Unit 0-6 Flashcards
How did Christianity spread and what are its core beliefs?
Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire—accelerated by Constantine’s Edict of Milan (313 CE) and later the Council of Nicaea (325 CE). Its core beliefs include monotheism, the Trinity, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and salvation through faith.
What role did monasticism play in Christianity and Buddhism?
In Christianity, monasticism (e.g., the Benedictine Rule established in the 6th century) provided structured prayer, service, and learning. In Buddhism, the Sangha (monastic community) helped preserve and spread teachings—supported notably by Emperor Ashoka’s patronage in the 3rd century BCE.
How did Buddhism spread and what are its major tenets?
Buddhism spread from India to Central and East Asia via trade routes and missionary work. Its teachings are centered on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, as promoted by leaders like Ashoka, whose edicts helped disseminate Buddhist ideas.
What are the central principles of Confucianism?
Confucianism emphasizes filial piety, ritual propriety, and social harmony. These ideas—compiled in texts like the Analects—became the ethical and educational foundation of Chinese society.
What was the Chinese civil service system and why was it important?
The civil service system, based on rigorous examinations in Confucian texts (first developed during the Sui and Tang dynasties), enabled meritocratic government and helped standardize administration across a vast empire.
How did Hinduism influence the caste system in India?
Hindu religious texts (e.g., the Manusmriti) codified a social hierarchy divided into varnas. This religious framework underpinned a rigid caste system, assigning duties and privileges that structured Indian society for millennia.
What factors caused the expansion of trade routes like the Silk Roads and Indian Ocean sea lanes?
Improved maritime technologies (compass, astrolabe, sternpost rudder) and better knowledge of monsoon winds boosted navigation. Additionally, the Mongol conquests and the Crusades opened and secured new trade corridors.
What were some effects of these expanding trade routes?
They fostered increased trade, the diffusion of ideas and religions (e.g., Islam spreading in Africa), and even the unintended spread of diseases such as the Black Death. They also spurred state-building and influenced social practices like feudalism in Europe and foot binding in China.
How did the trade expansion influence political and social structures in different regions?
In Europe, the reorganization of trade contributed to feudal systems and later centralized states. In East Asia, Confucian ideals reinforced a patriarchal society, while in Africa, Islam’s spread through trade transformed local governance and culture.
What impact did European colonization have on the Americas and its indigenous peoples?
European colonization (exemplified by Cortés’ conquest of the Aztecs) led to dramatic population declines among natives—primarily due to introduced diseases like smallpox—and reshaped indigenous cultures and political structures.
How did European mercantilism benefit colonial powers?
Mercantilist policies enabled European states to extract wealth (such as silver from Potosí) and control colonial trade, reinforcing the economic power of nations like Spain and Portugal.
What role did the Atlantic Slave Trade play during this period?
It forcibly transported millions of Africans to work on plantations in the Americas. This triangular trade system not only fueled European economies but also reshaped African societies and demographics.
What evidence shows the importance of cash crops in colonial economies?
Sugar plantations in the Caribbean, which relied heavily on slave labor, became a cornerstone of European colonial wealth and altered local ecologies and economies.
How did pre-Columbian civilizations like the Aztecs innovate in agriculture?
The Aztecs developed chinampas—man-made floating gardens—which allowed intensive, year-round cultivation in the lake regions around Tenochtitlan, demonstrating advanced engineering and agricultural practices.
What was the Enlightenment and how did it challenge traditional authority?
The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement emphasizing reason, individual rights, and scientific inquiry. Writings by thinkers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and John Locke questioned established authority and inspired revolutionary reforms.
How did figures like Olympe de Gouges contribute to early women’s rights?
Olympe de Gouges authored the ‘Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen’ (1791), arguing for gender equality and challenging the exclusion of women from political life during the French Revolution.
What changes in women’s roles emerged after industrialization?
Industrialization led to women entering factory work under often harsh conditions—sparking early feminist and labor movements—while also gradually shifting public perceptions of women’s roles in society.
What were some effects of industrialization on urban life?
Rapid industrial growth led to urban overcrowding, unsanitary living conditions, and outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, even as it spurred technological and economic advancement.
What is Marxism and what evidence supports its critique of capitalism?
Marxism, articulated in the ‘Communist Manifesto’ (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, argues that capitalist societies are marked by class struggle and exploitation—ideas that fueled numerous revolutionary movements.
How did the decline of the Ottoman Empire illustrate the challenges of modernization?
Internal corruption, military defeats, and nationalist uprisings weakened the Ottoman state. Its inability to modernize—as seen in unsuccessful reforms during the 19th century—contributed to its gradual disintegration.
In what ways did nationalism shape 19th‑century politics?
Nationalist movements spurred the unification of countries like Italy and Germany and drove European imperial competition. Such sentiments were also used to mobilize populations both at home and in colonies.
What were the Opium Wars and why were they significant?
The Opium Wars (1839–1842, 1856–1860) were conflicts between China and Western powers—primarily Britain—over the opium trade. The Treaty of Nanking (1842) forced China to cede territory (including Hong Kong) and marked the start of unequal treaties that undermined Chinese sovereignty.
What characterizes settler colonies in Oceania?
Settler colonies, such as Australia and New Zealand, involved mass European migration that established new social and political orders while often displacing indigenous peoples.
How did migration during the 19th century affect global demographics?
Economic hardships and poor conditions at home drove millions of Europeans to emigrate—seeking job opportunities in industrialized cities and the New World, even as immigrants often faced discrimination and poor treatment.
What is Social Darwinism and how was it used to justify imperialism?
Social Darwinism applied the concept of ‘survival of the fittest’ to human societies, suggesting that competition and natural hierarchy were inevitable. This ideology was used to legitimize imperial expansion and discriminatory practices in both Europe and its colonies.
