World History Test Flashcards
Amerindian civilizations
Olmec, maya, Toltec, Aztec, chavin, Inca
What was mesoamerica composed of
Mexico and Central America
We’re where the Olmec located
On the hot, humid coasts of the Gulf of Mexico(Yucatán peninsula)
Surrounded by many grasslands, swamps, and rainforests
Why did the Olmec exist
Set a later foundation for the maya(it was considered the mother civilization)
What was the Olmec nickname
Cult of the jaguar
What did city states do in the Olmec and who was their authority under
United for religious celebrations and were under the priest/shaman authority
Characteristics of Olmec city states
Had their own languages and customs, social class based on power and wealth, most were farmers
Highest in social class of Olmec
Priests and government
Was the Olmec an empire
No
Olmecs influence on the maya
Production of maize(corn), ceremonial centers with temple pyramids, calendars, number system, and form of writing, human sacrifice
How did the maya start
The Olmec becomes the maya
Where is the Maya located?
On the Yucatán Peninsula
Was the Maya an empire?
No
Was the Maya United politically
No
What was the Maya made up of?
City states who had its own ruler
What was Maya architecture like?
Had towering temples and palaces, priests performed religious ceremonies, and sacrifices, ceremonial platforms, temples
How were the Maya like religiously
They were polytheistic and practice human sacrifice
What were the Mayas advances in learning?
Created a writing system of hieroglyphics , created a set of numerals, developed a 365 day calendar
What happened to the Maya decline
The Maya abandoned many of their cities around 900 CE, there’s a theory that there was a severe drought and many died from starvation others migrated away
What was the Toltec like
They had a strict, social hierarchy with warrior aristocracy, strong, warrior class
What were the Toltec like religious?
They were polytheistic and did human sacrifice
What type of agriculture did the Toltec use
Terrace agriculture
Why did the Toltec civilization decline?
Because of many nomadic, invaders and famine
Where are the Aztecs located?
They lived in a valley of Mexico in Central Mexico
Was there a link between the Toltec people
Yes
How did the Aztecs expand their territory?
Through war with surrounding tribes
What was the capital city of the Aztec Empire?
Tenochiltan
What is tenochiltan now named in Mexico?
Mexico City
How did the Aztecs create an empire?
Through conquest, and they conquered many people and local rulers had to pay tribute to the Aztecs
How was an emperor chosen in the Aztec empire
By the nobles and priests
What was the Aztec emperor’s main job?
To lead in wars
Aztec agriculture
Majority people were farmers, grew maze beans, and squash, converted swamp land into farmland, which are known as chinampas
How were the Aztecs like religiously
They were polytheistic, they had a god named huitzilopochtli(sun god and god of war) , the Aztecs built, massive temples and pyramids, which were dedicated to their gods
Human sacrifice in the Aztec empire
Was a very common practice, in 1487. The Aztecs reported that they sacrificed 84,400 prisoners over the course of four days, they believe that if the sun could rise the next day human sacrifices had to happen.
What happened to the Aztec decline?
Spanish conquered led by the Hernan Cortez Conquered tenochtitlan, received help from the tribes surrounding the Aztec, were impacted by European disease diseases like smallpox and measles
Where was the Andean civilization located?
In the Andes mountains
What was the nickname of the chavin
Andean civilization
Why was maze an important crop?
Maze was needed to support its large population
What did the Inca control?
An empire in the Andes mountains region of South America
Who is the emperor of the Inca empire?
Sapa Inca
What did the emperor of the Inca government claim to be?
The son of the sun
Did Sapa Inca have absolute power?
Yes
Where was the capital of the Inca Empire and how was it divided?
The empire was divided into four regions with the capital at Cuzco
How did the Inca unite the empire?
They built a massive road network through mountains and across rivers and gorges
How was stonework used in the Inca empire
Constructed stone temples without using mortar
What type of farming did the Inca do
Terrace farming and their main product was potatoes
What did the government control of the Inca empire?
Trade and collected taxes
What was the Inca empire Rich in?
Silver and gold mines
How was the Inca Empire religiously
They were polytheistic and their primary God was inti(the sun, God)
What did the Inca believe in?
Reincarnation and the practice of cranial deformation
What was cranial deformation?
The wrapping of a tight cloth around the heads of newborns to alter their shape of their soft skulls into a cone like shape, most likely for social status
How was the Inca Society like?
Each family was assigned a specific job, government officials, arranged marriages
What was the Mita system?
Government organize mandatory public services and building projects
What happened to the decline of the Inca?
The Spanish conquistadors landed by Francisco Pizarro brought about the fall of the Inca empire
What was the the Quipu
A system used for records and can be used as necklaces
What does Incas mean?
The people of the sun
What did pachacuti mean
The transform or breaker of the world
What was the role of women in the Aztec empire
Many women were able to weave, this made many men have many wives because they could pay more tribute
What did chinampas do
Increase the amount of fruit production and space to farm
What was the capital of the Toltec
Tula
How was social status determined in the Maya
By the woman’s side of the family
What were priests seen as in the Maya civilization
Healers who could heal people
What was the practice of the Maya people?
Animism
How did the chavin expressed that they were very religious?
By the art they created in systems they use for the economy to flourish
Who brought diseases to the new world?
Christopher Columbus and his crew
What was the cause of many indigenous peoples death?
Diseases such as small pox and measles
What was one of h the most important crops
Maize(corn)
Why were potatoes important
Cause they could survive in cold weathers
What was the potatoe famine
Mass starvation in Ireland and population dropped 20 to 25 percent
What did horses do?
Changed the way people hunted
Why were pigs important
They reproduce fast and we’re able to serve as a food source
What animals did indigenous people domesticate
Dogs and llamas
Why were animals important?
Introduced the whole new form of transportation
Language of the Inca
Quechua
Language of the Olmec
Mixe-Zoguean
What language of the Maya speak?
Tsotsil, Mam, K’iche’
Language of the Toltec
Nahuatl
Language of the Aztec
Nahuatl
What were the three Gs?
God glory and gold
Factors that encouraged exploration
Merchants and traders thought they could benefit from trade
What was the Caravel?
It was a very large ship
Mercantilism in the east
Muslim sold Asian goods to Italian and Italians sold items and increased prices to merchants
What did Prince Henry want to do?
He wanted to bring the treasures of the east back to Portugal
What did bartolomeu dias do
Sailed the southern tip of Africa
Vasco de gama
Reach the south western coast of India, where the portrait explorers filled their ships with spices and regular silk, he also made a direct route to India
What did Christopher Columbus do to convince Spain?
To support him in finding a route to Asia by selling West
What did Spain think of Columbus and believe?
That he reached Asia
When did Spain and Portugal tensions end?
After Pope Alexander VI came up with a treaty of tordesillas
What was the line of demarcation?
West- Spain east- Portugal
Who owned the largest fleet of ships in the world?
The Dutch
What country did Christopher Columbus believe he landed on
The East Indies
What was Columbus main interest?
Gold
What were Spanish explorers and Cortez known as?
Conquistadors
What was the economy system?
Under the system native farmed for Spanish landlords, and most died to diseases
What was the high demand in Europe?
Sugar
What replaced the economy system?
The use of enslaved Africans in the triangular trade
What is nationalism?
Loyal to the king of their colony
Who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in the world
Spain
What are two examples of countries that used capitalism
England and Netherlands
What were the big three
Spain, France, and England
What was the middle passage?
The portion of the triangular trade from West Africa to the west Indies, that transported enslaved Africans
Who ruled the yuan Dynasty
The mongols
Where is the Ming’s Dynasty capital at
Beijing, this is where the forbidden city is
Ming restoration
Confucianism revived, civil service exams, rebuilt, and expanded the Great Wall of China
Who were allowed in the interior of China to trade?
The Dutch and Portuguese
How many explorations did Zheng he have?
Seven
What kind of exotic animals Zheng he bring back
Giraffes and zebras
End of the Ming expeditions
Stopped with the death of Zheng he, was too expensive and weakened the nation
Fall of the Ming Dynasty
Series of we corrupt emperors, overextended their territory, and couldn’t control it, Manchus over through the Ming, they established the Qing dynasty
