Middle Ages
What event lead to the start of the "Middle Ages" in Western Europe?
The Fall of the Roman Empire
Why did the Byzantine Empire flourish while western Rome fell?
It was more prosperous due to trade.
Why is the Middle East important geographically?
It is the bridge between the "east" and the "west" and for trading purposes.
Where is Mongolia located?
North of China
What was the honor code of the Knights called?
Chivalry
Why are the Middle Ages sometimes called the "Dark Ages"?
Lack of education and trade and a stable empire.
What were the main religions in eastern Rome and western Rome?
Eastern: Greek Orthodox
Western: Roman Catholic
Who was the founder of Islam? What was his message?
Muhammad. The belief in one God.
What are the "great steppes"?
a massive, treeless, grassy plain stretching thousands of miles from Mongolia to Eastern Europe.
What was Bagdad's House of Wisdom?
It was a great center of learning that included Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scholars.
What was the most powerful institution in the Middle Ages?
The Catholic Church?
What was the difference in the political power of the Catholic Pope and Orthodox Patriarch?
The Pope was more powerful. He selected the kings, the Patriarch was selected by the emperor.
The Quran
Who was the first leader of the Mongolian Empire?
Genghis Khan
Who was Mansa Musa?
The wealthiest king in Africa who controlled the Mali Empire.
What is the name of the political system where land, protection, and service are exchanged in a social hierarchal self-sufficient system. Kings > Lords > Knights > Peasants
Feudalism
What was the capital of the Byzantine Empire?
Constantinople
How did Islam spread?
Trade, Conquest, Jizaya, Popularization of the Arabic language, Division of the Empire.
How were the Mongols able to conquer the largest connected empire in history?
They mastered horseback riding and had the longest arrow at the time. They also organized the army in divisions and shared the spoils of war. They communicated through a pony express system.
What two natural resources did West Africa have that made them very wealthy?
Gold and Salt
What is the economic system in which serfs (peasants) are tied to the land and live in a Lord's manor
Manorialism
Who were Justinian and Theodora?
Justinian I (r. 527–565) and Empress Theodora were a powerful husband-and-wife team who ruled the Byzantine Empire, transforming it through legal, architectural, and territorial expansion during a 6th-century "golden age".
What is a Caliphate?
It is when a Muslim empire rules a large territory.
What effect did the Mongols have on history?
They allowed ideas and goods to spread peacefully between the east and west. Paper, the compass, and gunpowder eventually spread to Europe which fueled the Age of Exploration, intellectual movements like the Protestant Reformation, and firearm technology.
Why was Salt so important in history?
It was used to store and preserve food before refrigeration.