AP World History Unit 1 Notes: Circa 1200 to 1450

Overview

• Focus on various major civilizations and how they built and maintained their states.
• Definition of State: A politically organized territory under a single government (not U.S. states).

China: The Song Dynasty (960 - 1279)

• Main Question: How did the Song Dynasty maintain and justify its rule?
  • Methods of Rule:
    1. Confucianism:
       • Revived from the Tang Dynasty as Neo-Confucianism.
       • Emphasized hierarchical society:
         • Citizens submit to the state.
         • Filial piety: Virtue of respect and obedience to parents and ancestors.
       • Women in subordinate positions:
         • Stripped of legal rights; property belonged to husbands.
         • Social restrictions like limited education and foot binding practices.
    2. Expansion of Imperial Bureaucracy:
       • Bureaucracy: Hierarchical government entity enforcing emperor's will.
       • Jobs earned through civil service examinations based on Confucian studies (favoring wealthy).

Influence on Neighboring Regions

• Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese kingdoms influenced by Chinese traditions (e.g., civil service exams, Buddhism).

Buddhism in Song China

• Originated in India and influenced by local cultures.
• Four Noble Truths:
  • Life is suffering; suffering arises from craving; cease craving to cease suffering; live morally (Eightfold Path).
• Branches:
  • Theravada: Focused on monastic life.
  • Mahayana: Broader participation, inclusion of bodhisattvas helping others.

Economic Developments in Song China

• Population explosion from previous dynasties, driven by:
  • Commercialization: Producing more goods than consumed; significant trade in porcelain and silk.
  • Agricultural Innovations: Introduction of Champa rice.
  • Transportation Improvements: Expansion of the Grand Canal for trade.

Dar al-Islam (House of Islam)

• Islamic faith as the organizing principle across regions, including the Abbasid Caliphate (ethnically Arab).
• Changes in Power:
  • Rise of Turkic empires (e.g., Seljuk Empire).
• Cultural and Scientific Innovations:
  • Advances in mathematics, preservation of Greek works in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad.

Expansion of Muslim Rule

• Methods:
  1. Military expansion (e.g., Seljuk, Mamluk, Delhi Sultanate).
  2. Trade by Muslim merchants.
  3. Sufi missionaries adapting Islam to local beliefs.

South and Southeast Asia

• Major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam.
• South Asia:
  • Decline of Buddhism, rise of Islam through Delhi Sultanate.
  • Bhakti Movement: Emphasized devotion to a single Hindu god, challenging traditional hierarchy.
• Southeast Asia:
  • Majapahit Kingdom: A powerful Buddhist state.
  • Khmer Empire: Hinduism to Buddhism transition.

The Americas

• Mesoamerica: Aztec Empire (founded 1345), tribute states, human sacrifice.
• Andean Civilization: Inca Empire, centralized bureaucratic control.
• Mississippian Culture: Agricultural society with large burial mounds.

Africa

• East Africa: Swahili civilization; Islamic influence and trade.
• West Africa: Ghana, Mali, Songhai empires; trade-driven Islam conversion among elites.
• Great Zimbabwe: Wealthy from agriculture and trade, maintained indigenous beliefs.
• Ethiopia: Christian state thriving from trade, hierarchical structure.

Europe

• Dominated by Christianity (Eastern Orthodox in the Byzantine Empire; Roman Catholic in Western Europe).
• Feudalism: Political and economic system based on land ownership and military service.
• Manorialism: Peasants (serfs) bound to land in exchange for protection.

Conclusion

• Understanding of state-building and belief systems from 1200 to 1450 is crucial for the AP World History exam.