Early Islamic States
What is the difference between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims?
Sunnis focus on following the Prophet's example whereas Shi'a focus on the lineage of Muhammad's family
What was the Great Schism of 1054?
The breakup of the Christian church into two sections—the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
During which Chinese dynasty would travel along the Silk Road trade routes be the easiest and most secure?
The Yuan dynasty
What was an unintended consequence of the Silk Road?
Pathogens that led to plague such as the Black Death
What is another word for the "artificial islands" that the Aztecs utilized to practice agriculture efficiently?
chinampas
Who is the founder of Islam?
The prophet Muhammad
What system of power did Western European rulers utilize after the fragmentation of the Western Roman Empire in 476?
Feudalism
Which dynasty was eventually overthrown by the Mongolians in 1279?
The Song Dynasty
Why did the Mongols make a significant effort to keep the Silk Road trade routes active during their rule?
The Silk Road provided the Mongols a source of income through taxes, and it allowed the traditionally nomadic people access to resources that only sedentary civilizations could provide
What government structure did the Inca utilize to maintain their region of South America?
They ruled through a centralized state with an individual ruler
Give one reason that the influence of the Islamic state spread so quickly after the death of Muhammad:
Answers could include cosmopolitanism, religious tolerance, and the high volume of trade around the region at the time
How would you describe manorialism?
A political, economic, and social system where the peasants of medieval Europe were dependent on their land and on their lord
How is Neo-Confucianism different from the original Confucianism of Han China?
Neo-Confucianism rejected the spiritual aspects of Confucianism and focused more on the physical world and the life people were currently living
Explain the relationship between the Mongolians and religion. How were conquered people expected to practice religion once they were taken over?
The Mongolians were "shamanists" and had a localized religion exclusive to their environment in the Eurasian Steppe and Northern China. The Mongolians were tolerant of different religions and accepted the Abrahamic beliefs of the Mediterranean
What government structure did the Maya utilize to maintain their rule in Central America?
They had various chiefdoms that were similar to city-states
What holy site (city) was Muhammad told to change his direction of prayer to from Medina?
Mecca
What are the four levels of feudalism?
Kings, Lords, Vassals, Serfs
Which dynasty came after the Han dynasty?
The Sui
How many sections was the Mongolian Empire split up into? What were these regional "kingdoms" called?
The four khanates
Describe the concept of Terrace Farming
A method of growing crops on sides of hills or mountains by planting on graduated terraces built into the slope
What name was given to kings of the Islamic Caliphates?
Caliphs
What was the purpose of the Crusades?
stop the expansion of Muslim states, to reclaim for Christianity the Holy Land in the Middle East, and to recapture territories that had formerly been Christian
What was the purpose of civil service exams in China?
They were a system of testing designed to select the most studious candidates for appointment as bureaucrats in the Chinese government. They were a form of meritocracy
How was Genghis Khan able to unify the various tribes and clans throughout Northeastern Asia?
Intermarriage between tribes and clans, utilizing a meritocratic system, and he would often kill the rich ruling class and maintain the poorer peasantry classes of conquered people
In what order, from North to South, were the Inca, Aztec, and Maya empires located from one another?
In order:
Aztec
Maya
Inca