unit 1

Question 1

Song Dynasty China

Answer 1

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)

Question 2

Confucianism

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

Daoism

Answer 3

Focused on nature and the natural order of the universe. Emphasized living in harmony with the Tao.

Question 4

5 relationships

Answer 4

Hierarchal and focused on respect
1. father - son
2. leader - subject
3. husband - wife
4. older brother - younger brother
5. friend - friend

Question 5

Filial Piety

Answer 5

The idea of honouring your ancestors and parents. A confucian value.

Question 6

Imperial Bureaucracy

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Song Dynasty Inventions

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Buddhism

Answer 8

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)

Question 9

Neo-Confucianism

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Theravada Buddhism

Answer 10

More restricted version of Buddhism.

Question 11

Mahayana Buddhism

Answer 11

More open and available version of Buddhism. Ideas of compassion. Turned the Buddha into an object of devotion; more godly.

Question 12

Chinese Civil Service Exam (Meritocracy)

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Abbasid Caliphate

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

Seljuk Empire

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Scientific and mathematic achievements of dar al-Islam

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

Baghdad House of Wisdom

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Islam

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Hinduism

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

Sufism

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Srivijaya Empire

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

Hinduism’s impact of South East and South Asia

Answer 21

Brought a more organized system of ruling to empires all over. Allowed them to establish legitimacy before their subjects.

Question 22

Caste system

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

Mexica

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

Inca

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Maya city-states

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

Great Zimbabwe

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

Ethiopia

Answer 27

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.

Question 28

Feudalism

Answer 28

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).

Question 29

Manorialism

Answer 29

Peasants were bound to land and worked it in exchange for protection form the lord and his military forces. They were called serfs.

Question 30

Role of Catholic Church in Medieval Europe

Question 31

Serfdom

Answer 31

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.

Question 32

Role of Roman Church in Medieval European society

Answer 32

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.

Question 33

Byzantine Empire

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

Greek Orthodox

Answer 34

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Question 35

Great Schism

Answer 35

The separation in the Catholic Church into the Eastern Orthodox Church (the Byzantine –> Russia) and the Roman Catholic Church (pope).

Question 36

Crusades

Answer 36

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.