EARLY JAPANESE HISTORY
I. Geography
I. Geography
where is japan located and how many islands is the archipelago made up of
Japan is located in east asia and is made up of four main islands
what is japan's religion called
Shinto is the religion of Japan. It is a religion (similar to Animism in Africa) that believes all
living and nonliving things in nature (such as trees, mountains, rivers, animals, etc.) have a
spirit.
Similar to Europe during the Middle Ages, Japan developed a system of feudalism early in its history. how did it function
1) Emperor and Shogun (military general)- They were the rulers of Japan.
2) Daimyo- They were the wealthy nobles who were given land by the emperor and Shogun
in return for loyalty and military service.
3) Samurai- They were the warriors of Japanese society. They pledged loyalty to the
Daimyo and had to fight when necessary. The samurai had a code of behavior called
Bushido (which required the samurai to be loyal to the Daimyo and to fight bravely in
battle).
what is Africa's Geography like
1) Africa has a very diverse (varied) geography that includes deserts (i.e.- the Sahara Desert), savanna (grasslands), and rainforests.
2) Due to its many geographic features, Africa is a very diverse continent with many different cultures. No two societies are alike.
3) NOTE: Africa is currently having problems with desertification (the spreading of desert lands). The Sahara continues to grow, which reduces the amount of available farmland.
Three of Africa’s greatest civilizations all developed in West Africa.
They are
1) Ghana
2) Mali
3) Songhai
what type of coastline does japan have
a long and irregular coastline
what religion got popular in japan after Shinto
Later in Japan’s history, Buddhism became popular as well. Today, most Japanese practice both Shinto and Buddhism.
Japanese feudalism was very similar to European feudalism what were these similarities
1) Japanese samurai and European knights both followed a code of behavior. Bushido was the code of the Samurai and Chivalry was the code of the knights. Both codes emphasized loyalty and bravery.
2) Japanese and European feudalism were both decentralized, which means that power was given to many different local leaders instead of being concentrated in the hands of a single ruler.
3) Because people in each society had a clear role to follow, feudalism brought structure,order, and stability (calmness) to society.
what is Africa's Native traditional religion
1) Animism is the traditional religion that is native to (began in) Africa. It is a religion (similar to Shinto in Japan) that believes all living and nonliving things in nature (such as trees, mountains, rivers, animals, etc.) have a spirit
who
1) He was a devoted Muslim who helped spread Islam in West Africa.
2) He made a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
3) He turned the city of Timbuktu into a center of trade and Islamic learning.
Mansa Musa
Japan is made up mostly of mountains, which has made farming difficult how did they get around this
Terrace Farming- In order to farm in the mountains, the Japanese had to dig and carve
flat areas (called terraces) into the sides of mountains. NOTE: The Inca of Peru (in
South America) used the same technique.
Cultural Diffusion- Early Japan was GREATLY influenced by contact with the neighboring Asian civilization of China. Through contact with China, Japan received many important things what are these things
1) Writing- Japan’s first form of writing was influenced by Chinese writing.
2) Buddhism- The Japanese learned about the Buddhist religion from the Chinese.
3) Tea- The Japanese first learned how to cultivate (grow) tea from the Chinese.
IV. Japanese Feudalism
what are the Bantu Migrations (500 BC- 1500 AD) and what were its affects
1) This is one of the largest migrations (movements) of people in history.
2) Due to a shortage of land, the Bantu People scattered throughout southern Africa over the course of 2,000 years.
3) Major effects (results) of the migration- As the Bantu people moved, they spread 3 things:
a) The Bantu language
b) Iron technology
c) Agricultural (farming) techniques
why did Ghana, Mali, and Songhai all grew very wealthy
They were located along the Trans-Saharan trade routes and participated in the Gold-Salt trade (i.e.- they traded their gold for the salt that they needed to survive).