Unit #2 Terms Flashcards
Bantu
Means “persons” or “people
People in Sub-Saharan Africa
Clan-based villages with chiefs
They migrated a lot and settled a lot of Southern Africa (they used canoes and had more resources because of agriculture)
People of the Middle Niger
? Recognized a single God originally called Nyamba
This God created the world then stepped back to let it run its course ?
Olmecs
People of Mesoamerica
Name means “Rubber People
Elaborate drainage systems
Very much an authoritarian society
Created a calendar to keep track of the seasons
No urban areas so may be disqualified to be a civilization
Maya
Society that followed the Olmecs and adopted many of their culture’s traditions (calendar, writing, ball game, etc.)
Mayan Calendar was very intricate
Many blood rituals to please the Gods (blood spilled meant rain from the Gods)
Extensive traders
Very war-like nation
Secular leaders more than religious leaders
Ceremonial Centers
Established by the Olmecs initially but adopted by many societies like the Mayans
Not cities but centers for rituals which were governed by priests (blood sacrifices)
Included pyramids, temples and palaces
Siddhartha Gautama
Lived in India (563-483 BCE)
Part of the warrior class in Hinduism
Became dissatisfied with his role and went to asceticism
That didn’t work so he meditated until he achieved Enlightenment and became the Buddha
He taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path
Buddhism
Founded by Siddhartha (the Buddha)
Teachings are the Four Noble Truths and the Eight-Fold Path
Canon - Tripitaka (Three Baskets)
Non-theistic = Gods can’t help you achieve enlightenment
Four Noble Truths
- Life is suffering
- Selfish desire is the cause of suffering
- Selfish desire can be eliminated
- Eight-Fold Path leads to the extinction of suffering
Chandragupta Maurya
Part of the Mauryan Empire in India
Leader of one of the states that conquered a lot
(needs more from text)
Ashoka Maurya
Part of the Mauryan Empire in India He controlled the biggest empire Used a lot of violence Encouraged agriculture Empire falls apart when he dies because of no central rule (let clan leaders rule their own area and pay taxes) No literary records of his rule
Sima Qian
Man in China (145-86 BCE) considered to be the first historian
Focused on how one dynasty ends and another starts
Zhou Dynasty
Not centralized, best skill was warfare, priests with oracle bones, they become less centralized because of iron weapons, over 200 states in this dynasty
Periods of the Warring States
Over 1070 wars, influenced the different philosophies to solve this issue of wars (Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism)
Qin Dynasty
Take control of a large area, embraced Legalism, main leader was Qin Shihuangdi, reduce power of nobles, created district with self-appointed leaders, got rid of weapons, book burning
Shihuangdi
Emperor during the Qin Dynasty, built tons of soldiers for his tomb, he did too much too fast
Han Dynasty
Control over nobility, border control and expansion, agriculture
Han Wudi
Emperor during the Han Dynasty, established an educational system centered around Confucianism even though they were legalists
Xiongnu
Nomadic confederation that constantly bothered the Han Dynasty, pastoral people, were bribed by the Han, they consistently broke the treaties
Liu Bang
Emperor during the Han Dynasty ???
Minoan society
Island of Crete before Indo-European
Mycenaean society
Mainland partial Indo-European
Polis
Greek city-states
Athens
Had a democracy to a certain extent, let their male citizens participate in government, very homogeneous and small people, ruled by aristocracy
Aristotle
Believed in the good life which is living in a civilized urban areas and consuming good things, government is supposed to provide the good life
Achaemenid Empire
Persian empire, had roads, spies, incentives to expand territory, tolerance of other cultures as long as they pay tribute
Seleucid Empire
Mesopotamia, Greek Polis, big taxation, spread of athletic events, theater performances, wine drinking, art style, took what they liked and left what they didn’t from other cultures, captured a lot of Persian silver and monetized economy in Greece
Etruscans
Old language and people in Italy, made cities, alphabet, cities on hills for defense, many of the kings were from this people, had technology to drawn swampy land of the Forum, gladiators came from them as well
Roman Republic
Influenced by the Etruscans, was an Aristocracy, was an empire even though they didn’t call it that, flexible system for internal dissent, there was citizen participation but not as much as in Greece
Patricians
Elites of Roman culture, dominated the government and religion positions
Plebians
Second elites, were considered citizens
Carthage
City in Africa that was civilized that greatly opposed the Roman Republic, had a good army and navy
Agustus
Other name was Octavian, declared as the sole ruler of Rome, reduced army, took decisions away from nobles such as naming provinces, established succession, moral reform (family, regulate marriages)