1200 to 1450 (Unit 1 and 2) Flashcards
What is a state?
An organized political community under one government (like a country, empire, nation, etc.)
How did the Song Dynasty
maintain and justify their rule?
The revival of Confucianism, or Neo-Confucianism helped to
legitimize Song Dynasty rule due to its ancient history in China.
The use of an imperial bureaucracy also helped. In order to be a
part of the bureaucracy eligible men had to pass the Civil Service
Exam which was based on Confucian classics.
Extra Info:
The Song Dynasty demonstrated continuity and
innovation to maintain and justify its rule.
Confucianism as the state philosophy and the Civil
Service Exam began during the Han Dynasty (202
BCE - 220 CE) which means this was a continuity
in Chinese History. However, Neo-Confucianism
showed innovation.
The use of a large bureaucracy began during
the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE). This is also a
continuity.
What were some of the
main ideas of Confucianism?
Society is hierarchical. There are superiors and inferiors. The
State was superior to citizens. Men were superior to women, etc.
Harmony depended on keeping the proper relationships.
Filial piety was part of this. It emphasized the need for children
to obey and honor their parents, grandparents, and deceased
ancestors.
What was life like for
women in Song China?
Women were always in a subordinate position and were stripped of legal rights.
Women could not own property, remarry, etc. Women had limited access to
education and in elite social circles the practice of footbinding became popular.
How did China influence
its neighbors in East
and Southeast Asia?
In Korea they used a civil service exam in order to join the bureaucracy. They
also adopted Buddhism.
What are the basic tenets of
Buddhism and what are some of
the different forms of Buddhism?
Buddhism starts with the Four Noble Truths which acknowledge that there
is suffering in the world and desire/craving is the cause. The way to stop
suffering is the Eightfold Path. Buddhists believe in reincarnation, but the
ultimate goal is to stop the cycle of reincarnation and achieve nirvana through
enlightenment.
Theravada Buddhism was the original form of Buddhism. Many Buddhist
monks lived within monasteries to focus on attaining enlightenment.
Mahayana Buddhism was a new form that traveled to East Asia. It encouraged
broader participation and offered help to achieve nirvana from bodhisattvas.
What helped Song China
to have such a strong economy?
Song rulers inherited the prosperity and growth
started from previous dynasties like the Sui
and Tang Dynasties. Between the 8th and 10th
centuries the population doubled.
The economy also commercialized, making
goods that were sold across Eurasia like
porcelain and silk.
The expansion of the Grand Canal also helped to
facilitate trade.
Extra Info:
The economy of Song China flourished as a result of increased
productive capacity and innovations.
China’s expertise in Silk and Porcelain production which depended on
free peasant labor (raising silkworms) and artisanal labor (creating
textiles & ceramics) were also part of the Song Dynasty becoming
increasingly commercialized. China also had centers of iron and steel
production all over the country. The economy of Song China flourished
as a result of increased productive capacity and expanding trade
networks.
Why was the introduction
of Champa Rice so important
for the Song Dynasty?
It was a drought resistant crop that matured
early, increasing the amount of food available
in the empire, therefore increasing the
population.
Extra Info:
Champa rice is a good example of why the economy of Song China
flourished due to agricultural innovations.
This also helps to explain the effects of Chinese cultural traditions on East
Asia over time.
The Chinese Tribute System was a way for countries to acknowledge
China’s superiority and gain access to trade rights. Champa rice first got
to China from Vietnam through the Tribute System c. 8th-11th c. CE.
The Song Dynasty expanded agriculture & its production. Through the
Tribute System Japan, Korea and Vietnam also adopted Chinese cultural
practices like Confucianism (including filial piety & the subservient
position of women, especially in Korea) and Mahayana Buddhism.
What is the connection between
Islam, Judaism and Christianity?
All were practiced in Dar al-Islam and the prophet Mohammad
claimed to be the final prophet in the line of God’s messengers stretched
back through the Jewish and Christian scriptures. All three were
monotheistic.
Extra Info:
Islam, Judaism, Christianity and the core
beliefs and practices of these religions
shaped societies.
Describe the condition of the
Abbasid caliphate c. 1200.
By 1200 the Abbasid caliphate had begun to break up and lose its
powerful position in the Muslim world. In 1258 their capital, Baghdad
was conquered by the Mongols which was their end.
Describe the new Islamic
political entities that replaced
the declining Abbasid caliphate.
They were dominated by ethnic Turks, not Arabs.
Extra Info:
This demonstrates similarities and differences
in the processes of state formation from
c.1200 to c. 1450. Other Turkic Muslim states
include the Delhi Sultanate in South Asia
and the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt which
was started by slave soldiers.
Describe the rise
of the Seljuk Empire.
The Seljuks were Turks from Central Asia who the Abbasids tried to use
to prop up their failing state. However, they created their own empire
instead and became a dominant force in the region.
Extra Info:
This demonstrates similarities and differences
in the processes of state formation from
c.1200 to c. 1450. Other Turkic Muslim states
include the Delhi Sultanate in South Asia
and the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt which
was started by slave soldiers.
What practices in the new
Islamic empires were borrowed
from previous empires?
Sharia law, a legal code based on the Quran.
Extra Info:
This demonstrates similarities and differences
in the processes of state formation from
c.1200 to c. 1450. Other Turkic Muslim states
include the Delhi Sultanate in South Asia
and the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt which
was started by slave soldiers.
What were some of the
intellectual innovations of
Dar al-Islam and their effects?
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi invented trigonometry.
Muslim scholars in places like the House of Wisdom in Baghdad preserved
the works of Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, translating them
into Arabic and commenting on them. These works eventually made
it back to Europe, and would have been lost to history if not for their
preservation by scholars in Dar al-Islam.
Extra Info:
Muslim states and empires encouraged
significant intellectual innovations and
transfers.
Describe the expansion of
the Islamic World c. 1200-1450.
Empires spread through military expansion (like the Seljuks, Mamluks and
Delhi Sultanate). Islam spread through the travels of Muslim merchants
(for example, the Empire of Mali in West Africa). Islam also spread due to
the work of missionaries like the Sufis who allowed for some local belief.
Extra Info:
Explain the causes and effects of the rise
of Islamic states over time including the
expansion of Muslim rule and Islam.
What religions could be found
in South Asia and what effect
did they have on society?
The 3 main religions were Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.
By c. 1200 Buddhists in South Asia were mostly reduced to monastic communities.
Most people in South Asia were Hindu. Bhakti Hinduism was a new movement
that began in the Southern part of India and emphasized devotion to 1 Hindu god
(Hindus are polytheistic). It challenged social and gender hierarchies in Hindu India.
The establishment of the Delhi Sultanate made Islam the religion of the elite.
Extra Info:
This shows how the various
belief systems and practices
of South and Southeast Asia
affected society over time.
What religions could be
found in Southeast Asia?
Buddhism and Islam. Islam was more widely practiced eventually but in states like Thailand and Cambodia
Buddhism was established.
Describe the emergence of new
states in South and Southeast Asia
and how they kept power
The Delhi Sultanate was in Northern India. They were Muslims but the majority
population was Hindu.
The Rajput kingdoms were rival warring Hindu Kingdoms who held the Delhi
Sultanate back from conquering more land.
The Vijayanagara Empire was a Hindu kingdom formed by brothers who had
previously converted to Islam to serve the Delhi Sultanate. Their kingdom rivaled the
Delhi Sultanate.
The Majapahit Kingdom on Java was a Buddhist Kingdom who maintained influence
by controlling sea routes for trade, but declined when China supported its rival the
Sultanate of Malacca.
The Khmer Empire began as a Hindu Empire, but eventually leadership adopted
Buddhism. Art and architecture (like Angkor Wat) reflect both faiths.
Extra Info:
When merchants from South
Asia went to Southeast Asia
to trade they often formed
diasporic communities
and brought Hinduism,
Buddhism and Islam with
them. Governments there then
adopted these religions and
used them to build relationships
with powerful trade partners
as well as unify and maintain
control. This demonstrates
similarities in the processes of
state formation from c.1200 to
c. 1450.
Describe the development
of the Aztec Civilization.
Founded in Mesoamerica in 1345 by the Mexica, their capital was the
magnificent Tenochtitlan. In 1428 they began a program of expansion
and created a huge empire. They were decentralized in how they ruled.
Extra Info:
Together, the Aztecs, Inca & Mississippian
Culture show innovation and diversity of
state systems in the Americas.
How did the Aztecs maintain
control of their empire?
Conquered people were forced to pay tribute in goods or labor. Conquered people were also enslaved and
sometimes sacrificed in religious rituals.
How did the Inca maintain
and improve their empire?
The Inca had an elaborate bureaucracy throughout the Andean region to control conquered territories. They
used the mit’a system as a source of labor for state projects like farms, mining, military service, and construction
projects. They were highly centralized in how they ruled.
