AWH: S2 Finals Study Guide

Byzantine Empire 

Germanic Kingdoms: Eastern half of Roman Empire; capital was Constantinople.

Monasticism: Formed after Rome’s fall; included Franks, Visigoths, etc.

Monasteries: Religious life in monasteries, focused on prayer and work.

Germanic tribes: Nomadic farmers and herders turned invaders; governed by unwritten customs; ex Franks, VIsigoths

Clovis: leader of the Franks; converts to Christianity, earning support of the Gauls

Charlemagne: grandson of Charles Martel; king of Franks; warrior king; “Emperor of Europe”

Medieval Constantinople: capital of Byzantine Empire; crossroads for trade and business between Europe, Asia, and Africa; had stunning structures, like the Hagia Sophia

Orthodox Church: centered in Constantinople

The Patriarch: head of Orthodox church

Language spoken in the Byzantine Empire: changed from Latin to Greek officially when Rome split

Islam and the Arab Empires

Allah: Worshipped by Muslims; only divine God

Muhammad: prophet

Abraham: Islams are people of Abraham too; God’s gift of land to Abraham meant for Arabs also

Medina: capital of Islamic empire until moved to Kufa; significant

Ishmael: considered ancestor of Arab people; son of Abraham and Hagar 

Gabriel: considered most important angels; messenger

Quran: holy book of Islam; revealed to Muhammad through Gabriel

Five Pillars of Islam: core practices; foundation of Islam: belief in Allah/Muhammad; Pray 5x a day facing Mecca; Give to poor; Fast during Ramadan; Pilgrimage to Mecca

Hijrah: Muhammad and followers’ pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina

Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca; one of five pillars

Bedouin: nomadic Arab tribes, living in desert regions; many converted to Islam

Caliph: leader of Muslim community; the first was Muhammad’s father

Medieval European Kingdoms

Craft Guild: Determined number of people entering specific trade; Directed almost every aspect of production process; Set standard for quality of produced articles; Set fixed price for sale of finished goods

Viking invasions: caused European kingdoms to become more centralized and focused 

Fief: grant of land given by lord to vassal in exchange for loyalty, etc. 

Knight: warriors, served lords

Feudalism: economic, political, social system in medieval Europe from 9-15 centuries. Based on hierarchy of lords, vassals, peasants

Lords: landowners controlling vast estates; held authority of people on their lands

Manorial system: Lord ran a manor that peasants worked; manors were estates

Serfs: worked their own land and their lord’s land, not slaves, but under control of lord

Chivalry: code of conduct knights followed; honor, loyalty, courtesy emphasized

Magna Carta: Charter signed by King John limiting monarch’s power; established individual rights

Sacraments: things needed by Catholics to go to heaven (Communion, infant baptism, confirmation, etc.)

Civilizations of East Asia 

Silla: SE part of Korean Peninsula; founded by Hyokkose (혁거세), one of the bigger ones

Kublai Khan: Genghis Khan’s grandson; completed conquest of Song; setting up Yuan dynasty

Han Dynasty: establishment of civil service system, opened Silk Road, promoted Confucianism; founded by Liu Bang

Song Dynasty: period of cultural, economic, technological advancement; founded by Emperor Taizu

Daimyo: “great names”; head of noble families in Japan; controlled vast estates

Sui Dynasty: reunified China; constructed Grand Canal; implemented reforms in government

Grand Canal: waterway; facilitated trade; used forced labor/high taxes

Tang Dynasty collapse: due to combo of internal factors, natural disasters, rebellions, weakening government

Civil service examinations: test used by government to hire officials; very hard

Mongols: largest land empire; originated from group of nomadic herders

Ghengis Khan: founder of Mongol empire; known for military prowess and unifying tribes of Mongolia

Koguryo: founded by King Chumo; largest; established royal hereditary

Paekche: founded by Onja; focus on art

Farming in Japan: reliant on rice; farmland owned by state

Islam in Malaysia: Most of SEA became Buddhist, but Malaysia/Indonesia became Muslims

Samurai: “those who serve”; Japanese warriors; expected to follow bushido

Crusades and Culture in the Middle Ages 

The Black Plague: Began in Asia, spread through fleas on rats; either bubonic or pneumonic

The Fourth Crusade: The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a failed attempt to reach the Holy Land that ended with Crusaders sack Constantinople, a Christian city, instead.

First Crusade: The First Crusade (1096–1099) was a successful military campaign by European Christians to capture Jerusalem from Muslim control.

Saladin: Saladin was a Muslim military leader who united the Muslim world and recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187, leading to the Third Crusade.

Dark Ages: The Dark Ages refers to the early part of the Middle Ages (roughly 500–1000 CE), marked by the fall of the Roman Empire, political instability, and a decline in learning and culture in Western Europe.

Joan of Arc:Joan of Arc was a French peasant girl who, claiming to be guided by God, led French troops to key victories in the Hundred Years’ War and helped crown Charles VII, before being captured and executed for heresy in 1431.

Jerusalem: Jerusalem is a holy city for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and was a major goal of the Crusades, especially during the First Crusade, when it was captured by Christian forces in 1099.

Forms of black plague:

1. Bubonic – Caused swollen lymph nodes (buboes); most common form.

2. Septicemic – Affected the blood; caused internal bleeding and was often fatal.

3. Pneumonic – Affected the lungs; spread through the air and was highly contagious.

Scholasticism: medieval method of learning that used logic and reason to reconcile faith with philosophy, especially combining Christian theology with Ancient Greek thought, like the works of Aristotle.

Heresy: belief or opinion that goes against the official teachings of a religion, particularly in Christianity, where it was considered a serious offense and often led to excommunication or persecution.

Lay investiture:Lay investiture was when secular rulers, like kings, appointed church officials, leading to conflicts with the Church over authority.

Excommunication: Excommunication is the banishment from the Christian Church as punishment for serious offenses. 

Vernacular: Vernacular refers to the everyday language spoken by people in a particular region, as opposed to formal or classical languages like Latin.

Kingdoms and States in Medieval Africa 

Collapse of Ghana: The Ghana Empire collapsed in the 11th century due to invasions, internal conflict, and resource depletion.

Salt and Gold trade: The Salt and Gold trade was the exchange of salt from the north and gold from West Africa, which made empires like Ghana and Mali wealthy and powerful.

Mansa Musa: Mansa Musa was the richest ruler of the Mali Empire, famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, where he spread wealth and promoted Islamic culture.

Sahara: The Sahara is the vast desert in North Africa, known for its extreme heat and size, making it a natural barrier but also a key trade route in ancient times.

Diversity of Geography in Africa: Africa's geography includes deserts, rainforests, savannas, mountains, and coasts, creating diverse environments and cultures.

Pre-Columbian America 

Moche:The Moche were an ancient Andean civilization in modern-day Peru, known for their advanced pottery, architecture, and irrigation systems.

Cherokee: The Cherokee are a Native American tribe from the southeast U.S., known for their culture and forced relocation on the Trail of Tears.

Inca: The Inca were an ancient civilization in South America, known for their advanced architecture, road systems, and the Machu Picchu site in present-day Peru.

Nazca: The Nazca were an ancient civilization in Peru, famous for creating the Nazca Lines, huge geoglyphs etched into the desert.

Anasazi: The Anasazi were an ancient Native American people who lived in the Southwestern U.S., known for their cliff dwellings and advanced agriculture.

Aztec religion: It was polytheistic, with rituals and human sacrifice to honor gods and ensure the world’s survival. 

Machu Picchu: Is an ancient Incan city in Peru, known for its stunning mountain-top location, terraces, and advanced architecture  

The Renaissance 

Niccolo Machievelli: Niccolò Machiavelli was an Italian Renaissance writer and political thinker best known for "The Prince," a book that advised rulers to use cunning and power to maintain control, even if it meant being ruthless.

Italian states: The Italian states were a group of independent regions in Renaissance Italy, including Venice, Florence, Milan, and the papal states 

Humanism: Humanism was a Renaissance intellectual movement that emphasized the study of classical texts, individualism, and the potential of human achievement. 

Vernacular: Vernacular refers to the everyday language spoken by people in a particular region, as opposed to formal or classical languages like Latin. 

Fresco: A fresco is a painting done on freshly applied plaster on walls or ceilings, commonly used during the Renaissance.

Republic: A republic is a form of government where the people elect representatives to make decisions, rather than having a monarch or dictator.

Florence: Florence is a city in Italy, known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, famous for its art, architecture, and being home to figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.  

Gutenburg: Inventor of the movable-type printing press in the 15th century, which revolutionized the production of books and helped spread knowledge.  

Printing Press: The printing press is a machine invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, allowing for the mass production of books and the spread of knowledge 

Jan Van Eyck: Was a 15th-century FLemish painter, known for his detailed oil painting like the “Arnolfini Portrait”  

Brunelleschi’s architecture: Brunelleschi’s architecture was known for using classical styles and creating the famous dome of Florence Cathedral, a key work of the Renaissance.

Leonardo da Vinci: Leonardo da Vinci was a Renaissance artist and inventor, best known for the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper," and for his notebooks filled with ideas on art, science, and engineering.

The Reformation 

Martin Luther: German priest, theologian, writer and hymn composer.. He was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. Posted the 95 theses protesting the Catholic church’s forced acts upon the congregation. 

95 theses: 95 statements on Luther's views on the teachings of the Christian Bible, also known as the Bible, and the practice of Christianity against the Catholic Church.

English Reformation: Church of England separated from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. The Church also denied the government's influence in the church and its functions.

Henry VIII: King of England who broke from the Catholic Church and established the Church of England in the 16th century.

Lutherans: Followers of Martin Luther who believed in salvation by faith alone and rejected the authority of the Pope.

Calvinism: A Protestant faith founded by John Calvin, emphasizing predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God.

Consubstantiation: The Lutheran belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist along with the bread and wine.

Anabaptists: A radical Protestant group that believed in adult baptism and separation of church and state.

Erasmus: A Dutch humanist and Catholic priest who called for church reform but did not support breaking from the Church.

Indulgence: A grant by the Catholic Church that released a person from punishment for sins, often criticized for being sold.

Edict of Worms: A decree issued in 1521 declaring Martin Luther an outlaw and banning his writings.

Predestination: The belief that God has already determined who will be saved and who will be damned.

Catholic Reformation: The Catholic Church’s response to the Protestant Reformation, aiming to reform itself and reaffirm doctrine.

Council of Trent: A series of Catholic Church meetings from 1545–1563 that developed clear doctrine, unified under pope; got rid of indulgences and lay investure

Ignatius Loyola: Founder of the Jesuits, a Catholic religious order focused on education and missionary work during the Catholic Reformation.