Similarity between the goals of Mao Zedong (China) and Emiliano Zapata (Mexico) Mao Zedong was the communist leader of China – China became a communist

nation in 1949 and was renamed the People’s Republic of China Mao Zedong had gained the support of the Chinese peasants as a guerrilla leader by

promising land reform and land redistribution – he lived and worked among the peasants

Emiliano Zapata was an Indian leader during the Mexican Revolution – although he was assassinated, he was a defender of the Indians and promised “Tierra y Libertad” or “Land and Freedom” – he would lead raids on rich haciendas (big farms) and redistribute land to the Indians – although he was not a communist, he did seek to improve the lives of the peasants through land redistribution – taking land from the rich and giving land to the poor

Thus, a major similarity between the goals of leaders of the Chinese Communist Revolution, such as Mao Zedong, and the goals of leaders of the Mexican Revolution, such as Emiliano Zapata, in the early twentieth century was support for redistribution of land to poor peasants

Even the first communist leader of a successful Marxist Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, promised “Bread, Peace, and Land” – land redistribution was a very desired goal of peasants

The Confucian Notion of the Dynastic Cycle The Dynastic Cycle is the changing of the dynasties in China – due to the belief in

the Mandate of Heaven (the right to rule) or that the dynasty receives the right to rule as long as it rules wisely and well but loses the Mandate of Heaven if floods, famines, epidemics, or too many wars occur

Zeng Guofan said in 1854, “In the past, at the end of the Han, Tang, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, bands of rebels were innumerable, all because of foolish rulers and misgovernment, so that none of these rebellions could be stamped out. But today [the emperor] is deeply concerned and examines his character in order to reform himself, worships Heaven, and is sympathetic to the people. He has not increased the land tax. . . . It does not require any great wisdom to see that sooner or later the [Taiping] bandits will all be destroyed.”

In this quote, it is clear that Zeng Guofan is saying that foolish leaders led to the success of rebellions and the collapse of dynasties

He is also saying that the Qing emperor is not foolish and is making good decisions by examining his character and reforming himself – therefore the Taiping Rebellion will be stopped

The quotation reveals how the Mandate of Heaven justifies rebellion when a ruler is corrupt and incompetent

A Key Difference between the Ottoman Empire and the Tokugawa Shogunate The Ottoman Empire was an Islamic Gunpowder Empire The Tokugawa Shogunate was a Japanese Gunpowder Empire but the shogun

controlled the gunpowder and had a monopoly on the gunpowder However, there were many differences – the Ottomans were Muslim rulers and the

Tokugawa shoguns were not – the Tokugawa shoguns had a centralized feudalism

More significantly, the Tokugawa shoguns isolated Japan and the Ottomans were actively engaged in trade with other regions

Therefore, one key difference between the Ottoman Empire and the Tokugawa Shogunate was that the Tokugawa Shogunate was less influenced by other cultures than the Ottoman Empire was – since the Tokugawa largely isolated Japan and were less affected by cultural diffusion

Ethnocentrism in the Middle Kingdom Ethnocentrism is a belief in cultural superiority – it is the belief that one culture is

superior to other cultures Throughout much of their history, the Chinese were ethnocentric – as were most

people – the Chinese believed that China was the “Middle Kingdom” – the center of the world

This ethnocentrism reflected in the term – Middle Kingdom – led to a belief that the outside world had nothing of value – nothing to offer

Yu Huan, a Chinese historian, said circa 250 C.E., “What is recorded in the Buddhist scriptures is analogous to the teachings contained in the scripture of Laozi [the founder of Daoism] in China, and it is actually believed that Laozi, after having gone to India, instructed the barbarians and became the Buddha.”

Yu Huan is saying that Buddhist texts were from Laozi, the Chinese philosopher credited with the founding of Daoism – that Buddhist ideas came from Laozi –that Laozi went to India and taught the barbarians in India and became the Buddha

In the fictionalized account of the origins of Buddhism outlined in the passage above, Yu Huan’s purpose was most likely to assert the superiority of Chinese culture over non-Chinese cultures

African Independence Movements after 1946 Most African colonies gained national independence Decolonization or the movements to end European imperialism largely came after

the end of World War II – as Europe was devastated from the conflicts and largely unable to address the needs of its colonies and needed to direct its energy to the rebuilding of Europe and as the British had fought against the imperial ambitions of Hitler, imperialism lost its credibility

Thus, the end of World War II marked the beginning of the independence movements in the colonies – it marked the beginning of decolonization

1960 is often known as the “Year of Africa” By the end of 1960, there were 27 independent nations in Africa, with 17 gaining

their independence that year alone, as Britain, France, and Belgium all but dismantled their colonial empires in Africa

The Country that Experienced the Most Rapid Economic Growth during the Second World War

The United States was the country that experienced the most rapid economic growth during the Second World War

When World War II ended, the United States was in better economic condition than any other country in the world

Even the 300,000 combat deaths suffered by Americans paled in comparison to any other major belligerent

Building on the economic base left after the war, American society became more affluent in the postwar years than most Americans could have imagined in their wildest dreams before or during the war

The United States emerged as a superpower after World War II

Similarity – North and South American Independence Movements The American Revolution was an independence movement – Americans sought

independence from Britain and an end to colonialism and mercantilism The South American Independence Movements sought an end to European rule Both movements were influenced by the ideas of the European Enlightenment Yes, the North and South American independence movements of the late eighteenth

and early nineteenth centuries shared revolutionary demands based on Enlightenment political ideas

Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke wrote of natural rights – the rights of all men to life, liberty and property – and consent of the governed or the idea that government’s power comes from the people and that the people give their consent or permission (through voting) to rulers to rule in the name of the people and for the well-being of the people

Christianity in Ethiopia After the expansion of Islam into Africa, an organized Christian presence remained

in Egypt and Ethiopia The adoption of Christianity in Ethiopia dates to the fourth-century reign of the

Axumite emperor Ezana The kingdom of Axum was an African kingdom located along major international

trade routes through the Red Sea between India and the Roman empire Christianity afforded the possibility of unifying the many diverse ethnic and

linguistic peoples of the kingdom of Axum, a goal of Ezana’s leadership Axum was one of the earliest states to develop a coin system in order to service its

sophisticated and prosperous economy – Emperor Ezana was the first world leader to put the cross on coins

Why – Chinese Government Stopped Voyages of Exploration Zheng He was the great Chinese admiral and explorer who took seven major

expeditions between 1405 and 1433 The voyages of Zheng He were sponsored by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty Yet within the emperor’s court, there was division – the Confucian scholar-gentry

believed that the expeditions were a waste of resources as China was the Middle Kingdom and the outside world had nothing of value

But the eunuchs – like Zheng He – valued the expeditions and sought to establish Chinese supremacy in the Indian Ocean and establish tributary relationships with the kingdoms of the Indian Ocean region

Ultimately, on the death of Emperor Yongle, the expeditions were stopped Zheng He’s fleet rotted in the harbor and his records were destroyed

The Chinese government’s concern with domestic concerns and frontier security led the Chinese government to stop the voyages of exploration in the Indian Ocean in the early fifteenth century

In the end, concern about nomadic invaders on the frontier and concerns within China allowed the Confucian scholar-gentry to win the court battle and the voyages were stopped

The Swahili Language Swahili is a Bantu language with many Arabic words Swahili has been greatly influenced by Arabic; there are an enormous number of

Arabic loanwords in the language, including the word swahili, from Arabic sawāḥilī (a plural adjectival form of an Arabic word meaning “of the coast”)

The language dates from the contacts of Arabian traders with the inhabitants of the east coast of Africa over many centuries

Under Arab influence, Swahili originated as a lingua franca (a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different) used by several closely related Bantu-speaking tribal groups

In the early 19th century, the spread of Swahili inland received a great impetus from its being the language of the Arab ivory and slave caravans, which penetrated as far north as Uganda and as far west as Congo

Swahili is a language that came into existence after 1000 as the direct result of expanding global trade patterns

Facts about the Mongol Empire In the 1200s and 1300s, the Mongols – a nomadic peoples from the steppes of

Central Asia – established the world’s largest contiguous empire The Mongol Empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea and covered

the entire expanse of the Silk Roads The Mongols reestablished the Silk Road between East Asia and Europe – trade

flourished on the Silk Roads as the Mongols protected the route and provided security

The Mongols were primarily interested in the collection of tribute and conquered China, Russia, and Persia

The Mongols were religiously tolerant and engaged in psychological warfare – they were skilled warriors on horseback – they possessed a skilled cavalry

What Marco Polo Saw in Kublai Khan’s Court – the Use of Paper Money Marco Polo was a European merchant and traveler who visited the court of the

great Mongol ruler of China – Kublai Khan Marco Polo was amazed at the many advances in China – he was amazed at how

advanced China was He had not encountered many remarkable inventions and advances in Europe that

he saw in China; he was particularly amazed at the use of paper money and coal and the practice of frequent bathing

Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across Asia at the height of the Mongol Empire

He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle, traveling overland along what later became known as the Silk Road

Upon reaching China, Marco Polo entered the court of powerful Mongol ruler Khubilai Khan, who dispatched him on trips to help administer the realm

Marco Polo remained abroad for 24 years Though not the first European to explore China – his father and uncle, among

others, had already been there – he became famous for his travels thanks to a popular book he co-authored while languishing in a Genoese prison

Who Dominated Mediterranean Trade during the Sixteenth Century? Italian city-states and the Ottoman Empire are the states that dominated the

Mediterranean trade during the sixteenth century This is not surprising – after all, the sixteenth century is the 1500s and in the 1500s,

the Ottoman Empire was at its height The Ottoman Empire controlled the eastern Mediterranean Sea – look at a map of

the Ottoman Empire at its height and this is evident The Italian city-states – like Venice – also dominated trade in the Mediterranean

during the 1500s Situated in the heart of a lagoon on the coast of northeast Italy, Venice was a major

power in the medieval and early modern world, and a key city in the development of trade routes from the east to Europe

Venice’s strategic position on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, within reach of the Byzantine Empire and traders from the Near East, allowed the city to become a hub of trade in the west, receiving goods from the east by sea and disseminating them into the growing European market

Impact of the Introduction of Coffee Growing in Places like Kenya and El Salvador after 1880

Kenya was a British colony in Africa – remember that the Berlin Conference in 1884 to 1885 began the “Scramble for Africa” whereby the countries of Western European competed for and claimed colonies in Africa

El Salvador is located in Central America – yet even though independent, it was still dependent on agricultural exports

But Kenya with its cash crop production favored by imperialists and El Salvador dependent on foreign markets became exporters of the cash crop of coffee

A major impact of the introduction of coffee growing in places like Kenya and El Salvador after 1880 was greater dependence on foreign markets by Africans and Latin Americans

Yes, cash crops are crops for export and cash crops depend on foreign markets and foreigners to purchase products – therefore cash crop agriculture makes a region very dependent on the world market

Monoculture is the cultivation or growth of a single crop or organism especially on agricultural or forest land

Relations between European States and the Ottoman Empire in the period 1815 to 1914

The Ottoman Empire was at its height in the 1500s – by 1815 to 1914, the Ottoman Empire was increasingly known as the “Sick Man of Europe” – the Ottomans had fallen technologically behind Western Europe

Russian, English, and French expansion came at the expense of the Ottomans – yes, that is an accurate description of relations between European states and the Ottoman Empire in the period 1815 to 1914

The Ottoman Empire in 1914 was commonly known as 'the sick man of Europe', a sign that the once-great power was crumbling

The Turks had dominated the Eastern Mediterranean for half a millennium, controlling vast swathes of Central Europe, Arab lands as far down as Egypt and had at one stage been knocking on the doors of Vienna and Venice

By the 20th century all that remained in Ottoman hands outside Turkey was Syria, Mesopotamia, Palestine and parts of the Arabian Peninsula – the rest of the empire had been gobbled up by the Russians, British, and French

Similarity – Russia and Japan by 1914 Rapid, state-sponsored industrialization had occurred in both countries – both

Russia and Japan After 1860, the Russian government became involved in building an industrial

economy - the government gave subsidies to build railroads – in 1860, Russia had only about 1,250 miles of track; by 1880 it had 15,500 miles

Railroads allowed Russia to export grain and earn money for further industrialization

Industrial modernization continued in Russia under the leadership of Sergei Witte, Alexander’s finance minister – the railroad network doubled to over 35,000 miles; he also established a series of high protective tariffs that protected Russian industry devised a plan to employ Western capital to build factories in Russia – within ten years, on the strength of foreign investment, a huge steel industry was developed

Japan too experienced state sponsored industrialization – under the Meiji Restoration, the government actively pursued a policy of modernization and industrialization

Effects of the Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna occurred after the defeat of Napoleon – it was a meeting of

the leading statesmen of Western Europe and headed by the Austrian diplomat, Metternich

At the Congress of Vienna, the map of Europe was redrawn as the Napoleonic Empire had been defeated, the monarchs were restored to power – monarchs who had been removed by Napoleon, and the old ways of Europe were favored – it was a conservative movement

In addition, a balance of power was pursued – a balance of power is the idea that the countries of Europe should be equally strong to prevent a future Napoleon

So, the Congress of Vienna led to the restoration of the monarchy in France and the Netherlands

It led to a triumph of conservative values – at least, for a timeSimilarity – Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires

The Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empires were multiethnic empires Peoples of diverse backgrounds and cultures lived in the empires This sometimes led to separatist movements where one culture group demanded its

autonomy – its freedom and its own independent nation Yes, in the nineteenth century, the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires were

two examples of multinational empires Eventually, the force of nationalism would shatter these empires

Effects of the European Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in 1750 – it was the use of machines in

factories to produce goods Industrialization leads to the increased manufacturing of goods and therefore to a

decrease in the price of goods As goods become more affordable, more individuals can buy goods and thus, the

standard of living increases Of course, industrialization also fuels imperialism – as industrial nations want many

natural resources for their factories and are able to gain cheap natural resources through conquest

Among the first results of the European Industrial Revolution in other parts of the world was the increased demand for commodities such as cotton and palm oil

Cotton was used to make textiles and as people in Europe began to take sanitation and hygiene seriously, demand for soap increased, resulting in the demand for vegetable oil suitable for soap manufacture and other technical uses

Growth of Cities and Trade in the Post-Classical Period Urbanization (movement to cities) and trade go together – where a trading port

exists, a city is soon to develop Yes, increased interregional trade represents the most significant cause of the

growth of cities in Afro-Eurasia in the period 1000–1450 In the postclassical era, trade routes flourished – like the Silk Roads and Indian

Ocean Trade As a result of increased trade, more cities developed and more people moved to

cities Trade provides alternatives to farming – and traders congregate in cities

Mao Zedong and Mohandas Gandhi both Appealed to which Group as a Base of Support? Mao Zedong was the Communist leader of China – China became a communist

nation in 1949 – prior to the Communist victory, Mao lived with, worked for, and organized the peasants – with the support of the peasants, the Communist revolution was successful

Mohandas K. Gandhi was the nonviolent leader of India’s independence movement – he was a nationalist and he dressed like the peasants to show his solidarity with the peasantry and his concerns for the peasants – Gandhi wanted a free India but he also wanted to uplift the peasantry and to end poverty

Thus, Mao and Gandhi both appealed to peasants even though Mao was a Communist and Gandhi was a religious man and an advocate of a free India through nonviolence

Yes, Mao Zedong and Mohandas Gandhi both appealed to peasants as a base of support

Their movements were dependent on the recruitment of peasants and the support of the peasantry

The Impact of Maoist Policies on Women in China Maoist policies are Communist policies through the understanding of Mao Zedong,

the leader of the Chinese Communist victory in China in 1949 Mao believed in Marxism but he modified it – in that he believed that an agriculture

nation of peasants could experience Communist revolution without an industrial phase

However, like all Communists, Mao believed in the equality of women and so, the Confucian beliefs that had relegated women to the inferior status was lifted

Maoist policies banned arranged marriages and made women an important part of the Communist women’s movement

Maoist policies like banning arranged marriages led to the most dramatic change in the status of Chinese peasant women in the 1940’s and 1950’s

An Effect of the Neolithic Revolution During the Neolithic Revolution, some people learned to farm and domesticate

animals This dramatic turning point led to profound changes – with farming, humans settled

as crops do not run away and fields need tending throughout the year Thus, permanent settlements developed Yes, the establishment of sedentary village communities was a major effect of the

Neolithic Revolution Farmers settled – they were not nomads Of course, class divisions, gender inequality, epidemic diseases, poverty, and

homelessness also eventually resulted from the Neolithic Revolution but on the bright side – permanent settlements and a reliable food source developed

A Result of the Development of Agriculture Population density increased as a result of the development of agriculture in

societies that previously relied on hunting and gathering Population increased because settled people can have more children under the age

of five Nomads move and nomads can only carry so many babies when they move – a

husband and wife could each carry a baby or toddler but neither could carry lots of babies

Nomads have low population density – movement limits the number of children they can have

A reliable food source also increased the number of people in the communityAn Important Reason for the fall of the Roman, Han, and Gupta Empires

Invaders led to the collapse of the Roman, Han, and Gupta Empires Intensified invasions and security issues along their frontiers were important

reasons for the fall of the Roman, Han, and Gupta empires All of the core civilizations of the classical era suffered from external invasions Attila the Hun created a loose kingdom of central Asian nomads running from

Germany to China, and his invasion of Rome helped accelerate its collapse The Huns’ power came largely from their strength as horsemen Nomads from the Asiatic steppes invaded China and established their own regional

kingdom The Huns initiated a series of invasions and gained control over northwestern India Unable to restore control over even its tributary princes, the Gupta dynasty

collapsed entirely around in the late 500s C.E.

Similarity – Judaism and Hinduism Initially, the differences are seen: Judaism is monotheistic and Hindus worship

many gods although Hindus believe that all gods are manifestations of the cosmic force known as Brahman

Yet before 500 C.E. Judaism and Hinduism were similar in that both had written scriptures and an ethical code to live by

In Judaism, there is the Bible and in particular, the Torah – the first five books of the Bible that according to the Hebrews, reveal God’s laws and Commandments for his people

In Hinduism, there are several sacred texts: the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita

In both Judaism and Hinduism, there are ethical rules to follow – Jews are to follow God’s Commandments, to do good and Hindus are to make good actions, good karma

Effects of Bantu Migration Armed with iron smelting technology the Bantu of west and central Africa dispersed

across the continent, changing its linguistic and cultural landscape The Bantu migrated throughout sub-Saharan Africa The Bantu spread agriculture, iron, and their languages Chief among the reasons for Bantu migration was environmental stress and

population increase in West Africa, forcing people to move – as agriculture increases population growth

There was little or no evidence of iron working in east and southern Africa before the arrival of the Bantu suggesting that new technology was spread by the migrants

The spread of Bantu-speaking peoples over southern Africa before 1400 C.E. can be best explained by their knowledge of agriculture

Similarity – Incas and Aztecs The Incas developed a vast empire stretching along the Andes Mountains in the

1100s The Aztecs developed a vast empire in Central Mexico

The Incas assimilated the peoples they conquered; the Aztecs were more interested in the collection of tribute and allowed conquered people to maintain their cultural ways

Yet both civilizations, Inca and Aztec, were similar in that both acquired empires by means of military conquest

Yes, empires are largely built upon military conquests

The Feudal Hierarchy in Japan Feudalism developed in Japan in the 1100s C.E. In the feudal hierarchy of Japan, the shogun was the most powerful lord in Japan

and he ruled The emperor reigned but he did not rule as he was a mere figurehead The feudal hierarchy consisted of shogun, daimyo (lords), samurai (warriors), and

peasants Yes, Japanese feudal society was comprised of all of the following positions: shogun,

daimyo, and samurai and an emperor who reigned but did not rule But Shinto is not part of feudal society – it is part of Japanese culture in that it is

Japan’s oldest religion and a form of Japanese animism

Why the late 1400s Mark the Beginning of a New Period in World History? In 1492, Christopher Columbus accidentally arrived in the Americas – thereby

permanently altering world history – now the Americas were fully incorporated into the world trading network and European diseases decimated the indigenous peoples of the Americas

Yes, the incorporation of the Americas into a broader global network of exchange changes best justifies the claim that the late 1400s mark the beginning of a new period in world history

Globalization was truly beginning The Columbian Exchange led to a global cultural diffusion of ideas, crops, animals,

peoples, diseases and ideas New crops from the Americas increased populations in Europe and Asia; indigenous

peoples of the Americas experienced the Great Dying; and the Atlantic Slave Trade began

Cash Crops on Plantations in the Americas In the Caribbean and Brazil, sugar was an important cash crop In the American South, cotton was an important cash crop Cash crops are crops grown specifically for export In the period 1450–1750, cash crops such as sugar and tobacco were produced on

large plantations by slave labor and were significant commodities in the growing world market

Plantations depended on slave labor from Africa African slaves replaced a dying indigenous population in the Americas Cash crops such as sugar and tobacco were dependent on slave labor

The Impact of Crops from the Western Hemisphere on Europe and China

The impact of new crops from the Americas on Europe and China was population increase

Crops from the Americas like corn and potatoes were high in calories and grew easily in difficult soil

These crops therefore were vital in providing food for the peoples of Europe and China and led to population increases as fewer people died from malnutrition and starvation

The introduction of Western Hemisphere crops is most likely to have influenced eighteenth-century population trends in both Europe and China

Thanks to new crops from the Americas fewer Europeans and Chinese died from starvation

Similarity – Mughal and Ottoman Empires The Mughals conquered much of the Indian subcontinent – they were a Muslim

minority ruling a Hindu majority and were descendants of Mongols and Timur the Lame

The Ottomans were Muslim rulers of Anatolia and the Balkans as well as some of Southwest Asia and North Africa – the Ottomans conquered the Byzantine Empire in 1453

Both the Ottomans and the Mughals were Muslims; both conquered and ruled multiethnic empires; both were skilled warriors on horseback; and both were gunpowder empires

Yes, both the Mughal and Ottoman empires in the sixteenth century were empires that expanded through the use of gunpowder weapons and had extensive bureaucracies

Ruling in similar time periods and at times in similar ways, the Mughal and the Ottoman empires had much in common

How the Industrial Revolution Changed Europe in the World Economy The Industrial Revolution began in England in 1750 and involved the use of

machines in factories to manufacture goods The Industrial Revolution led to urbanization or movement to cities, increased

production and therefore cheaper goods and ultimately a rise in the standard of living as people could afford more stuff to lead more comfortable lives, and of course, the Industrial Revolution increased the might of England with better weaponry and better steamships

The Industrial Revolution spread from England to continental Europe and the U.S.A.

Most world historians would agree that the key to European predominance in the world economy during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution greatly increased the might, power, and reach of Europe The Industrial Revolution like the Scientific Revolution earlier led to the rise of

Europe and its domination of much of the world in the nineteenth centuryMeiji Restoration and Expansionism in Japan

In 1868, the Japanese emperor was restored to power and Japan became to modernize and industrialize

The Meiji Restoration was a reaction to the arrival of Commodore Perry from the U.S.A. in Japan and the American insistence that the Tokugawa Shogunate end its policy of isolationism in Japan

With the arrival of the Americans, the Japanese knew that if they did not join them (Westerners), they would be beaten – so, the Japanese joined them (modernized and industrialized) and even conquered other lands as the Europeans were doing at the time

Like Europeans, industrialization led to imperialism as conquest provided cheap raw materials for factories

So, in effect, the Japanese took that saying “If you can’t beat them, join them” and added to it “And then beat them!”

In World War II, the Japanese were quite difficult to defeat Yes, between 1750 and 1900, Japan was an industrializing state that created an

empire

The Impact of the French Revolution on Haiti With its talk of liberty, equality, and fraternity, the French Revolution encouraged

men to think of their natural rights The slaves on the French colony of Haiti were inspired by revolutionary talk in

France and slavery was abolished by the new French government until Napoleon tried to restore slavery to the island

But men who have been freed will never willingly return to chains The French Revolution was the European development that is most closely

associated with the revolution in Haiti Liberty, equality, and fraternity were quite inspirational words Haiti was the only country to experience a successful slave rebellion that led to the

independence of the island on January 1, 1804

The Goods Exchanged on Trans-Saharan Trade Routes Trans-Saharan trade is known as the salt for gold trade North African nomads carried salt and other needed goods to West Africa West Africa was rich in gold and in need of salt and so, great West African

kingdoms developed like Ghana, Mali and Songhai Islam also spread on Trans-Saharan trade routes Yes, African goods traded on the Trans-Saharan Route included salt and gold

Nationalism Nationalism can unite people of a common language and culture into a nation –

think Italian and German unification Nationalism can also destroy multiethnic empires as ethnic minorities want their

own nations – think Greeks in the Ottoman Empire wanting a Greece, a separate and independent nation for the Greek culture

Conquered people often form independence movements and nationalist movements – think Mohandas K. Gandhi and Indian nationalism – India for the Indians and not India for the British

The Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser (in power 1952–1970) was a nationalist – he believed that Egypt belonged to the Egyptians and even though Egypt was independent, the Suez Canal was still largely controlled by European investors

So, when Nasser said, “We shall not repeat the past. We shall eradicate it by restoring our rights in the Suez Canal. This money is ours. The canal is the property of Egypt.” – he was best expressing support for nationalism

Nationalism – Egypt for the Egyptians

Reason for the Sunni and Shi’a Split in Islam When the Prophet Muhammad died unexpectedly without announcing a successor,

a great division occurred within the Islamic umma or community Many Muslims concluded that the leader of the Islamic umma could be any pious

Muslim man – these individuals eventually formed the Sunni sect of Islam Not all Muslims agreed, however, and a minority of Muslims came to believe that

only a descendant from the Prophet’s family through his son-in-law, ‘Ali, could rule – these individuals were known as the Shi’a

Thus, the split between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims occurred as a result of disagreement over leadership succession issues

Sunni and Shi’a differed over who was the legitimate ruler of the Islamic umma

Reason for the Rise of Feudalism Feudalism occurs when the central government is weak or even worse, collapses Feudal states arose in both Europe and China directly as a result of the

fragmentation of central government units Fragmentation occurs when kingdoms are competing for power within a region Feudalism occurred in Western Europe after the fall of the Western Roman Empire

in 476 C.E. as many competing kingdoms replaced the once powerful Roman Empire in the West

Feudalism occurred in Japan in the 1100s C.E. as the emperor lost his power and the shogun emerged as the most powerful lord of Japan

Feudalism also occurred periodically in China – whenever the dynasty was too weak to control the nation – then competing warlords would vie or compete for power

The Political Structure of the Maya The Maya lived in southern Mexico and Guatemala and developed competing city-

states Although sharing a Mayan culture, each Maya city-state had its own king and

government Numerous independent, warring city-states most accurately describes the political

structure of the Maya from 600 C.E. to 900 C.E. Classic Maya civilization grew to some 40 cities, including Tikal, Uaxactún, Copán,

Bonampak, Dos Pilas, Calakmul, Palenque and Río Bec Maya cities were surrounded and supported by a large population of farmers

Facts about British Rule in India British conquest of India began first with a company – the British East India

Company started by trading with India and then slowly gaining political and military control of the subcontinent

The British East India Company relied on sepoys or Indian soldiers to serve in the British East India Company army – but the sepoys were one day greatly insulted and offended by the Company when the Company issued grease for the cartridges – grease made from cow and pig fat

The Hindu and Muslim sepoys rebelled in the Sepoy Mutiny (1857-1858) – the rebellion was violent and lasted nearly a year – only when the British government sent in British troops was the rebellion stopped

In 1858, the British crown took over the colony and the Company no longer ruled The Sepoy Rebellion was not successful but it paved the way for an Indian

resistance movement that would one day lead to Mohandas K. Gandhi and Indian independence

Reason for the Adoption of Neoconfucianism by the Ming Dynasty The adoption of Neoconfucianism by the Ming dynasty during the fourteenth

century was primarily motivated by the need for competent government administrators

The Ming dynasty overthrew the Mongols in China – overthrew the Yuan dynasty When the Ming came to power, they removed the foreign influence of the Mongols

from China and restored China to Chinese ways – this included a return to NeoConfucianism and the examination system

The examination system which was based on Confucianism and Chinese history was a meritocracy – a system where only competent men who passed the examination were granted government service

The examination system provided competent government administrators in the Ming government

The Impact of Mongol Rule on Moscow The Mongols conquered Russia but they thought Russia had little of value and so,

ruled Russia from their beloved steppes The Mongols were primarily interested in the collection of tribute from Russia However, when the city of Kiev resisted the Mongols, the city was destroyed The princes of Moscow, however, were more than willing to serve as tribute

collectors for the Mongols and so, the Mongols elevated the city of Moscow The Mongols were also religiously tolerant and this allowed for the rise of the

Orthodox Christian Church in Russia under Mongol rule When the Mongols weakened, their weakness allowed for the rise of an independent

Russia led by the city of Moscow Yes, the rise and fall of the Mongolian khanates contributed most to the initial

formation of political states by the Muscovite Russians and the Ottoman Turks When the Mongol Empire in Persia collapsed, it created a power vacuum which

allowed the Ottoman Turks to rise to power

And when the Mongol Empire collapsed in Russia, it allowed for the rise of Muscovite Russia or a Russia led by Moscow

The Byzantine Empire and Russia Byzantine missionaries, Cyril and Methodius, brought the Orthodox Christian

religion to Russia – they also created an alphabet for the Russian language known as the Cyrillic alphabet – named for the monk

The Byzantines also influenced Russia with the idea of an absolute ruler or Caesar – Tsar in Russian

Yes, the Byzantine Empire achieved the conversion of many Slavic peoples to Christianity

Although the Byzantine Empire collapsed in 1453 as the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire lives on in Russia

By converting many Slavic peoples to Orthodox Christianity, the Byzantine influence in Russia survives to the present day – even after years of atheistic, Marxist control

The Mongol Empire The rise of the Mongol Empire contributed to all of the following: an empire that

extended across parts of Europe and Asia, an unsuccessful attempt to conquer Japan, the spread of the plague, and the growth of trade across Central Asia

The Mongol Empire controlled much of Eurasia in the 1200s to the 1300s – from the Pacific Ocean to the Black Sea

The Mongols controlled the length of the Silk Roads and provided security on the trade routes – as such, trade increased as did the spread of disease, most notably the spread of Bubonic Plague or the Black Death

The Mongols tried to conquer Japan twice but failed However, the Mongols never spread Christianity – the Mongols were religiously

tolerant and allowed conquered peoples to keep their religious ways

The First Mechanized Industry in England The first Industrial Revolution in Great Britain was initially based on textiles Yes, the first Industrial Revolution in England occurred in the textile industry or

clothing industry A number of factors contributed to Britain’s role as the birthplace of the Industrial

Revolution – for one, it had great deposits of coal and iron ore, which proved essential for industrialization

Around 1764, Englishman James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny (“jenny” was an early abbreviation of the word “engine”), a machine that enabled an individual to produce multiple spools of threads simultaneously

The spinning jenny was improved upon by British inventor Samuel Compton’s (1753-1827) spinning mule, as well as later machines

Another key innovation in textiles, the power loom, which mechanized the process of weaving cloth, was developed in the 1780s by English inventor Edmund Cartwright

How Latin American Independence Movements Impact the Social Hierarchy

During colonialism in Latin America, peninsulares or individuals born in Spain were most powerful – they held the most important jobs in the colonial government and were the largest landowners

After the success of the independence movements, peninsulares were replaced by creoles or individuals born in the Americas of entirely European ancestry

The new hierarchy after independence consisted of creoles, mestizos, and Indians and Africans

Creoles had replaced peninsulares but little else changed The wars of independence in Latin America in the early nineteenth century resulted

in few changes in social structure – as Indians and Africans were still landless workers – terribly exploited

The End of Serfdom in Russia and the End of Slavery in the United States – Think Dates In 1861, Tsar Alexander II freed the serfs in Russia In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment freed the slaves in the United States Russia and the United States were countries that ended coerced labor in the decade

of the 1860s These coerced labor systems were ended However, life for newly freed serfs and slaves were still difficult and exploitation of

labor still occurred – yet freedom is important

The May Fourth Movement in China On May 4, 1919, Chinese students gathered and held a mass demonstration

protesting the peace treaty at the end of World War I that transferred German concessions in China to Japan

The students were furious that the Chinese government had agreed to this transfer In a way, the May Fourth Movement was a nationalist movement Over the following weeks, demonstrations occurred throughout the country; several

students died or were wounded in these incidents, and more than 1,000 were arrested

In the big cities, strikes and boycotts against Japanese goods were begun by the students and lasted more than two months

The May Fourth Movement arose out of dissatisfaction with the treaties ending the First World War