section 1 Flashcards
How did major states and empires develop and maintain power during the period 1200–1450?
States used centralized governments, effective bureaucracies, and new military technologies to consolidate power and manage large, diverse territories.
What systems did states use to administer their territory and mobilize resources during 1200–1450?
States implemented bureaucracies, taxation systems, and military conscription to govern and mobilize resources across vast areas.
How did states in 1200–1450 legitimize their political authority?
They used religious ideologies, monumental architecture, and historical legacy to gain legitimacy.
What were the main causes for the rise of states and empires between 1200 and 1450?
Increased agricultural productivity, trade wealth, military innovations, and leadership consolidation all contributed.
What were common reasons for the decline of states and empires during the period 1200–1450?
Internal conflict, succession crises, invasions, overextension, and environmental stress often caused collapse.
What were the effects of political centralization in states like Song China during 1200–1450?
It allowed for more organized governance, economic growth, and increased infrastructure and cultural production.
What were the effects of political decentralization in regions like Europe or the Abbasid Caliphate during 1200–1450?
It led to fragmented authority, feudal structures, and regional diversity in governance and culture.
How did gunpowder technology affect warfare and state relations during 1200–1450?
It allowed for more effective siege warfare and helped empires expand and dominate rivals.
What was the role of cities in political and cultural life between 1200 and 1450?
Cities served as political centers, hubs for trade, and sites of cultural and artistic development.
How did state formation differ between East Asia and Western Europe during 1200–1450?
East Asia saw centralized bureaucratic empires like the Song, while Western Europe remained decentralized and feudal.
What were key cultural developments between 1200 and 1450?
Developments included the growth of religious scholarship, poetry, art, architecture, and increased literacy.
How did intellectual innovations from 1200 to 1450 shape societies?
They improved technology, agricultural productivity, and promoted cross-cultural exchanges.
What impact did cultural diffusion have during 1200–1450?
It spread technologies, religious ideas, and artistic traditions across regions like Europe, the Islamic world, and Asia.
How did Islamic intellectual influence affect Europe during 1200–1450?
European scholars translated Arabic texts in medicine, science, and philosophy, which helped fuel Europe’s later intellectual revival.
What was the mutual influence between China and the Islamic world during 1200–1450?
They exchanged technologies like papermaking and gunpowder, as well as artistic and scientific ideas.
How did the Pax Mongolica enable the spread of knowledge during 1200–1450?
It facilitated safe trade and communication across Eurasia, allowing for the diffusion of ideas, technologies, and goods.
What political roles did major religions play in the period 1200–1450?
Religions like Christianity and Islam provided unifying ideologies and justified political rule in multiethnic empires.
How did technological innovation affect agriculture and trade during 1200–1450?
Tools like the heavy plow and innovations like irrigation boosted food production and supported growing markets.
How did new technologies affect the spread of information between 1200 and 1450?
Paper, printing, and improved travel infrastructure made it easier to disseminate texts and ideas.
How did agricultural practices shape society during 1200–1450?
Agricultural surpluses supported urbanization, social stratification, and specialized labor roles.
How did expanding trade between 1200 and 1450 affect social organization?
Trade increased wealth for merchant classes and facilitated greater social mobility in some regions.
What were major trade networks during 1200–1450?
The Silk Road, Indian Ocean trade, the Mediterranean Sea routes, and trans-Saharan caravan routes.
How did political and technological factors help trade routes grow between 1200 and 1450?
Stable empires, improved transportation (like the compass and dhow), and better security boosted trade.
What were the effects of expanding trade networks in 1200–1450?
They led to cultural exchanges, spread of religion, technological diffusion, urban growth, and environmental impacts.
