Unit 1
What was the Abbasid Caliphate?
The Abbasid Caliphate existed from 750-1258 during "The Golden Age of Islam." It was Shi'a and later Sunni Muslim. It focused on the conversion of people to Islam and caused education to become more influential. They did not take over land and had a diverse society.
What was Samarkand and where was it located?
Samarkand, which was located in present-day Uzbekistan, was a center for diverse religious, economic, and other ideological exchange.
What was the Counter-Reformation? Who started it?
The Counter-Reformation was an attempt by the Roman Catholic church to fight back against the Protestant Reformation. The Inquisition was made to find and kill/torture protestants.
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The Columbian Exchange was the transfer of new diseases, plants, animals, ideas, and other things between Europe and the Americas.
What was the Enlightenment?
The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in the 18th century that emphasized free-thinking, questioning of what you are told, and individualism.
Describe and list the 5 Pillars of Islam.
The 5 pillars of Islam are 5 practices that are fundamental to Muslim life. They include praising Allah, praying 5 times per day, donating at least 2.5% of income to charity, not eating during the day in the month of Ramadan, and going to Mecca at least once to pray.
Who founded the empire of Mali?
Sundiata founded the empire of Mali. Mansa Musa, his grand-nephew, later made multiple influential pilgrimages to Mecca.
What was the Protestant Reformation? Who started it?
The Protestant Reformation was a movement started by Martin Luther because of things he disliked about the church. This led to people rethinking if they should trust the church. A divide formed and the Protestant and Catholic churches were created.
What were the 3 types of ships?
Who were the main Enlightenment thinkers?
The main Enlightenment thinkers were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu.
What was the Magna Carta?
The Magna Carta was a document made to resolve the dispute between King John of England and a group of English nobles. It required the king to respect certain rights.
What was the Trans-Saharan Trade Network?
The Trans-Saharan Trade Network was a system of trade routes stretching from East Africa to West Africa. They were navigated with the help of camels and saddles.
What was the Ottoman Empire and who founded it? What was the Safavid Empire and who founded it? What was the Mughal Empire and who founded it?
The Ottoman Empire, founded by Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror), was the largest Islamic empire of the period. It was driven by the desire to spread Islam. The Safavid Empire, founded by Shah Ismail I, was a Shi'a Muslim empire that was later ruled by the much more tolerant Shah Abbas I. The Mughal Empire, founded by Babur, dominated the Indian subcontinent.
What is a joint-stock company? What was the concept of limited liability?
A joint-stock company is a company owned by multiple investors so that they each only lose a little money if the business fails. Limited liability was the concept that investors were not responsible for a company's debts or other liabilities beyond the amount of an investment.
What was abolitionism?
Abolitionism was the movement to end the Atlantic slave trade and free all enslaved people.
What was the Umayyad Caliphate?
The Umayyad Caliphate existed from 632-750 and was the first major caliphate after Muhammad's death. It was Sunni Muslim. It focused on the militaristic expansion of Islam. They established the Jizya tax. They were defeated by the Abbasid Caliphate
What was the Mongol empire and who founded it?
The Mongol empire, founded by Genghis Khan (Temujin), ruthlessly expanded until it stretched from the North China Sea to eastern Persia.
What was Calvinism and where did it originate?
Calvinism was the idea that God is in control of everything. Certain people (the elect) were predestined to go to heaven. The main idea is that you don't have free will.
What is a trading post empire?
A trading post empire is an empire based on small outposts on coasts used for trade instead of control of large territories.
What does tabula rasa mean?
Tabula rasa means blank slate. It is the idea created by John Locke that people are born as a blank slate that is waiting to be filled with knowledge over their lives.
What caliphate rose to power after the death of Muhammad? What were their defining characteristics?
The Umayad Caliphate rose to power after the death of Muhammad. They began the first Islamic expansion. They expanded into the Middle East, Africa, and Spain. They favored the Arabian aristocracy, and only Muslims could participate in the government. The Umayad Caliphate taxed people who did not convert to Islam, this is called jizya.
The Silk Road facilitated the spread of religion throughout Asia. We know because of the appearance of other religions in new places. Buddhist places of worship started to appear in places besides Buddhism's place of origin. Ideas life religious beliefs were spread through word of mouth along the Silk Road and people started adopting the new religious beliefs.
What impact did the Protestant Reformation have regarding the ability of the church to legitimize its power?
How did the Casta System impact the social hierarchy in the West Indies (Caribean)?
The Casta system established a strict social hierarchy based on racial ancestry. The position in the hierarchy determined job opportunities and taxes.
What is a "Social Contract?" (According to John Locke and Thomas Hobbes).
A social contract is when people "agree" on a way to act in order to fit into society. People are naturally evil according to Thomas Hobbes, and naturally a blank slate according to John Locke. The two of them created the idea of a social contract where the government creates laws and your job is to follow them.