Review Unit #1:

Beginning Fundamentals

Physical Earth – Terms

• Latitude:  lines that measure how far something is north or south of the Equator

• Longitude:  lines that measure how far something is east or west of the Prime Meridian

• Equator:  0 degrees Latitude  -  it divides the Earth between North and South

• Prime Meridian:  0 degrees Longitude  -  it (along with the International Dateline) divides the Earth between East and West

• International Dateline:  180 degrees Longitude  -  divides one day from another

• Hemispheres:  half of the Earth  (Example: Northern Hemisphere or Eastern Hemisphere) 

Physical Features

• Islands:  isolate cultures from other cultures  -  such as Japan

• Mountains:  a barrier to travel – separate cultures  -  such as the Himalayas between China and India

• Deserts:  a barrier to travel – separate cultures  - such as the Sahara in Africa

• Rainforests:  a barrier to travel – separate cultures  -  such as the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil

• Rivers:  transportation routes – sometimes through barriers  -  such as the Nile through the Sahara

• River Valley:  great place to begin a civilization in ancient times  -  such as the Tigris-Euphrates valley

• Plains:  flat fertile lands – good for farming – often attract invaders  -  such as the Steppes of Russia

• Ice:  prevents sea trade for much of the year – such as in Russia in earlier times

Elements of Culture

Culture:  the way of life of a group of people

Society:  the type of people in a culture  (ex: race, nationality, religious identity)

• Art:  the expression of a culture’s ideas   (ex:  dance, music, architecture)

• Geography:  the land, location, and resources of a culture   (ex:  physical features, climate, raw materials)

• Language:  the communication system of a culture   (ex:  alphabet-writing, speech, symbols)

• Religion:  the organized beliefs and rituals of a culture   (ex:  ceremonies, holidays, forms of worship)

• Economy:  the way a culture gets the things it needs    (ex:  agriculture, hunting, manufacturing, trade)

• Politics:  the government and laws of a culture   (ex:  leadership, rules, protection, services)

• Customs:  the traditions of a culture   (ex:  holidays, clothing, celebrations)

• Cultural Diffusion:  the mixing of two or more cultures together – sometimes forming a new culture

• Cultural Diversity:  to coexistence of elements of a variety of cultures within a single culture

Time Management

• Decade:  a period of 10 years

• Century:  a period of 100 years

• B.C.  -  the time Before Christ on a timeline

• A.D.  -  Anno Domini  -  “In the Year of our Lord"

• C.E.  -  Common Era – Term now used to replace “A.D.”  - (B.C.E. replaces “B.C.” [before common era]

Social Scientists

The people who study the world in which humans live are known as social scientists. Below is a description of various social scientists and what it is that they study:

• Historians- Study written records of past events.

• Geographers- Study the Earth’s surface and its impact on humans. Geographers often examine topography (physical land features), climate (weather), human migrations (movement), and the way in which humans adapt to (learn to live in) different environments. Geographers will often examine two types of maps:

  • Political Maps- Show countries, their borders, and capital cities.

  • Physical Maps- Show topography (land features such as mountains, rivers, deserts, lakes, etc.).

• Economists- Study how societies use available resources. They often ask and try to answer the following 3 questions about civilizations: What goods and services are produced? How are goods and services produced? How are goods and services distributed?

• Anthropologists- Study past and present human cultures. Archaeologists are a type of anthropologist. They examine the culture of past human societies through analysis of physical remains (artifacts).

Historical Sources

Historians are concerned with the examination of written records from the past. There are two

types of sources that historians study:

• Primary Source- A firsthand record of a historical event created by an eyewitness who actually experienced the event (Examples- Diaries, photographs, artifacts, autobiographies).

• Secondary Source- A secondhand record of a historical event created by a person who did NOT actually experience the event (Examples- Textbooks, encyclopedias, biographies).

Foundations (14% of the AP Exam):

Climate

• Climate has been a major factor in determining where people settled. People settled in areas that had climates that would accommodate agriculture and livestock.

• Corresponds to Jared Diamond’s theory that “where you live, determines how you live.” 

• Climate stays the same or very similar on the same latitude lines, however,  it does not stay constant across longitude lines.

Time Periods

• The Paleolithic Age refers to about 12,000 BC. During this time people were nomadic.

• The Neolithic Age refers to the age from about 12,000 BC to about 8000 BC. It is during this time that people settled in communities and civilization began to emerge.

• River Valley Civilizations refers to about 3500 to 1500 BC. The major River Valleys are described below.

• Classical Civilizations refers to about 1000 BC to 600 CE. The major civilizations to emerge were Zhou and Han China, Greece and Rome, and the Gupta Empire.

• 500 CE to 1500 CE = Post classical period

• Early Modern History 1500 CE -1700 CE.

Review Unit #2:

Early Man and River Civilizations

Early Man

• Hunters and Gatherers: During the Paleolithic Stage (Old Stone Age) people wandered behind herds of animals in search of food.  The men generally hunted – the women generally gathered berries, nuts, roots, etc.

• Migration:  - Current evidence points to the earliest people having lived in Africa.  

                           -  They migrated (moved) to other places in the world due to population pressures.

                                  -  Native Americans migrated across a land bridge from Asia to North America.

          -Called the Bantu migration.

• Cultural Diffusion:  - As people migrated and settled together, their ideas mixed.  

                    - Trade also caused cultural diffusion.

Neolithic Revolution (Stone Age)

• Neolithic Revolution:  The change from hunting and gathering to herding and planting.

• Results of Neolithic Revolution:

  • Permanent Villages  - People built homes and settled together in permanent villages.

  • New Technology  - People had the time to develop new tools and ideas to meet their needs.

  • Specializations of jobs  - Less people were needed to produce food.  Some people took on new roles (jobs).

  • Humans first discovered how to perform agriculture (farm) and domesticate (raise) animals for food and drink.

  • Farming created a steady food supply (called a food surplus).

  • The development of farming during this period was so important for humans that it is often called the “Neolithic Revolution.”

  • Civilizations developed soon after humans discovered farming and settled down in permanent villages during the Neolithic Age.

• Civilizations:  - As villages became more developed, some turned into civilizations.  

• A civilization is a complex and highly organized society that includes a government, social classes, job specialization, a food surplus, writing, and religious beliefs.

• Civilizations can be identified by having certain things:

- Urban areas (cities)

- A writing system

- organized economy 

- An organized government (laws)

• First civilizations developed around 3000 B.C. in areas of land known as river valleys (low areas of land next to rivers). The reason civilizations developed in river valleys is because these areas had favorable geography.

River Valley Civilizations (3000 - 1000 BCE)

Key Aspects of River Valley Civilizations

• Irrigation:  water for crops and human use

• Annual Flooding: The flooding of rivers deposited silt on nearby lands that created fertile soil for farming.

• Transportation:  allowed for  trade and cultural diffusion

• Food Supply:  fish and other items – land animals came near to drink

4 main river valley civilizations:

River Civilization

Nile Egypt

Tigris-Euphrates Sumer (Mesopotamia)

Indus India

Huang He (Yellow) China

Important Information

• Fertile Crescent:  area of fertile soil in the desert Middle East – from Sumer to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea

• Cuneiform:  writing system used in Sumer – wedge shaped symbols

• Hieroglyphics:  writing system used in Egypt – picture symbols

• Hammurabi’s Code of Laws:  first written set of laws in history – based on the “eye for an eye” principle

• Mohenjo Daro and Harappa:  two main urban centers (cities) of India’s river valley civilization

• “Middle Kingdom”:  what the Chinese called their land (they thought it was the center of life) 

Common Characteristics

Each early civilization developed its own unique ways of life, but they all shared some common characteristics

• Complex irrigation systems

• legal codes

• money

• art and written literature

• More formal scientific knowledge, numbering systems, and calendars

• Intensification of social inequality

Comparisons:

Review Unit #3

Classical Civilizations (1000 BCE to 500 CE)

Civilizations that were so well organized that they were able to create many things that we still use today.

Common Characteristics

The three areas of classical civilizations developed their own beliefs, lifestyles, political institutions, and social

structures. However, there were important similarities among them:

• Patriarchal family structures - Like the river valley civilizations that preceded them, the classical civilization valued male authority within families, as well as in most other areas of life.

• Agricultural-based economies - Despite more sophisticated and complex job specialization, the most common occupation in all areas was farming.

• Complex governments - Because they were so large, these three civilizations had to invent new ways to keep their lands together politically. Their governments were large and complex, although they each had unique ways of governing

• Expanding trade base - Their economic systems were complex. Although they generally operated independently, trade routes connected them by both land and sea.

China (500 BCE to 600 CE)

• Dynasty:  a line of rulers from the same family.  They continue to rule as long as they have the Mandate of Heaven.

• Mandate of Heaven:  belief that the Emperor was given the right to rule from the gods  (similar to European Divine Right)

• Han Dynasty:  1^st  major Dynasty of China

• Civil Service System:  required examinations for government positions.  Exams based on teachings of Confucius

• Confucianism:  - directed Chinese social life for hundreds of years

     -  Based on teachings of Confucius

      -  Everyone should use good moral behavior

-  Have good educational system – to help have good government officials

-  Government officials should rule by setting a good example of behavior 

for the people

• Technology:  paper, rudder, wheelbarrow 

India

• Maurya Empire: 1^st major empire in India

• Centralized Government: One of the first empires to run a government of communities from one central location

• Bureaucracy:  system used within an organized government (officials, procedures, rules, etc.)

Greece (800 to 300 BCE)

• City-States:  - Because of its mountainous geography and numerous islands; Greece did NOT form one large Empire.  It was a collection of small City-States.  Each was run like a small nation.  Athens and Sparta were the most powerful.  Athens became the most important.

• Democracy:  A form of government – citizens share the power to make decisions      

  - Began in Greece (Athens)    

• Alexander the Great:  Took over most of the “known world”   Spread Greek culture (cultural diffusion) to Egypt, Persia, and India

• Hellenistic Culture:  A result of Alexander the Great mixing Greek culture with the cultures from Egypt, Persia, and India

• Contributions:  - Classical architecture:  straight lines, basic shapes (square, rectangle, triangle) and columns for support

Rome (500 BCE to 476 CE)

• Perfection of military techniques: conquer but don't oppress; division of army into legions, emphasizing organization and rewarding military talent

• Art, literature, philosophy, science derivative from Greece

• Superb engineering and architecture techniques; extensive road, sanitation systems; monumental architecture - buildings, aqueducts, bridges

• Polytheism, derivative from Greeks, but religion not particularly important to the average Roman;

• Christianity developed during Empire period, but not dominant until very late

• Great city of Rome - buildings, arenas, design copied in smaller cities

• Basic division between patricians (aristocrats) and plebeians (free farmers), although a middle class of merchants grew during the empire; wealth based on land ownership; gap between rich and poor grew with time

• Paterfamilias - male dominated family structure

• Patron-client system with rich supervising elaborate webs of people that owe favors to them

• Inequality increased during the empire, with great dependence on slavery during the late empire; slaves used in households, mines, large estates, all kinds of manual labor

• Two eras:

  • Republic - rule by aristocrats, with some power shared with assemblies; Senate most powerful, with two consuls chosen to rule, generally selected from the military

  • Empire - non-hereditary emperor; technically chosen by Senate, but generally chosen by predecessor. 

  • Extensive colonization and military conquest during both eras

  • Development of an overarching set of laws, restrictions that all had to obey;

  • Roman law sets in place principle of rule of law, not rule by whim of the political leader

Trade

• The Silk Road - This overland route extended from western China, across Central Asia, and finally to the Mediterranean area. Chinese silk was the most desired commodity, but the Chinese were willing to trade it for other goods, particularly for horses from Central Asia. There was no single route, but it consisted of a series of passages with common stops along the way. Major trade towns appeared along the way where goods were exchanged. No single merchant traveled the entire length of the road,but some products (particularly silk) did make it from one end to the other.

• The Indian Ocean Trade - This important set of water routes became even more important in later eras, but the Indian Ocean

• Trade was actively in place during the classical era. The trade had three legs: one connected eastern Africa and the Middle East with India; another connected India to Southeast Asia; and the final one linked Southeast Asia to the Chinese port of Canton.

• Saharan Trade - This route connected people that lived south of the Sahara to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The Berbers, nomads who traversed the desert, were the most important agents of trade. They carried goods in camel caravans, with Cairo at the mouth of the Nile River as the most important destination. There they connected to other trade routes, so that Cairo became a major trade center that linked many civilizations together.

• Sub-Saharan Trade - This trade was probably inspired by the Bantu migration, and by the end of the classical era people south of the Sahara were connect to people in the eastern and southern parts of Africa. This trade connected to the Indian Ocean trade along the eastern coast of Africa, which in turn connected the people of sub-Saharan Africa to trade centers in Cairo and India.

Fall of Civilizations

• Recall that all of the river-valley civilization areas experienced significant decline and/or conquest in the time period around 1200 BCE. A similar thing happened to the classical civilizations between about 200 and 600 CE, and because the empires were larger and more connected, their fall had an even more significant impact on the course of world history. Han China was the first to fall (around 220 CE), then the Western Roman Empire (476 CE), and finally the Gupta in 550 CE.

Similarities

Several common factors caused all three empires to fall:

• Attacks from the Huns - The Huns were a nomadic people of Asia that began to migrate south and west during this time period. Their migration was probably caused by drought and lack of pasture, and the invention and use of the stirrup facilitated their attacks on all three established civilizations.

• Deterioration of political institutions - All three empires were riddled by political corruption during their latter days, and all three suffered under weak-willed rulers. Moral decay also characterized the years prior to their respective falls.

• Protection/maintenance of borders - All empires found that their borders had grown so large that their military had trouble guarding them. A primary example is the failure of the Great Wall to keep the Huns out of China. The Huns generally just went around it.

•  Diseases that followed the trade routes - Plagues and epidemics may have killed off as much as half of the population of each empire.

Differences

• Even though the empires shared common reasons for their declines, some significant differences also may be seen.

• The Gupta's dependence on alliances with regional princes broke down, exhibiting the tendency toward political fragmentation on the Indian subcontinent.

• Rome's empire lasted much longer than either of the other two. The Roman Empire also split in two, and the eastern half endured for another 1000 years after the west fell.

• The fall of the empire affected the three areas in different ways. The fall of the Gupta probably had the least impact, partly because political unity wasn't the rule anyway, and partly because the traditions of Hinduism and the caste system (the glue that held the area together) continued on after the empire fell. The fall of the Han Dynasty was problematic for China because a strong centralized government was in place, and social disorder resulted from the loss of authority. However, dynastic cycles that followed the dictates of the Mandate of Heaven were well defined in China, and the Confucian traditions continued to give coherence to Chinese society. The most devastating fall of all occurred in Rome. Roman civilization depended almost exclusively on the ability of the government and the military to control territory. Even though Christianity emerged as a major religion, it appeared so late in the life of the empire that it provided little to unify people as Romans after the empire fell. Instead, the areas of the empire fragmented into small parts and developed unique characteristics, and the Western Roman Empire never united again.

Common Consequences

The fall of the three empires had some important consequences that represent major turning points in world history:

• Trade was disrupted but survived, keeping intact the trend toward increased long-distance contact. Trade on the Indian

• Ocean even increased as conflict and decline of political authority affected overland trade.

•  The importance of religion increased as political authority decreased. In the west religion, particularly Christianity, was left to slowly develop authority in many areas of people's lives. Buddhism also spread quickly into China, presenting itself as competition to Confucian traditions.

• Political disunity in the Middle East forged the way for the appearance of a new religion in the 7th century. By 600 CE Islam was in the wings waiting to make its entrance onto the world stage.

Review Unit #4

Belief Systems

Legalism

• Legalism was strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.

• Legalism was the official ideology of the Qin dynasty

• It promoted the idea of “collective responsibility” of where rather than an individual being responsible for their own actions, it was that individual and their entire family who received punishment.

• Han Feizi was a Chinese writing that contained instructions to enact harsh punishments.

• “A ruler should never fail to punish any individuals who disobey his commands and should never fail to discipline any ministers who do not fulfill their duties.” -Quote from the Han Feizi

• Legalism sees all people as fundamentally cruel and evil. Strict code was necessary to keep humans in order.

• “By doing good works or by obeying the law, a person earns and merits salvation."

Zoroastrian

• Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion that believes in worshiping Ahura Mazda.

• “ If they choose to follow Ahura Mazda, they follow the righteous path of Asha, practicing good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and will spend their afterlife in paradise.” -study.com lmao.

• “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.”  Threefold path at the center of Zoroastrian ideology.

• Thought to be the first monotheistic religion and was practiced by the Achaemenid dynasty.

Animism

• Belief:  Every living and non-living thing has a spirit.  A very traditional concept in history.  Worship of ancestors.

• Location:  Still found in some traditional societies of the world – often associated with traditional African culture.

Shintoism

• Belief:  Spirits of Kami dwell in many forms of the natural world

• Location:  a traditional belief system of Japan

Hinduism

• Reincarnation:  belief that the soul is reborn in the body of another person or thing.

• Caste System:  - people are born into different Castes (social classes)

  • they may be born into a higher (if they are good) or lower (if they are bad) Caste in the next life

• Ganges River:  the holy river of Hinduism.  Worshipers bathe in the river to free themselves from sin.

• Location:  Began in India.  Is mainly in India still today.

Buddhism

• Basic beliefs:   all people suffer – ending desires will end the suffering

• Nirvana: by leading the right kind of life, eventually one can reach a state of ultimate awareness – Nirvana

• Location: began in India - spread  to China, Japan, and Southeast Asia

“The root of suffering is attachment."

Confucianism

• based on the teachings of Confucius

• people should lead a good, moral life

• education should be the way people advance in society

• government officials should be well educated and good role models

“Simply by being a good son and friendly to his brothers a man can exert an influence upon

government.” 

Taoism (Daoism)

• begun by Lao Tzu

• followers must follow Tao (the way)  

• follow the way of nature – don’t go against the way of nature

Judaism

• Beliefs:    monotheism – only one God      God will send a messiah (savior)   Good behavior will be rewarded in Heaven

• Sacred Texts:   Torah – laws and history of the Jews Ten Commandments – rules of behavior

Christianity

• monotheistic

• Jesus Christ as savior

• Gospels, emphasis on saints

• Mediterranean world and then expansion into Latin West, areas controlled by Byzantines, Ethiopia, India

Islam

• Monotheistic religion that believes in one God (called Allah).

• Five Pillars- Religious and moral/ethical duties and obligations that are required of all Muslims

  • (i.e.- Make a pilgrimage to Mecca, pray five times daily, etc.).

• Muhammad (Prophet that lived 570-632 AD)

  • The founder of Islam who was born in Mecca (the holiest city of Islam).

  • He is believed by Muslims to be the last of God’s prophets (messengers to the people).

• Qu'ran, Sufi emphasis on saints

• Sunni, Shi'a split

• Arabian peninsula, Mediterranean world then expansion into Islamic Spain, Persia, India, North Africa, Sudanic Africa

Hellenism

• Greek philosophy; trade and common culture throughout Mediterranean

• science and technology developments at Alexandria -- Library

• Mediterranean

Polytheism

• belief in a number of deities that can be anthropomorphic or related to the non-human world 

• everywhere

Review Unit #5

Empires 1 (400 - 1400 CE)

Tang Dynasty

• Location:  China

• Overview: Tang Dynasty (618 – 906) A merit-based bureaucracy -This system was well developed during the Han Dynasty, but the Tang made good use of it by recruiting government officials who were well educated, loyal, and efficient. Although powerful families used their resources to place relatives in government positions, most bureaucrats won their posts because of intellectual ability.

• Contributions: 

  • first use of paper money

  • porcelain: hard shiny pottery

• Japan studied the Tang Dynasty and copied much of Chinese culture (language, Buddhism, etc.) (sinification)

• The Silk Road began as a trading route between China and the west…eventually spread to the Middle East

• Industrial Revolution in China (Song dynasty)

Early Japan

• Location: Japan

• Geography: Located in East Asia and is considered to be an archipelago - A country that consists of a group of islands (Japan is made up of 4 main islands)

  • Japan has a long and irregular (unsmooth/rough) coastline

  • Japan is made up mostly of mountains, which has made farming difficult.

  • Terrace Farming- In order to farm in the mountains, the Japanese had to dig and carve flat areas (called terraces) into the sides of mountains. 

• Religion: Shinto is the religion of Japan. It is a religion (similar to Animism in Africa) that believes all living and nonliving things in nature (such as trees, mountains, rivers, animals, etc.) have aspirit.

  • Later in Japan’s history, Buddhism became popular as well. Today, most Japanese practice both Shinto and Buddhism.

• Influence of China on Japan: Cultural Diffusion- Early Japan was GREATLY influenced by contact with the neighboring Asian  civilization of China. Through contact with China, Japan received many important things:

  • Writing- Japan’s first form of writing was influenced by Chinese writing.

  • Buddhism- The Japanese learned about the Buddhist religion from the Chinese.

  • Tea- The Japanese first learned how to cultivate (grow) tea from the Chinese.

Song Dynasty

• Location: China

• Overview: it is notable for economic revolutions that led to Chinese hegemony during the era. China's economic growth in turn had implications for many other societies through the trade that it generated along the long-distance routes. The changes actually began during the Tang Dynasty and became even more significant during Song rule. 

• Economic Revolutions:

  • Increasing agricultural production - Before this era, Chinese agriculture had been based on the production of wheat and barley raised in the north. The Tang conquest of southern China and Vietnam added a whole new capability for agriculture; the cultivation of rice. 

  • Increasing population - China's population in 600 C.E. was about 45 million, but by 1200 (the Song Dynasty) it had risen to about 115 million. This growth occurred partly because of the agricultural revolution, but also because distribution of food improved with better transportation systems, such as the Grand Canal and the network of roads throughout the empire.

  • Urbanization - The agricultural revolution also meant that established cities grew and new ones were created. With its population of perhaps 2,000,000, the Tang capital of Xi'an was probably the largest city in the world. The Song capital of Hangzhou was smaller, with about 1,000,000 residents, but it too was a cosmopolitan city with large markets, public theaters, restaurants, and craft shops. 

  • Technological innovations - During Tang times craftsmen discovered techniques for producing porcelain that was lighter, thinner, more useful, and much more beautiful. The Chinese also developed superior methods for producing iron and steel, and between the 9th and 12th centuries, iron production increased tenfold. The Tang and Song are best known for the new technologies they invented, such as gunpowder, movable type printing, and seafaring aids, such as the magnetic compass. Gunpowder was first used in bamboo flame throwers, and by the 11th century inventors had constructed crude bombs. Agricultural techniques improved as well, with the use of the heavy iron plow in the north and water buffaloes in the south. The Tang also organized extensive irrigation systems, so that agricultural production was able to move outward from the rivers.

  • Financial inventions - Because trade was so strong and copper became scarce, Chinese merchants developed paper money as an alternative to coins. Letters of credit called "flying cash" allowed merchants to deposit money in one location and have it available in another. The Chinese also used checks which allowed drawing funds deposited with bankers.

• Religion: Neo-confucianism

  • The conflict between Buddhism and Confucianism during the late Tang Dynasty eased under the Songs, partly because of the development of Neo-Confucianism. Classical Confucians were concerned with practical issues of politics and morality, and their main goal was an ordered social and political structure. Neo-Confucians also became familiar with Buddhist beliefs, such as the nature of the soul and the individual's spiritual relationships. They came to refer to li, a concept that defined a spiritual presence similar to the universal spirit of both Hinduism and Buddhism. This new form of Confucianism was an important development because it reconciled Confucianism with Buddhism, and because it influenced philosophical thought in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan in all subsequent eras.

• Downfall: The Song military weakness eventually led to the dynasty's demise.

Order of Chinese Dynasties:

Xia Dynasty (ca. 2100–1600 B.C.)

Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600–ca. 1050 B.C.)

Zhou Dynasty (ca. 1050–256 B.C.)

Qin Dynasty (221–206 B.C.)

Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.)

Six Dynasties (220–589) A.D.

Sui Dynasty (581–618)

Tang Dynasty (618–906)

Five Dynasties (907–960)

Liao Dynasty (907–1125)

Song Dynasty (960–1279)

Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368)

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

Qing Dynasty (r. 1644–1911)

Gupta

• Location:  India

• Hinduism and the Caste System flourished (became stronger) under Gupta rule

• The Gupta Empire was one of India’s “Golden Age”

• Contributions:  

  • Guptas were good at Math

  • created the concept of “Zero” – and the decimal system

  • created the numbers we use today – Arabic Numerals (“Arabs” took them and introduced them to the Europeans)

Byzantine

• Location: the “Eastern” half of the old Roman Empire (After the western area of the Roman Empire was conquered by invading Germanic tribes in the year 476 AD, the eastern portion of the Roman Empire survived and became known as the Byzantine Empire.)

• Great Leader:  Justinian – created Justinian’s Code - a written set of laws

• The Byzantine Empire remained a major factor. It held numerous different groups of peoples. Bureaucracy key to success – SIMILAR TO TANG

• Its Church:  Changed from Roman Catholic to Eastern Orthodox “Greek” was the official language. The Hagia Sophia is its most famous church.

• Its importance:  

  • The Byzantine Empire preserved much of the old Greek and Roman culture while barbarians destroyed Rome

  • It was “in between”  the invaders from Asia and the rest of Europe

  • it spread learning and culture to Russia and influenced Russian life a great deal

• Constantinople: The capital city of the Byzantine Empire. It was a great location for trade because it was located along major waterways and it was a crossroads of (link between) Europe and Asia.

• Culture: The people of the Byzantine Empire were mainly Greek in language and culture. Preservation of Greek and Roman Culture- The Byzantines preserved (saved) and passed on important texts created by the Greeks and Romans.

• Justinian Code: Written system of laws created by Emperor Justinian that was later adopted by various European civilizations. It was largely based on laws of the Roman Empire).

• Cultural Diffusion: The Byzantine Empire had a major influence on the neighboring civilization of Russia. Through contact with the Byzantine Empire, Russia received:

  • The Eastern Orthodox Religion (which is still practiced in Russia today)

  • The Cyrillic Alphabet (writing system still used in Russia today)

Legal Systems

So far, a number of different legal systems have been discussed in this review packet. The 3 main ones include:

1. Code of Hammurabi- Written set of laws used in ancient Mesopotamia. It is known for its harsh punishment of crimes (i.e.- “an eye for an eye”).

2. Twelve Tables of Rome- Written set of laws used in the Roman Empire. Laws favored the wealthy.

3. Justinian Code- Written set of laws used in the Byzantine Empire. It was based on old Roman laws and was later adopted by many countries in Europe.

Similarities:

1. They are all standardized (written) sets of laws.

2. They each concern the relationship between the state (government) and the individual.

3. They all helped create stability (a calm and orderly society) since people were able to learn what the laws were.

Islam

• Location: 

  •  Middle East    Spread throughout the Middle East, Northern Africa, and into India as Muslims spread the religion of Islam

  • Arabs were great fighters

  • Muslims (Arabs) tolerated Judaism and Christianity (they were “of the book”) - but others had to convert

• Muslims:  Arabs who worshiped the religion of Islam (Later - anyone who worshiped Islam)

• “Golden Age” (c. 700-1200 AD): a time of peace (no more expansion) and great learning

• Occurred after the death of Mohammed (Muslim armies swept out of the Arabian peninsula and conquered vast areas of land that included much of the Middle East, the northern coast of Africa, and even southern Spain.)

• they preserved Greek and Roman learning (they got it from contact with the Byzantine Empire)

• During this period, the Islamic (or Muslim) world experienced a Golden Age- There were amazing achievements in math, science, medicine, philosophy, and art. Some of the key achievements of this period include:

  • The creation of medical encyclopedias.

  • Improvements in math (especially algebra).

  • Artwork that included calligraphy (beautiful writing), woolen carpets, and textiles.

  • developed advanced medical knowledge and practices

  • Great astronomers and scientists and created algebra

• Location:   began in the Middle East – spread all over the world (Diaspora) – Israel is the Jewish homeland

• Political Structure: Caliphate was a theocracy with the political and religious leader the same. It included Sharia (Islamic Law). The Sultanate was the monarch.

• Sunni/Shia Split: The future of Islam was placed in crisis after the death of Muhammad. Sunni's claimed that following Muhammad's example was sufficient to be caliph, while Shia's believed that the successor to Muhammad should be part of his bloodline. The Battle of Karbala solidified this split. 

Christianity

• Beliefs: monotheism   God did send a messiah (Jesus Christ)   Jesus was the son of God   Faith in God will be rewarded (Heaven)

• Sacred Texts:    Bible

• Location: began in Middle East – spread by the Roman Empire throughout Europe (then on to rest of the world

Rome

• Republic:  Began in Rome  A form of government  - citizens elect representatives to make decisions for the people

• The Empire:   Expanded beyond Italy to include most of Western Europe and the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

• Pax Romana:  Time of peace and prosperity for the Empire  (Its Golden Age)

• Contributions:  - Roman Law:  Twelve Tables: a written set of laws for all citizens to follow

      - Arch:   replaced Greek columns for support in architecture

      - Latin language:  used throughout the empire

      - Organization:  The Romans kept people in the empire organized: common language, laws, 

        money system

Review Unit #6

Middle Ages/Post Classical (400 - 1400 CE)

(Medieval Period)

The Middle Ages is the period of time in Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire and before the Renaissance.

Mongols

• Location:  Came out of central Asia to take over China – spread empire west to Middle East (largest land empire ever)

• Khans: leaders of the Mongols 

  • Genghis Khan spread and created the empire  

  • Kublai Khan – made the empire stable and prosperous

• Silk Road:  trade route linking China and the Middle East 🡪  Mongols made it safe and prosperous

• The Mongol invasions and conquests of the 13th century are arguably among the most influential set of events in world history. This nomadic group from Central Asia swept south and east, just as the Huns had done several centuries before. They conquered China, India, the Middle East, and the budding kingdom of Russia. As it is, the Mongols established and ruled the largest empire ever assembled in all of world history. Although their attacks at first disrupted the major trade routes, their rule eventually brought the Pax Mongolica, or a peace often compared to the Pax Romana established in ancient times across the Roman Empire.

• The Mongols originated in the Central Asian steppes, or dry grasslands. They were pastoralists, organized loosely into kinship groups called clans. Their movement almost certainly began as they sought new pastures for their herds, as had so many of their predecessors. Many historians believe that a severe drought caused the initial movement, and that the Mongol's superior ability as horsemen sustained their successes. Around 1200 CE, a Mongol khan (clan leader) named Temujin unified the clans under his leadership. His acceptance of the title Genghis Khan, or "universal leader" tells us something of his ambitions for his empire. Over the next 21 years, he led the Mongols in conquering much of Asia. Although he didn't conquer China in his lifetime, he cleared the way for its eventual defeat by Mongol forces. His sons and grandsons continued the conquests until the empire eventually reached its impressive size. Genghis Khan is usually seen as one of the most talented military leaders in world history. He organized his warriors by the Chinese model into armies of 10,000, which were grouped into 1,000 man brigades, 100-man companies, and 10-man platoons. He ensured that all generals were either kinsmen or trusted friends, and they remained amazingly loyal to him. He used surprise tactics, like fake retreats and false leads, and developed sophisticated catapults and gunpowder charges. The Mongols were finally stopped in Eurasia by the death of Ogodai, the son of Genghis Khan, who had become the Great Khan centered in Mongolia when his father died. At his death, all leaders from the empire went to the Mongol capital to select a replacement, and by the time this was accomplished, the invasion of Europe had lost its momentum. The Mongols were also contained in Islamic lands by the Mamluk armies of Egypt, who had been enslaved by the Abbasid Caliphate. These forces matched the Mongols in horsemanship and military skills, and defeated them in battle in 1260 before the Mongols could reach the Dardanelle strait. The Mongol leader Hulegu decided not the press for further expansion.

• The Mongol invasions disrupted all major trade routes, but Genghis Khan's sons and grandsons organized the vast empire in such a way that the routes soon recovered. They formed four Khanates, or political organizations each ruled by a different relative, with the ruler of the original empire in Central Asia designated as the "Great Khan," or the one that followed in the steps of Genghis. Once the Mongols defeated an area, generally by brutal tactics, they were generally content to extract tribute (payments) from them, and often allowed conquered people to keep many of their customs. The Mongol khans were spread great distances apart, and they soon lost contact with one another. Most of them adopted many customs, even the religions, of the people they ruled. For example, the Il-khan that conquered the last caliphate in the Middle East eventually converted to Islam and was a great admirer of the sophisticated culture and advanced technologies of his subjects. So the Mongol Empire eventually split apart, and the Mongols themselves became assimilated into the cultures that they had "conquered."

Dark Ages

• Fall of the Roman Empire:

• Roman Empire split into 2 parts

  • Western Europe – Fell into the “Dark Ages”

  • Eastern Europe – Became the Byzantine Empire

• Without Rome’s organization – Western Europe fell apart:

  • unorganized - uneducated - poor

• There was no centralized government - each local area was run on its own (Barbarian tribes)

• Roman Catholic Church:

  • became the only organized institution in Europe at this time

  • had a hierarchy (People🡪Priest🡪Bishop🡪Arch Bishop🡪Pope)

  • had Church rules that everyone in Europe (Christians) followed

  • heresy – speaking out against the Church

  • excommunication – being kicked out of the Church

• Frankish Kingdom:

• Franks became a an organized and powerful Kingdom state

  • Began Feudalism - a local organizing system with power based on land ownership 

• An important leader was Charlemagne (became the 1^st Holy Roman Emperor)

Feudalism

• it was based on the ownership of land – as well as binding obligations between Lords and Vassals

• a system that helped to get Europeans organized again (though essentially only at the local level)

• social:  everyone was placed into a certain social class (Nobles, Merchants, Peasants) – and they had to stay there

• political:  the Lord  made all of the rules and acted as judge and jury (he was the government)

• economic:  everyone got what they needed through feudalism  - each person gave things and received things

• Began after the roman empire collapsed

Manorialism

During the Middle Ages, most people lived on manors (areas of land owned by a noble).

• the basis for feudal economy – based on the self-sufficient manor (land that a Lord owned)

• Each manor had homes, farmland, artisans, water, and serfs (peasants that could not leave the land and who performed farm labor for the noble).

• Since each manor was mostly self-sufficient (provided for its own needs), trade decreased during the Middle Ages.

Schism

• Schism in Christianity (when the east and the west churches divided into Roman

• Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity; they divided over the issue of icons)

• The Church was divided in 1054 over the issue of icons. Two churches emerged: Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic.

• After the schism, the Pope continued to be head of the Roman Catholic Church and was selected only by the cardinals. The Byzantine emperor selected the patriarch.

Crusades

- holy wars fought between Christians and Muslims – for control of the “Holy Lands” (Jerusalem)

- they are important because they helped Europeans to:

- become better educated 🡪 1.  Learned Muslim ideas      2.  found old “Greek and Roman” learning

- increased their wealth 🡪 were introduced to new trade products (cotton, silk, spices, coloring dyes, foods)

- they helped end Feudalism

- New trade created new markets (towns) 🡪 many serfs ran away from manors to live in the new towns

- After years of fighting, trade between Europe and the Middle East increased (Italian cities such as Venice gained control over much of this trade since they had a central location in the Mediterranean Sea).

Causes:

• European Christians believed they would be forgiven for their sins if they fought for God.

• European Christians believed the Holy Land should not be controlled by Muslims.

• Many poor Europeans wanted to escape from feudalism.

• Many Europeans hoped to gain wealth from the Middle East.

Important Medieval Events

• Battle of Tours:  Christians stopped the Muslim invasion of Europe (stopped them in France – Muslims kept Spain)

• Battle of Hastings:   Normans (William the Conqueror) defeated the Anglo-Saxons 

  • the mixing of Norman culture with Anglo-Saxon culture created a new culture 🡪 English

• Hundred Years War: England vs. France  

  • the longbow was first used 🡪 ended the Knights on horseback as the main way of fighting in feudalism

  • cannons (gunpowder) was introduced to European warfare 🡪 castles were no longer useful for defense

• Black Death: a form of plague (disease) that spread quickly and killed 25 million people in Europe (almost ⅓ of the population) during the Middle Ages

  • helped bring about the end of Feudalism: serfs became scarce 🡪 Lords paid money for their work (many then bought their freedom)

  • The disease started in East Asia (maybe China) and spread to Europe over trade routes such as the Silk Road. The interaction of different groups of people helped spread the disease.

• Major effects:

  • Depopulation- The population of Europe decreased from 85 million to 60 million.

  • Feudalism continued to decline as serfs fled from manors for better opportunities.

  • Trade temporarily decreased.

Important Travelers

• Marco Polo: European explorer/trader that traveled to China🡪 his stories later inspired European explorers to sail to the East

  • In the late 13th century, Marco Polo traveled from Venice to China over many years. He was accompanied by his father and uncle who were merchants. they journeyed to stimulate between Venice between Venice and the east. 

  • Polo met Kublai Khan (Genghis Khan’s grandson), who was interested in his travel stories and convinced him to stay as an envoy to represent him in different parts of China. He served the khan for 17 years before returning home, where he was captured by Genoans at war with Venice. 

  • While in prison, he entertained his cellmates with stories about China. One prisoner compiled the stories  into a book that became wildly popular in Europe, even though many did not believe that Polo's stories were true. Europeans could not believe that the fabulous places that Polo described could ever exist.

  • His writings are valuable primary sources that teach us about China during this period as they increased the desire of Europeans to trade with China to obtain valuable goods.

• Ibn Battuta: The famous traveler and prolific writer of the 14th century spent many years visiting places in the Islamic Empires.

  • He was a Moroccan legal scholar who left his home for the first time to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. After his hajj was completed, he traveled through Mesopotamia and Persia, then sailed down the Red Sea and down the east African coast as far south as Kilwa. 

  • He later traveled to India, the Black Sea, Spain, Mali, and the great trading cities of Central Asia. He wrote about all of the places he traveled and compiled a detailed journal that has given historians a great deal of information about those places and their customs during the 14th century. 

  • A devout Muslim who generally expected fine hospitality, Ibn Battutu seldom kept his opinions to himself, and he commented freely on his approval or disapproval of the thing that he saw.

• Zheng He: Chinese explorer of the Ming Dynasty who sailed the Indian and Pacific Oceans to lands that included Southeast Asia, India, the western coast of Africa.

  • NOTE: These three individuals are important for several reasons:

  • They wrote extensively about their travels. These writings are valuable primary sources that teach us about lands that they visited.

  • The contacts they made with other lands helped stimulate (increase) trade between different regions of the world.

Review Unit #7

Renaissance

The Rise of Capitalism

What Europeans received on the Crusades dramatically changed Europe:

• LEARNING:  

• new Muslim ideas (much of it came from Chinese ideas) 

• old Greek and Roman learning (preserved by Byzantine and Muslim Empires)

• TRADE: 

• new trade products from Middle East and Asia created new markets and increased wealth in Europe

• Middle Class:  businessmen, craftsmen, merchants   

  • Ranked between land owning Nobles and the Peasants

• Guilds:  organizations of tradesmen and artists      

  • They regulated their trade or art (set prices, hours, standards)

• Capitalism:  economic system that replaced feudalism 

  • Based on using money – not land – for wealth

• Commercial Revolution:  there was a dramatic change in the economy – from the land based Feudal Economy 🡪 to a money based Capitalism economy (market system)

• The Hanseatic League formed to promote and protect trade for northern European cities

• Italian city-states (Venice–Genoa–Naples) dominated trade between the Middle East and Europe

Renaissance

• Renaissance:   a “rebirth” of ancient learning (Greek and Roman), as well as culture, that had disappeared during the dark ages. The Golden Age of Western Europe. It has the following characteristics:

  • Like all Golden Ages, there were amazing achievements in the arts, literature, and science.

  • Renaissance scholars studied art and books from ancient Greece and Rome.

• Italy: Renaissance began in Italy: Great location for trade🡪trade created wealthy people (Patrons)🡪 used wealth to  sponsor great art

  • Medici Family:  Bankers from Florence 🡪 great sponsors of the Renaissance

  • Florence: center of the Renaissance movement (because of the Medici family support)

  • Pope: located in Rome – also a great sponsor of Renaissance art

• Humanism:  the new way of thinking during the Renaissance

  • less about religious themes (more about Man on Earth – not God in Heaven)

  • more about everyday, real life situations (secular – non religious)

  • There was a focus on humans and life on earth instead of on God and Heaven.

• Art:   less religious themes  - people were more lifelike  - scenes were more about everyday situations (humanism!)

  • perspective:  a new technique used to make scenes look more 3 dimensional (depth)

  • Leonardo da Vinci: a “Renaissance Man” (could do many things well)   painted the “Mona Lisa” and the “Last Supper”

  • Michelangelo:  painted the ceiling of the “Sistine Chapel” and sculpted “David”

• Literature: less about religious themes  - stories were written to entertain people (humanism!)

• Renaissance literature began to be written in the vernacular (everyday local language of the people)

• Shakespeare: wrote great stories and plays about everyday human situations

• Machiavelli: wrote The Prince – about how a ruler should rule over his people (rule by fear – not love) Key Ideas:

  • Rulers must have absolute power and do whatever is necessary to stay in power (even if that means dishonest and cruel behavior).

  • “The end justifies the means”- Leaders must do whatever is necessary to help their nation.

• Dante: Italian writer that wrote in Italian – not Latin – wrote the Divine Comedy

• Printing Press: invented by Johann Gutenberg

  • Books became more available (cheaper too!)

  • More people began to learn how to read

  • Ideas spread very quickly

  • Judged by many historians to be the most significant technological development in history
    
    

Review Unit #8

Empires 2 (1450-1750 CE)

Tokugawa Empire

• Japanese Feudalism:  Traditional Japan was governed by shogunate  (similar to European feudalism)

  • EMPEROR – symbolic leader    Shogun– military ruler (actual leader)    samurai – warriors

  • BUSHIDO – term for Japanese Code of  Conduct      

  • Tokugawa – name of the Shogun family that controlled Japan for almost 300 years

• Japanese isolationism:

  • Japan’s island location caused its culture to be isolated from other cultures for many centuries

  • When new technologies allowed foreigners to reach Japan – Japan’s leaders began a policy of isolationism – they chose to remain isolated from other cultures

Ming Dynasty

• Re-established Chinese rule in China after the Mongol Empire

• Re-established ethnocentrism  in China – the belief that their culture was better than all others

African Tribal Empires (300 - 1400s CE)

• Empires:  GHANA – MALI – SONGHAI

• Traditional Life:  

  • Family🡪Clan🡪Tribe

  • Oral Tradition:  The history of the tribe was passed down by “word of mouth”

• Mansa Musa (most famous leader of Mali):  great Mali leader – converted to Islam. Importance:

  • He was a devoted Muslim who helped spread Islam in West Africa.

  • He made a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

  • He turned the city of Timbuktu into a center of trade and Islamic learning.

• Trade:  Arabs crossed the Sahara and traded salt to the Africans for Gold (Arabs introduced Islam as well)

• Geography:

  • Africa has a very diverse (varied) geography that includes deserts (i.e.- the Sahara Desert), savanna (grasslands), and rainforests.

  • Due to its many geographic features, Africa is a very diverse continent with many different cultures. No two societies are alike.

  • Africa is currently having problems with desertification (the spreading of desert lands). The Sahara continues to grow, which reduces the amount of available farmland.

• Religion:

  • Animism is the traditional religion that is native to (began in) Africa. It is a religion (similar to Shinto in Japan) that believes all living and non-living things in nature (such as trees, mountains, rivers, animals, etc.) have a spirit.

• Bantu Migrations (500 BC- 1500 AD)

  • This is one of the largest migrations (movements) of people in history.

  • Due to a shortage of land, the Bantu People scattered throughout southern Africa over the course of 2,000 years.

  • Major effects (results) of the migration- As the Bantu people moved, they spread 3 things:

    • a) The Bantu language

    • b) Iron technology

    • c) Agricultural (farming) techniques

• Wealth:

  • They were located along the Trans-Saharan trade routes and participated in the Gold-Salt trade (i.e.- they traded their gold for the salt that they needed to survive).

Mesoamerican Empires

Empires:  MAYA – AZTEC – INCA

Maya: Yucatan Peninsula area of Mexico

• Great thinkers🡪architecture (pyramid temples), Science (365 day calendar)

• Created a form of writing

• Invented the use of zero in math

Aztecs: Central Mexico, establish a large empire

• Great warriors

• Tenochtitlan - Capital city of the Aztec Empire

• They used a calendar and a form of a writing

• Chinampas - These were “floating gardens” that the Aztecs built in lakes in order to farm since there was a shortage of fertile land.

Incas:  Great organizers 🡪 ran an organized governmental bureaucracy 

♦ These civilizations were considered to be advanced civilizations for the western hemisphere

• Lived in the Andes Mountains of Peru (in South America) and established a large empire

• Machu Picchu - most famous site of the Inca

• In order to improve trade and transportation, the Inca developed a vast large network of roads (like the Romans) and footbridges in the Andes Mountains.

• Terrace Farming- Since the Inca lived in the mountains, they learned to farm by cutting flat areas (called terraces) into the sides of mountains. NOTE: The Japanese used a similar technique in order to farm.

Note: The Regents want you to know that both the Aztecs and the Inca used creative agricultural techniques (chinampas and terrace farming) in order to adapt to their geographic environments.

Fall of these Empires:

• The Aztecs and the Inca were both conquered by the Spanish when they arrived in the 1500s:

  • The Aztecs- Conquered by Hernan Cortez in 1521.

  • The Inca- Conquered by Francisco Pizarro in 1532.

Ottoman Empires

Location:  Turkish Muslims took over parts of the old “Muslim” empire and the old  “Byzantine” empire

Suleiman the Magnificent:  was their great Sultan  (leader)

• Under Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottomans controlled land on three continents. They took land from Baghdad to Belgrade and laid siege to Vienna. The Siege of Vienna (1530) was a turning point in Ottoman expansion and European unity to fight Muslim invaders.

Impact: They blocked Europeans from traveling (for trade) to the East (forcing them to look for an all-water route – essentially starting the Age of Discovery period for Western Europeans)

Overview: Founded by Osman, the Ottoman Empire included a collection of Turkish tribes from Asia Minor. In 1453 they conquered Constantinople and ended the Byzantine Empire. From Constantinople (soon to be called Istanbul) they launched raids into the Balkans of Europe. Most Turks were Sunni; however, Orthodox Christians and Jews also made up sizable portions of the empire. The empire was culturally diverse largely due to trade connections and diversity of lands governed. The merchant class was important. Women had more equality than other areas, including the right to own property.

Mughal Empire

Continuation of the Delhi Sultanate – descendents of the Mongol invaders (hence Mughal)

• Land included modern day India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan

• Strong military required high taxes

• Military service was rewarded with land grants – upset regional rulers

• Muslim authority over Hindus; Akbar married a Hindu woman and tried to reconcile with the majority Hindu population

• Sikhism emerges in some areas – a combination of Islam and Hinduism

• Limited trade

• The Taj Mahal was built during this time. It is an Islamic building

Review Unit #9

Global Trade

China

• Technology: 

  • rudder (help steer ships)

  • compass (determine direction you are going)

• Zheng He:  great Chinese explorer -sailed as far away as Africa

• Results:

  • Chinese ethnocentrism (belief that their culture was better than anyone else’s) caused exploration to end

    • they thought that no-one else had anything they wanted – so why keep exploring?

Europe

• Technology:  

  • got rudder and compass from the Chinese

  • got astrolabe (shows location), astronomical tables, and lanteen sail (to sail against the wind) from the Arabs

  • created good maps and good ships (Caravel) themselves

• Why they explored:

  • The 3 G’s: Gold, Glory, and God

    • Gold: get rich 

• trade with other nations (wanted to find an all-water route to Asia)

• discover gold, silver, and other rich materials

• Glory:  become famous

• become the first to do or find something

• create honor, land, and power for your nation

• God:  spread religion (Christianity) to the natives

• Effects on Europeans:

  • trade increased (people got richer)

  • commercial activity increased – new markets and a business classes of people were created

- Mercantilism: economic policy of European nations at this time   (use colonies to help the home nation get rich)

• European nations became the most powerful nations on Earth

• Effects on the rest of the world:

  • their land was taken away from them (to make colonies) by the Europeans 

  • many of the native people died

    • killed fighting the Europeans

    • diseases

  • they were forced to learn European cultural ways

• Significant Explorers:

  • Vasco da Gama:  first to sail around Africa to India

  • Christopher Columbus:  tried to sail to India by going West – accidentally  “discovered” a new world 

        for the Europeans

• Ferdinand Magellan:  his crew were the first to sail around the world

• Important Terms:

  • Imperialism: the act of powerful nations taking over weaker regions and totally dominating their culture

  • Colonialism:  the political relationship between a powerful “mother country” and its weaker “colony”

  • Mercantilism:  the economic relationship between a mother country and a colony – the colony helps make money for the mother country – they provide free raw materials and a market for finished goods

  • Triangle Trade:  trading system between Europe, Africa, and the new world – made money for Europeans

  • Columbian Exchange:  the world-wide exchange of products and ideas after the discovery of the new world

The Age of Exploration and Discovery (1400s-1600s)

Causes of (reasons for) the Age of Exploration:

• Europeans wanted greater access to the spices and other products of Asia.

• Europeans wanted to find sea routes to Asia since land routes were controlled by Muslims.

• Improvements in navigational (sailing) technology made long sea voyages possible. These improvements include the compass and astrolabe, cartography (the science of making maps), and the lateen sail for ships.

Key Explorers include:

• Bartolomeu Dias- First explorer to round the Cape of Good Hope (southern tip of Africa).

• Vasco da Gama- First explorer to reach India by going around the Cape of Good Hope.

• Christopher Columbus- First explorer to reach the Americas.

• Ferdinand Magellan- First explorer to circumnavigate (sail around) the globe.

Effects (results) of the Age of Exploration:

• The Americas

  • The Spanish and Portuguese colonized (took over) land in the Americas. Lands controlled by the Spanish and Portuguese were called colonies.

  • Encomienda System- A labor system in which the Native Americans were forced to work on Spanish farming plantations (growing sugar) and in Spanish mines (getting gold and silver). Spanish landowners had total control over the Native Americans.

  • Millions of Native Americans died due to the diseases (such as smallpox) brought over by the Europeans.

• Africa

  • Europeans took slaves from Africa to the Americas to work on farming plantations.

  • The voyage of slaves from Africa to the Americas was called the Middle Passage.

Mercantilism

• Mercantilism is the idea that colonies exist only to make the Mother Country (i.e. Spain and Portugal) wealthy.

• Spain and Portugal tightly controlled trade with their colonies in the Americas in order to make money. Europeans would take raw materials (like cotton) from their American colonies and sell finished products (like clothing) back to the colonies.

Triangular Trade - This was the trade route taken by Europeans in the Atlantic Ocean.

• Europeans traveled to Africa to get slaves, brought the slaves to their colonies in the Americas, and then returned to Europe with goods from the Americas.

• Columbian Exchange - This is the term used to describe the exchange of people, plants, animals, ideas and technology between the “Old World” (Europe) and the “New World” (North and South America) that took place as a result of exploration and colonization.

  • Items sent from Europe to the Americas include: Wheat, sugar, bananas, horses, chickens and diseases (like smallpox and measles).

  • Items sent from the Americas to Europe include: Maize (corn), potatoes, beans, squash, chili peppers, cocoa, and tobacco.

• The Columbian Exchange is the ultimate example of cultural diffusion (the exchange of goods and ideas between civilizations).

CASE STUDY:  Spanish Imperialism:

• Conquistadors:  Spanish military leaders – Cortez defeated the Aztecs – Pizarro defeated the Inca

• Spanish success:  1) better weapons (gunpowder)   2) help from other native tribes  3) European diseases killed millions

• Encomienda System:  Spanish govt. gave Spanish colonist permission to use natives as forced labor (slaves) on plantations

• Roman Catholic Church:  played an important role as a link between the poor peasants and the Spanish government

• New culture:  the mixing of Native American, European, and African cultures created a new “Latin American” culture

• Social Classes:  the important social identity was based on race – not wealth.  Europeans had the most power

Review Unit #10

The Reformation

Pre-Reformation

• Roman Catholic Church:  had been the most powerful organization throughout Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire

  • until this time – no one dared to question the power and actions of the Church

  • The Church had influence over the people:

    • Spiritually:  it controlled access to Heaven – people had to do what the Church told them to do

    • Politically:  The Church had influence over Kings and Queens in Europe – laws too

    • Economically:  The Church collected a tithe (like a tax) – 10% of all members’ wealth 

The Reformation

• Martin Luther:  German monk who wrote 95 Theses (arguments) against the Roman Catholic Church – starting the Reformation

• Protestants:  people who agreed with Luther’s ideas and joined in his “protest” against the Church

(Christians in Europe became divided into Roman Catholics or Protestants)

• What they were protesting about:

  • that the Church was more interested in making money than in saving people’s souls

    • it sold indulgences (pieces of paper that forgave people’s sins)

  • that the Church was too involved in secular (non-church related) issues  -  such as politics

  • that Church officials claimed to be the only source of religious truth – only they could interpret God’s word

• Protestant beliefs:

  • people could be saved by just having faith in God – not in any other ways

  • people didn’t need the Church’s interpretation of God’s word – they could read the Bible for themselves

• John Calvin:  another Protestant leader – introduced the idea of Predestination (your fate [Heaven or Hell is predetermined for you)

Counter-Reformation

• Council of Trent:  meeting of Church officials to plan on how to fight the Reformation

• Counter-Reformation:  the Church’s attempt to get their members (hence money and power) back

• St. Ignatious Loyola:  began the Jesuits (an order of Monks) – traveled Europe teaching discipline and learning to Catholics           

• Spanish Inquisition:  the Church in Spain actually used torture to persuade non-Catholics to become Catholic

Reformation Events

• Henry VIII:  took England away from the Roman Catholic Church and created the Anglican Church (made himself the head of this church)

• Defeat of the Spanish Armada:  

  • Spain’s navy (Philip II) invaded England (Elizabeth I) in order to force them to become Catholic again.  

  • Spain lost – lost its position as most powerful nation in the world

  • England won – began its claim as the most powerful nation in the world

• Thirty Years War:  war between the Northern nations of Europe (Protestant) vs. the Southern nations of Europe (Catholic)

Results

• new churches began in Europe – more important: there was no longer just one Church in Europe

• the Roman Catholic Church lost much of its power and control of European affairs – Kings and Queens gained power

• people began to question many of the long standing beliefs they had been thinking about for many years

• the power and concept of the individual increased – people began to believe they had choices in their lives

Review Unit #11

Absolutism

Terms

• Divine Right:   the European belief that God chose who could be King or Queen 

                                  (similar to Chinese Mandate of Heaven)

• Monarchy:   a type of government run by a King or Queen  - they inherit their power from a family member

• Absolutism:   when a monarch rules with total power (absolute power) – they do whatever they want to – they  don’t consider the needs of their people

Influential Writers

• Niccolo Machiavelli:  wrote a book called The Prince – said rulers should rule by having their subjects 

                                             fear  them – not love them

• Thomas Hobbes:  wrote a book called The Leviathan – said people were naturally unorganized and 

                                       simple –  they needed strong leaders

Scientific Revolution (1500-1600s CE)

The Scientific Revolution was a sudden and dramatic change in how people viewed the world. During the Scientific Revolution, science and reason (logic) were used to explain how the world worked. People no longer turned only to the Bible and the Catholic Church for answers.

Key people of the Scientific Revolution:

• Copernicus- Astronomer who developed the Heliocentric Theory- The idea that the planets revolve around the sun.

• Galileo Galilei- Astronomer who proved that Copernicus was correct. He was put on trial by the Catholic Church because his ideas contradicted (went against) its teachings.

• Sir Isaac Newton- Mathematician and astronomer who developed calculus and the theory of gravity.

• Johannes Kepler- Astronomer who helped discover how planets move.

• Descartes- Mathematician, scientist, and philosopher.

Key effects (results) of the Scientific Revolution:

• It resulted in the spread of new ideas throughout Europe.

• It challenged the traditional authority (power) of the Catholic Church since European scientists proved that many Church teachings were incorrect.

• The new ideas of this period directly led to the Enlightenment (SEE NEXT TOPIC).

The Enlightenment (1700s CE)

The Enlightenment was the period in European history when reason (logic) was used to understand and improve society. In fact, the Enlightenment is often called “The Age of Reason.”

Key ideas of the Enlightenment:

• Enlightenment philosophers believed that society could be improved by using reason (logic) and natural law (universal rules that are always true).

• Enlightenment philosophers believed that governments receive their authority (power) from the people (NOT from God).

• Enlightenment philosophers believed in democracy (a gov’t where the people have a say).

• NOTE: The Regents likes you to know that the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment both encouraged the spread of new ideas and the use of reason.

Key people of the Enlightenment:

• John Locke- He believed that all people have natural rights (the right to life, liberty, and property). He also said that people have the right to overthrow governments that fail to protect these rights.

• Baron de Montesquieu- In order to prevent kings from being too strong, he believed that power in government should be divided into three branches (executive, legislative, judicial) so that there is a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances.

• Voltaire- He believed that everyone is entitled to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

• Rousseau- He believed that society is a social contract (an agreement in which all people agree to work for the common good of society).

Key effects (results) of the Enlightenment:

• Since Enlightenment philosophers believed that people can overthrow unfair governments, the Enlightenment helped cause political revolutions in France, Latin America, and the United States (SEE NEXT TOPIC BELOW).

• Enlightened Despots- These were European kings and queens who believed in Enlightenment ideas and ruled using Enlightenment principles (ideas).

Political Revolutions

The term “political” means “government.” A political revolution is an event in which the people of a country overthrow an existing government and create a new government.

The English Revolution/Glorious Revolution (1689)

• The English Revolution (also called the Glorious Revolution) is the event in which the people of England successfully limited the power of their monarchs (kings).

• The English Revolution took place because people in England believed that the absolute monarchs of England were unfair and had too much power.

• Key effects (results) of the English Revolution/Glorious Revolution:

  • England’s government became a limited (or constitutional) monarchy- This is a form of government in which the power of monarchs (kings) is limited (decreased) by written laws.

• Below is a list of laws that each limited the power of the English king in some way:

  • The Magna Carta: This was the first step towards modern democracy because it showed that the king was not above the law since he was forced to sign it by the parliament.

  • The Petition of Right

  • The English Bill of Rights

  • Habeas Corpus

  • NOTE: As a result of these laws, English kings had to share power with Parliament (the lawmaking body of the English government that represents the people).

The French Revolution and Napoleon (1789-1815)

• The French Revolution was the event in which the people of France overthrew their king (Louis XVI) and fought for more rights.

Absolute Monarchs

You should know:

1. where they were from

2. one thing they did for their nation

3. how that thing affected their nation

Akbar the Great:  

1.  INDIA

2.  He developed one of India’s “Golden Ages”  - a time of peace and wealth

3.  The Golden Age made a peaceful and prosperous life for Indians of that time

Ferdinand and Isabella

1.  SPAIN

2.  They sponsored the voyages of Columbus

3.  The discoveries of Columbus brought great wealth and power to Spain

Charles V

1.  SPAIN

2.  Led resistance against the invading Ottoman Empire

3.  Kept Western Europe out of control of the Ottoman Empire (kept it Christian – not Muslim)

Philip II

1.  SPAIN

2.  Spent Spain’s newly acquired wealth defending Catholicism in Europe during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation

3.  Spain lost its power and became a weaker nation again

Louis XIV

1.  FRANCE

2.  Taxed the poor people - but not the rich people    - used the tax money to build the Palace of Versailles

3.  Put too much economic pressure on the poor people   - many people starved

Peter the Great

1.  RUSSIA

2.  He tried to westernize (modernize) Russia

3.  Western artists, scientists, and teachers came and taught Russians how to be more modern.    

CASE STUDY:  England

(why it was different from other nations)

• Magna Carta:  a document that limited the powers of the Kings and Queens in England

• Parliament:  originally a committee of Nobles created to keep an eye on the King’s actions

• English Civil War:  

  • King Charles I vs. Parliament    - fighting for control of power in England

  • Parliament won  (gained more powers than they had before)

  • Charles I executed – monarchy was abolished 

  • Oliver Cromwell (leader of Parliament) took over   - The Commonwealth ran England for a few years

• The “Restoration”: the monarchy was restored temporarily after the “Commonwealth” did not work out too well

• Glorious Revolution: Restored dynasty did not work out – William and Mary asked to the throne – only under the assumption that Parliament now had more power than the monarchy – supported by the English Bill of Rights

• Today: Great Britain has a Limited Constitutional Monarchy 

  • the Monarchy’s powers are limited by a written constitution

  • Parliament has all of the real power now

Heimler’s Histories

“Unit 1 review” (1200-1450) Post Classical

Song Dynasty: Golden Age, (extension of Tang Dynasty); tech, gunpowder, Grand Canal for trade, more food, more people, Confucianism, culture

Abbasid Caliphate: Falling apart by invaders, Muslims, Delhi Sultanate cam together b/c of Muslims, Muslims in North Africa Egyptians forced them to be slaves / military men

-Song dynasty thrives, Abbasid Caliphate falls

Mali empire: Centralizes power / lots of wealth / Mansa Musa

Ghana empire: Doesn’t do that

◾Feudalism: Way of structuring society w/ rigid class layers; Kings on top, Nobles, Knights, peasants and serfs going downwards

-Religion was key to state building

Islam: Shared beliefs and united several regions throughout afro- eurasia 

Confucianism: More into morals and not doing much wrong

Hindu / Buddhism:

Overall Key Ideas:

Possible Questions:

Possible SAQs:

1. A. Explain a political change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution. 

B. Explain a social change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution.

C. Explain an economic or technological change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution.

2. A. Explain a religious change brought about by the rise and spread of Islam.

B. Explain a political change brought about by the rise and spread of Islam.

C. Explain an economic change brought about by the rise and spread of Islam

3. A. Discuss two examples that explain why the Mongols can be seen as trade facilitators

    during the Pax Mongolica.

B. Give one reason why the Mongols can be seen as detrimental during their period of rule.

4. A. Give two reasons why the Columbian Exchange can be seen as a disruptive turning point.

B. Give one reason why the Columbian Exchange can be seen as a positive turning point.   

5. A. Using document 1, explain the historical context for the development of the Five Pillars of Islam.*

B. Using document 2, explain the  purpose of this map 

C. Identify and explain a cause-and-effect relationship associated with the historical developments in documents 1 and 2. Be sure to use evidence from both documents 1 and 2 in your response.

      Doc 1 Doc 2

Possible MCQs:

Topic 1:

1. What is an accurate conclusion about the Paleolithic Cave painting shown to the right?*

• Cave paintings were used for religious purposes

• The cave painting expresses an important culture aspect of Paleolithic peoples. 

• farming were important to Paleolithic peoples

• Paleolithic peoples were transitioning from hunter-gatherers to settled agriculturalists.

2. Which of the following  statements best characterizes the changes in women’s status in the transition from hunting and gathering to agricultural societies?

• Women lost social standing or position relative to men.

• Women gained power and wealth.

• Women became less important in the secular (political) world, but more important in the sacred (religious) world.

• Women’s status did not change.

3. What conclusion can be drawn about demographic and social effects of the Neolithic Revolution from the graph show?

• Population grew as a result of more available food, which led, in turn, to more complex economic and social systems.

• Hunter-gathers increased in number in order to defend their land and to keep their place in society.

• As a result of a decrease in the supply of food, agriculturalists began to compete for space.

• The effects of the Neolithic Revolution were minimal in Mesopotamia but increased as the Neolithic Revolution spread.

4. The presence of this cuneiform tablet suggests that the civilization of Sumer

• had a democratic form of government

• was likely complex and bureaucratic

• used oral traditions

• was a city-state

5. All of the following represent characteristics of the  Neolithic Era (3300 BCE) EXCEPT

• the use of new forms of metals for tools and weapons

• the development of record keeping systems

• extensive use of specialized labor

• the political collapse of regional empires and city-states

6. The peoples of ancient Mesopotamia and China tended to see the world as a hazardous place*

• because their gods were gentle and usually peaceful

• because river systems often flooded irregularly and severely 

• due to the constant warfare in their region

• because of the massive level of corruption found in their government.

7. The successful operation of large-scale sophisticated irrigation systems generally depended on*

• The presence of a central government with resources to administer public infrastructure

• Plenty of rainfall to justify such an expenditure of energy

• A large slave population, usually managed by the women in the village

• The importation of advanced technology and sometimes even foreign workers.

8. One reason why Egypt suffered from few external invasions was*

• Prominent mountain ranges protected Egypt

• Few civilizations had access to Mediterranean Sea.

• Vast deserts surrounded the civilization.

• Egypt was only accessible by river and the Nile was treacherous.

9. The relationship between Hammurabi and Shamash as depicted in the image best illustrates which of the following features of ancient civilizations?*

• Rulers deferred to the priestly class for religious guidance

• Rulers asserted that royal laws were superior to divine laws.

• Rulers created new religions to unify conquered peoples.

• Rulers claimed that their authority came directly from divine power. 

10. What societal reality is expressed in the excerpt of the Hammurabi Code?*

• The upper classes were exempt from any form of punishment

• Punishments always involved violence

• Inequality was imbedded in the law 

• There was gender equality in Mesopotamia

11. China’s development in many instances was distinctive because*

• China refused to trade with other countries.

• Xia dynasty mandated that there be no contact with the outside world.

• China is isolated by natural barriers and had infrequent contact with other peoples 

• China had all the resources it needed and had no need for outside contact.

12. The rule of the Zhou monarch was justified through the “Mandate of Heaven”, suggesting that*

• He ruled with the approval of the gods 

• He was infallible and could never be removed.

• He was only a religious figure

• He was only a political figur

13. The ideas expressed in this quote reflect an ideal of*

• Buddhism

• Daoism 

• Legalism

• Hinduism

14. The Five Relationships and the concept of filial piety suggested and supported 

• Structuring society along lines that prioritized family ties, gender and age 

• Ending a long period of political turmoil

• Implementing a feudal system that supported political centralization in the person of the Emperor

• Book burnings associated with Confucian scholars to control information

15. Qin Shihuangdi imposed Legalism and standardization of text, currency, weights and measures as a consequence of*

• Political and social disorder that characterized the prior Warring States Period 

• Qin Shihuangdi ‘s positive outlook on human nature

• Qin Shihuangdi’s decision to construct the Grand Canal

• Qin Shihuangdi’s rejection of the Mandate of Heaven

16. Which of the following conclusions best describes the impact of the Silk Road on trade? **

• China’s technology, religion, and political traditions failed to traverse the path of the Silk Road due to the isolationist policies of the Han Emperor.

• Barbarian tribes from the south and east were essential in providing security for Han merchants who traveled as far as the Roman Empire to trade silk and jade.

• Technological improvements, and the mastery of silk production positioned China strongly in the global trade network of the period.

• Demand for luxury goods from the west including copper and gunpowder caused an economic crisis in China resulting in the banning of these products from entering the region.

17. Why have the Harappan (Indus River) stone seals NOT provided historians with a clear picture of Indus society?*

• The stone seals were not used for writing, but for decoration

• Indus people use riddle to confuse their enemies

• The writing has yet to be translated 

• Indus peoples used the stone seals on to write about people outside their own civilizations

18. The excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita supports which of the following ideas*

• Classical India needed a strong central authority to organize society

• The caste system organized nearly all members of society into a rigid structure based on birth.

• Since roles in society were vaguely defiance causing frequent social upheaval.

• All members of society were viewed equally since each had a distinct duty determined by Brahma

19. The reign of Cyrus the Great can best be described as a consequence of*

• A. his guiding principle to be tolerant and benevolent (well-meaning and kind) 

• B. His swift and brutal conquest of Egypt.

• C. His successful suppression of the rebellion started by the Ionian Greeks.

• D. His use of dominance which allowed him to enslave the Israelites.

20. Which of the following accurately describes a difference between classical Chinese approach to politics and the approach of Athenian Greece to politics?*

• China placed less emphasis on hierarchy and obedience to authority than did the Greeks

• Greek politics emphasized a single, centralized system of authority.

• The Greeks placed more emphasis on participation in government and less on bureaucracy

• The Chinese lacked the bureaucracy that made democratic government in Greece possible.

21. According to the author below, how were Herodotus' historical accounts different from previous accounts?*

• He recorded and explained history in rational terms but with an element of storytelling. 

• He chose to give an accurate account of the actions rather than digress on the motives behind the actions.

• He rarely mentioned failures and only wrote from the Greek point of view.

• He attributed successes and failures to the work of the gods rather than men.

22. How did Ashoka fulfill the goal he stated in the passage below?*

• He conquered other kingdoms and brought them under his rule 

• He established rock pillars to support his desire to spread Buddhism

• He first had to subdue rebellions in India before he could start to work for the welfare of the rest of the world.

• He encouraged the practice of Hinduism, by which he hoped to end the suffering of the people in his empire and in neighboring lands.

23. According to the quote by Plutarch, Spartan women were bestowed with freedom and education because*

• there were more women than slaves in Sparta

• with men off at war, women played an important role in Spartan politics

• they had to give birth to future Spartan warriors

• Sparta was a society based on equality

24. Which of the following is evidence that the caste system was supported by religious values during the Vedic Age?*

• Individuals were granted the right to rule from god based on their ability to rule well, appropriately, and fairly (Mandate of Heaven).

• Individuals could not escape permanent liberation from the cycle of reincarnation to a deep, dreamless sleep (Moksha).

• Individuals who lived virtuous lives and fulfilled all their dharma could expect rebirth into a higher and more distinguished caste. (Karma) 

• Widows would voluntarily throw themselves on to her husband's cremation fire (Sati) 

25. Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the statements made in the excerpt below?*

• The concept of “civilization” is a recent idea

• The concept of “civilization” is used to delineate groups of people

• The concept of “civilization” is established alongside cultural boundaries

• The concept of “civilization” was a term coined first by historians

Classical Period & Belief Systems: 

1. The Ten Commandments and Five Pillars of Wisdom are similar in that they

• established a class structure for society

• are guidelines for living 

• consist of prayers for salvation

• promise a happy and easy life

2. In India, the caste system has existed for many centuries because*

• contact between India and the rest of the world has been limited

• the Hindu doctrines of dharma and karma support the caste system

• the caste system promoted industrialization

• the Indian Congress Party supported a rigid class structure

3. The philosophy of Confucius (K'ung-fu-tzu) stresses the importance of*

• respect for authority

• religious beliefs

• a classless society

• owning land

4. Judaism and Christianity are similar because they*

• base their beliefs on the Koran

• stress belief in reincarnation

• are monotheistic

• promote the practice of polygamy

5. A goal common to Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism is to*

• establish peace and harmony 

• provide the basis for democratic government

• return the power of the emperors

• promote individual artistic creativity 

6. The religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share a common belief in*

• nirvana

• monotheism 

• reincarnation

• animism

7. Christianity and Islam are similar in that both*

• are polytheistic religions

• have practiced a strict code of nonviolence

• have the same religious holidays

• have roots in Judaism

8. The Five Pillars of Faith of Islam, the Ten Commandments of Judaism and Christianity, and the Eightfold Path of Buddhism are similar in that they all*

• were set forth by the founder of the particular religion

• offer a happy and easy life for those who follow their teachings

• serve as guidelines to follow in personal conduct 

• indicate exactly how to achieve salvation 

10. Hinduism and Buddhism are similar in that both religions*

• practice a belief in many gods

• provide followers with a rigid social caste system

• stress attainment of a better life through spiritual rebirth 

• look to the teaching of one person for their basic beliefs

11. Which speaker is most likely a Buddhist?*

• A 

• B

• C

• D

12. Which speaker expresses a belief in reincarnation?*

• A

• B

• C

• D

14. Which statement would most likely be spoken by a Hindu and not by a Muslim?*

• “I am planning to go to Mecca next year to participate in the hajj.”

• “My belief in the teachings of the Koran are very important to me.”

• “I always enjoy the feast that follows the end of Ramadan.”

• “My good deeds today will serve me well in my next reincarnation.” 

15. The Buddhist religion teaches that salvation is earned by*

• following the Ten Commandments

• worshipping Allah as the one true god

• learning to give up selfish desire

• being baptized and confirmed

16. People who accept the beliefs stated in this passage believe in*

• polytheism

• monotheism

• emperor worship

• papal authority

17. In which book can this passage be found?*

• Old Testament of the Bible

• Analects of Confucius

• Talmud

• Qur'an (Koran) 

20. The terms Brahma, dharma, and moksha are most closely associated with which religion?*

• Judaism

• Islam

• Hinduism 

• animism 

22. The spread of Buddhist ideas and customs to China and Southeast Asia was the result of*

• the Mandate of Heaven

• economic dependence

• cultural diffusion

• the civil service system

23. The diagram illustrates the key concepts of which religion?*

• Islam

• Christianity

• Hinduism

• Buddhism 

24. According to Buddhist principles, believers can end personal suffering by*

• believe in reincarnation

• strive for nirvana

• follow a code of behavior

• practice polytheism

26. This translated quotation from the Qur’an [Koran] refers to*

• Buddha

• Shiva

• Allah 

• Muhammad

28. Which belief is shared by Hindus and Buddhists?*

• Everyone should have the same social status.

• People should pray five times a day.

• The soul can be reincarnated.

• Material wealth is a sign of the blessing of the gods.

29. Which term is most closely related to these three actions?*

• nirvana

• animism

• filial piety 

• hadj (hajj) 

32. This passage describes the experience of a follower of*

• Christianity

• Islam

• Hinduism

• Judaism

34. Which belief system is considered monotheistic?*

• Jainism

• Daoism

• Judaism

• Shinto

36. Filial piety and the five relationships are most often associated with*

• Hinduism

• Daoism

• animism

• Confucianism

38. A person who practices Hinduism would most likely*

• believe the Vedas are sacred

• worship in a synagogue

• pray facing Mecca

• make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem

39. Which statement was true of the caste system in traditional India?*

• Members of different castes often intermarried.

• Caste membership determined a person’s occupation.

• The highest caste was composed of untouchables.

• The caste system had little effect on daily village life.

40. In ancient China, one effect on government of the teachings of Confucius (K'ung-fu-tzu) was the high status of*

• soldiers

• merchants

• farmers

• scholars

43. In traditional Chinese culture, which philosophy had the greatest influence on the development of social order and political organization?*

• Taoism

• Shintoism

• Confucianism

• Marxism

45. Social mobility within a society means that people may*

• travel throughout the country a great deal

• work at many different jobs during their lifetime

• switch frequently from one political party to another

• move from one social class to another

 48. Which is a valid statement about the role of religion in modern India?*

• Buddhism has replaced Hinduism as the major religion.

• Religion has lost most of its influence and importance.

• Religion and politics are rigidly separated.

• Religious beliefs and social structure are closely related.

49. Confucianism emphasizes the idea that*

• government should own the means of production

• economic success is more desirable than knowledge and learning

• each person has an important responsibility to family and society

• an individual’s personal goals are more important than the goals of the group 

50. In India today, the continued discrimination based on caste illustrates*

• a commitment to a capitalist economic system

• the gap between law and tradition

• the influence of the cold war on India

• the declining role of religion in modern society

56. Which concept is illustrated in the diagram?*

• manorialism

• apartheid

• caste

• encomienda

57. Which religion or belief system is most closely associated with the social class system illustrated in the diagram?*

• Hinduism 

• Daoism

• Catholicism

• animism

58. The illustration shows the relationship between individuals in a society according to the ideas of*

• Confucius (K'ung-fu-tzu)

• Moses

• Mohammad

• Siddhartha Gautama

59. In China, the development of civil service examinations and a belief in filial piety reflect the influence of*

• Shinto

• Jainism

• Confucianism

• Buddhism

60. Which Chinese philosophy best completes this graphic organizer?*

• Maoism

• Daoism

• legalism

• Confucianism

Post Classical:

4. In western Europe, feudalism developed after the

• Roman Empire collapsed

• Renaissance began

• city of Constantinople fell

• Mongols invaded

21. The illustration represents a society based on*

(1) social class

(2) educational achievement

(3) accumulated wealth

(4) political ability

59. One way in which Pax Romana and Pax Mongolia are similar is that both were characterized by*

(1) political stability

(2) unifying religious institutions

(3) representative forms of government 

(4) social equality for men and women

75. Which conclusion about the Grand Canal system in China can be drawn from the information shown on this map?*

(1) Coastal ports dominated the canal system.

(2) Troops could easily be moved west of Luoyang on the canals.

(3) Grain could be shipped between Yangzhou and Beijing by the canal.

(4) The canal system prevented invaders from conquering the dynasties.

90. The feudal systems in both medieval Europe and early Japan were characterized by*

(1) a decentralized political system

(2) religious diversity

(3) an increased emphasis on education

(4) the development of a wealthy middle class

78. Which achievement is most closely associated with Mansa Musa of Mali?*

• an increase in the influence of Islam and Islamic culture

• the discovery of diamonds in the Congo

• the defeat and capture of Cairo

• an exclusive trade agreement with European merchants

Tips when taking the Test:

From Mr. Worthington on Friday:

• Look out for decoy questions, ie, those that are true for another civilization, but not this one.

• If you switch it, there is a better chance that you are switching to the wrong answer.

• 50/50, go with first instinct

• Always go with the best possible answer.

• For the SAQs, state the answer, and use an example in the next sentence to support your answer, ie; the agricultural revolution was the driving force behind the growth of civilizations. This is seen in the Indus River Valley Civilization, using irrigation for their crops because they relied on farming. 

• Do all practice SAQs because they could appear as MC

SAQ format: 

sentence one: make a claim that is disputable (i.e, somebody can disagree with said claim, an example would be saying that a specific change is most significant) 

sentence two: cite information, ideally use specific names that also support your claim from sentence one sentence three: explain why this evidence is important to your claim

1. A. Explain a political change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution. 

B. Explain a social change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution.

C. Explain an economic or technological change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution.

1. A political change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution was the rise of people in charge. This transition came about because people needed an efficient way to make decisions in their civilization. As people began to settle in groups, there needed to be someone or a group of people to make certain decisions pertaining to the surplus of food and currency.

2. A social change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution was the shift from a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a sedentary, agricultural one. This transition led to the establishment of permanent settlements and the development of more complex social hierarchies. As people began to cultivate crops and domesticate animals, they no longer had to constantly search for food, allowing them to live in larger groups and specialize in different tasks, leading to the emergence of social classes, such as farmers, artisans, and religious leaders, and creating a more stratified society.

3. A technological change that came about as a result of the Neolithic Revolution was that the surplus of food led to different occupations that rose from the caste system. These different occupations such as artisans and metal workers created new technologies that aided in farming or other jobs. With these new technologies, the neolithic revolution changed the level of tools that people had, expanding the job market and the social class, making jobs easier as well.