Exam 2

Question 1

What are the general characteristics of classical civilizations?

Answer 1

• These societies became geographically larger and more complex.
• Homogenization of the gene pool also took place during this time period.
• Many great religious and philosophical traditions arose.
• The empire is a dominant political structure of this time period.

Question 2

What are the tenants of Jainism?

Answer 2

• Transmigration of the soul
• Monastic vows
• Ahimsa

Question 3

What were the characteristics of the Mauryan Empire?

Answer 3

• ruled centrally from Magadha
• four larger provinces ruled by delegated powers
• relations with outsiders were friendly

Question 4

What is the relationship between the Brahmanic religion and Hinduism?

Answer 4

• Hinduism developed from the Brahmanic religion

- Brahmins were still in high positions of power, but individuals could now make a personal connection with the gods

Question 5

How is Hinduism different from Buddhism and Jainism?

Answer 5

• Hinduism was not a challenge to the Brahmanic religion

- Hindus accepted the caste system and acknowledged the Vedas as sacred religious revelations

Question 6

What tactics did Chandragupta use to keep control of such a large empire?

Answer 6

• He sent agents to keep him informed of the conditions of them all, and delegated power.
• His military might could defend an attack

Question 7

After 185 BC, who were the major powers in Northern India?

Answer 7

Shakas and Kushans

Question 8

Why was the Qin dynasty so brief?

Answer 8

The stability of the government was dependent on Shi Huangdi’s strength and character due to the Legalists institutions designed to concentrate power–his heir proved ineffective and was murdered, causing uprisings

Question 9

Who were the Qin?

Answer 9

The Qin were the people of the Qin dynasty who adopted Legalist policies during the Warring States period. They defeated the last of their rivals and unified China for the first time ever. The government was very centralized, and it did not last long.

Question 10

What is the central text of Daoism? Who was the author, and what did it teach?

Answer 10

• Zhuangzi, written by Zhuangzi
• It taught that people fear what they do not know, the most important of truths cannot be written down or explained to others, only experienced.
• These teachings were taught with many parables

Question 11

How did the Greek city-states influence the larger Mediterranean world and the Near East?

Answer 11

• Little to do with their unique form of government
• The spread of Greek cities had a more lasting effect
• The culture that was established in these cities lasted throughout all the empires that ruled over it, even though the government was constantly changing with each ruler.
• Greek coins spread throughout all these areas–whether newly introduced or replacing what was already there–this led to more integration and standardization throughout the economy.
• Alexandrian coinage created an unprecedented degree of monetary unity, and the whole
• The Mediterranean and Near East became monetized.

Question 12

What are the similarities between the Roman and the Han Empires?

Answer 12

They overlapped in the time period. They were both large and complex, ruled by monarchs, bureaucracies, and standing armies. Both reached the people through taxation and conscription and invested in road and waterways. They both faced the issue of land becoming too concentrated and tried to combat that. Both had gradual cultural assimilation of conquered territories.

Question 13

Which characteristics of the Olmecs served as a cultural foundation for other Mesoamerican societies?

Answer 13

Religion, trade tactics, technology, large pyramid temples, sacrificial rituals, 365-day year calendar

Question 14

What are the similarities and differences between the societies in Mesoamerica, the Andes, and North America?

Answer 14

• Similarities: divided themselves by positions and wealth, adapted and reshaped their environment, some organized into city-states, agriculture-based communities
• Differences: did it all on their own with no outside influence, most were not characterized as civilizations, way less grain and only one large domesticated animal, way wetter, did not need irrigation

Question 15

How did the environment affect the course of history for American peoples?

Answer 15

It didn’t allow for very much communication with other cities, the climate allowed for little grain, but a great variety of other crops

Question 16

What effects did the environment have on the course of history in Africa?

Answer 16

The geographical differences caused uneven population distribution, the greatest population being along the Congo River.

Question 17

Who were the Bantu, and what effect did they have on sub-Saharan Africa?

Answer 17

They are responsible for the spread of iron all throughout Africa due to their migrations

Question 18

Who were the people of the Middle Niger?

Answer 18

Settled along the river and may have created urban areas, used the river and had communities that specialized in certain things, interdependent on each other, no central government or bureaucracy, Bantu-speaking

Question 19

Why did sub-Saharan Africa experience significant population growth after about 500 CE?

Answer 19

Bananas were brought from Asia, they were easy to prepare and quick to grow, they grew in wetter areas and were drought resistant

Question 20

How did Ashoka rule the Mauryan Empire?

Answer 20

He ruled centrally and was overall a very moral person

Question 21

How were the Shang and Zhou periods different?

Answer 21

The Shang was very centralized, and the Zhou was very decentralized.
The Shang was specialized in bronze metallurgy, while the Zhou was advancing with tools of iron.

Question 22

Confucius saw five relationships as the basis of society. What were these relationships, and what did he mean by arguing that they were the basis of society? In other words, what is the fundamental principle of Confucianism?

Answer 22

• The five relationships were: ruler vs. subject, father vs. son, husband vs. wife, elder brother vs. younger brother, and friend vs. friend
• When he said they were the basis of society, he meant that between each one is a hierarchical relationship–the senior leads and protects, and the junior supports and obeys
• The exception is between friends, which has equal mutual obligations

Question 23

What is an empire?

Answer 23

the rule and exploitation of a defeated people by a conquering power

Question 24

How is an empire different from other political structures?

Answer 24

• Imperial rulers had no intention of ruling for the public good. They only cared about strengthening their people.
• Empires are fundamentally unstable.

Question 25

What are the tenants of Buddhism?

Answer 25

The Four Noble Truths

• Life is suffering
• Selfish desire is the cause of suffering
• Selfish desire can be eliminated
• The Eightfold Path leads to the extinction of suffering

Question 26

Why did the Mauryan Empire fall apart after Ashoka’s death?

Answer 26

It fell apart after Ashoka’s death because the institutions they created were not entrenched enough to survive periods with weaker kings

Question 27

What are some myths about early Chinese history? Why are the myths about early Chinese history not historically accurate?

Answer 27

• The Great Wall of China can be seen from space: This is a myth because no astronaut has actually seen it from space yet. It blends in with the environment and isn’t as tall as we like to think it is. It isn’t even seen from a low earth orbit or from the moon.
• China is an inward-looking, largely conservative, and unchanging society: China has had lots of interactions with other societies that influence their culture, and each empire developed differently and brought change to China.

Question 28

Compare and contrast the Shang and Zhou dynasties?

Answer 28

Similarities: there was one king and he was believed to be connected to a divine authority somehow, patrilineal lineage was very important in both empires
Differences: The Shang was very centralized, and the Zhou was very decentralized, the Shang was specialized in bronze metallurgy, while the Zhou was advancing with tools of iron

Question 29

What are the three Confucian virtues of junzi, ren, and filial piety?

Answer 29

• Junzi: “gentleman” a man of moral cultivation rather than a man of noble birth
• Ren: The ultimate Confucian virtue, it is translated as perfect benevolence, goodness, humanity, human-heartedness, and nobility
• Filial piety: a reverent attitude of children to their parents extolled by Confucius

Question 30

What are the differences between Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism?

Answer 30

• Confucianism tried to make things better for the people directly by having a good moral government
• Legalism was the direct opposite of that, they thought that rigorous laws were a better way to govern than moral compasses
• Daoism just thought that if problems arose, a ruler should let the people return to their natural state of ignorance and contentment

Question 31

How did the political and economic systems found in the Greek city-states differ from those in other ancient and classical societies?

Answer 31

• There was a balance of power–no state rose up above the others.
• There was a greater amount of participation in local government.
• Their economy was much more commercialized, and became monetized much earlier than others.

Question 32

What are the Greek principles of democratic government?

Answer 32

Freedom from tyranny, harmony, rule of law, natural equity, citizen wisdom, education

Question 33

What are the differences between American and Eurasian societies? What factors contributed to those differences?

Answer 33

• Limited grain in Americas due to wet, humid, warm climate
• The only large domesticated animal was the alpaca, which meant there was less diseases from animals, and no plow agriculture
• Because of the heavy rainfall, slash-and-burn agriculture was dominant, rather than irrigation
• The wheel was of little use because there was no large animals to pull wagons

Question 34

What are the tenants of Hinduism?

Answer 34

• Dharma
• Vedas
• Brahman and god
• Transmigration of the soul

Question 35

With the introduction of Buddhism to India, what changed about women’s lives?

Answer 35

• Nuns gave rise
• Women were given the opportunity to seek truth in ways that men traditionally used
• Widows were treated very poorly and often killed themselves
• Brides were killed if their family was behind on their payments
• Buddhists texts spoke harshly about women because they were often the objects of desire, which Buddhism teaches against worldly desires

Question 36

How did both the Persians and the Greeks influence the political situation in India?

Answer 36

• Chandragupta divided his conquered territory into provinces like the Persians
• These provinces had a governor, taxation system, armies, and a complex bureaucracy
• Basically, the king controlled everything
• A Greek ambassador sent by Seleculus spent 14 years in Chandragupta’s courts, while the king presided over all the sessions

Question 37

How did Chandragupta rule the Mauryan Empire?

Answer 37

He divided them into provinces that had a governor, but he basically ruled over the entire subcontinent

Question 38

Were all parts of Chandragupta’s empire ruled in the same way?

Answer 38

No, a portion of it was ruled directly by him, with intense rules. Outlying areas were ruled by local and loyal kings

Question 39

What tactics did Ashoka use?

Answer 39

• promoted dharma
• spread of Buddhism
• improved communication
• tightened central government
• promoted nonviolence

Question 40

What happened to the Mauryan Empire after Ashoka’s death?

Answer 40

It could not survive periods with weaker kings, and greatly declined. India divided into many smaller units

Question 41

What made the Han dynasty so successful?

Answer 41

The people believed that their ruler was under a divine mandate, and the Silk Road flourished under the Han dynasty

Question 42

Who were the Xiongnu?

Answer 42

possibly the same people as the Huns, formed the first great confederation of nomadic tribes

Question 43

What was the Xiongnu’s effect on the Han dynasty?

Answer 43

the Hans tried to make peace with them by giving gifts, but they ended up just raiding China, Emperor Wu sent armies after them and they ended up learning about other civilized states comparable to China, the gifts given to Xiongnu people spread throughout the nation along the Silk road

Question 44

What was the political system like during the Zhou period?

Answer 44

It was a very decentralized government, there was a King that was believed to be part of the Mandate of Heaven, rulers would send out their own officials rather than delegating orders to a lower power

Question 45

What was the Warring States period, and how was it different from the earlier part of the Zhou dynasty?

Answer 45

The Warring States period was the period when the Chinese states destroyed each other one by one until only the Qin dynasty was standing.
There was very much more technological and warfare advances, whereas the Zhou had an old aristocratic social structure.

Question 46

What evidence is found in this reading that supports the idea that China was not always politically or ethnically unified, despite the fact that there was only one dynasty for nearly eight hundred years?

Answer 46

The form of government constantly changed with new rulers, there were constant rebellions against those rulers, and often times it was split up into many different states rather than centralized under one government

Question 47

What role did traditional Chinese ritual practices play in Confucianism?

Answer 47

Repaying parents and ancestors was seen to be a sacred duty, placed importance on a patrilineal line and tended to devalue women

Question 48

What is Legalism? Which Chinese state was most famous for adopting Legalism?

Answer 48

• Legalism is the idea that rigorous laws are a more effective way to govern than having a good moral leader
• Qin dynasty adopted legalism

Question 49

What led to the development of democracy in Greece, and in Athens specifically?

Answer 49

• The problems with aristocracy and tyranny led to the development of democracy
• They kind of stumbled into it while trying to figure out how to run their government

Question 50

What is the Roman Republic? How does it compare to the Roman Empire?

Answer 50

• Military consisted of plebeian citizens, won the Punic wars, religion was important, centers for exercise, reading, bathing, etc, men were head of the family, two consuls had executive power, augustus turned it into an empire
• The empire was stable with no civil wars, Roman army became mobile and more defensive, the empire expanded greatly, trade flourished, and women were freed

Question 51

How did the Roman Republic expand so far beyond Rome?

Answer 51

By winning the Punic wars

Question 52

Why was the Roman Empire so successful? What role did Augustus play in this success?

Answer 52

He made it an empire, trade and production flourished, there was a great peace, women were freed, territory expanded and conquested Spain, spread all the way to China, embraced religion and literature, he was in charge of all of that

Question 53

Why were there no states in sub-Saharan Africa before 500 CE or so?

Answer 53

Environment limits population growth, disease, existence of large mammals (mainly elephants)