2012 Fall Semester Exam

1. 2012 Fall Semester Exam

2. Around 3,000 B.C., some farming villages became complex civilizations.Brainstorm: What characteristics are needed to makes people a “civilization”? Neolithic Revolution ? • Advanced cities

3. Lasting Contributions • Religion: • Sumerians & Babylonians were polytheistic • The Hebrews in Palestine were the 1st monotheistic faith in history (Judaism) • The holy book of Judaism is the Torah; God gave Moses the Ten Commandments which serve as moral laws

4. Lasting Contributions • Government: • Babylonian King Hammurabi created the first legal code • Hammurabi’s Code had 282 laws based on justice & retaliation (an eye for an eye) • The code had different punishments for the various levels of society

5. China began along the Yellow (Huang He) & Yangtze Rivers in the North China Plain; Only 10% of China is suitable for farming The Yellow River flooding was unpredictable & was called “China’s Sorrow” because its floods often destroyed entire villages

6. During the Pax Romana, the empire expanded to its height & brought great wealth to Rome

7. The Pax Romana became the “golden age” of Rome as emperors like Augustus built roads & a merit-based bureaucracy to rule the empire Roman aqueducts brought water to cities

8. Conclusions • Rome expanded from a city, to a republic, to an empire • The era of the Roman Republic introduced representative democracy • The era of the Roman Empire sparked the Pax Romana & the “golden age” of Roman innovation & culture

9. The Romans developed innovations that are still used today because: Through cultural diffusion, the Romans borrow ideas other civilizations like the Greeks and improved upon these ideas • Rome’s location along the Mediterranean Sea allowed for trade & cultural diffusion with other cultures The wealth of the Roman Empire, especially in the Pax Romana, allowed the Romans to promote culture & invention

10. Roman Architecture Station Activity: Compare the images of the Roman Coliseum & the Georgia Dome 1. Write three similarities that you can see (or can assume) about their architecture • Who influenced the Romans in architecture? • What is one unique characteristic of Roman building? • Sketch an arch.

11. Roman Religion Station Activity: Examine the timeline. What are the 3 most important events in the history of Christianity during the Roman Empire? 2. Examine the religion chart below. List the top 3 world religions in terms of the number of followers.

12. The Romans experienced political problems The empire was too large for one emperor to control Emperors after the Pax Romana were weak Citizens experienced a loss of confidence, patriotism, & loyalty to the Roman gov’t

13. Outside groups disrupted trade Rome had a trade imbalance (they bought more than they produced) The Romans experienced economic problems The gov’t raised taxes & printed new coins which led to inflation Poor harvests led to food shortages The economic decline left many Romans poor

14. The empire was divided between Greek-speaking & Latin-speaking halves Diocletian’smostimportantreformwasrealizing Rome was too large & dividing the empire into the Western Eastern Roman Empires But, the empire was also divided by wealth The East was far wealthier than the West because it had most of the great cities & trade centers

15. The Decline of the Roman Empire • The fall of the Roman Empire happened in 3 major stages: • An era of decline due to internal problems within Rome • A brief period of revival due to reforms by Emperors Diocletian & Constantine • Continued decline, invasion by Germanic “barbarians”, & the conquest of Rome

16. The Failure of the Republic • As Rome expanded, the social and economic bases of the Roman republic in Italy were undermined • While men from independent farming families were forced to devote their time to military service, large landowners bought up their land to create great estates called latifundia. • This meant both a decline in Rome’s source of soldiers and a decline in food production • latifundia owners preferred to grow cash crops like grapes rather than staple crops such as wheat.

17. Since slave labor was cheap in an expanding empire, Italian peasants, driven off the land and not employed by the latifundia • They drifted into the cities where they formed a fractious unemployed underclass.

18. As independent farming family that had been the traditional source of soldiers disappeared • Roman commanders would have to build their armies from men from the underclass who tended to give their loyalty, not to the Roman state, but to their commander • This led to generals taking control of politics, to civil wars, and finally to the end of the republican system of government.

19. Han Territorial Expansion • After a period of consolidation, the Han went through a period of territorial expansion under Emperor Wu (r. 140–87 b.c.e.) • During the Western Han period (202 b.c.e.–8 c.e.) the capital was at Chang’an. • During the Eastern Han (23–22 c.e.) the capital was at Luoyang.

20. The Emperor in Chang’an • The emperor was supreme in the state and in society • He was regarded as the Son of Heaven, the link between heaven and the human world • Emperors were the source of law. • But anything that went seriously wrong could be interpreted to mean that the emperor was guilty of misrule and that he was losing the Mandate of Heaven

21. Emperors lived in seclusion, surrounded by a royal retinue that included wives, family, servants, courtiers, and officials

22. Origins and Operations • The Silk Road was an overland route that linked China to the Mediterranean world via Mesopotamia, Iran, and Central Asia • There were two periods of heavy use of the Silk Road: • (1) 150 B.C.E.–907 C.E. • (2) The thirteenth through seventeenth centuries C.E.

23. Origins and Operations • The origins of the Silk Road trade may be located in the occasional trading of Central Asian nomads • Regular, large-scale trade was fostered by the Chinese demand for western products (particularly horses). • Trade was also increased by the Parthian state in northeastern Iran and its control of the markets in Mesopotamia.

24. Origins and Operations • New Crops • In addition to horses, China imported alfalfa, grapes, and a variety of other new crops as well as medicinal products, metals, and precious stones • China exported peaches and apricots, spices, and manufactured goods including silk, pottery, and paper

25. Nomadism in Central and Inner Asia • Sythians • The Silk Road depended on pastoral nomads to provide animals, animal handlers, and protection. • Herodotus describes the Scythians who were superb riders, herdsmen, and hunters. • They were located in the lands to the north of the Black and Caspian Seas. • They moved around regularly and efficiently to prevent overgrazing. • Their homes were felt fabric spread over a lightweight framework.

26. After 740 C.E. the Berbers found that the southern nomads were getting gold dust from the Niger and other areas of West Africa in exchange for their salt • This opened their eyes to a great business opportunity • A pattern of trade developed in which the Berbers of North Africa traded copper and manufactured goods to the nomads of the southern desert in return for gold

27. The nomads of the southern desert, for their part, exchanged their salt for the gold of the Niger and other West African river areas

28. The Culture of Ancient Rome Society was divided among 3 major groups: At the bottom of society were slaves & other non-Roman citizens

29. The Indian Ocean Maritime System • The Indian Ocean maritime system linked the lands bordering the Indian Ocean basin and the South China Sea • Trade took place in three distinct regions: • (1) the South China Sea, dominated by Chinese and Malays • (2) Southeast Asia to the east coast of India, dominated by Malays and Indians • (3) The west coast of India to the Persian Gulf and East Africa, dominated by Persians and Arabs

30. Trade in the Indian Ocean was made possible by and followed the patterns of the seasonal changes in the monsoon winds • Sailing technology unique to the Indian Ocean system included the lateen sail and a shipbuilding technique that involved piercing the planks, tying them together, and caulking them.

31. Major Empires Han Dynasty in China Persian Empire Mauryan & Gupta Empires in India

32. The fertile soil & lack of natural boundaries in Mesopotamia led to frequent invasions & conquests Mesopotamia: River Valley to Empire

33. One of the most important ancient empires were the Persians (in present-day Iran) The “10,000 Immortals” • The Persians grew into a powerful empire under Kings Cyrus & Darius With a powerful army, the Persians conquered Mesopotamia, Egypt, & India

34. Persian Culture • Persian religion was Zoroastrianism, which viewed life as a struggle between good & evil • Persians believed in heaven & hell as consequences for how they lived their lives Zoroastrianism influenced the views of the afterlife in Judaism, Christianity, & Islam

35. Peninsular India and the Ganges Valley have a subtropical climate and plentiful rainfall • The Indus Valley is dry and agriculture there relies on irrigation • The staple crop of the Ganges Delta is rice; elsewhere, the staple crops are wheat, millet, and barley.

36. This geographical diversity has made it very difficult for any political power to unify all of India for any great length of time

37. The Persian Empire • Persians controlled their empire in a variety of ways: • Persian kings were tolerant & allowed conquered people to keep their languages & religions • Rather than destroying or looting conquered cities, King Cyrus would show respect for local customs