history midterm Flashcards
Who was Abraham?
Abraham was the father of Isaac. Considered the father of all the Hebrews and father of Monotheism
Why was Abraham significant?
Abraham was told by God to take his people to Canaan which was the Promised Land.
Who was Moses?
Moses lead the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt by parting the Red Sea and allowing them to cross into the promised land.
He also received the 10 commandments from God
Which region of the world is Israel located?
Israel is in the Middle East.
What is the name of the Jewish Holy Book?
The Jewish Holy Book is the Torah.
What is the most holy city in Israel?
Jerusalem
What was the Exodus?
the Exodus is when Moses lead the Hebrews out of Egypt and out of slavery. Today it is celebrated as Passover.
What is the Diaspora?
The scattering of the Jews that were not exiled to Babylon (then again when Rome conquered Jerusalem)
Which Babylonian king created the first written set of laws?
Hammurabi
Give an example of one of Hammurabi’s laws.
“An eye for an eye”
What were the Phonecians known for?
Trade
What type of writing did they use in Egypt?
Hieroglyphics
What type of writing did they use in Sumer?
Cuneiform
What type of writing was used in Phoenecia?
The Phonecian alphabet
Where is modern-day Persia located?
Iran
What Persian religion involved the gods Ahura Mazda and Ahriman?
Zoratrianism
What were Persian governors called?
Satraps
Define karma.
Karma-Belief that all thoughts and actions result in future consequences. What goes around comes around.
What is darma?
Darma is your path of life or your place in the caste system.
What is Brahma?
Brahma is the supreme god in Hindu religion??
What is the caste system in Hunduism and Buddism.
It is your place in the wheel of life which determines how many times you will have to be reincarnated before you achieve moksha (hindus) or nirvana (buddhism).
What are the two main Hindu holy books?
The two main Hindu holy books are the Vedas and the Upanishads.
What is the samsara?
The cycle of reincarnation.
Who created Buddhism?
Siddhartha Gautma
What are the two main Buddhist sacred texts?
The two main Buddhist sacred texts are the sermon at Sarnath and Tripitaka (the teachings of Buddha )
Buddhists believe that suffering is caused by what?
Suffering is caused by desire
Who was Asoka and what was his role in the spread of Buddhism?
He was a monarch who converted to Buddhism because he was deeply affected by loss of life and suffering due to war.. He helped to spread Buddhism by constructing huge pillars and inscribing Buddhist teachings throughout his empire. He also sent out Buddhist missionaries throughout India.
Where did Buddhism spread to?
Buddhism spread throughout India and to China and other parts of Asia.
Some classical China’s developments were…
- flood control, irrigation systems
- build roads - Silk Road
- the Great Wall
- produced cast iron using blast furnaces
- coined money. ?????
What does Confucian philosophy stress?
Confucian philosophy stresses the key to proper behavior was to behave in accordance with the Dao. Concept of Duty and Idea of Humanity.
What are the major beliefs of Daoism?
Daoism does not anguish over the underlying meaning of the cosmos. It attempts to set forth proper forms of behavior for human beings on earth. To interpret the will of heaven is not action but inaction. The best way to act in harmony with universal order is to act spontaneously and let nature take it’s course.
What do the yin and yang represent?
The two primary forces in the universe- good and evil, light and dark, male and female. symbolically represented by the sun and moon.
What is Legalism?
Argued that people were evil by nature and would the correct path only if coerced by harsh laws and stiff punishments.
Who built the Great Wall of China?
The Qin Empire lead by Qin Shi Huangdi.
Describe Greek terrain.
The terrain in Greece was rocky, mountainous, surrounded by water on 3 sides.
Define polis.
A polis is a Greek city-state.
Define dharma
The law governing the concept of karma that regulates human behavior depending on a persons status in society. (Hinduism)
Define karma
The actions of an individual during their lifetime which determine their rebirth in the next life. (Hinduism)
Define caste system
A set of rigid social classifications that determined occupation, one’s status in society and one’s hope for ultimate salvation. there were 5 major castes in ancient India - Brahmins were the top. (Hinduism)
Define nirvana
Nirvana is the extinction of self hood and a final reunion with r
The Great World Soul; like a dreamless sleep or a “blowing out” like a candle (Siddhartha’s concept - Buddhist)
Who was Siddhartha Gautama?
Siddhartha was the historical founder of Buddhism. At 29 he discovered the pain of illness and the sorrow of death so he dedicated his life to determining the cause and seeking a cure for suffering. While meditating under a tree, he achieved enlightenment as to the meaning of life (his conclusions became the philosophy of buddhism)
Define ziggurat
a massive stepped tower upon which the temple of the chief god or goddess of a city was built
Hammurabi
best remembered for his law code; 282 laws that regulated almost every aspect of everyday life. He was leader of mesopotamia from 1792-1750. The principle of retaliation was fundamental to this system “an eye for an eye”
cuneiform
wedge-shaped system of writing on clay tablets using a reed stylus. Sumerians developed cuneiform around 3000 bc
polytheism
belief in,or worship of, more than one god. (having many gods)
aryans
nomadic people; excelled at art of war; came from north and moved south into india. Began an agricultural life, invented the plow and irrigation, developed a writing system.
tyranny
in an Ancient Greek city-state (polis) a ruler who came to power in an unconstitutional way and ruled without being subject to the law.
filial piety
(Confucianism) importance of virtue and primary duty of respect, obedience and care for one’s parents and elderly family members
bureaucracy
a system of administration based upon division of labor, hierarchy of authority designed to dispose of a lot of work in a routine manner
hellenistic
literally “to imitate the greeks” the era after the death of Alexander the Great when greek culture spread into the near east and blended with the culture of that region.
civil service exam
an exam administered to candidates interested in positions in bureaucracy in ancient china under gaozu (handyanasty) selecting officials based on talent became standard practice
aristocracy
a class of hereditary nobility; the elite families; in ancientchina. they made war, served as officials and were the primary landowners.
oligarchy
rule by a few
Mandate of Heaven
chinese rulers claimed a right to rule china as granted by heaven, there can only be one legitimate leader,right to rule is based on the virtue of the leader and his good performance as a steward for heaven. right to rule can be passed from father to son
monarchy
supreme power held by a single person
polis
greek city-state included both urban area and surrounding countryside; small political unit where all major political and social activities were carried out in a central location
legaism
legalists argued that human beings were by nature evil and would follow the correct path only if coerced by harsh laws and stiff punishments. They believed that only fir action by the state could bring about social order.
Confucianism
the belief that the key to proper behavior was the behave in accordance with the dao (way) confucius believed all human beings had their own dao and it was their duty to follow it. similar to dharma in ancient india. two key elements: concept of duty- subordinate own interests to the broader needs of the community and family. concept of “human heartedness”- a sense of compassion and empathy for others. symbolizes tolerance.
