Gotta Catch 'Em All
This process occurs when a spreading belief system blends its core tenets with local cultural, linguistic, and philosophical traditions
What is syncretism?
Horrified by the immense bloodshed at the Battle of Kalinga, this Mauryan emperor converted to Buddhism and replaced military conquest with "conquest by dharma
Who is Emperor Ashoka?
This Chinese doctrine asserts that Heaven bestows the right to rule based on virtue, but corrupt rulers lose divine backing and face natural disasters or rebellion
What is the Mandate of Heaven?
These provincial governors in the Persian Empire collected taxes and managed regional administration while permitting local customs
What are satraps?
In her treatise Lessons for Women, this Han scholar argued that girls should receive formal education so they could fulfill their moral roles
Who is Ban Zhao?
Unlike earlier localized religions tied to specific geographic shrines or rivers, these belief systems can be practiced anywhere using sacred texts[3][4]
What are portable (or universal) belief systems?
This Persian "King of Kings" liberated the Jewish people from Babylonian exile and commemorated his conquests on a famous clay cylinder
Who is Cyrus the Great?
In Confucian philosophy, this fundamental virtue requires deep respect, honor, and duty owed to one's parents and elder family members
What is filial piety?
Spanning over 1,500 miles from Susa to Anatolia, this Persian highway featured fresh horse relay stations every 30 miles for rapid messaging
What is the Royal Road?
Under this Roman legal doctrine, the male head of the household held absolute legal authority over all family members and property
What is paterfamilias (or patria potestas)?
In Judaism, this foundational agreement between God and the Hebrew people required exclusive devotion and moral obedience in exchange for divine protection
What is the Covenant?
Driven by fear of death to search for an elixir of immortality, this "August Emperor" unified China through Legalism, built the Great Wall, and buried a terracotta army
Who is Qin Shihuangdi?
Rather than relying on moral training, this harsh doctrine adopted by the Qin Dynasty taught that humans require strict laws and severe punishments
What is Legalism?
While Persia was ruled by a single autocratic king, this Greek city-state practiced direct democracy where all male citizens voted in the Assembly
What is Athens?
In 195 BCE, urban Roman women took to the streets and blocked access to this public space to force the repeal of a law restricting their gold and carriages
What is the Forum?
In Mahayana Buddhism, these enlightened beings delay their own full entry into nirvana to assist others on their journey to spiritual salvation
What are bodhisattvas?
Hoping Christianity would unify his troubled empire, this Roman ruler legalized Christian worship in 313 CE and established a new eastern capital
Who is Constantine?
To gain government employment during the Han Dynasty, aspiring officials had to pass civil service examinations testing their mastery of these classical texts
What are the Confucian classics (or The Analects)?
Alexander the Great stimulated Eurasian trade by taking Persia's hoarded stockpiles of this material and turning it into minted coinage
What is gold and silver (or Persian royal bullion)?
Unlike in Classical Greek city-states, women in this multicultural era gained greater economic freedom, signing business contracts and serving as magistrates
What is the Hellenistic world (or Macedonian/Ptolemaic era)?
Literally meaning "self-exertion," this Islamic obligation calls on believers to submit to God, spread God's rule, and live a righteous life
What is jihad?
Following Alexander's death, this Macedonian general declared himself pharaoh in 305 BCE and established a Greek dynasty in Egypt centered at Alexandria
Who is Ptolemy I Soter?
Followers of Daoism promoted this story to mesh their faith with Buddhism, claiming their legendary founder traveled to India and was reborn as the Buddha
Who is Laozi?
Fighting between Athens and Sparta in this prolonged 5th-century BCE conflict weakened the Greek city-states, allowing Philip II of Macedon to conquer them
What is the Peloponnesian War?
Lower-caste Indian women often enjoyed greater freedom of movement than secluded upper-caste women because they worked outside the home in this export industry
What is the textile industry (or weaving/spinning)?