AP World History Notes

Southeast Asia and South Asia

Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines
South Asia: India

Centuries

12th century: 1200s
16th century: 1600s
20th century: 2000s

Causes of World War I

M.A.I.N.: Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism

Feudalism and Serfdom

Feudalism: Broad social and political system with land ownership hierarchy: lords, vassals, and fiefs in exchange for loyalty and military service.
Serfdom: Specific status within feudalism; peasants bound to land working for the lord in exchange for protection.

Religious and Trade Networks

Interconnected the world, laying the foundation for maritime empires.
- Silk Roads
- Trans-Saharan
- Buddhism
- Islam

AP World History Time Periods

1200–1450 to 1450–1750: From Regional to Global Interactions

1200–1450: Rise of powerful states/empires (Mongols, Islamic Caliphates, Song China), trade network expansion (Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, Trans-Saharan), cultural diffusion (Islam, Buddhism).
Networks laid economic and technological groundwork for global exploration.
Result: Age of Exploration (1450–1750) began as Europeans, using maritime tech (astrolabe, caravel) and motivated by trade and conquest, linked Afro-Eurasia with Americas—starting global empires and Columbian Exchange.

1450–1750 to 1750–1900: Empire to Industrialization

Global connections and wealth created through colonization and Atlantic slave trade in 1450–1750 helped fund and inspire new economic ideas.
Enlightenment thought and growing middle classes led to political revolutions (American, French, Haitian).
Rise of capitalism and new access to raw materials fueled Industrial Revolution.
Result: From 1750 to 1900, world shifted to industrialized economies, with Europe and U.S. dominating through imperialism, using factories, railroads, and military strength.

1750–1900 to 1900–Present: Modernization and Global Conflict

Industrialization and imperialism increased global inequalities, setting stage for anti-colonial movements and global tensions.
Nationalism and competition among empires led to World Wars.
Post-1900 saw decolonization, Cold War ideologies, and rise of global institutions (UN, World Bank).
Technology advanced rapidly, and globalization emerged, driven by communication, trade, and migration.
Result: Modern era defined by both conflict and cooperation, with continuing struggles over power, identity, and resources.

Key Vocabulary

State: A territory politically organized under a single government.
Bureaucracy: Government entity arranged hierarchically that carries out the will of the emperor.

Religious Terms

Monotheistic: Belief in one god.
Polytheistic: Worshipping more than one god.

Song Dynasty Developments

Main idea: How did the Song Dynasty maintain and justify its rule?
- Carried over revival of Confucianism from the Tang Dynasty, turning it into Neo-Confucianism (Buddhism & Confucianism).
- Imperial Bureaucracy: Jobs earned on the basis of merit; civil service exams based on Confucian texts.

Buddhism

Based on Four Noble Truths:
- Life is suffering
- Suffering is caused by craving
- Suffering ceases when craving ceases
- The Eightfold Path leads to the cessation of suffering and craving.
Similar to Hinduism, believing in reincarnation, with ultimate goal to dissolve into the universe (Nirvana).

Branches of Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism:
- Practiced mostly by monks.
Mahayana Buddhism:
- Encourages broader participation in Buddhist practices.

Economy in Song China

Commercialization increased.
Manufacturers/artisans produced more goods than they could consume; sold excess in markets across Eurasia, mainly porcelain and silk.
Agricultural Innovations:
- Champa rice: Easily farmable, drought-resistant rice that increased food production (from Vietnam).
Transportation Innovations:
- Expansion of the Grand Canal: Enabled China to become the most populous trading area (connected two rivers).

Women in Song China

Stripped of legal rights.
Endured social restrictions.
- Limited access to education.
Foot binding reinforced Confucian ideology, crippling women and immobilizing them; smaller feet equated to higher social status.

Influence on Neighboring Countries

Sri Lanka
East Asia

Golden Age of Islam: Abbasid Caliphate

Baghdad was established as a center of learning, fostering intellectual and cultural development.
Supported translation of ancient Greek texts into Arabic, preserving and expanding knowledge.
Dar-al-Islam: "House of Islam"; refers to all places where Islam was the organizing principle of faith.

Monotheistic Religions

Judaism:
- Ethnic religion of the Jews, centered on the Torah.
Christianity:
- Established by Jewish prophet Jesus Christ.
Islam:
- Founded by the prophet Muhammad.
- Believers used religious principles to shape their societies.

Abbasid Caliphate

Located around India, Southwest Asia.
Crucial in shaping Islamic history with advancements in culture, science, and arts, marking the Golden Age of Islam.
Preservation and translation of ancient knowledge, major innovations, impacting global civilization.

Seljuk Empire

Fought the Abbasid Caliphate and established their own state (controlled religion).
Arab Muslim empires faded, replaced by Turkic Muslim empires.

Turkic Empires

Continuity:
- Military administered their states.
- Established Sharia law (legal code based on Quran).
Scholars made advancements in mathematics, science, medicine, etc.
Preserved works of Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato by translating them into Arabic in the House of Wisdom (Baghdad) during Golden Age of Islam.

South and Southeast Asia

South Asia: Hinduism was most widespread, followed by Buddhism.
Southeast Asia: Buddhism was most widespread, followed by Islam.

Developments in Dar-al-Islam

Innovation on traditional polytheistic Hinduism; mounted challenges to social and gender hierarchies through cultural and scientific innovations.
Expansion of Muslim Rule:
- Military expansion
- Muslim merchants
- Muslim missionaries
Sufism: Mystical branch of Islam.

Belief Systems in South Asia

Hinduism
Buddhism
Islam
House of Wisdom: A library with ancient texts and history where scholars also studied.
Bhakti Movement emphasized devotion to just one of the Hindu Gods.
Rajput kingdoms: Muslim-led kingdoms.
Vijayanagara Empire: Hindu-led empire.

State Building in Southeast Asia

Majapahit Kingdom: Buddhist kingdom.
Khmer Empire: Originally Hindu, converted to Buddhism (Angkor Wat).

Americas

Mesoamerica - Aztecs
- Tenochtitlan capital city of Aztec empire
  - Created an elaborate tribute system
  - Enslaved people played large role in their religions
    - Many became candidates for human sacrifice
Andean civilizations - Inca
- Developed an elaborate bureaucracy with rigid hierarchy of officials
- Mit’a system: required all people under their rule to provide labor on state projects such as farms, mining, military service, state construction projects, etc
Mississippian culture: first large scale civilization based off the Mississippi River
- Large towns dominated smaller, satellite settlements politically
Aztec administration - Aztec administration (decentralized)
- Conquered people were required to provide labor, contribution of goods such as food, animals, building materials, etc to the Aztecs
Incan administration - Incan administration (highly centralized)
Africa
State building in Africa
- Southeast Africa
  - Swahili civilization
    - New language: Swahili
      - Descended from indigenous African Bantu languages but used Arabic alphabet and script
    - Swahili states rapidly became Islamic as a result of Muslim influence which increased their integration into the larger Islam world of trade
    - Powerful African city who grew from trade, it grew extremely wealthy from trade and shifted to gold exports
    - Never converted to Islam
    - Politically independent with common social hierarchy
      - Put merchant elite above commoners
    - Deeply influenced by Muslim traders
- West Africa
  - Mali, Ghana, Songhay
- Great Zimbabwe
  Ethiopia: mostly christian
The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished from antiquity to the early modern period, known for its advanced writing system, sophisticated astronomy and mathematics, and impressive architecture

Europe

Split into small states, isolated.
Christianity was leading power.
Feudalism: System of allegiances between powerful lords, monarchs, and knights.
Manorialism
Increased geographic scale leading to further connections among states.

Developments

Dominated by Christianity:
- Eastern Orthodox
- Roman Catholicism
Byzantine Empire: Orthodox.
Kievan Rus: Orthodox.
Western Europe: Roman Catholic.
Muslim and Islamic influence in Europe:
- Muslims conquered much of Iberian Peninsula.
Highly decentralized and fragmented.
- Vassals received land from lords in exchange for military service.
- Peasants (serfs) were bound to land and worked it for protection of lords and forces.
- Center of political/economic power was in hands of landowning lords (nobility).

Religious Syncretism

Angkor Wat

UNIT 2 - 1200-1450 - Networks of Exchange

Networks of exchange:
1. Silk roads
2. Indian ocean network
3. Trans-saharan trade
Range of these networks expanded due to innovations in commercial practices and technological innovations

Reason for Expansion

Political stability, economic demand for goods, and cultural exchange between different societies

Silk Roads

Luxury goods trading network that stretched across Eurasia
- Chinese silk & porcelain
- Increase in demand caused an increase in production of these goods by Chinese, Indian, and Persian artisans
Caravanserai: inns along the Silk Roads that provided safety, a place to rest, and even change animals for merchants
- Brought merchants from all different cultures and backgrounds together and created for significant transfers (cultural and technological)
Flying money system: a merchant would input money and withdraw that money at another location
Credit (banking houses): a merchant could present a bill of exchange with amount of money and merchants name and be able to receive that amount of money
Reason for Expansion: increased demand for goods from the East, innovations in commercial practices and transportation, and the influence of powerful empires and religious expansion (not political or economic, but cultural)
Increased connectivity between all these places caused various states to grow wealthy and powerful due to their participation in these networks
Increased interconnectivity caused the rise of powerful trading cities while also causing the collapse of other cities
1. Innovations facilitated the expansion of these networks
  - Transportation technology
  - Commercial practices
2. Increase in trade led to the rise of powerful trading cities that grew and flourished precisely because they were located along these routes
  - Kashgar: attractive stop for merchants, grew in power and wealth

Indian Ocean network

A thorough understanding of monsoon winds made trade along this network possible
- Helped merchants know which direction to sail in * Magnetic compass Tool for measuring the stars and then comparing them to star charts which helped reckon latitude and longitude Chinese “Junk” Lateen Sails Dhows (Arab merchants, known for lateen sails) Swahili City-states: collection of independent city-states along Africa’s east coast * Acted as brokers for goods originating from the African interior Gold, ivory, enslaved people Became islamic and got connected into the larger trading world of Dar-Al-Islam
1. Diasporic communities: a settlement of ethnic people in a location other than their homeland Arab and Persian communities established in East Africa New language Swahili language Zheng He: sent by the Ming Dynasty to go throughout the Indian Ocean enrolling states in China’s tributary system China’s advanced maritime and navigational technology were spread to the various places Zheng He visited
  Causes of expansion:technological advancements, the spread of Islam, and the demand for valuable goods like gold and salt. Innovations and transportation technologies:
  Camel saddle used for riding camels and helped to transport big loads of cargo across the desert A large bulk of what was traded along these routes included more common goods like textiles and spices
  Causes of expansion:
  Magnetic compass Astrolabe New ship designs Various forms of credit Effects of expansion:
  Growth of states
  Empire of Mali Translated Greek and Roman classics in Arabic Made extensive commentaries on works Works were later transferred to Europe which eventually led to the Renaissance Marco Polo, Margery Kempe Ibn Battuta Consequences of connectivity

Cultural effects:
1. Transfer of religion of belief systems
  - Ex: Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism 2. Literary & artistic transfers
  - Including their own developments in philosophy and medical practices 3. Scientific and Technological Innovations
  - Gunpowder 4. Rise and fall of Cities
  - Ex of rise: Hangzhou, ex of fall: Baghdad 5. Travelers wrote about their Experiences aza Young Muslim scholar from Morocco who traveled all over Dar-al-Islam over the course of 30 years. He took detailed notes about places, people, rulers, and culture
    Environmental effects
Transfer of crops
* Champa rice Transfer of Diseases Bubonic plague: carried by rats and fleas along the trading routes and spread across Asia and Europe The Mongol Empire (Pax Mongolica) The silk roads flourished the most when large empires controlled the routes because they could provide safety and continuity along them Entire Eurasian world came under their domination Encouraged international trade and extracted great wealth as the facilitators of commerce on the Silk Roads The Mongols ensured security on the Silk Roads * Facilitated an unprecedented increase in communication and cooperation across the empire as Facilitated technological and cultural transfers
Technological
* Created conditions for transfer of Greek and Islamic medical knowledge to Western Europe\tCultural
* Adopted the Uyghur script primarlity refers to the Uyghur Arabic alphabet, a version of the Arabic alphabet used for writing the Uyghur language in Xinjiang, China
Sunni Muslims: believed that the rightful successor of Muhammad could be anyone spiritually fit for the office Shi’a Muslims: believed that only blood relatives of Muhmmad were his legitimate successors Big Idea: in the time period 1450-1750, land-based empires were expanding
Established the largest land-based empire of all time
Networks of exchange flourished significantly
PAX MONGOLIA period of peace in Mongolia the period of relative peace and stability across the vast Mongol Empire during the 13th and 14th centuries. This era facilitated increased trade, cultural exchange, and communication, particularly along the Silk Roads.

UNIT 3 - 1450-1750 - Land Based Empires Vocab you NEED to know for this unit:

Land based empire: an empire whose power comes from the extent of its territorial holdings
Legitimized: methods a ruler uses to establish their authority
Consolidated: the methods a ruler uses to transfer power from other groups to themselves
Gunpowder empires:
1. Ottoman empire
2. Safavid empire
3. Mughal empire
4. Qing Dynasty (Manchu Empire)

Comparison of the Qing and Mughal Empires

Qing (China, manchu, subjects were han) /
Mughal (India, While the founders, like Babur, were of Central Asian Turkic-Mongol descent, the empire was characterized by a diverse mix of ethnicities and intermarriage with local populations. The Mughals were known as Muslims, with Persian being their court language)
Sunni Muslim, conquered Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul by using gunpowder weapons Janissaries: Christian boys taken from their homes and converted to Islam and turned them into soldiers
Under the leadership of Shah Ismail, the Safavid empire expanded rapidly using gunpowder Under the ruler Akbar, religious tolerance was practiced throughout the Mughal Empire religious tolerance: the acceptance and respect for diverse religious beliefs and practices within a society

The Mongol Empire reached its peak in the 13th century, with the establishment of the Yuan dynasty in 1279. The Qing Dynasty, founded by the Manchus, emerged much later, conquering China in 1644 and ruling until 1911. The Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1911. The Manchus, a northeast Asian people, conquered China after internal rebellions weakened the Ming dynasty. Sunni Muslim, conquered Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul by using gunpowder weapons Under the leadership of Shah Ismail, the Safavid empire expanded rapidly using gunpowder After the Ming Dynasty (ethnically Han) Led conquests of expansion using gunpowder weapons Muslim empire
Founded in the beginning of the 16th century 1600 Enslaved Christian boys from the Caucasus Region as soldiers to the Shah Shi’a Muslim Founded in the first half of the 16th century 1600 Expanded rapidly through use of gunpowder Muslim empire
Empires compared 1) Land-based 2) Expanded rapidly 3) Use gunpowder to expand 4) Ethnically different from subjects Safavids (primarily an Iranian dynasty, though with significant influence from Turkic tribes) /Ottomans (dominated by the Ottoman Turks, a Turkic ethnic group.)
Series of wars fought over territory that the Mughals previously occupied but Safavids tried to take Devshirme system Administration of empires (how rulers legitimize and consolidate their power): Administration methods:
Divine right of kings: the idea that monarchs were Gods representative on Earth Sun temple of the Inca Empire, Taj Mahal in India, Palace of Versailles in France Zamindars: elite landowners who were granted authority to tax peasants living on their land on behalf of the imperial government (eventually grew corrupt) The right to tax subjects of the empire was awarded to the highest bidder (whoever won the bid had the right to collect taxes from a certain group of people) Rivals between empires Safavid vs Mughal Conflict Shi’a (Safavid), Sunni (Mughal) Formation of large bureaucracies Ottomans used this system to staff their bureaucracy with highly trained individuals Top performers were appointed to elite positions in the Ottoman bureaucracy
Development of military professionals Janissaries Religious ideas, art, and monumental architecture Imperial portraits in the Qing Dynasty of Emperor Kangxi surrounded by confucius wisdom Innovations on tax collection systems Zamindar system Employed by the Mughal empire Tax farming Used by the Ottomans Tribute List Utilized by Aztec rulers Sent tribute lists filled with goods that conquered places were required to send to the imperial seed in tribute
Christianity in Europe 1) Simony: people buying their way into positions of power in the church 2) Sale of Indulgences: people paying money to get their sins forgiven and acquire a spot in heaven Islam: 1) Shah Ismail declared that the Safavid Empire would believe in Shi’a Islam Sikhism: a syncretic blend of both Hindu and Islamic doctrines Shah Ismail declared that the Safavid Empire would believe in Shi’a Islam Muslim empires in the area Muslim empires in the area Both reformations led to significant growth of Christianity Both reformations led to significant growth of Christianity Reaffirmed that their doctrine of salvation was just fine
Heart of the Roman Catholic Church is in Rome Martin Luther: German Monk who nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church
Dominance of Catholicism - continuity Causes of European Exploration Council of Trent: series of meetings where Catholics cleaned up a lot of the corruption

Causes of European Exploration
Council of Trent: series of meetings where Catholics cleaned up a lot of the corruption Causes of European Exploration Council of Trent: series of meetings where Catholics cleaned up a lot of the corruption
(a) Dominance of Catholicism - continuity Reaffirmed that their doctrine of salvation was just fine
Continuity: Change:
Development with Sikhism
1. Retained several important doctrines
  Belief in one God Cycle of reincarnation and death(1) Disregarded the gender hierarchies of Islam (2) Discarded the caste system of Hinduism Absolutism: all political power under the monarch Absolutism: all political power under the monarch Absolutism: all political power under the monarch Causes of European Exploration Causes of European Exploration
  (a) Heart of the Roman Catholic Church is in Rome martin Luther: German Monk who nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church excommunicated Luther
  (b) martin Luther: German Monk who nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church Idea’s spread thanks to the invention of the printing press
  Heart of the Roman Catholic Church is in Rome Martin Luther: German Monk who nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church Excommunicated Luther
Luther’s idea’s spread thanks to the invention of the printing press

UNIT 4 - 1450-1750 - Maritime Empires Vocab you NEED to know for this unit Adoption and Innovation of Maritime Technologies:

Technologies came from the Classical Greek, Islamic, and Asian worlds
- Magnetic compass: China Astrolabe: ancient Greece and the Arab world Lateen sail: arab world Caravel: small ships made by the Portuguese which allowed for navigation within rivers and smaller coastal areas * Monarchs were slowly gaining more and more power over the nobility favorable balance of trade: when states organize their economies around exports and avoid imports as much as possible * Dutch East India company (VOC) States relied on merchants to expand their influence in far-off lands while merchants relied on states to grant them monopolies on various regions of trade Improving shipbuilding and regional patterns Portugal Queen Isabell and King Ferdinand sponsor Christopher Columbus’ journey to sail across the Atlantic in search of a Western route to the spice trade He instead ran into the Americas and spanish trips to the New World multiplied and started colonization
Europeans had a big incentive to find other routes, namely sea-based routes, to Asia which would allow them to trade on their own terms,

Mercantilism: a state-driven economic system that characterized imperial European states during this period (a country's power is based on wealth, goal is to export more than they were importing:

Colonies existed only to enrich their imperial countries Joint-stock company: a limited liability business, often chartered by the state, that was funded by a group of private investors Investors who pooled their money to finance the exploration could only lose what they invested prince Henry the Navigator: brought sailors and mapmakers together to find out how to sail down the Atlantic coast of Africa set up trading posts called “factory”s in places that served to control trade throughout the region improved understanding of regional wind patterns in Atlantic and Indian Oceans These technologies made it possible and easier for Europeans to travel along the sea and allow for them to discover new areas to create colonies.

Growth of state power (centralization of power):
States relied on merchants to expand their influence in far-off lands while merchants relied on states to grant them monopolies on various regions of trade Improving shipbuilding and regional patterns

Establishing Maritime Empires:
States relied on merchants to expand their influence in far-off lands while merchants relied on states to grant them monopolies on various regions of trade Improving shipbuilding and regional patterns
Economic