World History AP Review

World History AP Review Unit 2 – 600 to 1450

Abbasid Dynasty Founded by Abu al-Abbas, the Abbasid reigned after the collapse of the Umayyad Dynasty in 750. The Abbasids were based in Baghdad and were more willing to allow outsiders an opportunity to advance in society and government. Its growth was due to the work of military forces not directly connected to the caliph. The empire benefitted from the extensive trade network that were overseen by the leadership.

Aztecs Calling themselves Mexica, they settled in central Mexico at Lake Texcoco in 1345, establishing their capital, Tenochtitlan. Economy was based on fishing and farming (seen in their artificial islands called chinampas) and they grew things like squash, maize, peppers and tomatoes to be traded within a market area. The geography of the lake and surrounding areas prevented open attacks. Their society is known for the rather frequent use of sacrifices (left) as a part of either religious and/or political practices. Their religion was an adaptation of local beliefs and included gods like Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. Sacrifices were conducted and temples built in their honor.

Black Death During the 14th-century, an outbreak of what is commonly thought to be the bubonic plague, began in Asia and traveled throughout the continent, infecting the Islamic world and into Europe. The disease moved so fast and was so contagious, whole communities were wiped out, most of Europe's economy was devastated and about one-third of its population died. Numbers in the Middle East and Asia are harder to ascertain. However, rough estimates put the death toll around 30-50 million world-wide. The effects of the plague

Carolingian Empire Referring to the rule of Charlemagne, the Franks fell under one centralized rule of a man considered incredibly intelligent and militarily and diplomatically gifted. He was sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church and in the creation of his own bureaucracy, he established imperial officials (missi dominici) to oversea the actions of local authorities. After his death in 814, subsequent leaders lost control over different parts of the empire from the bureaucracy and territory due to incompetence and external pressures in the form of the Muslims, Magyars and Vikings.

Chinggis Khan Born Temujin, Chinggis was a Mongol leader who, through a series of alliances, rose to power as the leader of the nomadic tribes of the steppes. By 1206, he was declared Khan. He re-created his military by breaking up tribes and establishing units not connected to any one family. His military was based on cavalrymen and with them, he was able to conquer most of Asia. While cruel and “barbaric” in battle, he is also known for liberal approaches to other faiths and cultures and innovative in societal requirements such as a postal system. “It is not enough that I win but all others must fail.”

Christopher Columbus He was a Portuguese sailor who, upon the patronage of Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella, set forth to find a western passage to the East Indies in an attempt to find a quicker route and to avoid the Arab-controlled regions east of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. He and his three ships landed in the Bahamas in 1492. Thinking he made it to the Indies, he referred to the people as Indians and the natives did not bother to change their names back. Though technically a failure, Columbus is responsible for one of the greatest feats of discovery in the history of man. Spain would later claim what he found. “The sea will grant each man new hope and sleep will bring dreams of home..” Sebastiano del Piombo’s painting of the explorer

Crusades This refers to a series of holy wars declared first by Pope Urban II in 1095 and was directed at the Muslims who controlled Jerusalem, a place considered sacred to the Christian Church. Various armies and religious orders emerged to do battle including the Templar and the Teutonic Knights. The result of the five wars were, remarkably, a status quo but the conflicts did lead to greater cultural diffusion as Europe rediscovered Greek and Roman culture, preserved by the Arabs, and goods from east Asia like silk, rice and glass. These new items would later engender greater trade between Europe and the East.

Dar al-Islam This is an Arabic term that describes the entirety of Islam, the territories under Islamic rule. In the postclassical period, the "house of Islam" was influenced from three major sources: Persia, India and Greece. The Persian influences included the notion of kings which impacted the way caliphs went about their business, the Persian language and the methodology of rule. Indian influences included advancements in mathematics, the Hindi (later Arabic) numbers, the concept of the number "0", as well as the fields of algebra (an Arabic word), trigonometry and geometry. Greek influences included philosophy, scientific advancements, medical improvements as well as the prominence of libraries and museums. The Dar al-Islam mosque in New Mexico

Early Japan The earliest inhabitants of the Japanese islands came from northeast Asia. The development of Japanese society was based on the Tang Chinese, with a centralized authority based in Nara. Religiously, the early Japanese amalgamated Shinto with Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism. During the Heian period, the Fujiwara family emphasized education of boys while women excelled in areas of literature, such as Lady Murasaki'sTale of Ganji. The decline of early Japan was the result of too much power and land in the hands of a few.

Feudalism Roland pledges loyalty to Charlemagne Refers to a system that was in place in lieu of a powerful centralized rule. Nobles gave territory to local lords to govern and the operate at the expense of serfs who worked the land. With regards to society, feudal Europe was divided up into three classes of people: clergy, warrior and worker and there was little chance of someone moving up the social ladder. Education was generally only available to boys and was based in religion. This type of local rule was seen in both Europe as well as Japan with many similarities: code of conduct was governed by concepts of chivalry (Europe) and bushido (Japan); the use of warriors to serve the lords in the form of knights (Europe) and daimyo (Japan); figurehead ruler of king (Europe) and emperor (Japan).

Frankish Empire The Franks were able to unify modern-day France, Germany and the Low Countries based on agriculture. The strongest, most able leader was Clovis I whose exploits included ending Roman control over Gaul (France), converting to and establishing Christianity, gaining instant credibility from the pope. The Christian union of the Franks was responsible for the repelling of the Muslims at Tours in 732. The battle halted Muslim influence into Western Europe.

Ghana It was an empire that existed in western Africa between 750 and 1250; it's power was based on the control of trans-Saharan trade, in particular with gold. Controlling the gold trade as well as the trade of ivory and slaves made it a major power.

Hanseatic League The league refers to a trading network comprised of northern European commercial centers. The league set out to connect its trading with that in the Mediterranean using the Rhine and Danube Rivers. Major trading items included grain, fish, timber and furs and the frequency and success of the trade led to the development of credit and banking systems. One of the by-products of the league is that the increased volume of trade allowed for greater social mobility.

Holy Roman Empire The empire began as part of the extension of Otto of Saxony who initially conquered most of eastern Europe and south towards Italy. Pope John XII declared him the Holy Roman emperor in 962 as a reward for re-establishing Christianity on the continent. The empire would serve as a proving ground between the pope and secular leaders for direct control over Europe. In Germany, a showdown between Henry IV and Pope Gregory VII over who had power to select and install church officials led to an uprising by German princes on behalf of Henry. The rebellion forced the pope to reinstate Henry after he had excommunicated the emperor over the affair.

ibnBattuta He was an adventurer before the modern concept of the same was even conceived. Throughout the 1300s, he traveled throughout the Islamic world over the span of thirty years. His experiences and observations became a definitive account of life in the 14th-century. As part of his travels, he also visited Byzantium, southern Russia, modern-day Sri Lanka and China. According to his travels, he covered some 75,000 miles. A painting showing the curiosity of ibnBattuta “Of all peoples, the (Africans) are those who most hate injustice, and their emperor pardons none who is guilty of it.”

Incas They created an empire near Lake Titicaca in modern-day Peru around the mid-1200s. Pachacuti would be responsible for the expansion of the empire, stretching it some 2,500 miles. Society was controlled by the military elite, who controlled an army made up of those who were conquered. The Inca bureaucracy used the quipu to track the business of the government. Their capital was Cuzco.

Mali The Mali Empire ruled from the 1200 to 1500s and was, like its predecessor, one built on control of the trans-Saharan trade and the taxing of all products sent along those lines. It's biggest centers were Niani (the capital), Timbuktu (a center for learning), Gao and Jenne (a major area of Islamic teachings).

Medieval Japan Made up of the Kamakura and Muromachi eras, this period of Japanese history is known for regional rule by landlords who controlled both land and its economy. This period is similar to the feudal period of Europe. It was during this time period that the samurai emerged as cavalry soldiers, who observed the tenets of bushido and represented the epitome of loyalty to their lords. This period of Japanese history ended with the Tokugawa dynasty, who held control of the islands by the 1500s. A photo Japanese soldiers in medieval garb

The Ming would represent the rule by Chinese between two foreign dynasties; the Mongolian Yuan and the Manchurian Manchu dynasties. The founder, Hongwu, set out to wipe all remnants of Mongolian character from the country. His empire was characterized by highly centralized and direct rule. Eunuchs were used within the government as they could not have families to challenge the dynasty. The Ming are known for extending the scope of the empire further than ever before, the movement of the capital to modern-day Beijing and the construction of the Forbidden City. Zheng He traveled much of the eastern world as part of trade expeditions and artisans of the dynastic period created porcelain that is still treasured today. Ming Dynasty

Mongol Empire The empire was a conglomeration of several smaller kingdoms ruled by grandsons and other descendents of Chinggis Khan. Kublai Khan controlled China at the head of the Yuan dynasty. The Golden Horde controlled Russia from in the mid-1200s and also, extended its control into eastern Germany. Hulegu conquered Persia, knocking out the Abbasid Empire. After the death of Kublai, control over China and Persia weakened due to reckless spending and inexperience in settled societies (remember, the Mongols were nomadic). The final blows in Persia revolved around economic issues that created fractions in the region. In China, a combination of economic troubles and the bubonic plague devastated Mongol rule. Mongol control in Russia would remain until the late 1400s.

Muhammad He was a shepherd turned prophet when, in 610, he received the word of God through an angel and his vision he spread throughout the Arabian peninsula. Islam is a monotheistic faith and the tenets of the faith, as well as the message delivered to Muhammad, is detailed in the Quran. In addition to the Quran, the Hadith serves as a way of interpreting the holy text and also provides quotes attributed to Muhammad. Muhammad's journey to Mecca is, to Muslims, the beginning of the Islamic calendar. "The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr."

Mansa Musa He was one of the more powerful kings of the Mali Empire. He was an adherent of Islam whose pilgrimage to Mecca, bringing with him gifts and other samples of gold, stunned the known world. His gifts of gold were so plentiful, he actually devalued the material in Egypt.

Neo-Confucianism In response to the increasing popularity of Buddhism, this group set out to justify their beliefs within those of Buddhism and reinforce the idea of the civil service examinations. Zhu Xi, a famous proponent of neo-Confucianism, wrote extensively about the appropriate individual behavior as well as how to create social harmony.

Oceania The Aborigines of Australia found their new home after many years of travel from southern Africa. They remained isolated from the outside world until the end of the 18th-century. They existed by way of hunting and gathering as well as trade with other Aboriginal peoples nearby. Given the somewhat dispersed nature of the Pacific Islands, these people developed with only limited contact with others. The main areas of settlement occurred in the Hawaiian islands, New Zealand, Tahiti and Easter Island. These folks were subsistence farmers who focused on yams, bananas, coconuts and the domestication of pigs.

Marco Polo He was an Italian merchant who followed in his father and uncle's footsteps in trips to east Asia. Through them, he met Kublai Khan and became an entrusted and valued member of his court. In his travels, Polo the most remote regions of China as well as visiting modern-day Indonesia, Sir Lanka and Saudi Arabia. Upon his return to Europe, his stories of China were considered so fantastical, most assumed he was lying. “I have not told half of what I saw.”

Ottoman Empire Established by Osman in his independence from the Seljuk Turks, the Ottoman Empire rose out of the ashes of the Byzantine Empire at the end of the 1200s. The highly centralized government maintained control over many different peoples. It extended its rule into the Balkan Peninsula (with a small interruption courtesy of Tamerlane) in the early 1400s, Sultan Mehmed II took Constantinople (he renamed it Istanbul) and by the late 1400s, secured control over the remainder of the old Byzantine territory, including Greece.

Quran It is the holy text for Muslims and represents the revelations given to Muhammad by God through the angel Gabriel. The Quran holds great significance in regards to women, who are both hurt and helped by the holy text. It protected women and gave them economic control over dowries as well as held them to be equal to men. However, the text and later interpretations of it (sharia) emphasized male dominance over their activities and their interactions with others outside their family.

It was a cultural movement that stood as a re-creation of the Greek and Roman cultures from the 1300s to the 1500s. The movement touched on several artistic endeavors; humanism (a focus on earthly matters), individualism (a move away from church doctrine and the embrace of secularism), art (more natural and life like work that focused on the human body and nature as it is) and architecture that was characterized by classical Greek and Roman styles with the introduction of domes.

Song Dynasty Unlike the more military minded Tang, the Song focused on the development of civil service exams as well as education, the economy and the arts. The dynasty was plagued by financial woes and a military ran by people not qualified for the job, leading to embarrassing defeats. However, the Song and its predecessor, the Tang, were responsible for technological advancements like porcelain, metallurgical techniques with the making iron and steel using coke, gunpowder and printing by way of the movable type.

Spread of Islam From 633 to 637, Muslims took Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia. In the next decade, Egypt fell as did the rest of North Africa. In 651, the Muslims conquered the Sassanids and Persia. By 718, Muslims controlled India and the Iberian peninsula (that's Spain and Portugal for the geographically challenged). Special considerations were given by Muslims to the Jews and Christians in their territory as they were followers of the same God, albeit somewhat confused.

Sufis They represent the third and smallest branch of Islam and, much in the way that the Protestants different from the Catholics, the Sufis focused on a personal relationship with Allah. They incorporated indigenous deities into Islam as representations of Allah. They were very successful in parts of India, Africa and southeast Asia. The more flexible approach to Islam was designed to draw more followers.

Sui Dynasty Upon the fall of the Han, it was the Sui that picked up the dynastic pieces and restored order in China. The dynasty is perhaps best known for its various public works projects done by peasants. These projects included granaries, defensive walls and most famously, the Grand Canal - a series of canals that spanned some 2,000 km. It was paid for through taxes but the increased business the canal engendered benefitted both northern and southern economies. The assassination of Yangdi (who came into power by killing his own father, Wendi) brought the dynasty to an end.

Tang Dynasty Picking up where the now defunct Sui dynasty left off, its center was Chang'an. The dynasty was held together by sound infrastructure, used by horses and runners and along, was dotted by inns, post offices and stables. Peasants benefitted from a more equal distribution of land and government jobs could be had on the basis of meritocracy. The Tang expanded into Manchuria, Tibet, Korea and the northern parts of Viet Nam.

Toltecs They were a civilization that settled in the region of central Mexico and the area of Tula in the 8th-century. Irrigation techniques allowed for extensive farming of such crops as maize, beans, chilies and tomatoes as well as cotton. Arts and craft items included pottery and weaving. By the early 1100s, a series of conflicts between various ethnic groups as well as pressures from nomadic tribes from the north destroyed the civilization.

Trans-Saharan trade Referring to trade conducted across the Sahara Desert (duh), this was the movement of goods such as gold, slaves and ivory from the south for horses, salt and manufactured goods from the north by way of camel. The three west African kingdoms (Mali, Songhay and Ghana) all benefitted from the trade and indeed, it was a source of its wealth and subsequent power. These routes would also carry Islam to the masses throughout northern and western Africa.

Zheng He An eunuch who rose to the level of admiral and diplomat, he was most responsible for the expansion of Chinese maritime operations and trade throughout southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. He began his operations in the first years of the 1400s by traveling throughout Viet Nam and the southeast Asian islands. He would later travel to India, eastern Africa and the Arabian peninsula. However, after his sponsor, the emperor died, Zheng He lost much of his influence and while China maintained some contact with regional peoples, it once again withdrew into itself. “We have traversed…immense water spaces and have beheld in the ocean huge waves like mountains rising in the sky, and we have set eyes on barbarian regions far away hidden in a blue transparency of light vapors, while our sails, loftily unfurled like clouds day and night, continued their course [as rapidly] as a star, traversing those savage waves as if we were treading a public thoroughfare”

World History AP Review