Unit 1 Notes: The Global Tapestry – Quick Reference

Dynastic cycle: Mandate of Heaven governs peace/prosperity; disasters/famines/invasions signal loss of mandate; new dynasty claims mandate.
Dynasties (essential sequence): Han → Sui → Tang → Song → Yuan → Ming → Qing.
Song Government: Centralized autocratic rule; Emperor as Son of Heaven; large bureaucracy; Civil Service Exam; merit-based but often retains elite connections; printing expands knowledge.
Song Culture: Neo-Confucian continuity; Five Relationships; Filial Piety; Patriarchal society.
Innovations & Economy: Champa Rice → rapid population growth; state sponsorship of agriculture/engineering; technologies: movable type, magnetic compass, gunpowder, paper; Grand Canal linked north/south; Silk/textiles trade.
Merchants: viewed as unproductive and morally suspect; yet trade expands under later dynasties.
Social/Interaction: Tributary system fosters cultural diffusion and Koreans, Japanese, and Vietnamese adopt aspects of Chinese governance/culture.
Foot binding and patriarchy become more entrenched as elites emphasize gender norms.

Post- Abbasid fragmentation (ca. 1200): Emergence of Seljuk Empire, Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, Delhi Sultanates.
Islam expands via merchants, missionaries, and Sufi orders; continuity with prior Greek/Quranic scholarship.
House of Wisdom in Baghdad; Greek texts translated into Arabic; preservation and expansion of knowledge.
Caliphates: Caliphs as political/religious leaders; Sharia law; Dhimmi status with jizya tax; religious tolerance and cosmopolitan culture; spread of Arabic/Turkic languages; mosques and madrassas promote literacy.
Trade networks: Islamic networks of exchange connect Afro-Eurasia (1100–1450).
Golden Age & innovations: Translation movement; advances in mathematics, literature, medicine; preservation of classical knowledge.
Gunpowder Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal empires emerge later as dominant powers in different regions.
South Asia & Iberia: Delhi Sultanate in northern India; Bhakti movement and Sufi Islam spread; Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) as a cultural hub.

Srivijaya (Malay Peninsula/Sumatra): Maritime power; Straits of Malacca; center of Mahayana Buddhism; Indian cultural influences.
Khmer Empire & Majapahit: Hindu-Buddhist states; bureaucratic governance; tribute networks; caste-like social structures.
Indian Ocean trade: Monsoon winds enable extensive commerce across the region and beyond.
Bhakti movement (South Asia) and Sufi missionaries: Devotional/Islamic practices blending with local cultures; Buddhism monastic traditions persist.
Vietnam: Strong Chinese cultural influence due to long periods of Chinese rule/colonial administration.

Aztec (Mexica) civilization: Migrants from Aztlan; settled Tenochtitlan (1325); chinampas (artificial islands); tribute system; Pochteca merchants; Great Speaker; extensive festival calendar; human/crop sacrifice.
Population in 1519 ~200,000; large market networks serving tens of thousands daily.
Aztec religion: polytheistic; numerous festivals; priests drive offerings and rituals.
Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu): Four regions (Tawa = 4; Antin = group; Suyu = regions); Mit’a labor system; road network; state administration; mummification; polytheistic religion; human sacrifice practiced on occasion.

Trans-Saharan trade (ca. 700–1500 CE): Camel caravans; 1k–12k camels per caravan; long-distance exchange across the Sahara.
Mali Empire: Mansa Musa (devout Muslim); famous pilgrimage with immense wealth; mosques and learning centers; Timbuktu as a center of scholarship and trade.
Timbuktu: Islamic scholarly center; attracted scholars and merchants; hub of learning and culture.
Songhai Empire: Rise after Mali; Gao as capital; ~150 years of rule under multiple rulers; control of trans-Saharan trade networks.
Axum (Aksum): Christian kingdom; stelae; linked to Indian Ocean trade; early empire in the Horn of Africa.

Political/economic structure: Fragmented monarchies; feudalism; manorialism; rural, agricultural society; serfdom prevalent.
Middle Ages timeline:
- Early (500–1000): Fall of Rome; invasions; Charlemagne; decentralized manorial system; serfdom rises.
- High (1000–1300): Stability and growth; Crusades; cathedral-building; revival of trade and towns.
- Late (1300–1500): Crises: plague, Hundred Years' War, church conflicts; shifts toward Renaissance and centralized states.
Economy: Feudal and manorial systems; limited long-distance trade; three-field system; horse collar improves farming efficiency.
Society/Politics: Estates-based order (clergy, nobility, peasants); feudal contracts; vassalage; demesne.
Trade networks: Hanseatic League (began 1368) as a federation of northern European trading cities; growing urban centers.
Culture/Religion: Catholic Church dominates; Latin as church language; church wealth/power; Gothic vs Romanesque architecture; Crusades influence broader Europe.
Legal/political limits: Magna Carta limited royal power in England.
Women: early economic opportunities in guilds/convents; later restrictions; evolving roles.
Technology/Innovation: Three-field system; horse collar; open-field system; medieval warfare and fortifications; early universities emerge later.