time.

Key Concept B: The economy of Song China became increasingly commercialized while continuing to depend on free peasant and artisanal labor. The economy of Song China flourished as a result of increased productive capacity, expanding trade networks, and innovations in agriculture and manufacturing.

Tang Dynasty Sets the Stage

• innovations during the Tang Dynasty allowed the Song Dynasty to flourish and become the most advanced, most powerful, and richest empire in the world at the time

• Tang Dynasty innovations include magnetic compass, cartography, medicine, printing, paper, gunpowder, roads, and canals

Song Economy: Agriculture

• Champa rice spread to China from Vietnam

• Drought-resistant

• Cut production time in half

• Rice could be farmed in new areas

• Steel production for agricultural equipment

• Resulted in an abundance of food and population growth

The Growing Song Economy

• Proto-industrialization includes artisanal labor and trade through the grand canal

• Small level production, not factories

• People made more than they could sell locally so they ventured out to trade internally

Song Economy: External Trade

• Innovations like paper maps, magnetic compasses, cargo ships, paper money, the Silk Road, and Indian Ocean trade helped China expand trade far beyond its own empire

• Paper money was easier to produce and carry

• Used more paper money internally and metal money externally

Silk in the Song Economy

• Silk was a cornerstone of the Song economy

• It traveled farther than any other item exported from China

• It sometimes acted as a form of currency

• Money from the Song silk trade provided funding for other Song innovations

• It brought women into the workforce

Taxes in the Song Dynasty

• Prior to Song, public projects like canals and roads were built by requiring the population to work on them

• This fundamentally changed during the Song Dynasty

• As Song China became a commercial state, fiscal policies became more sophisticated and tax systems changed

• People were paid money to work on public projects, and that money came from taxes

• This gave people jobs, put money into circulation, and advanced the economy

Causes of Commercialization in Song China

• Increased food production

  • Irrigation systems, Champa rice, iron tools

• Expanding trade networks

  • Grand Canal, Silk Road, Indian Ocean Trade

• Currency

  • Paper money, banking systems

• Innovations and Technology

  • Redesigned cargo ships, canal lock system, printing, paper, magnetic compasses, guns, gunpowder, porcelain, water wheels

Commercialization and Urbanization in Song China

• Commercialization

  • Production for profit

  • More efficient production

  • Distribution systems

  • Currency systems

• Urbanization

  • Urban areas import food to support large, dense populations

  • Produces goods for export like silk and porcelain

• Commercialization leads to urbanization

• Urbanization supports commercialization

Song China Tributary System

• Reflected Confucian ideas of hierarchy and ritual

• Operated as a metaphorical patriarchy (male dominance)

• Very different from other tributary systems

• More accurately a “tribute-trade” system

• Tribute - payment made by one state or ruler to another, especially as a sign of dependence

• China was the patriarch offering stability and tribute states were good, subservient children

• Kowtows were a bow so deep that your head hit the floor performed by foreigners as a gesture to the emperor

• Kowtows represent respect, inferiority, and the emperors right to rule

• Champa rice came through tribute from the Champa Kingdom

• Some major tributary states were Korea, Champa, Khotan, and Vietnam

Aztec vs Chinese Tribute Systems

• Aztec tribute system

  • Tribute requirements could be impossible to fulfill

  • Exchanged for protection

  • Paid to maintain peace upon predicated threat of violence

• Chinese tribute system

  • Did not make impossible demands

  • Relationship involved more trade than just one-way tribute

  • Purpose was largely for symbolism to engage in trade

  • Not always predicated on violence

Learning Objective C: Explain the effects of Chinese cultural traditions on East Asia over time.

Key Concepts C: Chinese cultural traditions continued and they influenced neighboring regions. Buddhism and its core beliefs continued to shape societies in a variety of branches, schools, and practices.

China Influences in Korea

• Pre-Song influences

  • Rice and pottery styles

  • Architecture and clothing from Han Dynasty

  • Chan Buddhism from Tang Dynasty

  • Written language (Chinese characters)

• Song Dynasty influences

  • Landscape paintings

  • Porcelain wares

  • Historical records

  • Neo-Confucianism, filial piety, civil service exams

China Influences in Japan

• Pre-Song influences

  • Chinese astrology

  • Buddhism

  • Powdered tea (matcha)

  • Music

  • Written language

  • Government

• Song Dynasty influences

  • Vajrayana Buddhism

  • Chinese characters

  • Neo-Confucianism

  • Tea competitions (Tocha)

China Influences in Vietnam

• Pre-Song influences

  • Elements of culture

  • Irrigation systems

  • Rejection of Confucianism

  • Viet independence

• Song Dynasty influences

  • Civil service exams

  • Buddhism temples

  • Confucianism influences

  • Classical Chinese literature

Continuity in Chinese Cultural Influences

• Chinese cultural practices / traditions that have survived in East Asia to the modern day:

  • Tea drinking

  • Matcha

  • Chinese written characters

  • Filial piety family relationships

The Spread of Buddhism into China

• Buddhism arrives in China in the 6th century via the Silk Road

• Chan Buddhism is a syncretic faith with mixed Daoist and Buddhist components

• Becomes popular in the Tang Dynasty although it is present before

• In the late Tang period, Buddhism became “too prevalent” and there was pushback from the Tang Court

• Buddhism combines with Confucianism to create Neo-Confucianism

Overview of Buddhism

• The Eightfold Path

  • Eight steps or instructions for how to free yourself from suffering

  • Following the Eightfold Path leads to liberation and nirvana

• Four Noble Truths

  1. Life is full of suffering

  2. The cause of suffering is greed or the desire to have what you don’t already

  3. There is a way out of suffering

  4. The Eightfold Path is the way to nirvana

Three Distinct Forms of Buddhism

• Theravada

  • Took hold in Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand

  • Achieving enlightenment means ending the cycle of reincarnation

  • Strict practice towards enlightenment, generally only practiced by monks

• Mahayana

  • Includes Chinese Chan, Japanese Zen, Korean Sǒn, and Vietnamese Thien Buddhism

  • Has the largest following

  • Focuses on bringing others into enlightenment

  • Reincarnation remains as a means to continue helping others - not just for monks

• Vajrayana

  • Part of Tibetan Buddhism

  • In Mongolia, Japan, and Indonesia but most prominent in Tibet

  • “Fast track” to nirvana

  • Nirvana can be achieved in one lifetime, unlike any of the others

Topic 1.2: Dar al-Islam

Learning Objective D: Explain the causes and effects of the rise of Islamic states over time.

Key Concepts D: As the Abbasid Caliphate fragmented, new Islamic political entities emerged, most of which were dominated by the Turkic people. These states demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity. Muslim rule continued to expand to many parts of Afro-Eurasia due to military expansion, and Islam subsequently expanded through the activities of merchants, missionaries, and Sufis.

Beginnings of Islam

• Muhammad ibn Abdullah - the Prophet Muhammad

• Quran is composed of verses recited by Muhammad

• Muhammad must move from Mecca to Medina

• Islamic conversions begin in Medina

• Five pillars of Islam

  1. Profession of Faith (shahada)

  2. Prayer (salat)

  3. Alms (zakat)

  4. Fasting (sawm)

  5. Pilgrimage (hajj)

The Abbasid Caliphate

• Muhammad ibn Abdullah (570-632)

• Rashidun Caliphate (632-661)

• Umayyad Caliphate (661-750)

• Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258)

• United by language and Islamic traditions

• The Islamic Golden Age

• Center of empire moved to Baghdad

• Growing economy in maritime and overland trade

• Caliphate - area a caliph (Muslim ruler following the death of Muhammad) rules

Establishing the Spread of Islam

• Muslim conquest of Eqypt in 642 marks the beginning of the expansion into North Africa

• The Sassanids (remaining Persians) were defeated by Muslim forces in 644

• Muslim forces invaded and conquered Spain in 711

• Abbasid Empire stopped invading Tang Chinese forces in 751 in the battle of Talas

• Islam introduced to India and the East through trade

New Islamic Political Entities

• Three new Islamic political entities developed while the Abbasid Caliphate weakened

  1. Seljuk Empire (1050-1300)

  2. Delhi Sultanate (1206-1556)

  3. Mamluk Sultanate of Eqypt (1250-1517)

• The Mongol siege of Baghdad in 1258 officially marked the end of the Abbasid Caliphate

The Seljuk Empire (1050-1300)

• Nomadic Turkic people

• Migrated from central Asia into Middle East

• Took over Abbasid territory during Abbasid decline and took Baghdad in 1055

• Viewed as restorers of Sunni Muslim unity

• Weakened by Mongol Invasions

• Ultimately succeeded by the Ottomans who maintained much of Seljuk culture and traditions

The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt (1250-1517)

• Mamluk - owned or slave

• Many Mamluks were from Central Asia

• They overthrew the Ayyubid Dynasty in Egypt

• Their first ruler was Shajar al-Durr

• Empire ruled by a military caste of mamluks

• Asia and Europe were connected by Mamluk trading ports

• The Mamluk Sultanate declined due to the Black Plague, a weakened political structure, and losing control over the valuable spice trade

The Delhi Sultanate (1206-1556)

• Mamluk Dynasty (1206-1290) second smallest

• Khiliji Dynasty (1290-1320) second largest

• Tughluq Dynasty (1320-1414) largest

• Sayyid and Lodhi Dynasties (1414-1556) smallest

• Delhi Sultanate Mamluk Dynasty is not the same as the one in Egypt

  • Qutb al-Din Aibak was a slave of a Muslim warlord and became the first sultan of Delhi

• Islam spread into India despite clashes with Hinduism because of migrating nomads

Learning Objective E: Explain the effects of intellectual innovation in Dar al-Islam.

Key Concept E: Muslim states and empires encouraged significant intellectual innovation and transfers.

The Islamic Golden Age

• Baghdad became the epicenter of knowledge

• The Translation Movement was when many ancient Greek texts were being translated into Arabic

• Indian math (trigonometry) and paper making were transferred to Europe during the Islamic Golden Age

The Translation Movement

• Made possible by paper

• Translated classic texts including those from Plato, Aristotle, and Hippocrates

• Huge volumes of anatomy, medicine, and philosophy were translated and preserved

• The transfer of paper knowledge from China and India into Europe set the stage for the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution later on

Notable Figures

• Ibn Battuta (1304-1369)

  • The “Islamic Marco Polo”

• Lubna of Córdoba (10th century)

  • Islamic Mathematician

• Hunayn ibn Ishaq

  • Leading translator at the House of Wisdom

Trade and Flow of Technolgy

• Baghdad was situated in the center of the marked trade routes

• This causes everything to pass through Baghdad, making it a center hub of knowledge, ideas, and trade

Learning Objective F: Explain how systems of belief and their practices affected society in the period from c. 1200 to c. 1450.

Key Concepts F: Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and the core beliefs and practices of these religions continued to shape societies in Africa and Asia.

Islam and Other Religions 1200-1450

• Early Islamic states were tolerant of other religions, particularly Christian and Jewish faiths

• Christians and Jews were considered “people of the book” but had to pay a tax called “jizya”

• The “jizya” encouraged conversion to Islam

• Clash between Christians and Muslims manifest as the Crusade Wars over control of holy sites

Islam in West Africa

• Islam spread to West Africa through the Trans-Saharan trade routes

• Mansa Musa’s hajj to Mecca was 2700 miles and the brought with him 80 camels carrying gold, 12,000 slaves carrying gold, and 60,000 men dressed in the finest silks

• The continuity in this part of Africa is the same as it was in the 1200s

Islam in Asia

• Sufi missionaries in India also went into China

• Spread into China via the Silk Road trade routes

• During the Tang and Song Dynasty mosques were built in China that Combined Arabic and Chinese architecture

• Zheng He, famous Chinese explorer from Yunnan, was born in a Chinese-Muslim family

• Zheng He also worshiped Tianfei, the Chinese patron Goddess of sailors

Topic 1.3: Developments in South and Southeast Asia

Learning Objective G: Explain how various belief systems and practices of South and Southeast Asia affected society over time.

Key Concept G: Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism, and their core practices continued to shape societies in South and Southeast Asia

Learning Objective H: Explain how and why various states of South and Southeast Asia developed and maintained power over time.

Key Concept H: State formation and development demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity, including the new Hindu and Buddhist states that emerged in South and Southeast Asia.

The Chola Dynasty

• Hindu Empire; largely rejected Buddhism and Jainism

• Maritime trade with Tang China and Abbasid Caliphate

• Greatest maritime empire in India

• Influenced Southeast Asia through maritime trade and conquest

• Continued temple-building traditions of previous dynasties

• Influenced the architecture of Hindu temples in Indonesia

Imperial Pandyas

• First ruler, Maravarman Sundara 1, sent the Chola King, Kulothunga 111, into exile

• This marked a series of conflicts that ultimately ended the Chola Dynasty

• Temple-centered Hinduism and major part of the Bhakti movement

• Bhakti movement - a movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation

  • This challenged the caste system

The Bhakti Movement

• Bhakti means devotion

• Followers have a personal devotion to a particular deity

• Music, dance, poetry, and rituals are emphasized to achieve direct union with the divine

• Salvation was attainable by all, not just those with higher social status

• The Tamil people of India are roughly found on the Southern coast of India

Harihara and Bukka: The Brothers who Founded the Vijayanagara Empire

• Originally Hindu

• Captured by Delhi Sultanate and converted to Islam

• Became generals and sent to Southern India on a Delhi mission

• Converted back to Hinduism and founded the Vijayanagara Empire

Vijayanagara Empire

• Dates of existence: 1336-1646

• Primary religion: Hindu

• 300 sea ports

• Active in maritime trade

• Bhakti movement

• Caste system

• Agricultural economy

Northern India

• Rajput Kingdoms

  • Mostly Hindu but also Muslim and Sikh

  • Disjointed clans often at war with each other

  • Posed a major obstacle to Muslim dominance in North India

  • Demonstrated diversity; different backgrounds and goals of various clans made it impossible to form a cohesive political entity

• Delhi Sultanate

  • Muslim

  • More central government under a Sultan

Religious Movements

• Sufism

  • Muslim

  • Mystic

  • Sought converts

• Bhakti Movement

  • Hindu

  • Mystic

  • Influenced Hindus

• Buddhist Monasticism

  • Buddhism originates in India

  • Monasticism is renouncing worldly pursuits to devote oneself to spiritual work (becoming a monk)

  • Spreads to Tibet, East Asia, and Southeast Asia

The Sinhala Dynasties

• Became a Buddhist state before it had a centralized government

• Developed advanced irrigation techniques which spurred economic growth

• Had trade agreements with other states

• During 1200-1450, they dealt with many invasions that weakened the kingdoms

• Zheng He sailed to Sri Lanka in 1411 and defeated the ruler Vira Alakeshvara, taking him captive

Rise of the Srivijaya Empire

• Dates of existence: 670 - 1025

• Primary religion: Hinduism and Buddhism

• Controlled the Strait of Malacca, a waterway between Sumatra and Malacca

• Control of this strait was important because they controlled trade between China and India by charging fees to access routes through the strait

Decline of the Srivijaya Empire

• Control of the Malacca Strait put a target on Srivijaya

• Empire forced ships to dock in their territory, which made stops on the East coast of India unnecessary because ships were able to travel further

• Chola Dynasty attacked Srivijaya because of that, captured their ruler, and sacked their cities

Majapahit Empire

• Dates of existence: 1293-1527

• Primary religion: Hindu-Buddhist

• One of the greatest and most powerful empires in the history of Indonesia and Southeast Asia

• Considered to have set the precedent for Indonesia’s modern-day boundaries

• Ruled by a king thought to be divine (chakravartin)

• State officials assist and are organized in a hierarchy

• Government structure remains intact throughout the majority of the empires existence

The Khmer Empire

• Dates of existence: 802-1431

• Located in present day Cambodia

• First chakravartin: King Jayavarman

• Main religions: Hindu and Mahayana Buddhism

• Later conversions: Thervada Buddhism

Indian Influence on the Khmer Empire

• Indian caste system derives authority from the Vedas ancient texts

• The Khmer caste system derives authority from the chakravartin ruler with divine authority

• Both are forms of societal organization

Khmer Organization of Society

1. King - chakravartin

2. Brahmins - priests

3. Kshastriyas - royalty, warriors

4. Merchants, artisans

5. Rice farmers, fishermen (largest portion of the population)

6. Slaves (by war, purchase, or birth)

Khmer: Water-fueled Empire

• Rice farming sustains large population

• Rice planted along rivers such as the Mekong

• Tonlé Sap is a freshwater lake used for fishing

• Monsoon climate - flucuations in water supply

• Angkor Wat becomes the “Hydraulic City”

  • Canals, dykes, moats, reservoirs

• West Barya reservoir can be seen from space

Khmer: Conflict with the Sukhothai Kingdom

• Khmer controlled Sukhothai land until a revolt in 1238

• Series of wars followed Sukhothai independence from Khmer Empire

• Khmer capital of Angkor was sieged in 1353 and 1394

• Angkor fell and was abandoned by 1431

• Post- Angkor Cambodia is referred to as “The Dark Age” until 1800s

Spread of Islam

• Hindu / Buddhist states that also had Muslim populations

  • Srivaijaya

  • Rajput

  • Majapahit

Topic 1.4: State Building in the Americas

Learning Objective I: Explain how and why states in the Americas developed and changed over time.

Key Concept I: In the Americas, as in Afro-Eurasia, state systems demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity, and expanded in scope and reach.

The Maya City-States

• Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, parts of Honduras

• Pre-classic: 2000 BCE-250 CE

• Classic: 250-950

• Post-classic: 950-1539

• No centralized empire or state

• Mix of city-states and chiefdoms

• Pre-classic - developed a system of divine rule in which the king was connected to deities

• Reinforced by rituals and public displays

Commerce in Maya City-States

• No pack animals; goods were carried by people for overland trade

• Goods transported by canoes on waterways

• Spanish records indicate there were thriving marketplaces

• Trade occurred throughout Mesoamerica

• Cotton, salt, vanilla, ceramics, and slaves were traded

Maya Urban Centers and Architecture

• Ruins represent central and elite areas

• Commoners homes did not survive

• Temples, pyramid structures, and ball courts

• Language and writing: used logograms and phonetics

Maya Religion and Ritual

• Maya culture has many deities

• Entire supernatural world

• Deceased ancestors offer a connection between the natural and supernatural

• The Quetzal bird’s feathers are frequently found in later iterations of Mayan deities

• Bloodletting: to satisfy or “nourish” deities, offers of animal sacrifice, human sacrifice, and human blood were made during religious rituals and ceremonies

• Cizin - God of death

Decline of the Maya

• Reasons for decline aren’t completely clear

• Reasons may include severe drought, warfare among city-states, logging, or overpopulation

A Quick Look: The Olmecs

• 1600-400 BCE

• Known for their “colossal heads”

• Engaged in bloodletting and ballgames

• 1st civilization in Western Hemisphere to develop a writing system

• Concept of the number zero and calendars

The Aztecs (Mexica)

• Tenochtitlan is the capital

• Located slightly West of Olmec and Maya

• Flourished in post-classical period from 1300-1521

Founding of Tenochtitlan

• Mexica people migrated South in present-day Mexico

• Vision of an eagle eating a snake on a cactus in 1323

• Tenochtitlan was founded as an island city on lake Texcoco in 1325

Aztec Organization of Society

1. Divine ruler

2. Priests, warriors, nobility

3. Merchants, traders

4. Artisans, farmers

5. Peasants

6. Slaves (indentured servitude or war captives)

Maintaining Power in Aztec Empire

• Itzoatl (1427-1440) emperor of Tenochtitlan

• Formed the Aztec “Triple Alliance” which was the basis for the empire

• Built roads and temples, established a strong religious and government structure

• Constantly engaged in conquering nearby city-states

• Conquered states had to pay tribute to to Tenochtitlan

• Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan formed the Triple Alliance

The Inca Empire

• Founded in 1438

• Began as a city-state known as the Kingdom of Cusco

• Began expanding to eventually cover Peru, parts of Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina

• Largest empire in the pre-Columbian Americas

Kingdom of Cusco Expands

• Sapa Inca - “son of the sun” divine ruler descended from Inti

• Inti - the sun God

• Second to Sapa Inca was the Chief Priest

• Sapa presided over religious ceremonies

• Pachacuti was the 9th Sapa Inca and is known for taking his chiefdom and expanding it into the Inca Empire

Religion in the Inca Empire

• Incans were polytheistic

• Mummified the dead

• Preformed sacrifices (ahapaq hucha)

Incan Economy

• Subsistence economy

• Mit’a - performing labor obligations as a form of tax

• No currency, barter and mit’a system

• Limited trade with outside states

• Roads and bridges connected the empire

• People traveled on foot while goods were moved by llama, the only domesticated pack animal in the pre-Columbian Americas

Maintaining Control in the Inca Empire

• Communication system of chasquis (messengers of the Inca Empire)

• Bonfires signaled revolts

• Four distinct regions unified under Cusco

• Intentional displacement of new populations

• People were divided into sections of taxpayers

• Hierarchy of officials governed taxpayers

• Inspectors called tokoyrikoq enforced laws and Incan moral codes

• 3 Incan moral precepts

  • Ama Sua - do not steal

  • Ama Llulla - do not lie

  • Ama Quella - do not be lazy

Mississippian Cultures

• Native American civilizations in present-day Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States

• Extended along the East of the Mississippi River

• Built large earthen mounds

• Matrilineal Society (each person identified by their mothers lineage)

• Extensive trade networks

• Chiefdoms

Cahokia Mounds

• Cahokia was one of the largest and most impressive pre-Columbian cities in North America

• Mounds were centrally located

Urbanization in Cahokia

• 1050 CE: 1,400-2,000 people

• 1100 CE: 10,200-15,300 people

• Population skyrockets in a span of about 50 years

• 40,000 people at its height

• Abandoned around 1450

Settlements in the American Southwest

• Chaco and Mesa Verde

• Dry climate

• Stone buildings and structures

• Developed methods of water collection and storage

• Ancestors to many later groups of Native Americans in the Southwest

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

• Mesa Verde - green table

• Mesa Verde and Chaco settlements located around San Juan, Colorado, and Utah

Topic 1.5: State Building in Africa

Learning Objective J: Explain how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time. (What influenced?)

Key Concept J: In Africa, as in Afro-Eurasia, state systems demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity, and expanded in scope and reach

Bantu Migrations

• Sub-Saharan Africa

• Migrations of Bantu-speaking people

• Brought agriculture techniques, iron smelting, and language to other parts of Africa

Hausa Kingdoms

• Seven city-states with no unifying central power

• Each Hausa city-state had a king called Sarkin Kasa

• Gold, ivory, salt, iron, cotton, animals, hides, and slaves were traded

Mali Empire

• 1226-1670

• Founded by Sundiata Keita

• Largest empire in West Africa at its peak

• Known for its extremely wealthy rulers, especially Mansa Musa

• Controlled many of the Trans-Saharan trade routes which is where Mali derived its power and wealth

• Islam spread widely in Mali when Mansa Musa took power in 1312

Decline of the Mali Empire

• Control of the lucrative spice trade centers was central to Mali power

• New trade routes opened in rival kingdoms like Songhai

• European trading ships created tough competition

• Civil wars erupted over succession to the thrown

• King Sunni Ali of Songhai conquered the majority of Mali in the mid-1400s

Great Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe - “dwelling” in Bantu

• Founded in the 9th century, abandoned in the 15th century

• Chinese pottery and Arabic coins found in excavation sites suggest it was a trading center

• Shifting trade like China’s trade closure lead to decline

Ethiopia

• Feudal government with wealthy landlords

• Rulers claimed to be descended from the Biblical king Solomon and Queen of Sheba - the era called the Early Solomonic Period

• Imperial expansion led to control of most of the Horn of Africa

• Center of power moved frequently so urbanization did not occur

• Christianity was the dominant religion

• Other African states of the time period were all Islamic

• Monolith - underground church

Songhai Empire

• Replaced the Mali Empire

• Capital of Songhai is Gao

• Existed from 1460 to 1591

Topic 1.6: Developments in Europe

Learning Objective K: Explain how the beliefs and practices of the predominant religions in Europe affected European society.

Key Concept K: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and their core beliefs and practices continued to shape societies in Europe.

Learning Objective L: Explain the causes and consequences of political decentralization in Europe from 1200 to 1450.

Key Concept L: Europe was politically fragmented and characterized by decentralized monarchies, feudalism, and the manorial system.

Learning Objective M: Explain the effects of agriculture on social organization in Europe from 1200 to 1450.

Key Concept M: Europe was largely an agricultural society dependent on free and coerced labor, including serfdom.

Early and High Middle Ages

• Early Middle Ages - 476 CE to 1000 CE

  • 476 was the fall of the Western Roman Empire

  • Sometimes called the “Dark Ages”

  • Power fractured into smaller kingdoms and there is a decline in intellectual advancements and trade

• High Middle Ages - 1000 CE to 1300 CE

  • Revival of intellectual advancements and trade

• One continuity throughout these periods was the Roman Catholic Church

European Feudalism: Land for Loyalty

• Monarch

  • Gives land for lords to become their vassal

• Lord

  • Gives land to knights in exchange for protection

  • Gives land to peasants for loyalty and provides them with protection

Manorial Suystem

• Manor - large fiefs or estates that were self-sufficient

• Serf - peasants who worked the land for their own use and for the benefit of the lord

Feudalism vs Manorialism

• Feudalism

  • Social and political structure

  • Land for military service

  • Describes the relationship between kings and vassals (lords)

  • King gives land for loyalty

• Manorialism

  • Social and economic structure

  • Nobles retain rights over land and its tenants

  • Describes the relationship between lords and pesants

  • Peasants give loyalty for protection

• Free and coerced labor was the driving force of production in medieval European agrarian society

Power Shifts in Europe

• A politically fractured Europe was based on a feudal system in the Early Middle Ages

• Saw a shift in power to monarchs beginning around 1000 CE at the start of the High Middle Ages

• Then, power shifted again to the nobles

• The signing of the Magna Carta marks the last major shift during this time period because it prevented the king from exploiting his power and limited royal authority

Powerful Monarchies Emerge

• The kingdoms of England and France gained power in Europe

• This marked the move away from decentralized feudalism

The Magna Carta

• The barons demanded that King John limit royal power and recognize traditional rights

• The Magna Carta granted the right for people to be judged by their peers but unfree peasants were excluded from this law

• One of the Magna Carta’s most important legacies is the concept that no man, not even the king, is above the law

The Hundred Years’ War

• Series of conflicts from 1337 - 1453 between kingdoms of England and France

• Began over English lands in France and the issue of succession to the French throne

• Five generations of kings fought for dominance over Western Europe

• Resulted in growing nationalism and warfare innovations

• Some innovations that came from the Hundred Years’ War:

  • Artillery

  • Cannons

  • Large standing armies

  • Chevavchée - destruction and pillaging of farms and rural areas

The Great Schism of 1054

• Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox dominated Europe after the Great Schism

Religion in Europe 1200 - 1450

• Christianity - Western and Eastern Europe

• Islam - Spain

• Judaism - throughout central Europe and Spain

Reconquista of Spain

• Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula begins in 711

• Muslim rule continued through 1492

• Catholic monarchies Isabella l and Ferdinand ll defeated the Nasrid Dynasty in the Grenada War in 1492

• Conflict between Catholics and Muslims in Spain is known as the Reconquista

The Crusades

• Series of wars between Christians and Muslims from 1096 - 1291

• Later Crusades aimed to combat “enemies” of the Christian faith

The Influence of Religion in Medieval Europe

• The Christian Church had control over or influenced taxes, politics, education, art, and the lives of people in all social classes

The End of the Middle Ages

• Approximate dates of the Renaissance: 1400-1600

• The Renaissance was a “rebirth” of art, culture, politics, and science from the age of classical antiquity and introduction of humanism