Unit 1 Flashcards
Homo sapiens
"thinking man"; developed about 200,000 years ago in present-day Africa Defining characteristics include: - walking upright - using tools - larger brain
Paleolithic era
The old stone age
From prehistory-10,000BC
Stone was primary tool material
Humans lived a nomadic, hunter-gatherer lifestyle and dwelled in caves
Fire provided warmth, protection from predators, and cooked food to kill pathogens
Neolithic revolution
The New Stone Age; began c. 10,000 BC when humans learned agriculture
Being able to grow their own food helped humans to settle in permanent communities
Birth rate and division of labor increased
Trade was established
Barter system
Exchange of service for service or item for item
Bronze age
Lasted from 7000-1500BC
Bronze was primary tool material
Sumerians
Earliest recorded human statements
Developed in Mesopotamia c. 5000-3000 BC
Cuneiform was their system of writing; carved symbols on wet clay and let it harden
City-state
A city that functions like an independent state
Each had its own military, judicial system, and political leadership
Hamurabi’s Code
The first written law code
Governed all aspects of life in Sumerian society
Nobility
Higher class distinction of people Lower punishments for violating law code
Polytheism
worship of multiple deities
Nile River
The longest river in the world
Supported the growth of the Egyptian civilization
One of the Egyptian deities
Hieroglyphics
Egyptian writing system
Written on papyrus scrolls
Pharaoh
The ultimate religious and political authority in ancient Egypt
Believed to be incarnate gods
Believed in the afterlife
Book of the Dead
an Egyptian religious text containing instructions on how to navigate the afterlife
Contained spells on how to protect yourself from attack by animals and angry gods, as well as a series of negative confessions (bad things you did not do)
Hatshepsut
Egyptian queen who declared herself pharaoh in 1473 BC
Ruled for 21 years; established trade with other countries
It was exceedingly rare for a woman to take this position of power
Women in ancient Egypt could initiate divorce, start business, and hold office
Hittites
A warrior civilization that took over the Sumerians c. 1500 BC
The first people to use iron tools and weapons, leading into the Iron Age (1200-1000 BC)
Hebrew civilization
Earliest inhabitants of Israel
Semitic speaking; migrated to the region c. 1500 BC
Monotheistic faith
Enslaved by the Egyptians over time
Moses
Hebrew leader who led his people out of slavery in Egypt
Returning to Canaan
When the Hebrews returned to Israel, they encountered numerous other tribes that inhabited the area
Solomon
Ruled 970-935 BC
Built the Temple of Jerusalem
Assyrian Empire
Enslaved the Hebrews and made them relocate (exile)
The Assyrians
Warlike civilization that ruled Mesopotamia from c. 900-612 BC
Ruthless conquerors and rulers, the Assyrians’ mistreatment of other tribes led to their downfall
Yellow river
first evidence of human settlement along the yellow river (c. 2500 BC )
Allowed for division of labor
Silk fueled later economy
Daoism
Chinese philosophy developed during 2nd century BC
Lao-Tzu commonly believed to be founder of Daoism
Followed the idea that humans should follow nature, a force that eventually finds balance
Shang Dynasty
c. 1700-1050 BC
First recorded dynasty
Bronze-age agricultural society
Polytheistic faith; ruled by semi-divine king (thought to have some connection with the spiritual world but is not considered a god like a pharaoh was)q
Shang society
Early form of feudalism (small number of noblemen, majority peasants/slaves)
Internal slave rebellion gave way to Zhou dynasty
Mandate of Heaven
A concept made up by the Zhou dynasty to justify their take of power
The gods allowed the king to rule by giving him a mandate
As long as the king ruled fairly, the gods allowed him to continue in power
If the ruler failed to protect his people from invasion, the gods would revoke their mandate
Zhou dynasty claimed that the Shang dynasty lost their mandate and they re-claimed it
Zhou Dynasty
Mandate of heaven
Multiple advances in agriculture (iron-tipped plow) & writing (books, poetry, and calligraphy)
Confucius
Chinese philosopher who lived during the chaos of the Era of the Warring States
Developed a philosophy that stressed a return to traditional values such as virtue (jen)
Urged respect for your superiors and emphasized the importance of education for advancement
Argued that leaders should be virtuous and lead by example, not force
Shi Huang Di
First emperor of the Qin dynasty
Enacted several reforms for selfish purposes such as abolishing slavery, enacting a standard law code, standardizing monetary system, and constructing roads throughout the empire
Legalism
Philosophy that asserts that humans are fundamentally evil and must be watched closely by authorities
Strict punishments for crime and promoted censorship
Led to the development of a highly centralized government
OPPOSITE OF CONFUCIANISM
Confucianist philosophers killed
Han dynasty
A period of regeneration and scientific achievement
Paper-making, acupuncture, compass, fertilizer, etc.
Mandarins
Professionally trained individuals working for the bureaucracy of the Han dynasty
Scholar officials; established proficiency exams
Wu Ti
Greatest of the Han rulers
Known for making confucianism the state philosophy
Enlarged the empire through military conquest
Silk Road
Major trade route from east Asia to Middle East and Southern Europe & Mediterranean
Silk remained China’s most valuable export item
Tang & Song Dynasties
Innovations such as buddhism, blot printing, canals, gunpowder, fireworks, magnetic compasses, etc.
Mongol invasion brought end to Song dynasty
Indus Valley Civilization
c. 2500-1500 BC
Bronze-age, polytheistic people
Developed system of writing; yet to be decoded
aka Harappan people
Had a sewage system and brought in fresh water
Aryan Civilization
A warlike, iron-age civilization
Migrated into the Indus Valley region c. 1500 BC and conquered the Harappan people
Laid foundation for hinduism
Introduced the caste system
Hinduism
polytheistic faith that developed over centuries
Emphasizes living a virtuous life and treating all living beings with respect
By means of reincarnation, the soul can be purified and reunited with the spirit of Brahma
Caste System
Rigid class system set up under the Aryans
No movement between castes; members had to follow specific rules for their caste level
Affects what food you ate, who you married, what gods you worshipped, etc.
Kept the majority of the population in a subservient position
Ashoka
A fierce Mauryan military leader who converted to Buddhism and spread that philosophy through India and southeast Asia
After converting, he returned all congested land and prisoners & rejected the caste system
Buddhism
Philosophy founded by Siddartha Gautama (6th century BC)
Four noble truths form the basis of this philosophy, emphasizing that it is our desires that cause suffering
Rejects the caste system
Gupta empire
Golden age of Indian history
Advancements made in mathematics, science, and contact with other civilizations
Mahmud of Ghazni
Ruthless Turkish Muslim ruler who conquered much of north central India, destroying and looting Hindu temples
Established a royal court in Ghazni and supported the work of Muslim scientists and artists
Zoroastrianism
Persian religion that developed c. 650 BC
Followers believed the world was controlled by two warring gods, one good and the other evil
Introduced the idea of heaven and hell
Cyrus the Great
c. 585-530 BC
Persian king who used Zoroastrianism to unite his people and conquer much of the known western world
Establish the Achaemenid empire (religious toleration)
Allowed the Jews to return to Judea
Darius I
549-486 BC
Persian king known for effectively governing his large empire by dividing it into territories ruled by local governors (satraps), building public works (postal service & roads), and instituting a common currency
Practiced religious toleration
Polis
Greek city-states
Each had its own form of government
Solon
Greek leader who introduced democracy to Athens
Opened public office to non-nobles
Abolished slavery as debt repayment
Established more humane laws
Athens
Cultural center of early Greece
Political structure promoted a majority population of artists & writers due to their salary being paid by taxes
Humanism
Greek artists and writers put the human experience at the center of events and celebrated the human physical form
Homer
Greek poet
Wrote the Illiad and Odyssey; both about the Trojan War
His works were studied by generations of Greeks
Heroditus
First historian of the western world; traveled & interviewed people
Wrote the History of the Persian World; non-fiction unlike Homer’s works
Greek Education
Inexpensive schooling for all boys regardless of social status
Focused on math, writing, & team sports
Young men received two years of military training
Girls were excluded from education system
Socrates
Father of western philosophy
Questioned everything
Sentenced to execution for questioning religion, etc.
Committed suicide by hemlock poisoning before he could be executed
Plato
One of Socrates’ students
Founded the Academy of Athens, first university in Europe
Question what is real vs. illusion
Wrote “The Republic” laying out the notion of an ideal society led by philosopher-kings
Greek Mythologies
Shared religious beliefs united many of the Greek city-states
Zeus was chief deity along with his wife and sister Hera
Sparta
Greek city-state dominated by military training
Persian War
Persian attempt to take over Greek city-states
City-states united to fight against the Persians
Round 1 resulted in the Athenians winning
Round 2 - Persians won
Greeks were eventually able to expel the Persians from their land
Delian League
A defensive alliance formed by many Greek city-states (excluding Sparta) after the Persian War
Athens came to dominate the League which increased tensions between Athen and Sparta
Pericles
Leader of Athens
Domestic policy included rebuilding Athens and using public treasury (money from Delian League) to pay for state service
Expanded political power to lower classes
Controlled Delian League and argued for war against Sparta
Peloponnesian War
War fought between Athens and Sparta
Each had allied city-states
Spartans defeated Athenians; plague struck Athens and killed many
Philip II
Macedonian king who conquered the Greeks
Helped unite Greek city-states
Alexander the Great
Assumed the Macedonian throne at age 20 when his father, Philip II, died
Began an invasion of the Persian empire and succeeded
Wanted to blend Greek & Macedonian culture with that of the Persians
