Japan & Samurai
This military ruler controlled Japan while the emperor remained a symbolic leader.
Answer: What is a shogun?
This network of trade routes connected China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Answer: What is the Silk Road?
Sailors used this invention to determine direction while traveling at sea.
Answer: What is the compass?
This system organized medieval European society around land, loyalty, and military service.
Answer: What is feudalism?
These were wars fought between Christians and Muslims for control of Jerusalem.
Answer: What are the Crusades?
These Japanese warriors served powerful lords and followed a strict code of honor.
Answer: What are samurai?
Besides goods like silk and spices, this also spread along the Silk Road between cultures.
A. Farming tools
B. New religions and ideas
C. Military weapons only
Portuguese explorers used this small, fast ship designed for long ocean voyages.
Answer: What is a caravel?
A person who received land from a lord in exchange for loyalty and service.
Answer: What is a vassal?
This tiered tower often found near Buddhist temples in East Asia.
Answer: What is a pagoda?
This code guided samurai behavior and emphasized loyalty, honor, courage, and discipline.
Answer: What is Bushido?
This deadly disease spread along trade routes in the 1300s and killed millions in Asia and Europe.
Answer: What is the Black Death?
This instrument helped sailors measure the position of stars to determine location at sea.
Answer: What is the astrolabe?
This Chinese system selected government officials based on knowledge and ability.
Answer: What is the civil service exam?
Why did many Japanese people follow both Buddhism and Shinto?
Answer: Because the religions focused on different beliefs and traditions, allowing people to practice both.
During this period of Japanese history, art, poetry, and court life flourished in the capital city of Heian-kyo.
Answer: What is the Heian Period?
This traveler’s writings about Asia helped spark European curiosity about the East.
Answer: Who is Marco Polo?
This Chinese admiral led massive treasure fleets across the Indian Ocean in the early 1400s.
Answer: Who is Zheng He?
A government system where people gain positions based on talent and achievements.
Answer: What is a meritocracy?
Japan copied the city design of this Chinese capital when building cities like Nara.
Answer: What is Chang’an?
This traditional religion of Japan focuses on honoring spirits in nature called kami.
Answer: What is Shinto?
This large empire created by Genghis Khan helped protect trade routes and made travel safer across Asia.
Answer: What is the Mongol Empire?
One reason caravels were useful for explorers during the Age of Exploration.
Answer: Possible answers:
Could sail long distances
Could handle strong ocean winds
Faster and easier to maneuver than larger ships
This early Japanese leader promoted Buddhism and helped organize Japan’s government.
Answer: Who is Prince Shotoku?
This powerful family gained control of the Japanese government during the Heian period by marrying daughters into the imperial family.
Answer: Who were the Fujiwara?