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Global I Mid – Term Review Guide
Fields of Study:
Archeology – study of artifacts
Historian – study of history through artifacts and primary sources
Geography – study of the earth – Five Themes of Geography – Location (absolute and
relative), Place, Region, Human/Environment Interaction, Movement
Cultural Diffusion – process of the spread and mixing of cultures – Occurs through war,
trade, and migration
Natural Barrier – any barrier made in nature that hinders human movement (Examples:
Mountains, deserts, oceans)
Paleolithic Era
- people were nomadic (hunters and gatherers)
- no cities or civilizations
- basic tools
- evidence shows people had some form of religion by burying dead with great care
Neolithic Revolution
- Major turning point in human history
- Start of agriculture
- Domestication of animals
- Farming villages develop
- Start of civilizations
Eight Features (Characteristics) of Civilization
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Cities
Writing
Religion
Public Works
Job Specialization
art/architecture
social classes
Government
River Valley Civilizations
- Egypt
- Mesopotamia
- China
- India
Egypt
- Nile River
- Natural Barrier of Desert, Mountains, and Sea
- Predictable floods
- Society set up in a hierarchy – Top to bottom
- Hieroglyphics – Egyptian writing (record keeping)
- Rosetta Stone
- Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms
- Production of Papyrus plant
Mesopotamia
- Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
- Unpredictable floods
- Limited natural barriers create a great deal of cultural diffusion
- Sumerians develop first written language called cuneiform (record keeping)
- Babylonian King Hammurabi – first written law codes – Hammurabi’s Code
- Hammurabi’s Code – STRICT LAWS and HARSH PUNISHMENTS
India
- Indus and Ganges Rivers
- Many Natural Barriers – Mountains and Deserts
- Khyber Pass – passage way through the mountains often used as an invasion
route
- Agricultural output is impacted greatly by seasonal winds called MONSOONS
- Early cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro showed evidence of urban planning
- Develop rigid social structure called Caste System
- Caste System based on occupation and race
- Caste System – Priests called Brahmins are at the top Pariah or “Untouchables” at
the bottom
- Asoka “The Philosopher” converts to Buddhism, tolerant, creates written laws
Pillars of Asoka
- Reach “Golden Age” under the Gupta
- Gupta make advances in math and medicine, create concept of zero, create
decimal system, used Sanskrit language
Hinduism –
- Polytheistic
- Mostly in associated with India
- Used Caste System
- Believed in reincarnation (cycle of rebirths)
- Karma/Dharma
- Ultimate goal was to reach Moksha or union with Brahman
China
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Huang He (Yellow) and Yangzi Rivers
Huang He also called “River of Sorrows” due to unpredictable flooding
East is bordered by Yellow Sea
Mountains, Deserts, Plateaus, Jungles all serve as natural barriers to isolate China
China becomes Ethnocentric (Belief that your culture is superior to all others)
Refer to themselves as “Middle Kingdom”
Shi Huang Di is first to unite China
Shi Huang Di builds Great Wall of China, which serves to represent China’s
ethnocentric mindset
Dynastic Cycle – rise and fall of Dynasties
Chinese use the Mandate of Heaven to justify Dynastic Cycle
Han Dynasty builds an extensive trade network in China
Most important Han ruler was Wudi
Han develop Silk Road
THREE SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN CHINA
- Legalism – developed by Hanfenzi – belief that all people are greedy and evil and
need strict laws and harsh punishments to be controlled
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Daoism (Taoism) – developed by Laozi – sought to be at one with nature –
believed the best government governed least, practiced alchemy
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Confucianism – developed by Confucius – used in China to maintain social order,
belief that all people were born good and society shapes them into what they will
become, recorded his teachings in the Analects, believed in filial piety (Showing
respect for your elders and parents), believed the government should rule by
example, GIVE RESPECT – GET RESPECT!!!
Buddhism – Started in India, Founder was Siddhartha Gautama, Four Noble Truths,
believed all life was suffering and suffering was caused by the desire for material
possessions, believed people could overcome desire by following the Eight –fold Path
Eightfold Path, Spread to China along the Silk Road
Greece – first civilization can be traced back to island of Crete, Crete eventually over
run by Mycenaean, thousands of islands, isolated valleys and mountains made Greece
hard to unite, as a result Greece formed political units known as city-states, two most
famous city-states were Athens and Sparta
Athens – Reached Golden Age under the leadership of Pericles, developed
democracy (a form of government where the people hold the power to make decisions
and the citizens are the source of power), stressed a well-rounded education, excelled
in art and architecture, art and sculpture focused on realism and the ideal
Sparta – focused on the military, very strict society, developed an oligarchy where a
few elite people ran the government
Alexander the Great – great military leader who builds an empire through military
conquests, responsible for the formation of the Hellenistic Civilization, Hellenistic
Civilization combines elements of Greek, Indian, Egyptian, and Persian cultures,
Alexander is credited with the spread of Greek culture, conquests responsible for a
great deal cultural diffusion
Greek Philosophers –Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle used reason
and rationale thought to explain the world.
Rome – formed in Italy, lack of natural barriers and broad fertile plains made it easy
to unite (eventually, this allows them to create an empire), starts off as a Republic, a
Republic is a representative government where the people elect people to make the
decisions, the Senate was the most powerful governing body, Laws of the Twelve
Tables becomes basis for Roman Legal System, become an Empire under Augustus,
Pax Romana (200 years of peace and stability in Rome), build an extensive system of
roads, build aqueducts to bring water to the cities, advances in technology, spread
Greek culture through conquests, create Grecco/Roman culture, biggest contribution
was legal system based on innocent until proven guilty and trial by jury, Diocletian
divides empire into east and west, Constantine issues Edict of Milan which ends the
persecution of Christians, Rome falls due to political, economic and social turmoil
Byzantine Empire – eastern portion of Rome becomes Byzantine Empire, Justinian
becomes most famous emperor (autocrat), Justinian’s Code is a legal system based on
Roman law, Greek East Orthodox Christian Church develops, Preservation of Greek
and Roman culture, Icons and mosaics, Hagia Sophia is a church built by Justinian
Western Europe Duribg the Middle Ages – also refered to as the Dark Ages or
Medieval Period, after the fall of Rome Europe goes through a period of poverty,
disunity, and conflict, Feudalism develops as a result of a weak central government and
the need for protection, in feudalism the king divides his land to nobles in exchange for
military protection, in feudalism the nobles hold all the real power, in feudalism the
knights are the warrior class, knights follow a code of conduct called chivalry, in
feudalism the serfs are farming peasants who are bound to the land, manoiralism is the
economic side of feudalism, manorialism is based on agriculture and mutual
responsibility, Clovis converts to Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church wielded a
great deal of power, Charlemagne briefly creates unity and Europe, When Charlemagne
dies the Treaty of Verdun divides his kingdom. Clovis stops the Muslim advance into
Europe at the Battle of Tours
Islam – founded in the Middle East by Muhammad, monotheistic, Allah, Holy Book –
Quran, House of Worship – Mosque, Law – Sharia, Religious Guidelines – 5 Pillars,
Jihad – struggle in God’s service, build a huge empire, Abu Bakr becomes first Caliph
after death of Muhammad, Islam splits into factions (Sunnis and Shiites)
Judaism – founded in Middle East by Abraham, monotheistic, believe to have a
covenant with God, Holy Book – Torah, House of Worship – Synagogue, Guidelines –
Ten Commandments, founded nation of Israel when King David united the Hebrew
Tribes, Diaspora – mass scattering of Jews around the world after Assyrians conquered
Israel.
Christianity – founded in the Middle East by Jesus, monotheistic, believe Jesus is the
Messiah or Son of God, Holy Book – Bible, House of Worship – Church, Guidelines –
Ten Commandments, spread by missionaries like Paul, at first persecuted by Romans,
becomes official religion of Rome after Constantine issues the Edict of Milan, has a great
impact on Western Europe, first split known as the Great Schism, split between Eastern
Orthodox and Roman Catholics, Pope becomes head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Phoenicians – known as carriers of civilization, develop first alphabet
Hittites – first to develop iron
Possible Extended Response Questions:
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Compare and contrast the geography of Italy and Greece. How did geography
impact the political development of both regions?
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Compare and Contrast the democracy of Athens with the republic in Rome. How
were they similar? How were they different?
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Describe how the Paleolithic Era differed from the Neolithic Era. Why was the
Neolithic Revolution considered a major turning point in world history?
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Explain how Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all similar. Illustrate the factors
that allowed the Muslims to build a successful empire.
- Illustrate how the expansion of the Roman Empire had both negative and positive I
impacts
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Illustrate the basic beliefs of both Hinduism and Buddhism. Explain how these
two religions were similar and different.
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Define the term feudalism. How did the collapse of the Roman Empire impact the
politics, economics, and society of Western Europe?
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Explain two achievements of Emperor Justinian. How did Justinian impact law in
the modern Western World?