unit 1 Flashcards
Song Dynasty China
Very powerful, most urban country at this time (1200-1450). Used confucianism and established Neo-conficianism as a way to tackle the rising popularity of Buddhism. The golden age of China; literature, poetry, art, as well as technological innovations like the magnetic compass and economic prosperity. Used a merit-based hiring system based on confucian values and tributary states to maintain power (Korea, Japan, Vietnam)
Confucianism
Philosophy that taught the idea that human society is hierarchical by nature; society is composed of unequal relationships. Established as the official state philosophy during the Han dynasty and saw a revival during the Tang dynasty, which carried through to the Song.
Daoism
Focused on nature and the natural order of the universe. Emphasized living in harmony with the Tao.
5 relationships
Hierarchal and focused on respect
1. father - son
2. leader - subject
3. husband - wife
4. older brother - younger brother
5. friend - friend
Filial Piety
The idea of honouring your ancestors and parents. A confucian value.
Imperial Bureaucracy
Government entity that carried out the will of the emperor; tens of thousands of government officials spanning all over China that maintained the emperor’s rule. Used the Civil Service Examination (merit-based) which followed confucian principles.
Song Dynasty Inventions
Magnetic compass: allowed for better navigation
Junks: newer and improved, better travel at sea, more accurate, allowed for more trade and economic prosperity
Grand Canal: connected the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, allowed for more trade
Gunpowder: not used for weapons yet, ended up in Europe through the Silk Roads and then used as weapons
Paper money: easier and more trade
Improvements in agriculture: tools from the increase in steel and iron production
Buddhism
Originated in South Asia and diffused through the Silk Road. Opposed by the Song government who held onto Confucian values. Believed in the Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is suffering
2. We suffer because we crave
3. We cease suffering when we cease craving
4. The Eightfold Path (outlines the principles a Buddhist follows) leads to the cessation of suffering and craving)
Neo-Confucianism
New form of confucianism mixed with Buddhist and Daoist values. Combat the rise of Buddhism by the Song government. New implementation of an old philosophy. Confucianism fell when the Han fell, but saw a revival in the Tang and carried through to the Song.
Theravada Buddhism
More restricted version of Buddhism.
Mahayana Buddhism
More open and available version of Buddhism. Ideas of compassion. Turned the Buddha into an object of devotion; more godly.
Chinese Civil Service Exam (Meritocracy)
Merit-based hiring system in Song China based on confucian beliefs. Staffed the government with only the most qualified men, increased the competency and efficiency of bureaucratic tasks, and provided more upward mobility than any other system in the world.
Abbasid Caliphate
Ethnically Arab and rose to power during the golden age of Islam in the mid 8th century by beating the Umayyad. By the start of 1200, they begin to fragment and lose their place as the centre of the Islamic world. They begin to be replaced by ethnically Turkic empires.
Seljuk Empire
Ethnically Turkic and rose to power in the 11th century by taking over the Abbasid Caliphate. They originated in Central Asia and were pastoral people brought in by the Abbasids as a professional military force to expand their empire.
Scientific and mathematic achievements of dar al-Islam
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi invented trigonometry. Advances in medicine were made; doctors and pharmacists begin to study for certification exams, boosting the standard of medical care. Scholars at the House of Wisdom translate Greek classics to Arabic, allowing them to not be forgotten.
Baghdad House of Wisdom
Established during the golden age of Islam and was a massive library where scholars would come from all over the world to religion and natural sciences. Scholars here have the responsibility of preserving classic texts, like those by Plato and Aristotle.
Islam
Monotheistic religion originating in the Arabian peninsula. Founded by Muhammad (a merchant) who claimed to be the final prophet in the line of God’s messengers that stretched through Jewish and Christian texts. He taught his followers that salvation would be reached by doing righteous acts. After his death, the religion spread all across the Middle East and North Africa, establishing dar-al-Islam.
Hinduism
Ethnic religion originating in South Asia. Majority religion in India, even after the Muslims came and established power. It has a polytheistic belief system. Goal is to dissolve into the oneness of the universe (similar to Buddhism). Beloved in reincarnation and the universal principle of cause and effect.
Sufism
New and emerging side of Islam that emphasized mystical experiences in spiritualism over tradition and rituals; they expanded Islam to the common people. Muslim scholars did not approve of this religion.
Srivijaya Empire
Empire in SEA that gained power and money from the Malacca strait. It was a good place for people to get into the Indian Ocean, so they taxed all the merchants that went through and became filthy rich. Buddhist state influenced by a bit of Hinduism.
Hinduism’s impact of South East and South Asia
Brought a more organized system of ruling to empires all over. Allowed them to establish legitimacy before their subjects.
Caste system
Ranked people from elite (Brahmin) to poor (Dalit) with levels in between. It wasn’t possible to move up the caste in your own lifetime, but if you had good karma, you could be reborn into a higher caste.
Mexica
Mexica people were a semi-nomadic group who migrated south around the beginning of the 14th century and got busy building up their military prowess and strategically marrying into powerful families. They were the ethnic group that established the Aztec empire.
Inca
Empire in the Andean mountains. Took influence from different civilizations like the Wari. They had a centralized power and a massive bureaucracy, different to the Aztecs. Their Mita system required people for a period of time each year to work on state projects like mining or military service.
Maya city-states
Huge urban centres, the most sophisticated writing system in all the Americas during that time, complex maths including the concept of zero. Decentralised collection of city-states that were frequently at war with one another. Fought to create a vast network of tributary states among neighbouring regions.
Great Zimbabwe
Large empire in the Southeast of Africa. They were non-Islamic and took part in Indian Ocean trade. Dominated African gold and trade on the coasts. Build a great wall for protection.
Ethiopia
Christian state in Africa. Odd one out. Grew wealthy through trade and connected the Mediterranean and the Arab world. Salt was one of their most valuable commodities. They had a centralized power and a hierarchy.
Feudalism
A system of allegiances between powerful lords, monarchs, and knights. Rules provide protection and aid for the nobles, who hire knights for protection, and peasants worked the land for shelter and protection (essentially slaves).
Manorialism
Peasants were bound to land and worked it in exchange for protection form the lord and his military forces. They were called serfs.
Role of Catholic Church in Medieval Europe
Serfdom
Forced peasants to work for their landlords for shelter and protection. Was a bad workplace. The only difference between serfs and slaves were that they were not owned by the lord, merely bound to the land.
Role of Roman Church in Medieval European society
Held Western Europe together in its decentralized period. The church hierarchy of popes, bishops, and cardinals provided some common structure among the various states of Western Europe.
Byzantine Empire
West side of the Roman Empire (Eastern Orthodox Church). In 1453, they were sacked by the Muslim Ottomans who took over Constantinople and replaced it with Istanbul.
Greek Orthodox
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Great Schism
The separation in the Catholic Church into the Eastern Orthodox Church (the Byzantine –> Russia) and the Roman Catholic Church (pope).
Crusades
Christians try and fight the Muslims and end their rule in the Holy Land. Apart from the 1st Crusade, the Muslims dominate. It was partially successful for the Christian side and this opened up trade for them.
