AP World History Unit 1: Circa 1200 to 1450

Overview

• Focus on major civilizations around the world and how they build and maintain their states.
• State: A territory politically organized under a single government, not like U.S. states, but like countries.

China (Song Dynasty)

• Period: 960 to 1279
• Confucianism Revival:
  • Neo-Confucianism: Revived Confucianism with reduced Buddhist influence.
  • Emphasized hierarchical society and filial piety.
  • Women faced more restrictions (loss of rights, foot binding).
• Imperial Bureaucracy:
  • Civil service exam based on Confucian texts.
  • Meritocratic system but more accessible to the wealthy.
• Economy:
  • Commercialization: Production and trade of goods like porcelain and silk.
  • Champa rice introduction led to population growth.
  • Expansion of the Grand Canal facilitated trade.

Influence on Neighboring Regions

• Korea, Japan, Vietnam: Influenced by Chinese traditions (e.g., civil service exams, Buddhism).

Buddhism

• Four Noble Truths: Life is suffering, craving leads to suffering, cessation of craving ends suffering, follow the Eightfold Path.
• Spread and Adaptation:
  • Theravada in Sri Lanka.
  • Mahayana in East Asia with broader participation.

Dar al-Islam

• Key Empires: Seljuk Empire, Mamluk Sultanate, Delhi Sultanate.
• Turkic vs. Arab Rule: Shift from Arab to Turkic dominance.
• Cultural and Scientific Advances: Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (trigonometry), preservation of Greek works.
• Expansion: Military, merchants, Sufi missionaries.

South and Southeast Asia

• Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam.
• Bhakti Movement: Simplified Hindu practices, devotion to one god.
• State Building:
  • Delhi Sultanate struggled to maintain control over Hindu majority.
  • Vijayanagara Empire as a Hindu counterforce.
  • Southeast Asian empires influenced by trade with China and India.

Americas

• Aztec Empire:
  • Founded in 1345, tribute system, human sacrifice, capital Tenochtitlan.
• Inca Empire:
  • Centralized bureaucracy, mita system (labor).
• Mississippian Culture: Built mounds, agriculture-focused.

Africa

• East Africa (Swahili Civilization):
  • City-states focused on Indian Ocean trade, influence of Islam.
• West Africa (Ghana, Mali, Songhai):
  • Empires driven by trade, partial Islamization.
• Great Zimbabwe: Trade-driven wealth, retained indigenous religion.
• Ethiopia: Christian state, trade-driven prosperity.

Europe

• Christianity: Dominated by Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
• Feudalism:
  • Hierarchical land ownership system.
  • Lords, vassals, serfs; economic and political power centered on manors.
• Political Fragmentation: Decentralized states, eventual rise of monarchies.

Conclusion

• Unit 1 covers diverse regions and their unique state-building strategies.
• Emphasis on cultural influence, economic systems, and social hierarchies.