Study Guide - Part II

7th Grade World History

A. Roman Empire

a.Strengths– i. Citizenship– ii. Roman Law – 12 Tables– iii. Roman Art – paintings & sculptures – iv. Architecture – columns, pillars, arches, the

Coliseum, temples, the Pantheon– v. Engineering – aqueducts, roads– vi. Philosophy – incorporation of Greek & Latin

ideas (classics)– vii. Religion – Christianity

A. Roman Empire

b. WEAKNESSESi. Barbarian Invasionsii. Decline in Morals & Valuesiii.Environmental & Public Health Problems iv.Excessive Military Spending to Defend the Empirev. Inferior technologyvi.Inflation (an increase in prices)vii. Political Corruptionviii. Rise in Christianityix.Unemploymentx. Urban decay

c. Restructuringi. CONSTANTINOPLE – new capital

B. Islam

a. Muhammad – spread religion of Islam throughout the area of the Arabian Peninsulai. Visited by angel Gabriel told to recite “there is no

God but Allah” (monotheistic religion – belief in only 1 God)

ii. These revelations are recorded in the verses of the Qur’an, or Koran

B. Islam

b. The Sunna were the guiding rules for Islami. The most basic of these rules were the 5 Pillars

1. Shahada – profession of faith “there is no GOD…

2. Salat – prayer, towards Mecca 5 times a day

3. Zakat – almsgiving or welfare contribution

4. Sawm – fasting during Ramadan

5. Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca

ii. Other Islamic laws forbid gambling, alcohol, the use of illegal substances, and eating pork and other ‘unclean’ foods. Modesty in the style of clothes, particularly for women, is also important in Islamic tradition

B. Islam

c. 2 branches Main Branches of Islami. Sunni Muslims make up some 90 per cent of believers.

Broadly speaking, Sunni Muslims have historically adapted to life alongside a range of other cultures, while maintaining allegiance to the Qur’an and the Hadith.

ii. The second main branch consists of Shi’ite Muslims. Shi’ites are led by clerics (religious scholars) called Imams, who generally believe in keeping Islamic culture sealed from all outside influences and cultures.

iii. There main difference was in who the believed should be caliph after Muhammad Shiites wanted only blood relatives of Muhammad & the Sunnis wanted someone elected

B. Islam

d. Advancementsi. Growth of cities & establishment of trade routes – people

went where the WATER was!ii. Merchants played a big role - spices, textiles, paper, steel,

new cropsiii. Intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars

1. Science – astronomy, medicine, hospitals, irrigation, water wheels2. Geography – map making skills3. Mathematics – ALGEBRA4. Art5. Literature6. Common monetary system

C. China

a. Buddhism (Siddhartha Gautama)i. Connection with afterlife

ii. nirvana

b.Confucianism (Kongfuzi)i. Idea of having relationships

c. Daoism (from Laozi)i. Yin & Yang, balance of powers, connection with

Nature

C. China

d.Mongolsi. Genghis Khan

1. horse back riding skills, ride hands-free w/ weapons

2. broke military up into divisions

ii. Kublai Khan 1. Genghis’ grandson involved in

increasing KHAN territory, known for battle with Japan

C. China

e. Ming Dynastyi. Chinese who rebelled against the Mongolsii. Wanted to expel the foreigners who did not appreciate

China’s traditionsiii. Emperor Taizu restored familiar traditions

1. public works projects: repairing irrigation systems, building reservoirs, rebuilding the GREAT WALL

iv. Proved to be a Superior Naval Power1. Zheng He – hired to explore the west

f. Discoveries & Inventionsi. Tea, manufacturing of paper, woodblock printing

(moveable type), compass, gunpowder (fireworks), fishing reel, rudder, matches, paper money, bicycle chain drive

D. Africa

a. Ghana, Mali, Songhai – 3 greatest empiresi. Around the Niger River

1. vegetation zonesa. forest/savannah/desert

2. Trade in gold, SALT, food, and slaves

ii. Mansa Musa – Mali’s greatest ruler spread Islam & increased size of Empire

D. Africa

b. Bantu Speakersi. Make sturdy iron tools (Nok were the 1st west Africans to

make iron)

ii. Migrate across Africa

c. Rise of Coastal Tradei. Ability to trade using water as main route

ii. Ports

d. Rise of City Statesi. Independent states made up of a city & its surrounding

territory

D. Africa

e. Rise of the Zimbabwe Statei. GOLD

f. Kongo Kingdomi. Affected by arrival of Portuguese who encouraged

villages to declare war on each other1. Introduced idea of slavery, guns & war

g. Kinship – family relationshipi. Ancestor worship – honored ancestors through music &

dance

ii. Story telling ex: COWTAIL SWITCH

E. JAPAN “Land of the Rising Sun”

a. Islands of Japani. 4 Main – Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu

ii. land mostly mountainous w/ volcanoes – less than 20% of land available for farming and human habitation

iii. very few natural resources

iv. Typhoons frequent – heavy winds and rains

v.Isolation – set apart from much of the world

E. JAPAN

b. Shinto – early religion of Japani. Revolves around natureii. Teaches that the natural world is filled with divine spirits

or kami (highest ranking kami is the SUN GODDESS)

c. Prince Shotokui. Ruled as a regentii. Encouraged Buddhism & spread of the Chinese cultureiii. Shinto linked Japanese to their homeland and past

but Buddhism was accepted along with Shinto because it met spiritual needs plus it promised rewards to the faithful and the good

E. JAPAN

d. Court of Refinementi. People dressed prim & proper in expensive tastesii. Women tried to look beautiful – long hair, white makeup, blackened

teeth, shaved eyebrows & painted new ones higher on forehead, wore many colored robes

iii.Poetry was the favorite form of Literature (Haikus) followed by diaries & tales (Tale of Genji)

iv.Kabuki Theater – use of puppets – controlled by puppet masterv. Noh drama – masked dancer, supported by minor players and a

chorus, presents a slow dance dramavi.Japanese Tea Ceremonies vii. Zen gardens – rocks & sandviii. New writing systems “Hiragana” borrowed from China – use

of symbols

E. JAPAN

e. The POWER of the SHOGUNSi. Shogun = great general

ii. Daimyo = nobles who owned large estates in the provinces and supported the shogun

iii. Samurai = “those who serve”

iv. Warrior code – promise to serve – must be willing to die or kill self in battle

E. JAPAN

f. Religious denominations – different groups i. Pure Land Buddhism –

1. stressed chanting the name Amida Buddha, 2. stressed happiness in afterlife rather than finding peace or

enlightenment in life on earth3. taught that believers would be reborn in a blissful pure land or

paradise

ii. Zen Buddhism – 1. more concerned with individual enlightenment rather that national

well-being2. taught that physical and mental exercise would produce a sudden

recognition of the nature of existence3. appealed to samurai b/c it stressed exacting spiritual & physical

discipline as the path to enlightenment4. Taught logic and mental skills

F. Meso-American and Andean Civilizations

a. Migrants from Asia – early hunter gatherers

b.Olmeci. Developed around 1200 B.C.

ii. Earliest civilization in Central America

iii. They originally lived in the Gulf Coast region of southern Mexico, but soon expanded into Guatemala

F. Meso-America

iv. Olmec society was very simple. It was essentially divided into two groups:

1. the elite group lived in the small urban centers (towns, really) a. The elite lived off of the agriculture of the common people, but they

probably didn't rule over the agricultural populations. Instead, they carried out religious ceremonies centered in the towns and carried out commercial trade in luxury and artistic items

2. the common people lived in the rural areas.

v. Olmecs were overwhelmingly an agricultural people.

vi. Most dramatic achievements were the building of massive stone heads which archaeologists believe that they may be Olmec kings.

F. Meso-Americac. Mayan

i. Settled in a fertile regionii. Established small farming villages – gathered food from forest & raised

cropsiii. Economy based on agricultureiv. Some villages grew into cities with impressive palaces and pyramidsv. Artisans carved huge stone figures and pillars to adorn their cityvi. Cities were built around religious centersvii. Worshipped many Gods and believed that their gods controlled the

sun, rain and other elements of natureviii. Told about their rulers in hieroglyphs painted on tomb walls and

carved into stone steles, or columnsix. Achievements

1. Mayan Calendar2. Number system – based on the number 20 instead of 103. Made Jewelry out of jade, gold, and shells

F. Meso-America

d. Azteci. Began as a band of hunter-gatherers living on a small

island in Mexico whose god summoned them to leave – went to the “Valley of Mexico”

ii. Had to adapt to their land1. used reeds and mud from the swamp to make huts2. caught and ate birds and fish3. learned a method of farming known as “chinampas” (floating

gardens) from tribes around them

iii. Big on TRADE – able to acquire food, timber, and stone

iv. Large number of Aztec warriors – great reputation for military skill

F. Meso-America

v.Broken into social classes1. lived in large settlements called calpullis

– families of different social ranks lived in each calpullia. Commoners made up majority of the population

i. Had to pay a tribute or tax paid in goods or services to the government

b.Serfs had to work the landc. Slaves were at the bottom of the social ladder – captives of

ward.Nobles were smallest class but they were in control

vi. Aztec Gods represented spirits who controlled the world

F. Meso-America

vii. Cultural Achievements1. palaces, temples, government

storehouses made of stone and brick

2. craft workers produced beautiful feather headdresses, stone sculptures, and jewelry set with precious stones

3. Most important artifact was Aztec codices, or codes – a kind of book with pages made of bark

viii. Took part in Human sacrifices

F. Meso-America

e. Incani. Located in South America on the coast of the

Pacific Ocean and through the Andes Mts

ii. Called their empire Tihuantinsuyu or the “land of the Four Quarters” – b/c they believed that they had conquered the entire world

F. Meso-America

iii. Wanted UNITY1. Inca religion became the official religion

of the empire and subjects were forced to learn Quechua the native language

iv. Believed that their ruler was the lord of all things – the land, animals, water, and the people.

F. Meso-America

v.Had 2 classes1. Nobility –

a. Lived off the tribute

b. Served as governors of Inca

2. Commoners – majority of the peoplea. Lived in cramped adobe huts

b. Worked the land from sunrise to sunset – tribute to the government

c. Had few individual freedoms

i. Couldn’t travel w/out approval

ii.Government decided when & whom they married

F. Meso-America

d. Some worked to build massive citiese. Others paid their tribute by making pieces of art and jewelry

i. Many of which were placed in the palaces of dead rulers as well as the temples of the gods.

f. Prayed to gods and ancestorsi. Believed in afterlifeii.After an Inca ruler died, the Inca mummified, or

preserved his body1. family would care for land and estate or the mummy would

harm them2. mummy was also brought out of palace for ceremonies held

during harvest and planting seasoniii. INTI – the god of sun was the

most important

F. Meso-America

vi. BUILT SYSTEM OF ROADS

vii. Had Vertical Economy – system of growing crops according to the height of the land

1. Terrace Farming – the building of raised banks of earth of steep land for farming

a. Allowed them to grow surplus amounts of food

b. Government built huge warehouses for them to store surplus in case of emergencies

G. Europe (Medieval Times)

a. Spread of Christianityi. Role of the Church

1. Pope – head of the Roman Catholic Religion

2. Cardinal, Bishops, Archbishops follow with priests, pastors, etc

3. Nuns “brides of Christ” big on charity

4. Idea that church is the center of spiritual life

G. Europe (Medieval Times)

b. Feudalism – a political and economic system in which large landholders or lords gave protection to people in return for their service to the landholderi. Hierarchies – orders of rank and authority

1. KING (monarch)

2. LORDS/VASSALS – swore an “oath of fealty” (promise to remain loyal to his lord and promised to provide lord with military protection)

3. KNIGHTS – armed mounted soldiers

4. SERFS/PEASANTS – worked the land in return for “life”

ii. Guilds – union of people who practiced a similar trade

G. Europe (Medieval Times)

c. Charlemagne – King of the Franks/Emperor i. 48 years of rule dominated by warii. dedicated to strengthening the churchiii. made opponents accept the Roman church

and swear loyalty to him or DIEiv. established schools

d.Crusades – Holy Warsi. Fought to return holy land under Jewish control

back to Christians

G. Europe (Medieval Times)

e. King John & the Magna Carta (Great Charter)i. No taxation w/out representation

ii. Trial by peers (JURY)

f. BUBONIC PLAGUE – BLACK PLAGUEi. Black spots formed under the skin from internal bleeding

ii. Spread from fleas on black rats or form contact with a person with had the disease

iii. Brought over on ships

iv. ¼ to 1/3 of the population died

v. led to the end of the Middle Ages!

H.RENAISSANCE – “rebirth or revival”

a. Revival of classic learning and the arts – focus on refinement, personal achievement, and learningi. BALANCE between intellect & religious faith

H.RENAISSANCE

b.Italian City Statesi. 250 small statesii. Venice & Milan – 2 of the largestiii. FLORENCE

1. ruling class made up of 800 of the city’s wealthiest families

2. aristocrats, merchants and bankers3. lived in luxurious palaces4. used their wealth to beautify their cities

by hiring architects

H.RENAISSANCE

c. Reopened the “SILK ROAD”i. Main trade route between Europe & China

ii. Used Marco Polo’s travels as a guide

d.Spread informationi. Johannes Gutenberg – moveable type printing

press

ii. Translation of the Bible

H.RENAISSANCE

e. ADVANCEMENTS in Literature, the arts, science, mathematics, etci. Dante Alighieri – Italian born poet

ii. Leonardo da Vinci – artist – “MONA LISA,” great scientific thinker – passion for flight

iii. Michelangelo di Buonarroti Simoni – artist – “SISTINE CHAPEL,” sculptor

iv. William Shakespeare – writer

I. REFORMATION

a. Catholic church begins to fall apart

b.New ideas of religion: Calvinism, Lutheran

c. Catholic church frustrated begins Counter Reformation with 2 main goalsi. Rid the church of abuses

ii. Uphold tradition Catholic beliefs

J. SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

a. New era in scientific thinkingi. Copernicus – theorized that the sun was the

center of the universe

ii. Vesalius – thorough dissection of the human body enabled him to describe human anatomy much more accurately

J. SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

iii. Galileo – 1. through observation and

experimentation, tested the theory of falling bodies

2. developed a telescope that was larger and more powerful than ever before

a. first person to observe sunspots, Jupiter’s moons, and Saturn’s rings

J. SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

iv. Bacon – established way of scientific research known as the Scientific Method

1. key part was idea of hypothesis – an assumption that can be tested by investigation

v.Newton – used scientific method1. provided an explanation for the universe

– a force called “GRAVITY” holds the universe together