AP WORLD HISTORY STUDY GUIDE UNITS 1-4

Unit 1: Global Tapestry (1200-1450 CE)
1.1 Developments in East Asia

  • Song Dynasty China: Continuities and innovations (e.g., Grand Canal, Champa rice, gunpowder, neo-Confucianism, bureaucratic exams), economic prosperity through trade and manufacturing.

1.2 Developments in Dar al-Islam

  • Abbasid Caliphate: Declined, but Islamic scholarship continued. Rise of new Islamic states (e.g., Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt, Delhi Sultanate in India).

1.3 Developments in South and Southeast Asia

  • South India: Vijayanagara Empire (Hindu kingdom).

  • Southeast Asia: Srivijaya Empire, Majapahit Kingdom (maritime power).

  • Delhi Sultanate: Islamic rule in Northern India, often faced resistance from Hindu states.

1.4 Developments in the Americas

  • Aztec Empire (Mesoamerica): Tribute system, human sacrifice, chinampas (floating gardens).

  • Inca Empire (Andes): Mit'a system (labor service instead of tribute), quipu (knotted strings for record-keeping), extensive road network.

1.5 Developments in Africa

  • Mali Empire (West Africa): Sundiata, Mansa Musa (hajj to Mecca, spread wealth), Timbuktu (center of Islamic learning and trade).

  • Great Zimbabwe: Prosperous trade city in Southern Africa.

1.6 Developments in Europe

  • Feudalism: Decentralized political and economic system (lords, vassals, serfs).

  • Catholic Church: Dominant cultural and political force; decline due to Black Death, Great Schism, and corruption.

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (1200-1450 CE)
2.1 The Silk Roads

  • Goods: Luxury goods (silk, porcelain, spices).

  • Innovations: Caravanserai, saddles, magnetic compass, astrolabe.

  • Cultural Diffusion: Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, technologies (gunpowder, paper).

2.2 The Mongol Empire and the Making of the Modern World

  • Expansion: Genghis Khan, Pax Mongolica (period of stability and trade).

  • Impact: Facilitated trade and cultural exchange across Afro-Eurasia; destruction of existing states but also fostered new ones.

2.3 Exchange in the Indian Ocean

  • Goods: Bulk goods (textiles, spices, timber), more diverse than Silk Roads.

  • Innovations: Knowledge of monsoon winds, improved sailing technology (lateen sail, dhows).

  • Cultural Diffusion: Islam, growth of port cities (e.g., Malacca, Calicut, Swahili city-states).

2.4 Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

  • Goods: Gold, salt, slaves.

  • Innovations: Camel saddles, caravans.

  • Cultural Diffusion: Islam, rise of powerful West African empires (Ghana, Mali, Songhai).

2.5 Cultural Consequences of Connectivity

  • Travelers: Ibn Battuta (Islamic scholar), Marco Polo (European merchant), Margery Kempe (Christian mystic) – documented diverse cultures.

  • Syncretism: Swahili language (Bantu + Arabic), Neo-Confucianism, Sikhism (emerged later).

2.6 Environmental Consequences of Connectivity

  • Diffusion of Crops: Champa rice (Vietnam to China), citrus, sugar.

  • Spread of Disease: Black Death (Bubonic Plague) from Central Asia to Europe and Africa; significant demographic decline, labor shortages, and social changes.

Unit 3: Land-Based Empires (1450-1750 CE)
3.1 Empires Expand

  • Gunpowder Empires:

    • Ottoman Empire: Suleiman the Magnificent, devshirme system (Christian boys conscripted), janissaries (elite infantry), siege of Constantinople (1453), expansion into Balkans, Middle East, North Africa.

    • Safavid Empire (Persia): Shia Islam as state religion, conflict with Ottoman Sunnis.

    • Mughal Empire (India): Babur, Akbar (religious toleration, Zamindar tax system), Shah Jahan (Taj Mahal), Aurangzeb (less tolerant).

  • East Asia:

    • Ming Dynasty (China): Reestablished Han rule after Yuan, Zheng He voyages (early 15th century), later isolationist policies.

    • Qing Dynasty (Manchu): Conquered Ming, expanded China's borders, maintained civil service exam, Manchu rule over Han Chinese.

  • Russia: Expansion eastward, Ivan IV (the Terrible), Peter the Great (westernization, St. Petersburg, modern army/navy), Catherine the Great.

3.2 Empires: Administration

  • Legitimization of Power: Divine right in Europe, monumental architecture (Taj Mahal, Palace of Versailles), artistic displays, court rituals.

  • Bureaucracy: Use of tax farming (Ottomans, France), centralized administration, professional militaries.

3.3 Empires: Belief Systems

  • Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther's 95 Theses (1517), challenged Catholic Church authority, led to new denominations (Calvinism, Anglicanism) and religious wars in Europe.

  • Catholic Counter-Reformation: Council of Trent, Jesuits (Society of Jesus).

  • Sikhism: Blend of Hinduism and Islam, originated in Punjab region of India.

Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections (1450-1750 CE)
4.1 Technological Innovations

  • Caravel, Carrack, Fluyt: New ship designs for efficient ocean travel.

  • Astrolabe, Magnetic Compass: Improved navigation.

  • Lateen Sail: Allowed sailing against the wind.

  • Knowledge: Understanding of global wind and current patterns (e.g., volta do mar).

4.2 Exploration: Causes and Events

  • Motives: God (spread Christianity), Gold (wealth, resources), Glory (fame, power).

  • Portugal: Prince Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama (reached India), established trading posts (factories) in Africa and Asia.

  • Spain: Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan; conquest of Aztec (Cortes) and Inca (Pizarro) empires; established colonial rule in Americas.

  • Other European Powers: England, France, Netherlands joined exploration and colonization.

4.3 The Columbian Exchange

  • Definition: Exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) and the New World (Americas).

  • Old World to New World: Wheat, cattle, horses, pigs, smallpox, measles, influenza.

  • New World to Old World: Potatoes, maize (corn), tomatoes, tobacco, cacao, syphilis.

  • Consequences: Demographic catastrophe in Americas due to disease; new food sources in Afro-Eurasia leading to population growth; environmental changes.

4.4 Maritime Empires Established

  • Mercantilism: Economic theory that states national wealth is finite; colonies exist to provide raw materials and markets for the mother country.

  • Joint-Stock Companies: British East India Company, Dutch East India Company – financed exploration and trade, reduced risk for investors, allowed for massive capital mobilization.

  • The Atlantic System: Trade network involving Europe, Africa, and Americas. Fueled by silver and sugar.

4.5 Maritime Empires: Development and Global Trade

  • Silver: Potosi mines (Bolivia) – massive influx of silver into global trade, connecting Americas, Europe, and Asia (especially China via the "silver drain").

  • New Global Economy: European states gained dominance; growth of port cities.

4.6 Internal and External Challenges to State Power

  • Resistance: Queen Nzinga of Ndongo (Angola) resisted Portuguese slave trade.

  • Rebellions: Pueblo Revolt (against Spanish rule in New Mexico).

4.7 Changing Social Hierarchies

  • Americas: Casta System (Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos, Mulattoes, Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans).

  • Africa: Kingdom of Kongo (engaged in slave trade), Ndongo (Queen Nzinga). The influx of European goods led to some societal changes.

  • China: Elite scholar-gentry class maintained status under Qing; merchants gained wealth but not social status.