FINAL FLASHCARDS
7 features of Ancient Civilizations:
Urban focus
New political and military structures (organized gov)
New social structure based on economical power (social hierarchy)
More complexity (export/ import in trade)
Religious structure
Writing
New forms of artistic and intellectual activity (architecture)
Beliefs about Kingship in mesopotamia
kind should be a “counselor-man” who battles for the gods
Gilgamesh:
acts as a shepherd of his people
Went on a quest to find Utnapishtim after best friend Enkidu dies (eternal life)
Taught that he should be satisfied with his life
Hammurabi:
leader of the amorites (old babylonians),
“the man of war”,
built temples, defensive walls, canals,
“shepherd of peace”
Hammurabi’s code
Neolithic Revolution:
A shift to agriculture from hunter/gatherers
Polytheism:
belief in numerous gods
Kingship in Assyria
System of revenge
Monotheistic
Kings had absolute power
Outstanding conquerors (effective military, disciplined, large)
Use of terror
Fertile Crescent:
a crescent-shaped region in Western Asia, very fertile
Hammurabi’s Code:
Laws held penalties for criminal offenses which were varied in severity between classes.
Sumer:
an ancient civilization founded in the Mesopotamia region of the Fertile Crescent situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Ziggurat:
square-shaped temple
Theocracy:
a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god.
Rosetta Stone:
black basalt stone found in 1799 that bears an inscription in hieroglyphics, demotic characters, and Greek and is celebrated for having given the first clue to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics:
sacred carvings used by the ancient egyptian
Importance of Geography in egypt:
nile river crucial part of development, black lands very fertile, desert as protection, rivers life enhancing (not life threatening), cataracts
Belief Systems in india (both polytheistic)
Hinduism:believe in the doctrines of samsara (the continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation) and karma (the universal law of cause and effect). One of the key thoughts of Hinduism is “atman,” or the belief in soul. This philosophy holds that living creatures have a soul, and they’re all part of the supreme soul.
Buddhism: buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana
Organization of Society
Role of Dharma
Caste System
Varna
Bhagavad Gita
Caste System:
Hierarchical division of society
Each individual was placed into a class that was defined by occupation and status within broader society
Aryans were colorist-> their lightskin implied high status
Role of Dharma:
dharma denotes behaviors that are considered to be in accord with Ṛta—the “order and custom” that makes life and universe possible. This includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and “right way of living”.
Varna:
color/ et of social classifications that determine occupation and status and hope for salvation
Bhagavad Gita
Its teachings offer practical guidance for navigating life’s challenges, finding meaning in everyday actions, and cultivating a sense of inner peace.
Raja:
leader of aryan group (chieftain- prince)
Aryans:
northern pastoralists/ nomads who follow herds of animals/shepherd herds
Maharaja:
chieftains transforming into kings (who did not have absolute power)
Brahmins:
priestly class
Kshatriya:
warrior class
Brahman:
supreme god in hindu religion
Vaishyas:
commoners-> merchant class
Sudras:
indigenous population, manual labor (bulk of indian population), not considered fully aryan
Outcasts, pariahs:
slaves/ untouchables
Vedas:
Sacred Texts (4 collections)
Jati:
families identified with a Varna (very old families)
Dharma:
set of laws that established behavioral standards for all individuals and classes in indian society
Artha:
Attitude and capability to remain living (to do well, have drive and thrive)
kama
emotional fulfillment
Moksha:
release of soul ultimate goal
Karma:
action
4 Noble Truths:
life= suffering
Suffering is caused by desire
End desire= end suffering
To end desire you must avoid extreme of life to follow the Middle path (eightfold path)
Eightfold Path:
knowledge, purpose, speech, conduct, occupation, effort, awareness, meditation
Nirvana: extinction of self-hood and reunion with the great world soul (achieved in life) (enlightenment)
Stupa:
Buddhist Shrine
Ashoka:
grandson of greatest ruler in the history of india
Began his reign conquering, pillaging, and killing (which he later regretted and turned to buddhism)
Ordered the direction of stone pillars to remind people of “proper way”
Confucius:
Analects, Dao, all individuals responsible for subordinate their own interest and aspirations
Filial piety
Athenian version of imperialism:
Organized polis
Control by council
Controlled by aristocrats
Many different rulers
Focus on agriculture and trade
First to write down laws
Buddha’s death:
566 BC
Qin:
221-206 BCE
Polis:
central place where citizens can assemble for political, social, and religious activities
Mandate of heaven: granted the right to rule because of virtue, could be lost
Irrigation: canals, clams, iron plows, field rotation, row planting, wet-rice cultivation
Natural fertilizer, collar/harnesses, fallow
Well-field system:
井, similar to feudalism public land inside private land that all produce goes to higher power
Legalism:
all human actions should be directed to the effort to create a string and prosperous state subject to the law
Human beings= evil
Spartan version of imperialism:
Conquering for land
Helots captured and forced to work for them
Lycurgan reforms: Rigidly organized, tightly controlled,
Boys at 7 taken and put under control of state
Organization of gov:
2 kings
5 Ephors
Council of elders
Filial Piety:
respect for family (mother- child, husband- wife)
Han:
Han Zaozu
taxes
Merchants had severe social constraints
rise: Qin fell apart
state confusionism (blending og legalism and confucionism)
kept centralized gov’t
reject harsh punishments
Downfall: Courts power and influence crumbled, official corruption began and concentration of land went directly to the wealthy, raids
Qin Shi Huangdi:
emperor of Qin dynasty
Censorship of thought and speech, harsh texts, forced labor
Descended into factional rivalry and was overthrown when Qin died
burned the books
Geography’s influence on Greeks:
Mountains isolated greeks from each other and from attackers
Made people very independent
sea access, plains river valleys
islands-> seafarers
Greek Imperialism
Expansion+ growth of trade
Pottery, wine, olive oil, fostered a sense of identity
Tyrants: Unconstitutional coming to power, Aristocrats
Terracotta Army:
collection of terracotta sculptures of Qin’s army, funerary art
Daoism:
less philosophy more religion, mind and body, individualistic approach, present view of life and its meaning
Sparta:
an ancient Greek city in the S Peloponnese, famous for the discipline and military prowess of its citizens and for their austere way of life.
Eunuchs:
man whose testicles were removed, confidential advisors
Geography in china:
Yangtze and yellow rivers (allowed for travel and water), RICE
Cyrus the Great:
persian leader
Created powerful state
Wisdom, compassion
Was widely accepted by conquered nations
set jews free from babylon
Praetors:
in charge of civil law (2)
Hellenization:
the spread of Greek culture that had begun after the conquest of Alexander the Great in the fourth century, B.C.E
Consuls:
chosen annually, administered gov, lead army (2)
Phalanx:
tactical formation consisting of a block of heavily armed infantry standing shoulder to shoulder in files several ranks deep. Made up of men of property
Acropolis:`
The fortified high point
Patricians:
Plebeians:
Patricians: upper class, land owners
Plebeians: lower class, normal people
Agora:
plaza, served as markets and an assembly place
Republic:
power to the ppl by voting for reps
Senate:
300 men who served for life, advised magistrates, force of law
Greco-Persian Wars:
They strengthened the power and self-confidence of Athens in the first self-preservation exercise after the era of the tyrannical rulers.
Athens:
the capital and largest city of Greece
Council of Plebs:
partitions and plebs division led to plebeians struggle and success in creating “Tribune of Plebs”
Triumvirate:
3 man rule, enormous wealth allowed them to rule and influence
Crassus: richest man in rome, led major command against slave rebellion, command in syria
Pompey: successful military commander in spain
Caesar: military command, command in gaul, and in spain
People wanted caesar out but he crossed the rubicon and took total control
Declared himself dictator
Julius Caesar:
Dictator after triumvirate,n gave land to poor, increased senate, assassinated
Augustus:
AKA Octavian
“Restoration of the republic”
Gave minimal power to senate
Presented himself as an ordinary citizen
Conquered central and maritime alps
Stopped trying to conquer after massacre in germany
Remain in favor after death
Created the Julio-Claudian Dynasty
Latifundia:
large estates run by slaves ( made poor farmers suffer) led to rise of military
Aqueduct:
a watercourse constructed to carry water from a source to a distribution point far away.
Iconoclasm:
the rejection or destruction of religious images
Paterfamilias:
males head of household (another form of filial piety), females needed guardians
Geography in Rome:
Apennine mountains divide east from west but did not isolate italians
Fertile land
Access to sea but safe from pirates
Pax Romana:
Roman Peace
Prosperity
absolute monarchy, treated ruling class w respect, maintains peace
Rebellions crushed with no mercy
Wall building (80 miles)
Abrahamic Religions:
Islam, Christianity, Judaism
Muhammad’s Teachings:
allah= all powerful, quran ethical guidebook and code of law
Muhammad:
married, wealthy, widow, upset by greed, created islam, prophet
Spiritual visions unified arab world
Systematic persecution of his followers led to them retreating north to Medina (hegira)
Conquered mecca and went to kaaba where he declared the sacreds rine of islam and destroyed idols (hajj)
Bedouins:
nomads arranged into tribes, polytheistic, communal faith, tensions between ottoman empire and bedouins
Sheiks:
ruling member of bedouin tribes
Razzia:
raids, specialized to muhammad
Hashemites:
a member of an Arab princely family claiming descent from Hashim, great-grandfather of Muhammad.
Umayyad:
The dynasty claimed descent from Umayya, a distant relative of Muhammad
Mecca:
trade hub, religious center, violence forbidden,
Kaaba:
shrine, destination for hajj, blackstone
Ramadan:
reason->treat the weak and vulnerable with respect,5 pillars: belief in Allah, muhammad as prophet, prayer 5x a day, group worship, participate in ramadan
5 pillars:
belief in Allah, almsgiving, prayer 5x a day, hajj, participate in ramadan
Caliph:
the chief Muslim civil and religious ruler, regarded as the successor of Muhammad.
Sunni:
follow Muhammad’s teachings’, not bloodline
Imam:
the person who leads prayers in a mosque.
Shia/ Shi’ites:
hereditary belief
Abbasid Caliphate:
Less religious, more political
Harun al-Rashid
Baghdad:
-Paper form china, crops for south asia, glass wine
-caliphs became more regal
High persian influence
Merchants highly valued
Lack of spiritual authority-> weakend caliphate
House of Wisdom:
analyzed greek texts and found contradictions (fixed them w scientific method)
Algebra, trig, engineering, astronomy
Fixed cataracts
Influenced architecture
Muhajirun:
converts to Islam and the Islamic prophet Muhammad’s advisors and relatives, who emigrated from Mecca to Medina
Pantheism:
Belief in a singular god from whom all things came
Swahili:
the unifying language of kenya and tanzania, culture
Lineage Groups:
afterlife important ancestral souls, close relationship between household and clan members, tracing origins
Mansa Musa:
powerful king
Contributed to the muslim faith
Strongly encouraged building of mosques and study of Qu’ran in the kingdom
Imported scholars to introduce subjects the the message of Allah
Richest person to ever exist
Timbuktu: Major intellectual and cultural center
-Schools of law, literature, and science
The Dark Ages:
early middle ages after the fall of the western roman empire
Clovis:
founded the kingdom of the franks
Sons divided his kingdom
christian/catholic
Roman Catholic Church:
popes had all power, then archbishop, then bishop of diocese, then monk, then finally nun
Bishop:
headed christian community
Monastery:
where monks lived entirely communally
Interdict:
a tool which popes used to forbade priests from dispensing the sacraments of the church in hopes that the people would exert pressure on their leader to bow to the ideas of the pope
Charlemagne:
intellectual leader, decisive, christian, statesman
Illiterate but wise
“Charles the Great”
Had an imperial coronation (joining of church to government)
Feudalism:
nobility held lands from the crown in exchange for military service
Vassals:
tenants of the nobles, obliged to live on lords land and give him labor
Burghers/Bourgeois: a rank or title of a privileged citizen of a medieval to early modern European town
Hanseatic League:
organization founded by north German towns and German merchant communities abroad to protect their mutual trading interests.
Crusades:
holy war against infidels (nonbelievers), massacres, finally muslims agreed christian pilgrimage to jerusalem
Effects of the crusades:
Little long term impact on middle east
Influenced europe’s intellectual development
Massacre of jews became regular feature of european history
Manorialism:
economic, land, agriculture, vassals, landlords, demesne
Saladin:
sultan of egypt and syria, spearheaded efforts against crusaders, didn’t massacre christians
Black Death/ Bubonic plague:
spread by black rats infested with fleas, flow of people, goods and troops facilitated the spread of the plague, 50-60% of people dead
Created economic dislocation and social upwell
Pogroms: mass violence, attacks on jewish communities
Leon Battista Alberti: Alberti is considered the father of Early Renaissance art theory and, because of his great adaptability, the archetypal “universal man”
Liberal Arts: includes the study of history, literature, writing, philosophy, sociology, psychology, creative arts and more. These programs are designed to help you formulate compelling arguments, communicate well and solve problems.
Civic Humanism: a form of republicanism developed in the Renaissance inspired by the governmental forms and writings of classical antiquity, especially such classical writers as Aristotle, Polybius, and Cicero.
Pogroms:
mass violence, attacks on jewish communities
Liberal Arts:
includes the study of history, literature, writing, philosophy, sociology, psychology, creative arts and more. These programs are designed to help you formulate compelling arguments, communicate well and solve problems.
Leon Battista Alberti:
Alberti is considered the father of Early Renaissance art theory and, because of his great adaptability, the archetypal “universal man”
Civic Humanism: q
a form of republicanism developed in the Renaissance inspired by the governmental forms and writings of classical antiquity, especially such classical writers as Aristotle, Polybius, and Cicero.
Humanism:
intellectual movement based on study of classics, the literary works of greece and rome
Renaissance:
rebirth
Machiavelli:
wrote The Prince-> analysis of having the right kind of ruler, diplomat, humanist
Need of a ruler who is deceitful, intelligent, strong-willed, and not ravenous
Marco Polo:
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who traveled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295
Astrolabe:
An astrolabe is an astronomical instrument dating to ancient times
Bartolome de las Casas: suggested Africans be used as slaves rather than indigenous people for the newfound americas
Bartolome de las Casas:
suggested Africans be used as slaves rather than indigenous people for the newfound americas
Indulgences:
remission, after death, as part of punishment resulting from sin
95 Theses:
indictment of the abuses in the sales of indulgences written by Martin Luther
Henry VIII:
wanted an heir and wanted a divorce, broke away from catholic church and created the anglican church(in which he was the head)
Flagellants:
devoted christians who believed the plague was sent by God
Clovis:
the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single king and ensuring that the kingship was passed down to his heirs.
Bourgeoisie:
industrial middle class
Influenced laws and regulations
Leisure time
Proletariat:
industrial working class
Marxism:
Karl Marx and Freidrich Engles idea that human societies develop through class conflict, communism when: 1844
Opium War:
Opium Wars marked the start of the era of unequal treaties between China and foreign imperialist powers in which China was forced to concede many of its territorial and sovereignty rights
Scramble for Africa: T
he Scramble for Africa was the invasion and colonization of most of Africa by seven Western European powers during the era of “New Imperialism”
Old Imperialism
Motives:
Christians & spices
3 G’s
Control over conquered land through colonies
Gunboat Diplomacy:
the pursuit of foreign policy objectives with the aid of conspicuous displays of naval power
New imperialism:
asian and african societies as markets for prodigious output of european factories and sources of raw material
Motives:
Raw materials
New markets & customers
Social darwinism
Christian missionaries
nationalism
Control over land through government intervention
Scramble for africa
Sphere of Influence
a country or area in which another country has power to affect developments although it has no formal authority.
imperialist powers join together to ensure equal access to china’s market and guarantee territorial and and administrative authority of the chinese empire
Social Darwinism:
only the fittest survive
Nationalism:
extreme love of country
Imperialism->
old, new
Islam spread as a result of:
trade and travel
Charlemagne was considered by most scholars to be the greatest king of the Middle Ages, the reasons for his success were
He allowed education and worked with the Church.
Adam Smith believed in:
self-regulating
The belief that government by the consent of the governed came from:
Enlightenment
