Overview
This lecture covers Unit 1 of AP World History (circa 1200-1450), focusing on how major world civilizations built and maintained states, including their belief systems, political structures, and economic systems.
State Building in Song China
- The Song Dynasty (960-1279) maintained power through Confucianism, especially its revival as Neo-Confucianism.
- Confucianism emphasized a strict social hierarchy and filial piety—children honoring parents and ancestors.
- Women’s status declined; practices like foot binding and loss of legal rights became common.
- Expansion of the imperial bureaucracy relied on a civil service exam based on Confucian teachings.
- Only wealthy men could usually afford to study for the exam, despite open eligibility.
- Chinese influence spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, including bureaucratic systems and Buddhism.
Belief Systems and Culture in East Asia
- Buddhism, originally from India, split into Theravada (focused on monks) and Mahayana (broader participation) as it spread.
- Mahayana Buddhism was prevalent in China, with bodhisattvas helping others achieve enlightenment.
- Confucianism and Buddhism combined to shape society and governance.
Song Dynasty Economic Developments
- Population and prosperity grew due to commercialization—production of goods for sale, not just use.
- Major traded goods included porcelain and silk.
- Agricultural innovations like Champa rice (drought-resistant, multiple harvests) fueled population growth.
- Expansion of the Grand Canal improved trade and communication.
State Building in Dar al-Islam
- Dar al-Islam (the "house of Islam") spanned many regions and included Judaism and Christianity in its heartland.
- The Abbasid Caliphate’s decline led to rise of Turkish Muslim empires (Seljuk, Mamluk, Delhi Sultanate).
- New empires kept Sharia law and military-based administration.
- Muslim scholars (e.g., Nasir al-Din al-Tusi) advanced mathematics and preserved Greek works (House of Wisdom).
- Islam spread via military conquest, merchants, and Sufi missionaries, especially in Africa and Asia.
South and Southeast Asia: Belief Systems and State Building
- Hinduism remained dominant in India, but Islam grew due to the Delhi Sultanate.
- The Bhakti movement emphasized personal devotion to one god, challenging traditional hierarchies.
- In Southeast Asia, both Buddhism and Islam competed for influence.
- The Delhi Sultanate struggled to impose Islam on the mainly Hindu population.
- Hindu kingdoms, like the Rajput and Vijayanagara Empires, resisted Islamic rule.
- Southeast Asia saw powerful maritime and land empires (e.g., Majapahit, Khmer/Angkor Wat).
State Building in the Americas
- Mesoamerica: The Aztec Empire used a tribute system from conquered states and practiced human sacrifice.
- Andes: The Inca Empire built a centralized bureaucracy and used the mita labor system for state projects.
- Mississippian culture (North America) was organized around agriculture, large towns, and monumental mounds.
State Building in Africa
- East Africa: The Swahili city-states thrived on Indian Ocean trade and became Islamic through merchant influence; Swahili language blended Bantu and Arabic.
- West Africa: Empires (Ghana, Mali, Songhai) grew through trade and Islam, mainly among elites.
- Hausa Kingdoms operated as decentralized city-states.
- Great Zimbabwe prospered from cattle, agriculture, and gold trade but kept indigenous religions.
- Ethiopia stood out as a Christian monarchy in a region dominated by Islam and indigenous beliefs.
State Building in Europe
- Europe was mainly Christian: Eastern Orthodox (Byzantine, Kievan Rus) in the east, Roman Catholic in the west.
- Western Europe was fragmented and feudal, with land-owning lords (nobility) controlling serfs on manors (manorialism).
- Monarchs’ power began to grow after 1000 CE, but states remained decentralized during this period.
- Jews and Muslims lived in Europe but often faced discrimination or expulsion.
Key Terms & Definitions
- State — A politically organized territory under one government.
- Confucianism — Chinese philosophy emphasizing hierarchy, order, and filial piety.
- Neo-Confucianism — Revival and adaptation of Confucianism with elements of Buddhism removed.
- Bureaucracy — Hierarchical government structure executing the ruler’s policies.
- Champa rice — Fast-maturing, drought-resistant rice from Vietnam, boosting food supply.
- Dar al-Islam — All regions under Muslim rule ("house of Islam").
- Sharia law — Islamic law derived from the Quran.
- Bhakti movement — Hindu reform movement focused on personal devotion.
- Mita system — Inca labor tax for state projects.
- Feudalism — System where lords grant land to vassals for military service.
- Manorialism — Economic system with peasants working on a lord’s manor.
- Serfs — Laborers legally tied to working a lord’s land.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review major belief systems: Confucianism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism.
- Learn key features of state-building for each major civilization discussed.
- Study differences in political organization (centralized vs decentralized) across regions.
- Read textbook sections on Song China, Dar al-Islam, South Asia, Americas, Africa, and Europe for more detail.
- Practice identifying similarities and differences in state structures and societal hierarchies.