AP world History(per:1,unit:1/2)

Period 1: c.1200 CE to c.1450 CE

Unit 1: The Global Tapestry

Chapter 1: Africa(1200-1450)

African Environments

• Home to many different cultures

  • forged africa’s social, religious, economic relationships with others

• Used various techniques to adapt to different environments.climates

  • Irrigation ::very important

  • Africa’s rivers ::important

    • Nile River:: central africa to north

    • Niger River :: west africa

    • Zambezi River :: south

    • Congo River ::central africa

• Dense tropical rain forest ::West/Central Africa

• Desert(Sahara Desert) ::in north, southwest=Kalahari

• Some are ::agricultural, some are pastoral, some are hunter.gathers, others fished

• By 1200, Agriculture has been(africa)::dominant enterprise for centuries.

• Strength of African tropics::mining of precious metals

  • Most valuable::Copper/Gold

    • Copper made into::wire, decorative obj. Cooper/brass statues coming out of west af some of most famous art of period date to 1500.

    • Gold::Incredibly profitable as export to India

    • Source of Gold::Niger River/hills south of Zambezi River

  • Most Plentiful/important::iron

    • Iron made into::hoes, axes, knifes for farming

New Islamic Empires in Africa

• Islam spread from::North Africa down into sub-Saharan af

• Key development of period::spread of islam in af economically/culturally.

• North Africa under Mus lim rule by::8th cent.

• land south of Sahara Desert known to Arabs as::bilad al-sudan=”land of blacks”

• Muslim Berbers conquered Ghana in::1076=subsequent empire of Mali

• Mali flourished from::1200 to 1500(richest and larges Muslim states)

• In East Africa::Christianity strong hold in Ethiopia

• Sumanguru/Sundiata::muslims peacelfully converted to Islam before empire was established(Sundiata further conquest was birth of Mali empire)

• Mali’s main wealth::trade(strategic control of trade routes and their resources)

• Mansa Musa’s rule demonstrates::Mali’s wealth and the extent to which Islam permeated all aspects of administrative life from law to military systems

Africa and Indian Ocean Trade

Between 1200-1500 Indian Ocean trade network=richest of maritime trading routes

• What caused Indian Ocean trade network flourish?::end of mongol empire, end of overland security from control of mongol empire(maritime became more important)

• Indian Ocean trade network helped spread of Islam(cause connected to asia, africa, europe etc)

• Great Zimbabwe(Swahili coast, prosperous cause of Indian ocean trade)::relied on farming/cattle herding, had considerable control of gold trade south of Zambezi River, known for massive stone structures built for the elite.

Social and Cultural change in Africa from 1200 to 1500

Islamic beliefs had significant impact on society and culture in Africa, but local cultures continued to thrive and sustain in diversity of dynamic sub-saharan Africa.

• Examples how local cultures affect Islam influence in Africa:: mosques in africa based on Middle Easter designs, but used materials local to region(mosques in west Africa no look same on Swahili coast)

• Islam increased education::in Timbuktu, books were hottest trading commodities.

• Increase in wealth came growth of elitist classes(the need of servants africa)::around 2.5 mil africans crossed Sahara/Red Sea s enslaved ppl between 1200/1500, these slaves had opportunities and trained in skills like military(very different from European form of slavery).

• Roles for women(africa)::farmed, transported food, water/other materials

• role of trade networks in period 1200-1450 was crucial in establishing a thriving, multifaceted Islamic world while allowing for preservation of local cultures.

Chapter 2: The Middle East (1200 to 1450)

Islam=youngest of monotheistic religions, began on Arabian peninsula.

• Founding prophet, Muhammad :: born in trading town of Mecca in 570

• Mecca importance:: pilgrim visit went there for Ka’ba. And as economic center

• In 610(Islam)::Muhammad began to meditate and have visions.

• Five Pillars of Islam:: statement of faith in 1 God, prayer 5 times a day, fasting during Ramadan, chairty, pilgrimage the Hajj

• leaders in Mecca feared::Muhammad’s belief in 1 god threatened their power and security as well as polytheistic traditions of their communities. (Muhammad was forced to flee to Medina in 622)

• in Medina army was able to form and win over Mecca in 630. Muhammad’s death=632

  • His death raised question of who would be Muhammad’s successor(caliph).

    • Muhammad’s death:: provoked 1st major split in Islamic umma, divided Muslims into 2 major sects(Sunnis, and Shi’ites)

• Shi’ite believe:: succession should be traced through bloodline of Muhammad, and only his descendants

• Sunni:: believes caliph is to be chosen by community

Islamic Caliphates

• As Muslim world grew to non-Arabic speaking regions, need to read Quran in Arabic encouraged growth of schools to teach the language and to interpret quran.

• Shari’a::Islamic law, Muslim law

• Caliphate

  • Umayyad(Sunni Muslim established this cause dominant sect)

  • after conflicts the Abbasid caliphate is established in 7500 and ruled until 1258 from::Baghdad(become thriving capital)

• Islam continued to spread despite terrortial loss.

• thanks to papermaking from China:: literature and books were much more available in Middle East than in Europe.

• Unlike Catholic Church::Islam looked to many different sources for knowledge at that time.

  • This includes Greek classics, rove important for European Renaissance

• Cities like Baghdad/Cordoba essential for Muslim Empire cause::both as ways of spreading faith and as governing centers. Also centers of trade.

• women in Islamic world had greater legal freedoms than::Jewish or Christian women in post-classic times. They could inherit property, divorce, remarry, testify in court

• Islam spread along silk road from Spain to china

• Abbasid leaders came to rely on Mamluks who are::enslaved Turks from central Asia w/exceptional skill in warfare. Become a significant power.

  • Christians viewed Seljuk Turks as tremendous threat, and set out to take Holy Land from em.

The Crusades

• Crusades::series of battles initiated by Christianity, against Islam.

  • Muslim leaders in control of many cities considered sacred by Christians::Jerusalem, Alexandria.

  • Crusades had little effect on the::Muslims

  • Crusades had huge impact on::Europe.

    • Life in Europe were improved

    • Exposed them to great amount of information, goods,and resources.

      • Brought back paper/sugar

    • Establishment of trading port like Venice and Genoa helped::open Europe to diverse Muslim world of middle east.

    • High demand of middle east goods of late medieval europe encouraged trade.

The Mongols in the Middle East

• Mongols accomplished what Europeans failed to in the Crusades::Shattered what had one been the heart of Muslim Empire.

  • Weakened and fragmented Abbasid Caliphate was destroyed when::Baghdad sacked in 1258, this event appalled Islamic world

  • Mongols leaders appreciated Muslim::art, literature/architecture, many converted to Islam

• Mongol Nobles placed in position of::power

• Borrowing from earlier Middle Eastern Econmic practice Mongols used;;tax farming

  • giving out private contracts to merchants to collect taxes by whatever means served them best.

  • This brought about economic depression outlived the IL-khan Empire.

• Islamic world served::as major conduit for ideas and goods in its position at western ed of Silk Road(fine products from East flowed into Middle east and form there to Europe)

• Under IL-Khans, Rashid al-Din patronized to record histories of faraway places like China/Europe. Also Mathematical/scientific developments, well preserved under them and their successors, the Timurids

• trade also brought disease, Bubonic plague would be Mongols::most devastating impact

• by 14th cent. Middles East in control of Turkish sultans and Mongol Khans.

• IL-Khan empire gave way to:: Timurid Empire, when Central Asian turkic leader Timur rose to take much of Middle East. But the Empire was short lived

• Ottoman Empire is the next:: great Turkish presence in Middle East. they are very skilled in warfare and conquest. took over the Byzantine empire in 1453 and create a Muslim Empire will endure till 20th cent.

Chapter 3: Asia

China: Song empire(960-1279)

• after fall of tang 3 smaller empires in China::Song Empire(central China), Tanggut and Liao Empires in Northern China(military more powerful)

• The Jin conquered the Liao, and Jin captured emperor of osng 2 years later::Forced Song south of the Yellow River, establish new capital at HangZhou. Now refered to as southern Song

  • Made great mathematical and techonological achievements(even though not as large a tang)

    • The Junk ship::main Chinese seafaring ship, navigated ocean with ease and had special features such as watertight compartments.

    • Also improved gunpowder and compass.

  • Song economic accomplishment::paper money, thanks to movable type(tremendous technological contribution that spread across Asia to Europe and beyond)

    • Benefits of printing press in China:: allowed for the dissemination of agricultural tech, education resources, public health info in cities and villages(improving health conditions in areas by combating Malaria and the plague)

    • Another economic tool was the credit::could be used across region

• Religious and social

  • still strong influence of Buddhism, confucianism reemerged as philiosophical and ethical basis for Song Society

    • Neo-Confucianism::confucian ideas that emerged in Song period and therafter(reflected buddhist influence and incorporated new understandings of Confucian teachings)

  • Role of Women(due to Confucian patriarchal traditions)

    • In China Women did not have::property rights or ability to remarry, rarley ahd educational opportunities.

    • Also Foot binding:: came to emobody the restrictions on women in Song China and beyond. Became a status symbol among the elite in China.

• Song cities of China are thriving economic and cultural centers among largest cities in world at that time::Chang’an, Kaifeng, Hangzhou

The Mongols

• Mongols are nomadic group originated in Central Asia(self-sufficient pastoralist, families moved quickly, and children learned skills necessary to thrive in steppes of Central Asia from earliest ages).

• Cultural beliefs etc. based on Shamanism, but they also adopted other faiths among the silk road(Buddhism, Islam, and chirstianity, but maintained their shamanistic traditions)

  • Believed the triabl leader::Khan and his shamans could speak for the god of the universe, known as Sky or Heaven. Most powerful families could voice their opinions to the khan, and they grew even more powerful through intermarriage and warfare.

• Genghis Khan rose to power as the supreme leader of the Mongols::a title known as the Great Khan

  • in 1206, set out to conquer Eurasia and forced rival kingdoms to pay tribute.

  • 1215 captured Beijing, then capital of Jin Empire

  • 1221 control of Persia, first attaccks on Russia had begun

  • died in 1227, conquest of north of china continued with his son, Great Khan Ogodei

  • 1234, Mongols were postitioned to take the southern SOng empire in China

  • 1258 Middle East came under Mongol with sacking of Baghdad, capital of Abbasid Empire.

• What made Mongols able to conquer Eurasia relavtively quickly?::result of military techniques they had practiced for centuries(expertise in hrosemanship, use of Central Asian bow, shoot 1/3 farther than bows of their enemies. Mongols also adapted iron weaponry and tactics encountered in China, absorbed many captured ppls into their army, persians, turks, chinese, and even Europeans)

• Golden Horde:: in Russia

• Jagadai Khanate(Chagatai Khanate):: central Asia

• IL-Khan:: in Persia(middle East)

• Golden Horde and Jagadai Khanate

  • Golden Horde begin unified and broke aprat into smaller khanates

    • Ruled Russia from distance::allowed Russia to avoid direct subjugation and kept Russia’s principalities in place. Thanks to Prince Alexander Nevskii(who convinced peers that their best strategy was to cooperate with Mongols, in appreciation, Mongols favoured Nevskii’s terrritory of Novgord.)

    • Mongols aslo recognized and patronized Orthodox Church, shrewd political move to win hearts of Russian ppl

    • Islam became source of tension among Mongols of Golden Horde

• In securing and controlling Eurasia, mongols allowed missionaries merchants and dipolmats to freely::Exchange ideas and goods, but also spread disease, Bubonic plague. Spread from China by Mongol troops.

  • Heavy burden placed on western Eurasia in terms of taxes and resources led to poulation loss, drained local ecconomy and desotryed rural areas.

• Jagadai Khanate under Timur(turk married into Mongol dynasty), brought middle east under his control.

  • Timur also Patronized great:: Scholars, painters, and historians, helping to preserve and build on the significant contributions of the Muslim world. Astronomy was another field that flourished during this time.

• the Yuan Empire

  • Genghis’ grandson Khubilai Khan took title of Great Khan in 1265

    • began to rule from Beijing since capital of Mongol empire destroyed

    • in 1271 created Yuan Empire in China, new domain of Great khan

    • Greatest Contribution to Chinese regional identity::was ability to unify area after Song’s fragmentation.(destroyed tanggut and Jin, and conquered southern song in 1279, thereby laying out the territory of modern China)

    • He worked to bring together Mongol and Chinese traditions he did that by:: adopting many of successful political and cultural practices of previous dynasties, except got rid of scholar examination system and placed Mongols in highest position of authority(Chinese scholar officials kept positions but subordinate to Mongols). Confucians at odds with many of practices of Yuan empire(including rising status of merchants, whom Confucians did not respect)

    • Mongol control revitalized silk road(Pax Mongolica):: flow of ideas, religion, technoligical innovations, resources brought remendous wealth and grandeur to Yuan Empire. Khubilai financed building of canals and roads to his palace in Beijing. Muslims furthered astronomical studies, brought new medicinal practices, and left their imprint on language=Mandarin Chinese, has many monogolian infulences

    • Mongols affected Chinese demographics:: cause of warfare, flooding, migration, bubonic plague, population under them decclined by 40%.by 1340s, feuding with mongol princes lead to mass rebellion and eventual rise of new emprie athat focused on reestablishing g Chiense traditions.

• Ming Empire

  • 1st emperor Hongwu::reassert Chinese authroirty and cultural practices(moved capital to Nanjing) Communication with rest of Central Asia and Middle east scled back alot. Reinstituted Confucian examination system. Completed Great Wall.

  • Yongle:: reopened trade with INdian Ocean and Middle East, Most famous procelian Ming Ware. Zheng He, established trading and diplomatic relationships.

• Korea

  • Chinese heavily finfluenced Korea, but also maintained its own identity. .

  • Confucianism and Buddhism ahd a tremendous impact on Korean Culture

  • but ruling families instead of service examination system

  • wealth was based on agriculture

  • Silla family conquered the korean peninsula with support of Tang

  • Koryo family took over, also feared the Jin and Liao empire:: and established a dipolmatic relationship with Southern Song China

  • After Yuan fell, Yi family rose to power and estbalished new kingdom foucesd on reasserting Korean idenity, remained in power to Japanese takeover in 1910

• Japan

  • Chinese influences reached Japan through Korea

  • One fmaily took pwoer in 1185 and estbalished Kamaskura SHogunate, controlled Japan thorugh military,\

  • Became a decentralized feudal state that recongnized the emperior and shogun but was not unified

  • Threat of MOngol invasion that unified feuding Japanese lords and helped create a national identity out of a politically decentralized environment

• Vietnam

  • Champa Rice from Champa kingdom as a tribute to China

• Indian ocean Trade Network

  • key to this trade(INdia Ocean)::mastering the monsoon winds and navigating their currents, the dhow boat

  • Complex trading pattern of Indian Ocean were not controlled by:: one central politicla authoirty but workd thorugh a series of smaller eocnomic relationships.

Chapter 4 Europe (1200-1450)

• Feudalism

  • Period from fall of ROme until the beginning of the Renaissance is known as the::Medieval or Middle Ages

  • Fall of Roman EMpire in 15th cent brought drastic changes to west Europe::economic decline and subsistence living.

  • Lack of centralized imperial authority=pesants need protects::This need for protection was the politicla and cultural reason feudal system is made in 7th cent

    • Manor became primary source of local agiruclutral proudction

      • Life behind manor::serfs worked on lands of manor in excahnge for protection

    • Rigid system of serdom did not allow for much::persoanl or political advancement, but for noble calss, opporutnities for political and economic adcancement centered on warfare to protect land

  • Noblewomen during medieval times::strategically married. Marriage became tool to make military alliances or goain more lands. Kings used marriagae alliances to increase their terrtory. Women could own land.

• The Church in the West

  • Other central institution of medieval Europe::Catholic Chruch, sotrongest unifying ofrce in meieval Euroep

    • the catholich church medieval::created moral framework for scoiety,. Also owned and conrolled lot of land.

    • Pope has tension with secular kings and lords

  • Holy Roman Empire::pope need politicla allies. A basic alliancce of German princes at first, held more symbolic than actual power

• Late Medieval Western Europe(1200-1450)

  • Increase in population during late medieval allowed for::surplus which allowed for=focus on other industries like aritistry and construction(resulted in tech advances in agriuclture)Like new plow, use of horse collar instead of oxen contriubuted to more food

  • Black Death impacts::killed serfdom=many dead laborers oculd charge more $ for work, rebelled agianst nobles who refused. Proudcution rose as free laborers bought land for emselves.

    • tech improvments like::Water wheel and windmill from middle east increased proudction in europe

  • Important Change in late medieval::revival of trade. Cities sprang up when lords freed serfs. Lords allowed this independcens benefit form economic prosperty of city

  • Cities in late medieval becamed centers of learning

  • Universities in late medeival::allowed for scholasticism, Thomas Aquinas and other pre-Renaissance thinkers rediscoverd Greek works.

  • All changes in late medieval europe set stage for renaissance

• the Crusades

  • Economic revival in western europe occurred alongside of and contriubuted to::Crusades,s eries of military expeditions, spanning 100 years, take bakc holy land

  • 1st Crusdae::caputre of Jerusalem

  • 2nd and 3rd::focused on holding these territories

  • The Fourth Crusade had completely new goals:;capture of Constantinople=driven by eocnomic incentives, expan their trading to prots under muslim control

  • Crusades fialed their attmepts to take Holy Land

    • Crusades had tremendous, long-lasting imapct on Euroepan life::expposure to mulism world sparked flow of many info, ideas, goods. Crusaders brought back new tech and allowed em to make new things than import. Also increased trade between euroep and middle east

    • Muslims made their way to Euorpe in 2 forms::1st knwoledge of anceint Greeks perseverd by Muslims. 2nd Scientific and tech understianding which is more advanced in Muslim world.

Chapter 5 The Americas (1200-1450)

• The Postclassic Period in MesoAmerica: Pre-1500

  • two strongest societies of postclassic period:: Toltecs and Aztecs

• The Toltecs

  • migrating people who eventually settled in Central Mexico:: built on many of cultural practices of people of Teotihuacan

  • Innovate contributions of Toltec::mainly poliitcal, based on military conquest

  • Capital of Toltec::Tula, elborate archietural achievement

  • Toltec art:: glorified militaristic aspect of its culture, including human sacrifice.

  • Political organization of Tolec based on::two kings, who ruled together, some point after 1000, sturggle between political elites resulted in expulsion of one of the kings, is was the beginning of the end for Toltecs.

• The Aztecs

  • Aztec society was based on::military conquest and looked to the Toltec as models.

    • continual military sucess allowed Aztecs:: to take good agricultal land and establish a monarchy in region.

    • Monarch of aztec:: did not have absolute monarchy. selected by a council of arstocracts from all males of ruling family. new king had to complete military conquest to validate his rule.

  • Aztecs used:: chinampa system to grow maize and crops. Built dikes to separate freshwater from salt water.

  • Aztec tribute system::allowed em to draw on labour and resources of ocnquered peoples. This provided quarter of food supplies for Aztec empire and borught a variety of other practical items and luxury goods to Aztecs.

  • By 1500 Aztec Societyy was highly::stratified, and there was great division based on wealth.

  • Aztec believed in human sacrifice::sacrificing war ccpaitves, criminals, enslaved, thousands were sacrificed each year. Highly Violent and public aspect of the ritual sent a clear message to subject ppls that they must submit to the authority of the empire.

  • Aztec empire continued till the arrival of the cocnquistador:: Cortes, captured Tenochtitlan in 1521.

• Mississippian Cultures

  • First Amerindians along Mississippi River were primarily::Hunter-gathers.

    • As maize beans and squash were intorudced they became more settled and urban lifestyle emerged

  • The Chief(mississippian cultures) had both:: religious and political roles

  • Cahokia::example of apogee of Mississippian culture, contained largest mound. in 1200 withh about 20,000 inhabitants.

• Andean Civilazations

  • Andean ppls had to cope with 3 ecological zones::high altitudes/harsh weather of mountainous zone, Arid zone of the coastal region, hot, humid Amazonian tropical zone.

    • Technologies by Andean::terraced hillside farming, irrigation systems, road networks for long-distance exchange, accurate claends, plant domestication. Ilama and alpaca.

    • Khipus::knotted coloured cords that could be used for record keeping

  • Mit’a system:: every ayllu(clan that worked a piece of land) contribute to a specific # of workers every year to do maintenacne work for the state(building projects, road maintenance etc).

  • Vertical intergration::describing the praccies of Andean ppls who purposely exhcanged the goods form these differing ecological zones to have everything they needed.

• The Incas

  • Incas Created an::empire stretched up and down caost of South America had more than 6 mil ppl.

  • Many Andean traditions were fundamental to the life of ::Incas, pastoralistst who depended on Illama and Alpaca for food, clothing and transport. caring for these animals was job o fboth men and women.

  • Mit’a system continued:: as fundamental building block of Inca empire

  • to rule effectively, local chiefs were kept::in place and handled local administrative duties and judicial matters, minimize risk of rebellion, heirs of fefeated territories had to live at Inca royal court.

  • Like Aztec Kings::Inca kings was expected to extend the empire through conquest.

  • Cuzco:: true imperial city, with massice detlailed stonework as well as elaborate palaces and tmeples.

  • Incas infrequently sacrificed::humans to temple of the Sun, but a lot of animals

  • When Huayna Capac died:: empire spiraled into bloody conflict over which son should succeed him, with civil war, this is the state of empire when the Europeans discovered the Incas.