Chapter 1 - Before 1200 Flashcards
Q: By 1200 BCE, where had humans spread?
A: By 1200 BCE, humans had spread to nearly every major landmass excluding Antarctica.
Q: Compare how Chinese and Indian civilizations structured their societies.
A: Chinese civilization prioritized education and bureaucratic merit, while Indian society was structured by religious status and caste.
Q: How did Christianity develop from Jesus of Nazareth’s teachings?
A: Christianity emerged from Jesus’ teachings about a personal deity, social justice, and spiritual renewal, evolving into a separate religion with a hierarchical church structure.
Q: How did civilizations change social structures and occupations?
A: Civilizations introduced various occupations like scholars, merchants, priests, and officials, with complex social hierarchies.
Q: How did civilizations impact their environments?
A: Intensive agriculture led to environmental changes like deforestation, soil erosion, and irrigation impacts.
Q: How did gender equality change with the rise of civilizations?
A: Gender equality generally worsened as patriarchy became more entrenched.
Q: How did the Agricultural Revolution impact population and settlement?
A: It led to growing populations, settled villages, and a boom in technological innovation.
Q: Name some technological and scientific innovations from early civilizations.
A: Innovations include Chinese bureaucracy, silk products, gunpowder, Islamic advances in mathematics, medicine, and astronomy.
Q: What are pastoral societies, and where were they commonly found?
A: Pastoral societies relied on domesticated animals for food, transport, and warfare, and were commonly found in Asia and parts of Africa.
Q: What are the main beliefs of Hinduism?
A: Hinduism includes beliefs in a vast array of gods, reincarnation, karma, and the ultimate goal of union with Brahman.
Q: What characterized Paleolithic societies?
A: Paleolithic societies were small-scale, mobile, nomadic groups of 25-50 people who depended on wild plants and animals.
Q: What cultural expressions were prominent during the Paleolithic era?
A: Cultural creativity was reflected in cave paintings and sculptures.
Q: What defines a civilization?
A: Civilizations are societies based in cities and governed by states, a product of the Agricultural Revolution.
Q: What does Daoism emphasize?
A: Daoism emphasizes simplicity, nature, and spontaneity, often contrasting with Confucian ideals.
Q: What does the Paleolithic era represent in terms of human history?
A: The Paleolithic era, or Old Stone Age, represents 95% of the time humans have occupied the planet.
Q: What is the difference between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism?
A: Theravada Buddhism views the Buddha as a wise teacher, while Mahayana Buddhism offers a more accessible spiritual path and emphasizes universal enlightenment.
Q: What marks the beginning of the Agricultural Revolution?
A: The Agricultural Revolution marks the transition to deliberate cultivation of plants and the taming and breeding of animals.
Q: What role did the bhakti movement play in Hinduism?
A: The bhakti movement emphasized devotion to deities like Vishnu and Shiva, and sought salvation through devotion and good deeds. Challenged the caste hierarchy
Q: What was a common conflict between pastoral and agricultural societies?
A: There was often conflict over access to rich farming lands, though there was also peaceful exchange of ideas.
Q: What was Confucianism’s main focus?
A: Confucianism focused on social harmony through respect for unequal relationships, education, and ritual.
Q: What was the typical life expectancy during the Paleolithic era?
A: Life expectancy was around 35 years.
Q: What were the main branches of Islam, and what caused the split?
A: Islam split into Sunni and Shia branches over disagreements about Muhammad’s rightful successor.
Q: What were the Silk Roads, Sea Roads, and Sand Roads?
A: The Silk Roads linked China and the Mediterranean, the Sea Roads connected the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, and the Sand Roads linked North Africa with West Africa.
Q: When did Homo sapiens first emerge, and where?
A: Homo sapiens emerged about 300,000 years ago in Africa.
Q: Where did the earliest civilizations emerge?
A: The earliest civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and areas of Peru.
Q: Who founded Buddhism and what is its main teaching?
A: Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) founded Buddhism, teaching that suffering results from desire and that enlightenment (nirvana) is achieved by overcoming desire.
Q: What is another name for the Paleolithic era?
The Paleolithic era is also known as the Old Stone Age.
What was the typical size of Paleolithic societies?
Paleolithic societies typically consisted of 25-50 people.
What wes the primary food for Paleolithic people?
Paleolithic people depended on wild plants and animals
What were the characteristics of Paleolithic lifestyle?
Paleolithic people were very mobile and nomadic, constantly moving in search of food.
What was the average life expectancy and growth rate during the Paleolithic era?
Life expectancy during the Paleolithic era was very low, around 35 years. Population growth was slow.
How did Paleolithic people express cultural creativity?
Paleolithic people expressed cultural creativity through cave paintings and sculptures.
Which period followed the Paleolithic Era?
Paleolithic Era was followed by theAgricultural Revolution.
What symbolizes the Agricultural Revolution?
The deliberate cultivation of plants and the taming and breeding of animals.
What were some consequences of the Agricultural Revolution?
Growing populations, settled villages, and technological innovation
What were pastoral societies, and how did they survive?
Nomads/Herders societies that relied on domesticated animals (sheep, goats, horses, camels) for meat, hide, transport, and warfare.
(usually in areas where farming was difficult or impossible)
Where were pastoral societies (nomads/herders) predominantly located?
In areas where farming was difficult or impossible
Central Asia, Arabian Peninsula, Sahara, and parts of eastern and southern Africa
What caused conflict between nomadic herders and farming neighbors?
Pastoral societies were attracted to the wealth of agrarian societies and sought access to their fertile lands.
Besides conflict, what other interaction occurred between nomadic and farming societies?
Peaceful exchange of ideas and products, enriching both societies.
What was a type of society that emerged from the Agricultural Revolution?
Permanently settled farming villages.
Explain chiefdoms
A societal grouping governed by a chief who typically relies on generosity, ritual status or charisma rather than force to win obedience from the people.
Where did the earliest civilizations emerge?
Mesopotamia, Egypt, and areas of Peru.
What defines a civilization?
Societies based in cities and governed by states.
How were civilizations a direct product of the Agricultural Revolution?
Civilizations are a direct product of the Agricultural Revolution, as only highly productive agricultural economy could support a society in which substantial number of people did not produce their own food.
What structures did civilizations lead to?
States—governing structures organized around cities and territories, usually controlled by kings or other ranked officials.
What kinds of occupations did civilizations create?
Scholars, merchants, priests, officials, scribes, soldiers, etc.
What is the occupation of majority of population in every civilization?
peasant farmers
What was the result of division of labor in each civilization?
Inequalities in wealth, status, power, gender inequality
What happened to gender equality in civilizations?
It worsened as the patriarchy took hold and ideas of male superiority and dominance spread in the values of all civilizations.
What innovations were civilizations accompanied by?
Artistic, scientific, and technological innovations
Examples: Chinese invited gunpowder, papermaking, printing, bureaucracy, silk production; Islamic civilization advanced in mathematics, medicine and astronomy
How are civilizations influenced by their environment?
Civilizations tend to be shaped by the environment in which they developed.
What was one environmental impact of larger populations in civilizations?
Larger populations led to intensive agriculture, which had a bigger impact on the landscape.
What environmental issue occurred in southern Mesopotamia due to rigorous irrigation by 2000 BCE?
The soil became white and infertile, because of the salt that accumulated.
What are other examples of environmental impact caused by civilizations around the world?
Extensive deforestation and soil erosion.
How was social ranking determined in Chinese civilization?
The highest ranking was given to an elite bureaucratic class selected based on performance set of examinations.
Political officials held the highest rank.
How did India’s social system prioritize its members?
India’s social system prioritized religious status and forbade members of different castes from joining together. Birth determined the status.
The priestly caste, Brahmins, held the highest rank.
What is an example of the difference in patriarchy between civilizations?
The patriarchy of Athens differed from that of Sparta.
In Athens, patriarchy was more rigid, with women largely confined to the home, excluded from political life, and having few rights. They were expected to focus on domestic duties and raising children.
In contrast, Sparta granted women more freedom and responsibility. Spartan women were allowed to own property, participate in physical training, and had a greater role in managing households while men were often away at war.
How did early civilizations differ in their territorial control?
Some early civilizations, like the Persian Empire and the Roman Empire, extended over vast territories, uniting large regions under centralized controland diverse cultures within their borders. These empires governed vast lands with a central authority.
In contrast, other civilizations, such as ancient Greece and Sumer, were made up of independent city-states. Each city-state, like Athens or Ur in Sumer, operated as its own political entity with its own government, laws, and military, often competing or cooperating with neighboring city-states.
What role did cultural traditions play in civilizations?
Cultural traditions were important in providing a common identity for civilizations.
How did cultural differences impact inequalities in civilizations?
Cultural differences made inequalities legitimate, but also led to movements that challenged those in power.
Why did religion evolved?
Religion enabled millions of ordinary peopr to endure their suffering and gave meaning to the difficult lives they led and providing a moral guidance.
What is the oldest and most prominent religion in India?
Hinduism
How did Hinduism develop compared to Christianity and Islam?
Hinduism had no founder and developed as an integral part of Indian civilization over many centuries.
What elements did Hinduism consist of?
Hinduism consisted of a vast amount of gods, spirits, beliefs, practices, and rituals.
What were the Upanishads?
The Upanishads were a series of sacred texts written between 800 and 400 BCE that provided a unified understanding of reality from the perspective of Hinduism.
It presented a vision of an interconnected universe with a single, unifying principle behind the apparent diversity in the cosmos, any articulation of which is called Brahman, The World Soul
What was the fundamental understanding of Hindu philosophy?
The individual human soul was part of Brahman, and the chief goal of humankind was to achieve union with Brahman.
How is the goal of achieving union with Brahman achieved in Hinduism?
The goal is achieved through living many lifetimes through reincarnation.
What does the law of karma state?
The law of karma states that actions in one lifetime determine the station of life in the next lifetime.
When did Buddhism emerge in relation to Hinduism?
Buddhism emerged around the same time as philosophical Hinduism.
Who was the founder of Buddhism, and what was his background?
Siddhartha Gautama, a prince from a small kingdom in north India. Later called Buddha.
What led Siddhartha Gautama to become the Buddha?
An encounter with human suffering prompted him to seek enlightenment, leading him to become the Buddha, “the man who had awakened.”
What is the core belief of Buddhism regarding suffering?
Suffering is a direct result of desire for individual fulfillment. To live a peaceful life, one must live a modest and moral lifestyle, practice meditation and reach nirvana.
What is nirvana?
Nirvana is a state of perfect peace and happiness that is the ultimate goal of Buddhism. It is a state of enlightenment where a person’s suffering and individual desires are gone
How is Buddhism and Hinduism different and how it is similar?
Buddhism challenged the Hindu caste system, reject authority of Brahmins (priests) and their rituals/sacrifices and idea of God, as individuals had to take their own responsibility for their own spiritual development.
Concept of karma and rebirth is similar as in Hinduism.
Difference between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism?
Theravada Buddhism
- portrayed the Buddha as a wise teacher but not divine.
- focus on monks and nuns
- strict meditation and practice
Mahayana Buddhism
- Buddha might be a god
- enlightening is available to everyone
- emphasis on compassion
What was the first major tradition/religion that spread widely outside its homeland?
Mahayana Buddhism - it spread to Central Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and other regions.
What distinguishes Tibetan Buddhism?
Tibetan Buddhism gave special authority to teachers known as Lamas and emphasized awareness and preparation for death.
What happened to Buddhism in India by 1200, and why?
Buddhism had almost vanished from India by 1200 but was expanding in other parts of Asia, largely due to the bhakti movement.
What was the bhakti movement, and when did it occur?
The bhakti movement, which began in South India and moved northward between 600 and 1300 CE, involved intense adoration of particular deity of many India’s gods and goddesses.
In other words, the intense devotion to god differs from Buddhism, as they do not believe in supreme god/being.
Who were the most popular deities in the bhakti practice?
Vishnu (protector and preserver of creation) and Shiva (representing the Divine).
Who was the founder of Confucianism and what was his background?
Confucius, aristocrat, philosopher and government official
What Confucius believed in?
That society consists primarily of unequal relationships. Harmony would prevail if the superior party behaved with sincerity, benevolence and genuine concern for the other. Inferior party would then respond with obedience.
What did Confucius believe was key to nurture moral qualities?
Education, specifically in language, literature, philosophy, and ethics.
Why were rituals and ceremonies important in Confucianism?
They conveyed the rules of appropriate behavior and were essential for maintaining harmony.
When did Confucianism become the official ideology of the Chinese state?
During the Han dynasty, around 200 BCE. (During Han Dynasty, China was reunited.)
What expectations did Confucianism establish for superior parties, like emperors?
Superior men” should be those of outstanding moral character and intellectual achievements. (High education)
Take care of the inferior party, such as:
Emperors should keep taxes low, administer justice, and provide for the people to avoid natural disasters, famine, or rebellion.
What was Confucius’s view on gods and spirits?
Confucius did not deny their reality but advised followers to conduct family and state rituals as if the spirits were watching.
How is Daoism different from Confucianism?
Daoism ridiculed the efforts of Confucianism and urged withdrawing into the world of nature, promoting spontaneous, individualistic, and natural behavior.
What principles did Daoism emphasize in living?
Daoism emphasized simplicity in living, small self-sufficient communities, limited government, and the abandonment of education.
How did elite Chinese view the relationship between Daoism and Confucianism?
Elite Chinese believed that Daoism complemented Confucianism, a view supported by the ancient Chinese concepts of Yin and Yang.
One might pursue Confucianism during the day and behave in a more Daoist fashion in the evening.
Explain concept of yin and yang
Two opposite but complementary forces that interact to create a dynamic system. Yin-Yang opposite forces are female-male, dark-light, and old-young. The pairs of equal opposites both attract and complement each other.
Why are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam known as Abrahamic Faiths
All of them believe in the biblical character called Abraham.
What is a common belief among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam regarding the nature of God
All three faiths affirm a distinctly monotheistic view, only one God
Which tradition is the earliest among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
Judaism is the earliest tradition, born among the Hebrews, also known as Jews.
How do Jews view God?
God is interested in each individual and has a relationship with them. God rewards good deeds and punishes evil. Jews believe that God has a special agreement with the Jewish people. Jews believe that God appointed the Jewish people to be his chosen people.
Explain Ten Commandments?
Ten rules given to Moses by God that dictate how humans should live and interact with one another.
Moses was a Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery,
What was Jesus of Nazareth known for before his execution?
Jesus of Nazareth was a craftsman/carpenter/builder and began a small career of teaching and healing before he was executed.
How did Jesus’ background influence his teachings?
Jesus inherited from his Jewish tradition a devotion to a single personal deity, referring to him as Father, and his teachings had a social and political edge, advocating for the poor and criticizing the powerful.
Did Jesus intend to establish a new religion?
No, Jesus did not intend to establish a new religion but aimed to revitalize Jewish tradition. However, Christianity soon emerged as a separate faith.
How did Christianity spread and organize within the Roman Empire?
Christianity spread through the Roman Empire and beyond primarily due to the missionary work of early followers and the empire’s extensive network of roads and communication routes. The Apostle Paul (Saint Paul). and other missionaries traveled widely, establishing Christian communities in major cities and regions. The religion gained followers among both Jews and non-Jews, and its appeal was bolstered by its message of salvation and inclusivity.
Over time, Christianity developed an _elaborate hierarchical organizationwith patriarchs, bishops, and priests. The Bishop of Rome gradually emerged as the dominant leader, or pope, of the church.
By 600 CE, how was the Christian world characterized?
By 600 CE, the Christian world was geographically extensive, politically diverse and theologically varied. (Two main branches)
Explain division between Roman Catholicism and Easter Orthodoxy
This division is marked by differences in doctrine, liturgy, and church authority, leading to distinct religious traditions and practices.
The Roman Catholic Church, centered in Rome and led by the Pope, maintained its influence in Western Europe. Its nfluence then extended through Western Europe into the Americas and parts of Africa
Eastern Orthodox Church, with its patriarchs in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), dominated Eastern Europe and parts of the Near East. Its influence extended further to Eastern Europe, including Russia, Greece, and the Balkans.
Who was Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, and what was his background?
Muhammad Ibn Abdullah was a trader from Mecca.
Muhammad was troubled by religious corruption and social inequalities and had a powerful religious experience in the mountains, which led him to believe he was Allah’s messenger and to bring the Quran from Allah.
How did Muhammad view his place among prophets?
Muhammad saw himself as the last of a line of earlier prophets, including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
What was the umma in Islamic society?
moral compass .The umma was the just and moral society of Islam that replaced tribal identities and included women in an honored and spiritually equal place.
What were the primary branches of Islam that emerged after Muhammad’s death?
After Muhammad’s death in 632 CE, Islam split into the Sunni and Shia branches over a disagreement about who should succeed him.
What was the main difference between Sunni and Shia beliefs regarding leadership?
Sunnis believed the Caliph should be chosen by the community, while Shias believed the leader should be a relative of Muhammad.
What was the role of the ulama in Islam?
The ulama (scholars of Islam) were responsible for transmitting Islamic beliefs and practices, including the Quran, the sayings of Muhammad, grammar, rhetoric, philosophy, theology, mathematics, medicine, and law.
What was the Sufi perspective on Islam?
Sufism emerged by 1000 CE. Sufis viewed the success of Islamic civilization as a distraction and deviation from the spirituality of Muhammad’s time. Sufism challenged the ulama’s religious authority, believing that the ulama was compromised.
What is Quran/Koran?
The Islamic sacred book, believed to be the word of God as dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel and written down in Arabic. The Koran consists of 114 units of varying lengths, known as suras.
What is Bible?
The Bible is the sacred text of Christianity, believed to be inspired by God and encompassing two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains texts that are also sacred in Judaism, while the New Testament focuses on the life, teachings, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible is composed of numerous books of varying genres, including historical narratives, poetry, prophecy, and epistles, written over many centuries in different languages.
What is Torah?
The Torah is the central reference of the religious Judaic tradition, consisting of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Believed to be the divine revelation given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai, the Torah is written in Hebrew and includes a wide range of laws, commandments, and teachings that guide Jewish religious practice and ethical conduct.
Explain early commercial networks
Early commercial networks like the Silk Roads, Sea Roads, and Sand Roads were crucial in shaping interactions between different regions by facilitating the exchange of goods, culture, and ideas.
What was connected by Silk Roads?
The Silk Roads were an extensive network of trade routes that connected China with the Mediterranean, stretching across Central Asia.
They were named for the lucrative silk trade that was carried out along these routes, but they also facilitated the exchange of other goods such as spices, textiles, and precious metals. Beyond material trade, the Silk Roads were instrumental in the transmission of cultural, religious, and technological knowledge. Buddhism, for example, spread from India to China through these routes, and innovations like papermaking and gunpowder also traveled along them.
What was connected by Sea Roads?
The Sea Roads refer to the maritime trade routes across the Indian Ocean that connected ports in East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India, Southeast Asia, and China.
These routes were navigated using monsoon winds, which facilitated predictable and regular maritime travel. The Sea Roads enabled the exchange of goods such as spices, textiles, and metals, and they also contributed to cultural exchanges. For example, Hinduism and Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia, while goods like silk and ceramics reached East Africa.
What was connected by Sand Roads?
The Sand Roads, also known as trans-Saharan trade routes, connected North Africa with sub-Saharan Africa across the Sahara Desert.
These routes were crucial for the trade of gold, salt, and other commodities. Caravans of camels, which were well-suited for desert travel, facilitated the movement of goods and people. The Sand Roads not only spurred economic growth in the regions involved but also facilitated the spread of Islam into West Africa.
