AP World History: Modern

Coach J
Unit 1: The Global Tapestry from 1200 to 1450 C.E.
 1.1 Developments in East Asia
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How did developments in China and the rest of East Asia between c. 1200-1450
reflect continuity, innovation, and diversity?

 Song Dynasty in China (960-1279 C.E.)

 Leading example of diversity and innovation in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas throughout
the 13th century
 China became the world’s greatest manufacturer
 Spread of Confucianism and Buddhism might be the enduring testimony to Chinese
influence
 Song Dynasty… What you need to know
The Chinese crawled… and the Muslims walked… so the
Europeans could run
 By 1000 CE China was still the greatest power in the world
 Song Dynasty rose to power in China and developed a new
government
 960-1279 CE
 Imperial Bureaucracy infused with Confucianism
 Reality is hierarchical (People subject to Rulers, Children subject to their
Fathers, etc.)
 Civil Service Exam  meritocracy system
 Gov’t no longer hereditary… brightest scholars in charge
 Stable Chinese gov’t allows more focus towards profits
 Song Dynasty… what you need to know
 Afro-Eurasia trade networks
 Chinese merchants take developments in the East to the western worlds
 Goods bought and sold in mass along Silk Road creates a commercialized Chinese society
 No more production for personal consumption
 People produced goods to be sold in distant markets
 New Developments in China
 1. Iron and steel products
 Armor, blades, manufacturing, etc.
 2. Paper money
 As economy grew, there was not enough precious metals to make coins
 3. Gunpowder
 Accidental discovery changes future of military capabilities
 4. Compass
 Improves maritime navigation… Muslim world improves science and math… Europeans discover new world
 Song Dynasty… what you need to know
 At the center of major trade routes and networks,
China is very influential BUT also was very
influenced!
 Buddhism originated from India and spread to Vietnam and
into China through trade routes
 Buddhism was atheistic, Vietnamese version wasn’t
 Mahayana Buddhism
 Many deities, multiple heavens and hells

 In Summary
Population + Agricultural Base + Manufacturing =
WEALTH
Language + Confucianism + Culture = UNITY
END 1.1
 1.2 Developments in Dar al-Islam
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
In the period from c. 1200 to c. 1450, how did Islamic states arise, and how did major
religious systems shape society?

Dar al-Islam means “everywhere Islam is”

 We analyze the growth of Islam and the many Islamic empires that are created across Afro-Eurasia during
this time period
The Abbasid Caliphate rose to power across North Africa and the Middle East in the 8 th
century after the death of Muhammad
 Led by Arabs and Persians
 Spoke Arabic
 United under Islam
 Abbasid Caliphate Booms and Fractures
 Abbasid Caliphate breaks down into many different
political groups
 New rising force in Islam: The Turks
 Seljuk Turks- Middle East
 Mamluks- Egypt  once enslaved, overthrew gov’t and took power
(orig. in Central Asia)
 Delhi Sultanate- South Asia (India)  Muslims clash with Hindus in
Northern India
 By end of 16th century, 3 large Islamic empires had roots in Turkish
culture
 Ottoman Empire in Turkey
 Safavid Empire in Persia
 Mughal Empire in India

With all the political disarray, the Islamic World continued

to be at the forefront of science, technology, and culture
 Innovations During Dar al-Islam
 Muslim empires encouraged significant intellectual
innovations and transfers
 Innovations:
 Advances in mathematics (Nasir al-Din al-Tusi)
 Advances in literature (A’ishah al Ba’uniyyah)
 Advances in medicine
 Advances in business (credit, contracts. etc.)
 Transfers:
 Preservation of Greek moral and natural philosophy
 House of Wisdom in Abbasid Baghdad
 Scholarly and cultural transfers in Muslim and Christian Spain
(Umayyad Empire)
 Paper-making from China, improved upon gunpowder to
develop rockets
 Muslim Expansion Across Afro-Eurasia
 Military rule helped promote Muslim
expansion across many parts of Afro-Eurasia
 Umayyad Caliphate (Middle East and North Africa)
 Cordoba Caliphate (Spain)
 Battle of Tours and its significance
 Muslim merchants spread Islam along Afro-
Eurasian trade routes (ECONOMY BOOM)
 Muhammad thought highly of merchants and
commerce
 West Africans converted willingly to Islam after
encounters with traders
 Religion and Culture
 Islam, Judaism, and Christianity
 Core beliefs of these religions were similar
 Religion shaped societies of Africa, Europe, and Asia
 Islam teaches that Moses and Jesus were prophets sent
by G-d to support humanity
 Similarities: Monotheistic, Jerusalem, Old Testament
 Crusades
 Provided safe passage for all in and out of holy sites across Afro-
Eurasia
 Muslim forces take power in northern India (Delhi
Sultanate)
 Spread Islam in India through Sufism
 Combined mystical aspects of Hinduism and Islam to attract lowest
caste members of India
 Skills Practice
“If it were asked, why do we accept the theory of contagion, when already the divine law has refuted the notion of
contagion, we will answer: The existence of contagion has been proved by experience, deduction, the senses, observation,
and by unanimous reports. And it is not a secret to whoever has looked into this matter or has come to be aware of it that
those who come into contact with plague patients mostly die, while those who do not come into contact survive. And amidst
the horrible afflictions that the plague has imposed upon the people, God has afflicted the people with some learned
religious scholars who issue fatwas* against fleeing the plague, so that the quills with which the scholars wrote
these fatwas were like swords upon which the Muslims died. In conclusion, to ignore the proofs of plague contagion is an
indecency and an affront to God and holds cheap the lives of Muslims.”
*rulings on Islamic law
Lisan al-Din Ibn al-Khatib, A Very Useful Inquiry into the Horrible Sickness, Granada, Spain, 1349–1352

1. The passage by al-Khatib best illustrates which of the following?

A. The literary tradition of long-distance travelers in the Islamic world
B. The growth of scientific thought and innovation in Muslim Spain
C. The impact of Christian attempts to reconquer Spain from the Muslims
D. The efforts of Islamic missionaries to spread their faith along trade routes
 Skills Practice
“If it were asked, why do we accept the theory of contagion, when already the divine law has refuted the notion of
contagion, we will answer: The existence of contagion has been proved by experience, deduction, the senses, observation,
and by unanimous reports. And it is not a secret to whoever has looked into this matter or has come to be aware of it that
those who come into contact with plague patients mostly die, while those who do not come into contact survive. And amidst
the horrible afflictions that the plague has imposed upon the people, God has afflicted the people with some learned
religious scholars who issue fatwas* against fleeing the plague, so that the quills with which the scholars wrote
these fatwas were like swords upon which the Muslims died. In conclusion, to ignore the proofs of plague contagion is an
indecency and an affront to God and holds cheap the lives of Muslims.”
*rulings on Islamic law
Lisan al-Din Ibn al-Khatib, A Very Useful Inquiry into the Horrible Sickness, Granada, Spain, 1349–1352

1. The passage by al-Khatib best illustrates which of the following?

A. The literary tradition of long-distance travelers in the Islamic world

B. The growth of scientific thought and innovation in Muslim Spain

C. The impact of Christian attempts to reconquer Spain from the Muslims
D. The efforts of Islamic missionaries to spread their faith along trade routes
 THE CONSTELLATION HERCULES, NAMED AFTER AN ANCIENT
GREEK MYTHICAL HERO. PAGE FROM A 1430 COPY OF THE BOOK OF
FIXED STARS, AN ASTRONOMY BOOK WRITTEN BY A TENTH-
CENTURY MUSLIM SCIENTIST

1. The sponsoring of scholarship by Turkic dynasties, such as the

Timurids, best shows that, in the period circa 1200–1450, scholarly
activities in the Muslim world continued despite the

A. conquest of Baghdad by the European Crusaders

B. expansion of the Song dynasty into Muslim Central Asia
This copy of The Book of Fixed
C. Byzantine reconquest of Palestine and Lebanon Stars was made for the ruler of the
Timurid dynasty, a Turkic state that
D. fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate controlled much of Central Asia
during the fifteenth century. The dots
scattered across the figure indicate
individual stars and the symbols next
to the dots indicate the stars’ relative
brightness, as observed by Muslim
astronomers.
 THE CONSTELLATION HERCULES, NAMED AFTER AN ANCIENT
GREEK MYTHICAL HERO. PAGE FROM A 1430 COPY OF THE BOOK OF
FIXED STARS, AN ASTRONOMY BOOK WRITTEN BY A TENTH-
CENTURY MUSLIM SCIENTIST

1. The sponsoring of scholarship by Turkic dynasties, such as the

Timurids, best shows that, in the period circa 1200–1450, scholarly
activities in the Muslim world continued despite the

A. conquest of Baghdad by the European Crusaders

B. expansion of the Song dynasty into Muslim Central Asia This copy of The Book of Fixed
Stars was made for the ruler of the
C. Byzantine reconquest of Palestine and Lebanon Timurid dynasty, a Turkic state that
controlled much of Central Asia
D. fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate during the fifteenth century. The dots
scattered across the figure indicate
individual stars and the symbols next
to the dots indicate the stars’ relative
brightness, as observed by Muslim
astronomers.
“Let the blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad and his companions
universally. In the year 1640 C.E. I wanted to behold the mystics of every
sect, to hear the lofty expressions of monotheism, and to cast my eyes upon
many books of mysticism. I, therefore, examined the Book of Moses, the
Gospels, and the Psalms.
Among the Hindus, the best of their heavenly books, which contain all the
secrets of pure monotheism, are called the Upanishads. Because I do not
know Sanskrit, I wanted to make an exact and literal translation of the
Upanishads into Persian*. For the Upanishads are a treasure of monotheism Based on the passage, which of the
and there are few thoroughly conversant with them even among the Indians. following most strongly influenced
Thereby I also wanted to make the texts accessible to Muslims. Dara Shikoh’s religious views?
I assembled Hindu scholars and ascetics to help with the translation. Every
sublime topic that I had desired or thought and had looked for and not found, A. Shi‘ism
I obtained from these most ancient books, the source and the fountainhead of B. Sufism
the ocean of religious unity, in conformity with the holy Qur’an.” C. Buddhism
*Persian was the primary language used at the Mughal court. D. Zoroastrianism
Dara Shikoh, son of the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, account of the translation
of the Upanishads into Persian, 1657 C.E.
“Let the blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad and his companions
universally. In the year 1640 C.E. I wanted to behold the mystics of every
sect, to hear the lofty expressions of monotheism, and to cast my eyes upon
many books of mysticism. I, therefore, examined the Book of Moses, the
Gospels, and the Psalms.
Among the Hindus, the best of their heavenly books, which contain all the
secrets of pure monotheism, are called the Upanishads. Because I do not
Based on the passage, which of the
know Sanskrit, I wanted to make an exact and literal translation of the
Upanishads into Persian*. For the Upanishads are a treasure of monotheism following most strongly influenced
and there are few thoroughly conversant with them even among the Indians. Dara Shikoh’s religious views?
Thereby I also wanted to make the texts accessible to Muslims.
I assembled Hindu scholars and ascetics to help with the translation. Every A. Shi‘ism
sublime topic that I had desired or thought and had looked for and not found, B.Sufism
I obtained from these most ancient books, the source and the fountainhead of
C. Buddhism
the ocean of religious unity, in conformity with the holy Qur’an.”
D. Zoroastrianism
*Persian was the primary language used at the Mughal court.
Dara Shikoh, son of the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, account of the translation
of the Upanishads into Persian, 1657 C.E.
1. Which of the following ideas was given to Muslims on the authority of
the Qur’an?
A. All earthly existence is merely an illusion.
B. Muhammad is God.
C. The soul may be reborn in another earthly form after the death of the individual.
D. Moses and Jesus were both great prophets sent by God for the benefit of
humanity.
E. The cow is a sacred animal, and the eating of beef is therefore a sacrilegious
and impure act.
1. Which of the following ideas was given to Muslims on the authority of the
Qur’an?
A. All earthly existence is merely an illusion.
B. Muhammad is God.
C. The soul may be reborn in another earthly form after the death of the individual.

D. Moses and Jesus were both great prophets sent by

God for the benefit of humanity.
E. The cow is a sacred animal, and the eating of beef is therefore a sacrilegious and
impure act.
 1.3 Developments in South and Southeast Asia
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How did various beliefs and practices in South and Southeast Asia affect society
and the development of states?

State formation and development demonstrated continuity, innovation and

diversity including the new Hindu & Buddhist states that emerged in South and
Southeast Asia between c. 1200 to c. 1450
 Islam also played a dominant role in S/ SE Asia during this time period
 Religion/Politics in South Asia
 Delhi Sultanate had struggled
converting northern Indians into
practicing Muslims
 Two brothers sent to southern India to
spread Islam (Harihara and Bukka)
 Converted from Hinduism to Islam for social
upward mobility
 Converted back to Hinduism and helped create the
Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1646)
 Delhi Sultanate had to defend themselves
from the Mongols (Mughal Empire takes
over northern India in 1526)
 Religion in South Asia
 Hinduism is…
THROUGH SAMSARA THE ATMAN SEEKS MOKSHA
TO ESCAPE FROM THE MATERIAL WORLD
AND BECOME ONE WITH BRAHMAN,
BUT THE PACE OF THIS PROGRESS DEPENDS ON KARMA
 Positive karma in life will get you closer to moksha (out of
cycle of rebirth)
 The opposite for the reverse
 Bhakti Movement of Hinduism
 Hindus in southern India focused on developing a strong
attachment to a particular deity
 Similar to Sufi Muslims… focused on more emotional
connections than textual readings
 Helped make Hinduism more attractive/ non-discriminatory
 Social Structures in South Asia
 Caste system in India… influenced by Hinduism
 Social Structure with 5 castes  each caste is better social-standing
than the next
 Bhramin (Priests) – Highest caste
 Kshatryia (Warriors)
 Vaiasya (Merchants, Landowners)
 Sudra (Commoners, Peasants, Servants  majority of Indian pop.) –
Lowest caste
 Untouchables (out-of-caste, descendants of prisoners, street sweepers)
 You could only move up a caste if you had good karma… stuck for
this life in your caste
 Was flexible and accommodated newcomers like Muslim merchants
 Rigid caste system provided continuity for long period of
Indian history
 Mathematics flourished… shared with the Middle East
 Arabic numerals were actually from India
 Cultural Interactions in South Asia
 Islamic buildings in Delhi like the Qutub Minar
(mosque)
 Combined Hindu art and Islamic architecture
 Urdu developed as a new language for Muslims
in South Asia
 Official language of Pakistan today
 Grammatical pattern of Hindi (language of northern
Indians)
 Vocabulary of Arabic
 Elements of Farsi (Persian language)
 Religion in Southeast Asia
 Today’s Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia,
Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam
 Mostly Hindu and Buddhist
 Merchants brought religion to the region
 Southeast Asia was perfect for Sea-Based
Kingdoms
 Could control sea trade routes impacting China and
India
 Majapahit Empire (1293-1520) on island of Java
 Buddhists
 Experts at sea trading and controlling the region…profits
 Defeated the Mongols… one of last great empires of SE
Asia
 Land-Based Kingdoms
 Khmer Empire (802-1431)
 Complex and extensive irrigation systems
 Experts with drainage – Mekong River
 Champa rice
 Hindus that eventually converted to Buddhism
 Islam in Southeast Asia
 Local merchants were first Muslims in the area
 Converted in hopes to do better trades with Islamic
merchants arriving by sea
 Today, Indonesia has more Muslims than any other
country (12.7% of world’s Muslims)
 Pakistan (11.1%)
 India (10.9%) and Bangladesh (9.2%)
 SAQ Practice

 Topic Sentence: Answer the prompt  concise and declarative statement

 Evidence: Name something specific and relevant before explaining it
 Analysis: Connect the first two sentences  prove your topic sentence here
3 SENTENCES AND MOVE ON

 Read the captions, explanations, anything on the page!!!

 Especially if they give you stimulus-based questions
 The graders will only grade what you write…not what they think you meant to write!
 1.4 Developments in the Americas
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What states developed in the Americas, and how did they change over time?

Mississippian Culture had developed as a society c. 700-800 AD in the present-day Mississippi

River Valley
 First large-scale civilization in North America
 Similar social structure to India’s caste system
 Cahokia  capital city… abandoned by c. 1450 AD
 Big earthen mounds
 Matrilineal society
 Woman’s side of the family determined social standing
 Americas continued…
 Southwestern United States
 Dry region  people found ways to
store, collect, and transport water
efficiently
 Chaco  housing structures made of
stones and clay
 Some had hundreds of rooms
 Mesa Verde  multi-story homes built
from sandstone
 Due to continuously drying climate, both
groups had declined by the 13th century
 Mayan Civilization
 Maya City-States c. 250-900 AD
 Southern part of Mexico to Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala
(Central America)
 Roughly 40 city-states made up Mayan empire
 Each city had roughly 5,000-50,000 people in it
 Each city-state was ruled by a king
 Wars between city-states were common (fought for tribute)
 Mayan kings were descendants from the Gds
 Priests ran the day-to-day
 Mayan Religion, Science, and Technology
 Invented concept of zero (0) in the number system
 Astronomy (calendar) and a complex writing system
 Priests could be male or female
 Aztec Civilization
 Migrated from the north, but arrived in central Mexico around 1325 AD
 Capital of Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City)
 200,000 people
 Great Pyramid was made of stone (150 feet tall)
 Aztecs would go on to conquer the surrounding peoples and expanded the
empire throughout most of modern-day Mexico
 Aztec Government, Economy, and Society
 Tribute system ensured dominance in the region
 City-states grouped in provinces
 Ruled by religious leaders (Theocracy)
 Emperor (Great Speaker)
 Political and religious leader
 Pochteca  merchants that traded luxury goods
 Aztec Civilization
 Religion
 Many deities (male and female G-ds)
 Religion was central to Aztec society
 G-ds had sacrificed themselves to create the world…
 Human sacrifice was a sort of repayment and atonement for
sin
 Much of Aztec society comes from the written
accounts from Spanish invaders
 Decline of the Aztecs
 Low technology comparatively to other parts of the world
 No wheeled vehicles
 Spanish arrived in 1519
 Incan Civilization
 Pachacuti  founder of the Incas
 Began conquering tribes living near Cuzco, Peru near 1438
 Incan Empire stretched from present-day Ecuador (northern end) to Chile (southern
end)
 1493, Huayna Capac, ruled the empire (Pachacuti’s grandson)
 Government, Economy, and Society
 4 provinces (each had their own governor and bureaucracy)
 Mit’a system  mandatory public service
 Achievements
 Quipu for mathematics
 Waru Waru  terrace systems for cultivation of crops (agriculture)
 Carpa Nan  25,000 mile roadway through Andes mountains (infrastructure)
 Incan Civilization
 Religion
 Inca means “people of the sun”  Inti (Sun G-d) was most important
 Temple of the Sun in Cuzco became the core of religion
 Critical Elements:
 1. Honoring the sun
 2. Royal Ancestor Veneration
 Dead rulers were mummified and continued to “rule”
 These rulers had retained ownership of their servants, possessions, and property
 Forced Incan Empire to constantly expand (since no new ruler could inherit land
or property upon assuming power)
 Animism  elements of physical world could have supernatural powers
 Huaca: large geographical features (rivers, mountains) and small objects (plants, rocks)
 Decline of the Incas
 Francisco Pizarro (Spanish conquistador) arrived in Incan world in 1532
 Machu Picchu still stands today… one of world’s most visited tourist attractions
 1.5 Developments in Africa
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How and why did states develop in Africa and change over time?

African societies adopted Islam while simultaneously continuing to promote many

of their older traditions. Some parts of southern Africa resisted Islam the longest,
but Morocco (NW Africa) and Mogadishu (east Africa) adopted shariah law
 Islamic governments spread into Africa
 Political Structures of Inland Africa
 Sub-Saharan Africa is developed due to
migrations of Bantu-speaking people from
west-central Africa
 Kin-based networks (no centralized gov’ts)
 Families governed themselves (Male chiefs led tribes…
chiefs of tribes would meet to discuss how to best govern
districts)
 After 1000 AD, kin-based communities became
harder to govern
 Islam was introduced to this region in 14th century
 Political Structures of West and East Africa
 Coastal kingdoms benefitted from trade
 Exchange of goods brought wealth, political power, and cultural diversity
 Spread of Islam added to already growing religious diversity in the
region
 Christianity and Animism was already being practiced
 Ghana Kingdom (8th-11th centuries)
 Rulers sold gold and ivory to Muslim traders in exchange for salts, copper,
and cloth
 Koumbi Saleh (capital city) was a centralized gov’t aided by nobles and
an army with iron weapons
 Mali Kingdom (13th-17th centuries)
 Sundiata (Mali’s founder) was a Muslim
 Connections led to established trade relationships with North African and Arab
merchants
 Mansa Musa (Sundiata’s nephew) made pilgrimage to Mecca and showed
off wealth on the way
 Political Structures of West and East Africa
 Zimbabwe means “dwellings”
 Houses made with stone instead of wood by 9th century
 One of most powerful kingdoms in East Africa between
12th-15th centuries
 Rich gold fields on east coast
 Zimbabwe were big sea traders
 Coastal cities like Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Kilwa (Indian Ocean
Trade)
 East Africa, Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia are now
connected
 Swahili (language created by blending Bantu and Arabic in East
Asia)
 Great Zimbabwe wall protected the capital city (still
stands today)
 No mortar to build (dry rocks)
 Political Structures of West and East Africa
 Ethiopia
 Christianity spread down Mediterranean Sea south
into Egypt and down east coast of Africa
 Axum Kingdom
 Traded goods obtained in India, Arabian Peninsula, Roman
Empire, and interior of Africa
 Islam hits this region in 7th century (religious diversity)
 By 12th century, Christian-led kingdom had
emerged
 Rulers built churches of stone
 Ethiopian Christianity develops differently than Roman
Catholicism/ European Christianity
 Social Structures of Sub-Saharan Africa
 Small communities were more popular than strong central
gov’ts ruling large territories
 Kinship: allowed people to identify first as members of a clan or
family
 Age: a younger body was stronger, but an older body was wiser
 Gender: men dominated special skilled jobs (blacksmiths,
carpenters) and women were food gatherers and agriculturalists
 Slavery has a long history in African culture
 Owning a large number of slaves increased social status of
slaveowner
 Chattel slavery v. Domestic slavery v. Debt bondage slavery
 Zanj Rebellion  strong demand for slavery in Middle East resulted in
increased Indian Ocean slave trade between East Africa and Middle East
 Slaves in Mesopotamia overthrew their rulers and held power for 10 years
 Cultural Life in Sub-Saharan Africa
 Music
 Song lyrics were ways to connect with spirits
 Visual Artwork
 Metalworks created busts of past rulers so current
ruling class could look to them for guidance
 Griots and Griottes
 Encyclopedia-like knowledge of family lineages
and the lives of deeds of great leaders
 Good singers… could play instruments to add to
storytelling abilities
 1.6 Developments in Europe
ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How did the beliefs and practices of the predominant religions, agricultural practices,
and political decentralization affect European society from c. 1200 to c. 1450?

When the Roman Empire was fragmented throughout Western Europe between the 5 th
and 6th centuries, trade declined throughout the lands, intellectual life receded, and the
once united Roman state was replaced by smaller kingdoms that often fought each other
for territory.
 This era was known as the Dark Ages
 Kings, lords, and peasants worked out agreements to provide for common defense
 Political and Social Systems in Europe
 Feudalism  decentralized political organization based on a
system of exchanges of land for loyalty
 Entire feudal structure was built on agriculture
 Wealth was measured in land rather than in cash
 Manorial system  economic self-sufficiency
 Three-field System  crops rotated through 3 fields (more
harvests per year = more food)
 1 field: wheat or rye (crops that yielded food)
 1 field: peas, lentils, and beans (made soil more fertile)
 1 field was unused
 Technological Developments: Windmills and newer plows 
population grows with a surplus of food
 Political Trends in Later Middle Ages
 Monarchies grow powerful under feudalism
 France  King Philip IV (1285-1314) and his Estates-General
would meet
 Clergy and nobility did not have to pay taxes… commoners got upset
and eventually leads to French revolution in 1789
 Norman England  Normans were Vikings originally from
NW France
 1066 – William the Conqueror (Norman king) invaded England…
fusion of Normans and Anglo-Saxons created modern English people
 English nobles objected William’s power… eventually King John in
1215 is forced to sign the Magna Carta
 King is required to respect certain rights
 Political Trends in the Later Middle Ages
 Holy Roman Empire  Lay Investiture
Controversy (11th-12th century)
 Could a secular leader appoint church officials?
 Concordat of Worms (1122) removes secular authority
 Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453)  series
of battles fought between England and France
 Nationalism  distinct English forces versus
French forces (language, uniforms, kings)
 Gunpowder weapons and longbows
 Roman Catholic Church During the Middle Ages
 Great Schism of 1054  Roman Catholicism and Eastern
Orthodoxy
 Iconoclasm  worship of icons in church
 The Roman Catholic Church was the most powerful
institution in a Europe that was heavily divided into hundreds
of small political states
 Education and Art
 Church helped establish first universities in Europe… Christian
scholars
 Most of the artwork was Christian-themed  for illiterate peasantry
 Church and State
 Catholic Church had an extensive hierarchy of regional leaders
 Crusades are a result of kings threatening strength of Roman
Catholic Church throughout western Europe
 Christian Crusades
 Social and economic trends of the 11th century added to the pressure
among Europeans to invade the Middle East
 Social unrest in peasant class and fears of revolt
 Primogeniture  eldest son inherits entire state (younger sons get nothing)
 Crusades  European military campaigns in the Middle East
between 1095 and the 1200s
 Kings and popes fought for control over Crusades  Catholic Church takes
control
 Pope and bishops encouraged Christians to take holy cities back from
Muslim control
 Promised Christians would reach heaven sooner if they joined a Crusade
 First Crusade  successful conquer of Jerusalem in 1099… short-lived
 Fourth Crusade  never makes it to Holy Land
 Crusaders sack Constantinople and Zara (Italian city)
 Economic and Social Change
 Marco Polo traveled into present-day Beijing, China in the late
13h century
 His fascinating stories made Europeans more invested in learning about Asia
 Increased cartography skills
 Birth of the middle class (bourgeoise)  shopkeepers,
merchants, craftspeople, small landholders
 After 1300, fifty years of cooling temperatures (Little Ice Age)
hurt economy
 Increase in disease/ unemployment… increase in death… decrease in trade
 Jews were discriminated against… expelled from England 1290, France
1394, Spain 1492
 Patriarchal thinking and writings slowly eroded women’s rights in
Europe
 Religion allowed women to display greater skills and leadership
 Renaissance
 A revival of interest in classical Greek and Roman
literature, art, culture, and civics
 After 1300
 1439  movable-type printing press invented by
Johannes Gutenberg
 Mass-produced manuscripts boom literacy rates/ spread
of ideas
 Humanism  focus on individuals rather than G-d
 Powerful monarchies arose due to vernacular language (easier
to understand)
 Birth of nationalism
 Secular literature in education
1.7 Comparison in the Period from c. 1200 to c. 1450

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

In what ways was the process of state-building in various parts of the world
between c. 1200 and c. 1450 similar and different?
 State-Building and New Empires
 Strong centralized states rose…nomadic societies begin to wane by 15th century
 Song Dynasty in China  technology and cultural progress
 Abbasid Caliphate in Middle East  fragmented by invaders and shifts in trade routes
 New Muslim states across Africa, Middle East, and Spain
 Vijayanagar Empire, Delhi Sultanate in South Asia  trade builds strong states
 Sea-based and land-based empires in Southeast Asia
 Ghana and Mali in Africa  Mali rulers created vast empire more centralized and organized
than Ghana
 Aztecs and Incas in Americas  strong military and mit’a system support state-building
 Lacked centralized states
 Feudalism in Europe  powerful centralized gov’ts made feudalism less important
 Japan in East Asia  became more centralized and feudal
 Role of Religion in State-Building
 Religion was a vital part of state-building throughout the world
 China  Confucian beliefs were closely tied to civil service
 Confucian scholars ran a powerful bureaucracy
 Southeast Asia  Hinduism and Buddhism aided to strengthening their states
 Europe  relationship between Roman Catholic Church and state-building
was different than in most of Eurasia
 Church became somewhat of a rival power to rising monarchies
 Diffusion of Religion  Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism encouraged
conversions
 Hinduism and Islam clash in South Asia
 Trade routes (land and sea) improve spread of religion/ culture
 State-Building Through Trade
 Cross-cultural exchanges of technology and innovation increased
 Innovations:
 Champa rice in SE Asia spread to China
 Helped increase population and manufacturing capabilities
 Paper-making made its way from China to Europe
 Increased literacy rates throughout the world
 Intellectual thought and learning led to advances in math and medicine
 Islamic “House of Wisdom” in Baghdad
 Mongols foster transfer of knowledge after they brutally conquered the steppe
 Feudal system in Europe made progress slow… but state-building was
noticeable with growing strength of monarchies
 Impact of Nomadic Peoples
 Mongols  pastoral people from the steppes of Central Asia
 Political stability resulting in Mongol dominance allowed trade across
Eurasia to grow
 Europeans and Chinese interact through the Mongols
 Turks  increased their dominance over large land-based empires
in eastern Mediterranean, Persia, and South Asia
 Turks built separate empires- Seljuk and Ottoman Turks/ Safavids in Persia
 Organized groups and trading companies eventually replaced
nomadic merchants