AP World History Unit 1 Exam Overview

Time Period: 1200-1450

• Focus: Major civilizations around the world and their state-building techniques.
• Definition of State: A territory politically organized under one government (e.g., United States, Japan).

Main Civilizations and Their State-Building Techniques

China: Song Dynasty

• Duration: 960-1279

• Justification and Maintenance of Rule:

  • Emphasis on Confucianism (Revival known as Neo-Confucianism).
    • Hierarchical societal order.
    • Filial piety.
    • Subordinate position of women (e.g., foot binding).
  • Expansion of the Imperial Bureaucracy.
    • Civil Service Exam based on Confucian classics (Merit-based system).

• Influence on Neighboring Regions:

  • Spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam (e.g., civil service exams, Buddhism).

• Role of Buddhism:

  • Originated in India, spread to China.
  • Four Noble Truths and cycle of reincarnation.
  • Mahayana Buddhism allows broader participation.

• Economic Developments:

  • Commercialization and population growth.
  • Key products: Porcelain and silk.
  • Agricultural innovation: Champa rice.
  • Transport innovation: Expansion of the Grand Canal.

Dar al-Islam (House of Islam)

• Dominant Empires:

  • Decline of Abbasid Caliphate (Arab) and rise of Turkic empires (e.g., Seljuk Empire).

• Religious Influence:

  • Continued practice of Sharia Law.
  • Contributions in mathematics, preservation of Greek philosophy.
  • House of Wisdom in Baghdad.

• Expansion of Islam:

  • Through military, merchants, and Sufi missionaries.
  • Example regions: North Africa, West Africa, South Asia.

South and Southeast Asia

• Influence of Belief Systems:

  • Hinduism (dominant), Islam (second), and declining Buddhism.
  • Bhakti Movement: Emphasized devotion to one god.

• State Building:

  • Delhi Sultanate (Muslim rule, faced Hindu resistance).
  • Rajput Kingdoms (Hindu kingdoms resisting Muslim rule).
  • Vijayanagara Empire (Hindu resistance in the south).

• Southeast Asia:

  • Majapahit Kingdom (Buddhist, sea trade influence).
  • Khmer Empire (Hindu to Buddhist conversion, Angkor Wat).

Americas

• Mesoamerica: Aztec Empire

  • Founded in 1345, extensive tribute system.
  • Capital: Tenochtitlan.

• Andean Civilizations: Inca Empire

  • Developed mita system (labor for state projects).

• North America: Mississippian Culture

  • Known for agriculture and monumental mounds.

Africa

• East Africa: Swahili Civilization

  • Trade along East African coast, influenced by Muslim traders.
  • Development of Swahili language.

• West Africa: Ghana, Mali, Songhai Empires

  • Centralized civilizations driven by trade.

• Great Zimbabwe

  • Trade-based economy, maintained indigenous religion.

• Ethiopia

  • Unique for Christian majority in a sea of Islamic states.

Europe

• Belief Systems: Christianity (Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism)

  • Byzantine Empire and Kievan Rus (Eastern Orthodox).
  • Western Europe (Roman Catholicism, decentralized states after Roman Empire).

• State Building:

  • Feudalism: Exchange of land for military service.
  • Manorialism: Lords renting land to peasants.
  • Growth of monarchs' power post-1000 CE.