Culture and Religion in Eurasia/North Africa (500 B.C.E. -> 500 C.E.) Flashcards
What is Legalism?
The fixing of political disorder with harsh laws and force.
What is Overreach?
When an empire gets to big, and this leads to collapse and downfall.
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
To keep out Mongolian invaders.
What is a Tributary System?
A system where neighboring states must pay local rulers.
What is the Examination System (China)?
A system where men needed to take exams to become political officials.
What is the Silk Road?
A famous long trade route that runs from China.
What is Ren (Confucianism)?
Human goodness and nobility of heart.
What idea does Confucianism revolve around?
The idea that everyone is born “defected” but they can fix themselves morally throughout their life.
What are Wen and Wu?
Wen is the concept of education and rationality while Wu is the idea of physical education and fitness.
How popular did Confucianism become and why?
It became very popular because the morale was good and it revolved around already popular Chinese tradition such as family.
What is interesting about Confucianism compared to other belief systems?
It didn’t have a God, it was all morale based.
What is interesting about the rise of Daoism after Confucianism in China?
Daoism is practically opposite in its morales compared to Confucianism.
What are the main ideas of Daoism?
It tells people to withdraw from the world and to align themselves with nature.
What did many think about Daoism and Confucianism?
Many think that Daoism complements Confucian ideals.
What is the Yin Yang and what does it represent?
It is a circular Daoist symbol and it represents balance.
What peoples invented the alphabet?
The Phoenicians.
What mathematical advancements did the Indians make?
The made the concepts of zero and “pi,” they also invented the decimal system and the wrongly-named Arabic numerals.
What are the Vedas (Hindu)?
Collections of South Asian religious documents.
What are the Upanishads (Hindu)?
New collections of South Asian religious documents that came after the Vedas and had different viewpoints.
What is the main idea of Hinduism?
To perfect the human soul and to be with Brahman (some sort of divine natural power).
What is Moshka?
Hindu spiritual liberation.
What is Samsara?
Rebirth/reincarnation.
What huge inequality was there in Hinduism?
Women were seen as “unclean,” so they were forbidden from practicing the religion.
What is Nirvana?
The Buddhist word for enlightenment. It signifies perfection and being free from suffering.
What was different in equality between Hinduism and Buddhism?
Anyone could achieve enlightenment in Buddhism.
Who largely helped in getting Buddhism popular (India)?
Ashoka.
What is Mahayana Buddhism?
A type of Buddhism where you can be helped in achieving enlightenment.
What is Theravada Buddhism?
A type of Buddhism where you can’t be helped in achieving enlightenment. Theravada followers also see Buddha as a teacher and not divine.
What are Bodhisattvas?
Spiritually developed people who postpone their full enlightenment to assist others.
What changed in Buddhism later on?
Buddhism merged with Hinduism and became less popular in India, but it spread and popularized in many other countries.
What is Zoroastrianism?
A religion that arose in the old Persian Empire, it was one of the first monotheistic religions of all time. It also made the concepts of Heaven and Hell.
What is Judaism?
A monotheistic religion created in the Middle East similar to Zoroastrianism, except that it wasn’t popular and was very small scale.
What was very different about Greek religion compared to that of other areas?
The Greeks used a lot of rational thinking and they had TONS of Gods that each had different powers and abilities and they governed different things.
What Scientific and Mathematical and Political advancements did the Greeks of this time make?
They invented the idea of the solid, liquid, and gas; they made the idea of atoms, the idea of bacteria and illness, they invented the Democratic and Republic systems, and much more.
In what subjects did Greece leave a strong legacy?
They left a legacy in many fields; some being philosophy, science, medicine, geography, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, and more!
How are Guatama and Jesus similar?
They were both “wisdom teachers.”
How are Guatama and Jesus different?
Guatama was born to royalty but Jesus was poor. They both died very differently.
How did Guatama die?
He died a natural death at 80 years old, his beliefs weren’t a threat to the political systems.
How did Jesus die?
He was killed on the cross by Romans.
What happened with Guatama’s and Jesus’s beliefs that they didn’t plan?
They became very popular religions.
Who helped make Christianity popular?
Saint John.
What did the Roman Empire do with Christianity later on?
They tried to use it as a glue to keep the falling empire together.
What arguments that still go onto today sprang up in Christianity and Buddhism?
They debate which specific features are true and should be followed and they question whether Buddha and Jesus were divine or not.
What was a result of the huge spread of Christianity?
There was huge disagreement about certain aspects of the religion in different parts of the world.
What is a huge religious argument, arguably the most important, that still lasts today?
Which religion, if any, is correct.
What are Aqueducts?
Water carrying systems developed by the Romans.
What are Patricians and Plebeians?
Patrician means high-class and Plebeian means low-class.
When did Rome legalize Christianity?
At about 300 C.E.
What are Paterfamilias?
Families where the man has absolute power.
What are Chinampas (Farming)?
Floating islands used in Mexico for farming.
What are Allyu (Mexico)?
Clans.
What is the Mit’a System (Mexico)?
A system that combined work and serfdom.
