AP World History Unit 1 Overview (1200-1450)

Introduction

• Focus on major civilizations and their state building and maintenance.
• Understanding the concept of "state" as a politically organized territory under a single government.

China and the Song Dynasty

• Period: 960-1279

• State Maintenance:

  • Confucianism Revival: Neo-confucianism focused on a hierarchical society.
    • Influence on social structure, especially on women's rights.
    • Women's rights and social status declined; practices like foot binding emphasized.
  • Imperial Bureaucracy: Expansion helped maintain rule.
    • Civil service exams based on Confucian classics, theoretically open to all men.

• Economy:

  • Commercialization: Production for markets, not just local consumption.
  • Important Goods: Porcelain, silk.
  • Agricultural Innovations: Introduction of Champa rice leading to population growth.
  • Transportation: Expansion of the Grand Canal.

Influence of Chinese Traditions

• Influenced Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.
  • Adoption of similar civil service systems and Buddhism.

Buddhism

• Spread from India:
  • Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
  • Variations:
    • Theravada: Monastic focus.
    • Mahayana: Broader participation, bodhisattvas aiding others.

Dar al-Islam

• Geographic Spread: Across Afro-Eurasia.

• Religious Context:

  • Judaism: Centered on Torah.
  • Christianity: Teachings of Jesus Christ.
  • Islam: Teachings of Muhammad.

• Empires:

  • Abbasid Caliphate: Decline by 1200.
  • Turkic Empires: Seljuk Empire, Mamluk Sultanate, Delhi Sultanate.

• Cultural and Scientific Advances:

  • Scholars like Nasir al-Din al-Tusi.
  • Preservation and translation of Greek works.

• Expansion:

  • Military: New empires established.
  • Merchants: Spread through North Africa and West Africa (e.g., Mali Empire).
  • Sufis: Missionary activities in South Asia.

South and Southeast Asia

• Religious Influence:

  • South Asia: Decline of Buddhism, dominance of Hinduism, and Islam.
  • Bhakti Movement: Devotion to single Hindu gods.

• State Building:

  • South Asia: Challenges to Muslim rule by Rajput Kingdoms and Vijayanagara Empire.
  • Southeast Asia: Majapahit Kingdom and Khmer Empire.

Americas

• Mesoamerica:

  • Aztec Empire: Expansion and tribute system.
  • Inca Empire: Centralized control, mita system.

• North America:

  • Mississippian Culture: Mound-building, agriculture.

Africa

• East Africa:

  • Swahili Civilization: City-states, influenced by Muslim traders.

• West Africa:

  • Empires: Ghana, Mali, Songhai.
  • Islam mainly among elites.

• Central Africa:

  • Great Zimbabwe: Trade-driven growth, maintained indigenous religion.

• Ethiopia:

  • Christian state in a predominantly Muslim region.

Europe

• Religious Context:

  • Byzantine Empire: Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
  • Western Europe: Roman Catholicism.

• State Structure:

  • Feudalism: Decentralized power.
  • Manorialism: Land-based economy.
  • Centralization: Gradual shift towards monarchal powers.