History Flashcards Set

Where is:
Germany
France
Spain
Portugal
England
Turkey
Istanbul
Mecca
The Mediterranean Sea
The Atlantic Ocean
The Pacific Ocean
The Indian Ocean
China
Japan
Mexico
Peru
Mali
Timbuktu
Benin
The Sahara Desert
Morocco
Zimbabwe
Russia
Poland
Ukraine
Please study the following terms. Five will appear on the midterm.
You may write short notes (4-5 sentences each) on any three:

Cuius Regio eius religio

Whose realm, his religion. Basically, the ruler’s religion dictates the religion of his subjects.

St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre

• The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre was a wave of violence against French Protestants that took place in 1572. It was the climax of the French Wars of Religion. Resulted in the deaths of up to 70,000 Huguenots across France 

Caliphate

a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of the entire Muslim world. Ruled by a caliph (Arabic khalīfah, “successor”), who held temporal and sometimes a degree of spiritual authority, the empire of the Caliphate grew rapidly through conquest during its first two centuries to include most of Southwest Asia, North Africa, and Spain. 

Sunnis and Shias

• Sunni and Shia are the two largest sects of Islam. The split between the two sects occurred in the seventh century after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The main difference between the two sects is their belief about who should have succeeded the Prophet Muhammad. Sunnis Believe that the leader of the Muslim community can be any member of the community and Shias Believe that the leader of Islam should be a blood relative of Muhammad. 

The Janissaries

The janissaries were soldiers and administrators who could not be recruited amongst Turkish Muslims, only the Christian populations. They were slaves for the emperor, they were soldiers unlike other slaves.

“He said, "Oh! of old the former kings of Xia cultivated earnestly their virtue, and then there were no calamities from Heaven. The spirits of the hills and rivers alike were all in tranquility; and the birds and beasts, the fishes, and tortoises, all enjoyed their existence according to their nature. But their descendant did not follow their example, and great Heaven sent down calamities…”

The Overland and the Tribute System

In China "the Overland" refers to the system of interactions primarily with nomadic groups in the north and west of China, often involving trade and diplomacy conducted via land routes, while "the Tribute System" describes the more formalized system of relations with states further south and east, where neighboring countries would send symbolic gifts ("tribute") to the Chinese emperor to acknowledge his superior power and gain access to trade benefits, essentially signifying their subordinate position within a Chinese-centered world order

Sankin Kotai

Sankin-kōtai was a policy that required feudal lords in Japan to spend time in Edo (modern Tokyo). The policy was in place from 1635 until the Tokugawa shogunate was abolished in 1862. 

“The messengers with a trumpet worked in relays, one chasqui relieving another after a distance of just under two miles. Inthis way the rate of progress of the message could be kept astoundingly high. It was said that a snail picked off a leaf at Tumi in the north of the empire could be delivered to the Inca in Cuzco still alive. As for the higher messengers, their task was to carry heavy loads on a whole day’s journey at a time.”

The Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange was the exchange of goods, people, and ideas between the Old World and the New World during the Age of Exploration. It began after Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492. 

“The royal court is magnificent and very well organized. When the king goes from one city to another with the people of hiscourt, he rides a camel and the horses are led by hand by servants. If fighting becomes necessary, the servants mount the camels and all the soldiers mount on horseback. When someone wishes to speak to the king, he must kneel before him and bow down; but this is only required of those who have never spoken to the king, or of ambassadors. The king has about 3,000 horsemen and infinity of foot-soldiers armed with bows made of wild fennel [?] which they use to shoot poisoned arrows. This king makes war only upon neighboring enemies and upon those who do not want to pay him tribute. When he has gained a victory, he has all of them--even the children- sold in the market at Timbuktu.”

Mansa Musa

• Mansa Musa is known for his wealth, generosity, and pilgrimage to Mecca. He was the ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century. Historians estimate that Mansa Musa was the richest person to have ever lived, worth around $400 billion in modern currency. He gave away so much gold during his pilgrimage to Mecca that the value of gold fell in Cairo for years.