Unit 1 - The Global Tapestry c. 1200 - 1450 Flashcards
1
Q
How did the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) of China utilize Confucianism and an imperial bureaucracy to maintain and justify its rule? (politics)
A
- imperial bureaucracy = vast org. in which appointed officials carried out empire’s policies (CONTINUITY)
- emperor taizu expanded edu. opportunities to younger & lower class men by introducing civil service exam (changed imperial bureaucracy into a meritocracy -> ↑ social mobility)
- based on confucian priniciples
- vry successful but burea. grew too big to upkeep - filial piety = respect those ‘higher’ than u (elders/men/authority)
- common values (confucianism dictated everything) = unity
2
Q
Explain Chinese cultural/societal traditions and their influence on their neighboring regions of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. (culture/society)
A
- highest -> lowest classes: emperor/empress, scholar gentry, farmers, artisans, merchants, and peasants
- respect women but they must submit (confucian value)
- feet-binding -> small feet = attractive but women can’t
move -> can’t participate in public - banned in 1912 - intellectual pursuits thrived - used tang dynasty’s innovations
- invented paper in 2nd century + woodblock printing
- expanded access to literature for privileged classes
japan: - prince shotoku taishi (574 - 622) promoted buddhism + confucianism
- heian period (794-1185) / japan imitated chinese culture + traditions
- china ruled by emperor while japan lived under feudal sys. for centuries (daimyo = landowners)
korea: - centralized gov’t like chinese (exam not open to peasants)
- elite adopted confucianism while peasants liked buddhism
- adopted writing system
vietnam: - conflicting relationship w/ China.
- more independence for women + preference for nuclear families = just wife + husband + children.
- no centralization
3
Q
What were the core beliefs of Buddhism and how did they change in different branches including Tibetan, Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism? How did it lead to syncretism? (culture)
A
- buddhism came to china via silk roads from india / popularity grew during tang dynasty
- split into branches when spreading across trade routes
- theravada buddhism = spiritual growth thru meditation
+ self-discipline (popular in southeast asia)
- mahayana buddhism = spiritual growth + service (korea)
- tibetan buddhism = focus on chanting + rituals
- all believe in four noble truths + eightfold path to reach
nirvana = enlightenment - monks introduced buddhism to china by relating it to daoism
- zen buddhism = buddhist doctrines mixed w/ native
daoism (SYNCRETISM) - song dynasty somewhat friendly toward buddhism but emphasized confucian ideas (tang did not like it tho)
- neo-confucianism = combined rational thought w/
daoism + buddhism (popular in japan, korea, & vietnam)
4
Q
Explain the effects of commercialization and innovation on the Chinese economy over time. (econ)
A
- grand canal = inexpensive and efficient waterway system that connected northern and southern china
- commercialized china’s econ. (local consumption ->
market production) - rapid urbanization - south china = centers of commerce
- experienced proto-industrialization: artisanal and peasant laborers who used simple equipment (produced a lot of steel)
- early discovery of coal meant that steel could be used to build bridges, gates, and religious items - guns/gunpowder, porcelain, and silk traded on silk roads
- new farming tecnhiques (irrigation, terrace farming) + new crops -> food surplus + population increase
- champa rice = fast ripening + drought-resistant crop from vietnam - tributary sys. = other states paid money or provide goods to honor chinese emperor / ex. = japan + korea.
- kowtow = bow head until it reached floor = respect
- provided stability and stimulated trade
5
Q
Explain how systems of belief (Islam) and their practices affected society in the period from c. 1200 to c. 1450. (culture)
A
- Quran and hadiths significantly influenced islamic culture
tolerance: - peacefully coexisted w/ people of the book (christians, jews)
- ex: córdoba, capital of umayyads, housed all three
education: - “go in quest of knowledge even unto china” - PBUH
- mathematics, medicine, philosophy, & trigonometry introduced -> many universities
economics: - merchants were respected bc PBUH was a merchant
- muslim merchants revive the silk roads -> merchants grew wealthy
slavery: - can’t enslave monotheists but nothing abt others so importing slaves from cent. asia, kievan rus, & africa common
women: - more freedom than other monotheistic societies
- could study, have an inheritance, divorce, and practice birth control (outlawed female infanticide)
- wore hijab
6
Q
Explain the causes of the rise and fall of Islamic states. (politics)
A
- umayyads invade spain after defeating byzantine armies in north africa / ruled spain for 7 centuries
- battle of tours (732) = islamic military loses to frankish forces -> limited islamic expansion in w europe - after umayyads, abbasid caliphate (1100’s - 1200’s / golden age of islam) crumbled due to:
- mamluks = enslaved ppl purchased by Arabs to be soldiers and bureaucrats -> bc of high power they established a sultanate in egypt but crumbled when sea trade routes made
- seljuk turks = cent asia muslims / conquered baghdad & abbasid caliphate in 1055 / limited christian travel into jerusalem
- crusaders = european soldiers who wanted to take back jerusalem (1095 - 1291)
- mongols = nomadic invaders from cent asia / conquered remaining abbasids in 1258 + ended seljuk rule / stopped in egypt by mamluks
- trade routes shift north -> baghdad loses wealth - muslim rule spreads via military conquest (delhi sultanate)
- soldiers can’t own land they seize + conquered ppl pay jizya and tribute to caliph - islam spreads via sufis (adapt to other cultures), merchants (bring culture w/ them + east africa), & missionaries
7
Q
Explain the effects of intellectual innovation and transfers in Dar al-Islam. (technology)
A
transfers:
- preserved & translated greek (aristotle, socrates, plato, etc) -> arabic
- studied math from india (concept of 0 and numerals)
- adopted paper-making from china.
- house of wisdom in baghdad
- al-andalus = islamic state in spain / center of learning
- ibn-rushd (averroes) - wrote about aristotle -> influenced jewish + christian philosophers
- diffused advancements like astrolabe, gunpowder, compass
innovations:
- nasir al-din al-tusi - laid the foundations for an advanced astronomical observatory, trig, and medical practices
- ibn khaldun - founder of historiography and sociology
- a’ishah al-ba’uniyyah - inventive sufi poet + wrote over 20 pieces
8
Q
Explain how Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism, and their core beliefs and practices, continued to shape societies in South and Southeast Asia. (society + culture)
A
- islam first arrived in india (hindu) thru military conquest which didn’t work out so turned voluntary
- MUSLIM MERCHANTS helped spread islam (married native women & cultural diffusion)
- lower class ppl converted bc of social equality/mobility & buddhists converted bc corruption + raids on monasteries -> buddhism became a minority in its home land - hindu caste system (CONTINUITY) - hierarchy based on birth
- india was in disarray, caste system provided stability
- arrival of islam couldn’t change strong caste system - islam + hinduism very diff -> tension (CONTINUITY)
syncretism + cultural diffusion: - south asia + mid east shared intellectual + cultural achievements
- ex = sultans erected buildings w/ hindu + islamic art = qutub minar - urdu = new language / mixed hindi grammar + arabic vocab / official language of pakistan today
- bhakti movement = started in south india / 12th cent / hindu mystic movement
- spread hinduism like sufism spread islam - south asia had major impact on southeast asia
- srivijaya & majapahit empires = hindu
- khmer empire (og hindu - angkor thom/wat = og hindu temples w/ added buddhist art) & sinhala dynasties = buddhist
9
Q
Explain how and why various states of South and
Southeast Asia developed and maintained power over time. (politics)
A
- 550 / gupta dynasty falls -> end of india’s golden age + disunity
- south india = more stable / chola dynasty (850-1267)
- vijayanagara empire (1336-1646) = started by two brothers who converted to islam bc delhi sultanate + social mobility but then started their own hindu empire - north india = more upheaval
- rajput kingdoms = hindu kingdoms led by clans / no cent gov’t -> vulnerable
- delhi sultanate = muslim forces conquer delhi (1200s)
- jizya = tax on non-muslims -> dislike of muslim rulers
- no efficient bureaucracy
- 1526 / defeated by mughals = mongol descendents - srivijaya & majapahit empires = sea-based kingdoms
- controlled sea trade & accumulated $ thru ship fees - sinhala dynasties & khmer empire = land-based kingdoms
10
Q
Explain how and why states in the Americas developed and changed over time. (politics + culture + social + technology)
A
- mississippian culture:
- first large scale civ. in north america / 700’s or 800’s started in mississippi river valley
- built giant earthen mounds / cahokia = largest mounds
- rigid class structure like hindu caste system
- matrilineal society
- abandoned cities around 1450 - flooding, diseases? idk
chaco + mesa verde: - southwestern united states / dry region
- chaco built housing structures out of stone + clay
- mesa verde built multi-story homes / sides of cliffs
- both declined / late 13th century - don’t know why
aztecs: - hunter-gatherers / migrated to central mexico in 1200’s
- founded tenochtitlan (the capital) in 1325
- lake texcoco / built chinampas = floating gardens to farm on the swampy lands
- tribute system + city-states grouped into provinces w/ warriors + their families in the capital for protection
- worshipped hundreds of gods
- human sacrifices make up for sin bc gods sacrificed themselves to create the world - women had an important role in aztec society
- wove cloth to give as tribute to local rulers
- priestesses, midwives, healers, merchants, or scribes - surrounded by enemies / conquered by spanish - 1600s
inca: - 1438 / tribal leader pachacuti conquers tribes in the andes -> inca empire
- divided into four provinces w/ a governor & bureaucracy
- mita system = mandatory public service
- sun god inti most important / temple of the sun in cuzco
- some human sacrifice / priests consulted for everything
- animism = belief that elements of physical world have supernatural powers
- quipu = sys of knotted strings / record info for trade + engineering + messages
- terrace farming + carpa nan = 25,000 miles long road sys
- civil war + conquered by francisco pizarro in 1532 - 1533
11
Q
Explain how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time. (political + culture + social)
A
- centralized gov’ts uncommon
inland africa: - hausa kingdoms = present-day nigeria:
- benefited from trans-saharan trade bc no access to seas
- introduced to islam by missionaries - 1300s
- kin-based networks = families governed for themselves
- chief = male head of network / mediated conflict + dealt with neighboring groups
- specialized city states (good climate = agriculture state)
west/east africa: - ghana -> mali -> songhai empire (west africa):
- centralized
- prospered bc of gold + ivory trade
- sundiata’s (founder of mali) nephew = mansa musa did an elaborate pilgrimage to mecca sharing his wealth
- timbuktu = learning center for islamic culture - zimbabwe (east africa) - 1100’s - 1400’s
- wealth thru taxes + trading (indian ocean) + gold
- swahili = language / blended bantu + arabic from muslim merchants (SYNCRETISM)
- the great zimbabwe = massive stone defensive wall
- declined bc of overgrazing/env. harm (like mayans) - kingdom of axum (ethiopia / east africa)
- thrived bc of trading w/ india, arabs, romans, & int. africa
- islam made it more diverse but christianity dominant
social/culture:
- men did skilled labor while women did domestic
- slavery = prisoners of war + debators + criminals
- indian ocean slave trade = btwn east africa + mid east
- zanj rebellion / 869-883 / zanj (enslaved east africans) + arab workers captured city of basra + held it for 10 yrs / one of the most successful slave revolts
- traditional religions still common = ancestor veneration + visual arts (dancing/music/art) + animism
- griots = storytellers of history for community / adept @ music / drums
12
Q
Explain how the beliefs and practices of the predominant religions in Europe affected European society. (culture)
A
- 1054 / great schism = christian church in eu split in two
- roman catholic church = western eu
- vry influential bc provided a shared identity among fragmented eu
- orthodox church = east from greece to russia - church established first universities in eu + all artists worked for church (religious leaders led education)
- clergy’s great power -> corruption (would lead to reformation)
- crusades = european military campaigns btwn 1095 - 1200’s
- primogeniture laws = eldest son inherited land -> younger sons had little access to wealth + land (restless)
- merchants wanted unrestricted access to trade routes thru mid east
- church offered spiritual salvation + forgiveness of sins
- first crusades = win for christians / conquered jerusalem in 1099
- 1187 / muslim forces reconquer jerusalem
- fourth crusade (1202 - 1204) venice = wealthy city-state in n. italy / contract to transport soldiers to mid east / not paid -> crusaders sack zara, italy + constantinople to pay back debt
- crusades -> ↑ demand for eastern goods - jewish population grew -> became scapegoats
- rom. cath. church had a policy that christians douldn’t charge interests on loans to other christians / jews not bound by this policy so they charged interest -> antisemitism
- jews expelled from basically all of eu (1290 - 1497) - muslims also faced discrimination in eu
- 1492 / spanish king expelled remaining muslims who wouldn’t convert (reconquista) - women had fewer rights in society but could join religious orders
- renaissance = revival of classical greek + roman lit + art
- caused by trade expansion + food surplus + rise of mid class
- wealthy families (medicis) funded the arts
- humanism = focus on individuals rather than God - southern renaissance / italy + spain / supported by church patronage
- ex: dante alighieri wrote the divine comedy abt heaven + hell + purgatory / also criticized church officials - 1439 / johannes gutenberg invents printing press -> growth in literacy + rapid spread of ideas
13
Q
Explain the causes and consequences of political decentralization in Europe. (political + social)
A
- europe divided into small warring kingdoms - needed stability -> feudalism = decentralized political org based on sys of exchanges of land for loyalty
- monarch granted fiefs (traces of land) to lords. in return, lord became king’s vassal = person who owed service to person of higher status.
- lords provided land to knights / knights became vassals of lord + pledged to fight for king
- lord provided land + protection to serfs / in return peasants obligated to farm land + provide crops (tied to land)
- code of chivalry = unwritten set of rules for conduct focusing on honor + courtesy + bravery / protected women - manorial system = provided economic self-sufficiency + defense / produced everything that ppl living on it required
- manors = large fiefs / estates - power struggle btwn church and state/lords (CONTINUITY)
- later in the middle ages, monarchs grew in power at the expense of nobles by employing a bureaucracy + military
- france first to develop bureacracy (estates-general)
- holy roman empire - lay investiture controversy = dispute over whether secular leader, rather than pope, could invest bishops w/ symbols of office -> resolved by concordat of worms (1122) = church received autonomy from secular authorities
- 1215 / eng nobles force king john to sign magna carta = king has to respect the right to jury trial for nobles + right to be consulted on tax on + etc.
- english parliament formed in 1265 - the hundred years war (1337 - 1453) / btwn england + france over succession to the french throne
- english archers w/ longbows -> early victories but france ends w/ more land
- joan of arc = peasant girl who led france to victory
- important results:
- Serving under king fostered sense of english + french identities
- importance of gunpowder weapons (invented by chinese, spread west by mongols)
russia:
- trade in furs + fish + grain connected eurasia
- kievan rus = city-state & center of trade (Ukraine)
- developed separately from most of Europe bc eastern orthodox + overtaken by mongols
- Late 1600s / ivan the great defeats mongols = beginning of modern russia
14
Q
Explain the effects of agriculture on social organization in Europe. (environmental + technology + economics)
A
- agriculture huge part of society so tech advancements were made to make it more efficient
- three-field sys = crops rotated thru 3 fields annually to replenish soil
- development of windmills + plows - late 1200’s marco polo visits kublai khan’s court -> ↑ curiosity abt asia
- ↑ in cartography / map-making - ↑ long-distance commerce + new farming techniques -> urbanization + pop growth + birth of middle class / bourgeoisie
- bubonic plague = black death (spread via rats on silk roads)
- wiped 1/3 of european population -> serfs had more bargaining power w/ lords due to ↑ demand but ↓ supply - circa 1300 / little ice age = lower temp. -> disease + unemployment -> social unrest + antisemitism
15
Q
UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Explain the similarities and
differences in the processes of state formation from
c. 1200 to c. 1450.
A
similarities:
- expansion via conquest:
- umayyad/abbasid caliphate
- aztec
- delhi sultanate
- state-building thru trade:
- ghana / mali / songhai
- srivijaya empire
- majahapit empire
- zimbabwe
- song dynasty
- belief systems supporting state-formation:
- song dynasty
- european kingdoms
- vijayanagara empire
- maya
- tribute system:
- song dynasty
- aztec
- maya
- majahapit
differences:
- nomadic ppl building states:
- seljuk turks
- delhi sultanate
- voluntary acceptance of foreign influence:
- japan + korea
- centralization vs no centralization
