americas and oceania (ch20) Flashcards
1
Q
teotihuacan
A
- mesoamerican entered era of war and conquest in 8th century when teotihuacan (largest early city in Mesoamerica) declined
- became a target for forces from countryside and northern mexico
- attacks opened long era of militarization in mesoamerica
- most prominent of people contesting for power were toltecs and mexica
2
Q
states after teotihuacan’s fall
A
- several regional states dominated portions of high central valley
- these states often fought amongst themselves
3
Q
toltecs
A
- with emergence of toltecs, much of central mexico came under unified rule
- came from NW Mexico, settled mainly in tula
- tapped water in nearby river tula to irrigate crops
- high point was from 950-1150 CE
- maintained large and powerful army
- built compact regional empire
- exacted tribute from subjects, transformed capital into wealthy city
4
Q
tula
A
- became an important center for weaving, pottery, etc, residents imported large quantities of luxury goods from elsewhere in mesoamerica
5
Q
fall of toltecs
A
- 1125 ce, toltec empire faced difficulties as conflicts between different ethnic groups
- mid 12th century, nomadic peoples from nw mexico entered tula, settled around it
- 1175, conflicts between various groups destroyed toltec state
- fire destroyed much of tula at the same time
- end of 12th century, toltecs no longer dominated mesoamerica
6
Q
mexica
A
- from nw regions of mexico
- often referred to as aztecs because they dominated alliance that built aztec empire
- arrived in central mexico in the middle of 13th century
- caused conflict, for a century migrated around central mexico
7
Q
tenochtitlan
A
- 1345, mexica settled on island in lake texcoco, founded the city that would later become capital (tenochtitland)
- lake offered plentiful supplies of fish, frogs, etc
- lake enabled mexica to develope chinampa system of agriculture <– good for harvesting
- lake served as natural defense
8
Q
rise of aztecs
A
- early 15th century, mexica were powerful enough to overcome immediate neighbors, demanded tribute from subjects
- mexica launched ambitious campaigns of imperial expansion
- under rule of ITZCOATL (1428-1440) and MOTECUZOMA 1 (1440-1469, they advanced first against oaxaca in SW Mexico
- oaxaca became defence for mexica empire
- mid-15th century, mexica joined forces with texcoco and tlacopan, creating tripple alliance that guided aztec empire (dominated by mexica and teochtitlan)
- imposed rule on most of mesoamerica
9
Q
aztec tribute and trade
A
- triple alliance main goal –> exacted tribute from subject peoples
- tribute obligations where sometimes very oppressive for subject peoples
- ruling elites sometimes had merchants take the tribute items to distant lands to exchange
10
Q
aztec government
A
- had no bureaucracy or administration
- mexica and allies simply conquered their subjects, assessed tribute, left local governance in the hands of the conquered
- had no permanent army
- simply assembled forces when they launched campaigns
- had a reputation for military power, fear of retaliation kept subjects in line
11
Q
mexica social classes/society
A
- rigidly hierarchical, stratified between nobles and non-nobles
- looked upon all males as potential warriors
- honors and rewards reserved mostly for military elite
- noble birth had best training and opportunities
12
Q
mexica warriors
A
- showered wealth and privileges on military elite, received land + tribute
- most successful warrior formed council to discuss public issues
- warriors had right to wear brightly colored capes, etc
13
Q
mexica women
A
- played almost no role in political affairs of society, but wielded influence within families, enjoyed high honor as warrior’s mothers
- prominent in marketplaces, crafts
- prodded towards motherhood and homemaking
- all mexica women married, principal function was to bear children
- bearing of children = warrior’s capture of enemy
14
Q
mexica priests
A
- priestly class ranked among mexica elite
- received special education
- motecuzoma 2, was a priest of the mexica cult, ruled aztec empirefrom 1502-1520
15
Q
cultivators + slaves
capulli
A
- vast majority of mexica consisted of commoners living in hamlets cultivating chinampas in community groups called calpulli
- ^ groups of family living together in communities, organizing their own affairs, allocated community property to individual families
- cultivators delivered periodic tribute payments to state agents
- mexica society included slaves, mainly worked as domestic servants
- slaves were never foreign, only mexica
- criminals + those sold for financial benefit^
16
Q
mexica artisans & merchants
A
- skilled artisans enjoyed considerable prestige in mexica society
- fell under suspicion as greedy profiteers, sometime wealth and goods were siezed
17
Q
mexica gods
A
- absorbed in religious beliefs common to meso america
- two principal gods “tezcatlipoca” –> powerful figure, giver and taker of life, “quetzalcoatl –> supported arts crafts, agriculture
18
Q
ritual bloodletting
A
- mexica believed gods had set the world in motion through acts of individual sacrifice
- by letting blood flow, gods had given earth moisture to bear maize and other crops
- honored deities through sacrificial bloodletting
- regularly performed acts of self-sacrifice
- ## reflected desire of mexica to keep agricultural society going
19
Q
huitziolopochtli
A
- mexica priests presided over sacrificial killing of human victims
- regarded ritual sacrifice of human beings as essential to world’s survival
- mexica placed much emphasis on human sacrifice, from their devotion to the god huitziolopochtli
- demanded sacrificial victims to keep war god appeased
- human sacrifice was a ritual essential to world’s survival
20
Q
pueblo+navajo societies
A
- agricultural economies enabled ppl to maintain societies with large populations
- american sw –> pueblo, navajo peoples tapped rivers to irrigate crops, cultivated crops
- 700 ce pueblo + navajo began constructing permanent stone and adobe buildings
north america
21
Q
iroquois
A
- large-scale agriculture societies emerged in woodlands east of mississippi river
- cultivated maize and beans
- 1000, owasco people established distinct society, 1400, five iroquois nations emerged
- women –> villages, men –> hunting, fishing, war
- north america
22
Q
mound-building peoples
A
- enormous earthen mounds in easter half of north america
- used for ceremonies, rituals, platforms
- recognized various social classes
- north america
23
Q
cahokia
A
- largest surviving mound
- cahokian society 900-1250 height
- lived in society of mounds
- most likely the center of trade and communication networks linking east woodlands of north america + mississippi valley
- north america
24
Q
chucito
A
- after 12th century, kingdom of chucuito dominated highlands region around Lake titicaca
- depended on cultivation of potatoes and herding of llamas and alpacas
- used maize
- south america
25
Q
chimu
A
- powerful kingdom, emerged in 10th century
- governed large and thriving society
- chimu society enjoyed considerable wealth, clear distinctions between social classes
- capital city: chan chan, featured massive buildings
- south america
26
Q
fall of chucito + chimu
A
- regional states like chucito and chimu maintained order
- within a period of 30 years, states fell under domination of dynamic and expansive society of incas
27
Q
inca empire
A
- after long period of migration, incas settled around lake titicaca in mid-13 century
- 1438, pachacuti (1438-1471 reign) launched series of military campaigns, vastly expanded incas’ authority
- pachacuti was a fierce warrior, extended control conquering chimu by taking irrigation system
- spoke quecha
- ruled as a military + administrative elite –> led armies composed mostly of the conquered
- were not numerous enough to overwhelm their subjects
- sought to encourage obedience
- forced ppl to leave homes and resettle with conquered rebelled
- south america
28
Q
inca administration
A
- vast realm presented administrative challenge to rulers
- pachacuti invented incan administrative system
- 1463: pachacuti gave military affairs to his son, settled in cuzco, designed a system of government
- implemented taxes to support inca rulers, organized system of state-owned storehouses for agriculture
- began construction for an extensive network of roads
29
Q
quipu
A
-incan administrators relied on quipu to keep track of responsibilities, since they had no system of writing
- array of small cords suspended in one large, thick cord
- recorded statistical information e.g. population, state property, taxes
- south america
30
Q
cuzco
A
- served as administrative, religious, ceremonial center of incan empire.
- pachacuti turned cuzco into a magnificent capital with a huge plaza
- incan rulers + high nobility + high priests lived there
31
Q
incan roads
A
- road system allowed central government at cuzco to communicated with all parts of incan empire
- two roads linked realm from N to S (thru mountains + coast)
- combined network 40,000km
- best constructed before modern times
32
Q
inca society - trade
A
- didn’t generate large classes of merchants/ skilled artisans
- long-distance trade fell under supervision of central government
- no market economy, no large class of profession artisans to emerge
- skilled craft workers much less prominent among incans than among mexica, and ppls of easter hemisphere
33
Q
inca society - ruling elites
A
- main classes were rulers, aristocrats, priests, peasant cultivators of common birth
- chief ruler –> god from sun
- inca god-kings supervised class of bureaucrats, allocated plots of land for commoners to cultivate
34
Q
inca - aristocrats + priests
A
- inca aristocrats + priests led privileged lives
- fine foods + emboridered clothes
- priests came from royal families
35
Q
peasants
ayllu
A
- common birth, lived in communities known as ayllu
- ayllu, basic units of rural society
- consisted of several families who lived together, peasants supported themselves by working on lands allocated to individual families by ayllu
- didn’t pay taxes/tribute, worked on state lands administered by aristocrats
- men provided heavy labor, women delivered tribute in the form of textiles, pottery, jewelry
36
Q
inca religion
A
- venerated sun as their major deity, called it inti
- some also showed special favor for viracocha
- inti: recognized moon, stars, planets, rain, as divine
-inti temple attracted many - honored deities with sacrifices –> agricultural produce, animals
- also believed in moral thought
- had rituals of confession and penance
- sin was a violation, believed in life beyond death
37
Q
aboriginal peoples
A
- australia
- didn’t interact with peoples of different societies as frequentlya
- created networks of trade and exchange between hunting + gathering societies
- didn’t turn towards agriculture
- maintained nomadic, foraging societies until 19th + 20th centuries
38
Q
aboriginal peoples - trade
A
- frequently encountered ppl from neighboring societies due to nomadic way of life
- didn’t accumulate large quantities of material goods, but regularly exchanged food and small items
- enabled trade goods to spread through most of australia
- trade goods passed from one aboriginal community to another until they came to rest in regions often distant from origins
- oyster + shells were popular, spears
39
Q
aboriginal peoples - cultural + religious traditions
A
- didn’t diffuse much beyond regions inhabited by individual societies
- conducted religious observances designed to ensure continuing supplies of animals plant life, water
- focused on local matters, didn’t apeal to ppl from other regions
40
Q
pacific island societies
A
- ventured to large islands of new zealand
- after 1000 ce, polynesians inhabiting pacific islands grew numerous, prompted social + political development
41
Q
trade between pacific island groups
A
- central + westeren regions of pacific, clusters of islands close to each other, mariners linked island societies
- faciliated exchanges of goods such as axes and pottery
- served social and political + economic functions –> helped ruling elite establish harmonious relations with one another
42
Q
long distance voyaging (oceania)
A
- deep water made it more complicated to travel between different island groups + societies
- regular trade networks didn’t emerge in easter pacific ocean
- mariners undertook lengthy voyages on intermittent basis
- 300 ce, learned about cultivation of sweet potatoes
- 400-700 ce, swee potatoes spread, important for maori population in new zealand
- hawaii –> little communication between hawaii and other polynesian societies
- 12th, 13th cen, two-way voyages linked hawai’i with tahit and marquesas islands
43
Q
population growth - oceania
A
- productive agricultural + fishing societies
44
Q
social classes - oceania
A
- prompted residents to develop increasingly complex social + political structures
- distinct classes emerged as aristocratic and ruling elites decided public affairs
- distinct class of priests and skilled artisans
45
Q
chiefly states - oceania
A
- generated strong political leadership
- ruling chiefs oversaw public affairs in portions of island
- tonga + hawaii: bring additional islands under control, created centralized states
- guided affairs of complex societies throughout polynesia, allocated lands
- classes of high chiefs “ali’i nui” ate best fish that was kapu (taboo) to commoners
- commonores approach or even cast a shadow on ali’i nui
46
Q
polynesian religion
A
- high chiefs claimed their power descended straight from gods, worked closely with priests
- individual islands and island groups recognized deities particular to their own regions and interests
- most distinctive architecture was marae, often had several terraced floors
- didn’t have access to technologies that others had, yet were able to achieve and engage in trade
