H2 Final Review Ms.

Dworken
1. The Byzantine Empire
Geography: How did the location of Constantinople impact its development? - It was a good area for a
port since it was surrounded by water on three sides. Because it also had trade routes linking Europe and
Asia, it became a center of trade.
Government: How did Justinian organize his government and code of law? – Justinian had three roles in
his rule: to unify and restore the empire, to glorify and rebuild Constantinople, and to reform the law. His
code of law included civil law while it also included international laws.
Belief Systems: What was the Great Schism? Why did it happen? – The great Schism was the splitting of
Christian churches into the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. It happened in 1054 and happened
mainly because of an argument over the authority of the Pope. In the Eastern Orthodox the monarch had
supreme power over church and state since he elected the patriarch while in the Roman Catholic the pope
ruled church and the monarch the state. There was also a large argument over icons which Justinian
forbade, leading the pope to excommunicate him and his empire.
Why was the name Byzantines a misnomer? – This name was a misnomer because the Byzantines called
themselves Romans, considered themselves Romans, and in all honesty were Romans.

Key People and Terms: Justinian, Justinian’s Code, autocrat, icon, patriarch, Great Schism, Hagia Sophia
Justinian- The ruler of Constantinople.
Justinian’s Code- A code of law that dealt with civil matters and international matters.
Autocrat- A person invested with or claiming absolute authority.
Icon- A statue of a biblical figure.
Patriarch- The highest church official in the Eastern Orthodox Church who was also elected by the
monarch.
Great Schism- A division of the Christian Churches in 1054 into the Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox Churches.
Hagia Sophia- A giant, huge, and glorified church.
2. Medieval Europe
Change: Why did the Germanic invasions of the Roman Empire usher in the Dark Age of the Middle
Ages? What were the effects of the war on England and France? – Rome was being constantly invaded so
under all of this pressure the empire collapsed. This destroyed a major trading center so trade declined and
people pulled inwards.
Interdependence: What duties and responsibilities guided people’s lives in medieval Europe? – Had to
make food for lords. Lords and nobles had to fight for the monarch. Monarch had to give them land and
protection.
Political Systems: What roles did individual citizens play in the medieval feudal system? Why does
feudalism emerge? What are the two main ideas supporting feudalism? – Individual citizens each have
their own jobs to do, most being serfs who had to produce food. Feudalism emerges because after
Charlemagne’s death there were a lot of wars so people needed protection which the monarch couldn’t
provide alone. The two main ideas are basically obligations and loyalty.
Economic Systems: How did manorialism provide for people’s basic economic needs? – People had land,
a church and food. The serfs would work the land and provide payment to their lord while they had
enough food for them to live.
Belief Systems: What roles did the Church play in medieval society? Why did popes and monarchs
clash? – The Church began to provide social services and began censorship of ideas it was against. Popes
and monarchs clashed because the Pope tried to crown an emperor which the monarchs thought was
outside the Pope’s authority.
Power: Who held power in feudal society? Why was Charlemagne considered a light in the Dark Ages? -
In feudal society the lords held most of the power. Charlemagne was considered a light in the Dark Ages
because he was crowned emperor by the pope. This led to unity and stability. There was a strong
government, revival of learning, revival of record keeping, and people began to use capital letters.

Turning Points: Why was the signing of the Magna Carta a turning point in English government?
H2 Final Review Ms. Dworken
The signing of the Magna Carta was a turning point in English government because it outlined that nobles
had certain rights and that the monarch was not above the law. This document limited the power of the
monarch.

Key People and Terms: medieval, Charlemagne, chivalry, manorialism, feudalism, serf, secular,
excommunicate, usury, anti-Semitism, Hundred Year’s War, nationalism, Magna Carta

3. The Crusades
Conflict: Why did Christians and Muslims engage in Crusades? – The Byzantine empire was under
attack by Muslims so they asked the Pope for help.
Change: What effect did the Crusades have on the economy Europe? – Even after a loss there was a
revival of learning and new trade routes had been captured. The Crusaders also brought back Asian goods
which increased European curiosity in them.
Power: How did the Crusades affect the power of the Church and feudal lords? – The Church lost power
as people began to challenge the authority of the Pope and claim that the bible was the true religious
source, not the Pope. Even though these people were executed their ideas lived on.
Culture: How did the Crusades expand Europeans’ worldview? How did the Crusades help bring Europe
out of the Dark Ages? – Europeans acquired “new” texts from Aristotle and other philosophers and began
to think differently. The Crusades helped bring Europe out of the Dark Ages with a revival in learning and
an increase in trade.

Key People and Terms: Crusades, Pope Urban II, Holy Land

4. Early Japan and Feudalism

Geography: How did Japan’s geographic setting contribute to its development? - Japan is an
archipelago which is a line of islands. The islands were surrounded by water which gave the Japanese
protection from the Chinese. This meant that they only had to adopt what they wanted to from Chinese
culture because the Chinese couldn’t force their ideas on Japan.

Movement of People and Goods: What influence did China and Korea have on Japan? – Korea was a
cultural bridge and China gave them the option to adopt some Chinese ideas.
Political Systems: How did the system of feudalism work in Japan? How did it compare to European
feudalism? –
View of Death- Japan—suicide for honor
Europe—against Christianity to kill self
Chivalry- Japan—no romantic pedestal
Europe—fragile, inferior beings
Law- Japan—Confucian morality
Europe—legalism
Similarities- Loyalty and mutual obligations

Key People and Terms: Shinto, Zen Buddhism, shogun, daimyo, samurai, bushido
Shinto- religion based off of nature
Zen Buddhism- enlightenment is achieved through the profound realization that one is already an
enlightened being
Shogun- commander of the forces
Daimyo- powerful territorial lords in premodern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast,
hereditary land holdings
Bushido- code of conduct for samurais
5. Islam and Islamic Civilization
Geography: How would you describe the geography of the Arabian peninsula? How did it affect life
there? – Arabia is a mountainous area with a few deserts and steppes so I would call it non- arable. This
H2 Final Review Ms. Dworken
would mean that Arabs were probably nomadic pastoralists, looking for pastures where their animals
could graze.
Diversity: What lands and peoples came under Muslim rule? How did Islam spread? – Islam spread when
Muhammad had to leave Mecca and makes way to Medina where he gains social, political and religious
power. He then went back to Mecca and crushed the idols. The Bedouins were quick to convert. Islam
spread truly begins to spread because of cultural diffusion and intermarriage.
Economic Systems: What was the importance of trade in the Muslim empires? – Trade made the
economy prosperous which gave people free time when they could learn which was important for their
religion (must face Mecca when praying).
Culture and Intellectual Life: What was the al-Jahiliyya culture of the Arabian peninsula?
What achievements did Muslim society produce in arts and sciences? What’s the connection to Islam? –
The old culture of the Arabian Peninsula was henotheism or adherence to one god and then sub-gods.
Muslim society advanced a lot because their religion didn’t restrict learning and in fact it encouraged
learning.
Belief Systems: What are the beliefs and practices of Muslims? How did the beliefs and practices of
Islam create unity and strength among Muslims? –
1) Genealogy- familyclantribe
- Connection can be real or fictious
2) Honor- extremely valuable and dependant on women in family
3) Loyal to clan/tribe
4) Generosity hospitality
5) Courage expected of males
6) Revenge raid caravans but no bloodshed

Conflict: What’s the difference between Sunni and Shi’a (Shiite) Muslims? – The Sunni want the most
qualified (caliph) to rule while Shiites wanted bloodline (Imam) to rule.

Key People and Terms: Muslim, Islam, caliph, Sharia, Sunni, Shiite, Muhammad, Five Pillars, Mecca,
Hijra, jihad, People of the Book, Dar-al-Islam, Bedouins, Qur’an
Jihad- religious duty

1. Dar-al-Islam- Muslims must be able to enjoy peace and security with and within this country.
2. It has common frontiers with some Muslim countries.

6. African Civilization
Geography: How did the adaptations to the different environments lead to a diversity in cultures
(especially in subsistence method, size of community, type of government)? –
Desert- Hunter/gatherers and nomadic pastoralists, hunter gatherer bands where you rule by respect
Rainforest- Slash and Burn, chief needed to handle surplus
Savanna- Pastoralism, tribes that come together in times of need
Mediterranean- intensive agriculture, formal laws and stuff, handle surplus
Steppe- Pastoralists (tribes that come together)
Power: What factors contributed to the rise of powerful kingdoms in West Africa ? What about kingdoms
and city-states in East Africa? – One had gold the other had salt, gold-salt trade
Movement of People and Goods: What were the effects of the Bantu migration? - The Bantu migrated
because of desertification and it was important because over 400 ethnic groups are labeled by this. The
migration spread the use of iron tools for farming, leading to a surplus of food which supports larger
populations. There is also a language that 66% of Africans now had in common
Belief Systems: What is the traditional religion of Africa? How was Islam spread to Africa?
It is animism. Islam spread to Africa (North) through conquest and spread to Africa (West) through trade.
H2 Final Review Ms. Dworken
Culture: How did art and literature strengthen African societies? Why is there so much mystery around
the Great Zimbabwe? – They created large centralized governments. There is so much mystery around the
Great Zimbabwe because we can’t understand their records (or they didn’t leave any).

Key People and Terms: Bantu migration, savanna, Sahara, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Mansa Musa, Swahili,
Great Zimbabwe, historiography, factors of migration, (nomadic) pastoralist, age-sets
Mansa Musa- emperor of Mali who made hajj across Africa
Swahili- a mix of Bantu, Arabic, and European languages
Factors of Migration- Environment
Push- Used up land, not enough rainfall, etc.
Pull- land, access to sea, surplus of food, etc.
Political
Push- discriminatory laws
Pull- religious or economic freedom (tax)
Economic
Push- unemployment, inflation
Pull- markets

7. Tang and Song China

Political Systems: How did the Tang dynasty unite China and keep it strong? - The Tang built a strong
empire through use of the civil service exam, military conquest and land reforms. These methods led to
their downfall because they had to impose crushing taxes to pay for the conquests and the land became too
large to administer.
Economic Systems: How did Tang and Song rulers help the economy to flourish? - The Tang and Song
used rice from Vietnam which ripened faster. This led to an increase in productivity which led to free time
and people doing cultural advances and stuff.
Culture and Intellectual Life: What are the 3 important achievements of the Tang and Song golden age?
Why did foot binding emerge? Three important achievements of the golden age were gunpowder, the
smallpox vaccine, and moveable type. Foot binding emerged first because it was seen as a sign of beauty
and wealth but it spread to the poor so that they could try and marry up in society.

Key People and Terms: tributary state, gentry, porcelain

Gentry- aristocrats who also passed the civil service exam

8. The Mongols and Their Impact

Geography: How did life on the steppe influence the culture of the Mongols? – There was little arable
land so they became nomadic pastoralists.
Power: Why were Mongols able to successfully conquer such a huge empire? What was the relationship
like between the Yuan Dynasty and the Chinese? – The Mongols were able to conquer lands because of
good military planning, strict training and adopted technologies like the cannon
Change: How did Mongol rule affect the lands under their control? – They protected Silk road routes and
also tolerated people so cultural diffusion occurred.
Interdependence: How did the exchange of goods and ideas throughout Eurasia increase with Mongol
rule? – Protection of Silk Road Routes
* Do the Mongols deserved to be called barbarian and uncivilized? – No because they have government
and everything, they were just considered to be barbaric because their government differed from that of
the Europeans and Asians

Key People and Terms: Genghis Khan, Golden Horde, Kublai Khan, Yuan Dynasty, Pax Mongolica,
Marco Polo
Golden Horde- ???????????
Kublai Khan- founder of the Yuan Dynasty
H2 Final Review Ms. Dworken
Yuan Dynasty- When the Mongols were ruling China

9. Ming China and Korea

Change: How did the China change after it overthrew its Mongol rulers and restored a Chinese dynasty?
– They wanted to reestablish Chinese supremacy so they had maritime expeditions. They glorified that
which was Chinese and they went back to classical ideas.
Choice: What is the symbolism behind taking the name Ming for the new dynasty? Why did China
choose to isolate itself from foreign trade after 1433? – They wanted to say the Chinese were brilliant.
They thought the rest of the world had nothing to teach them.
Culture: What impact did China have on other societies in Asia? How did Korea balance its culture with
Chinese culture? – Chinese ideas were taken up by many other Asians. Korea took Chinese ideas but made
slight edits to them like that the civil service exam could only be taken by aristocrats.
Power: How did the Ming restore Chinese culture and prosperity? To what extent could you say that
Ming China was a super power? - There is a restoration of Chinese values and cultures like how the
civil service exam was brought back yet made even more rigorous. The Ming also rebuilt the Great
Wall and made it great and stuff. They also made grand canals. There is also a commercial revolution
where more cities are created and they are larger.

Geography: How did the geography of Korea affect its development? How was Korea’s location both a
blessing and a curse? – It was mostly mountainous so people have to settle near the coast where the land
is. It was a blessing so that they could take ideas from China yet a curse because China could impose it’s
authority over them.

Key People and Terms: Middle Kingdom, Zheng He, Southeast Asia

10. Mughal India and Ottoman Empire

Diversity: How did Muslim and Hindu culture interact under the Delhi Sultanate? - The traditions
clashed with violent disputes between Islam and Buddhism/Hinduism. This led to the decline of
Buddhism which already had limited influence in India. The Muslims rejected the caste system too.
The cultures blended in the creation of Sikhism and Urdu.

Power: How did Akbar deal with the religious diversity of India?- He had a policy of tolerance and ended
the tax on non-Muslims.
Change: How did Akbar’s successors rule Mughal India? – Without that same policy of tolerance.
Places and Regions: What lands came under control of the Ottoman Empire? – East?
Diversity: How did the Ottomans rule a diverse empire? – They had millets or small societies which were
small groups consisting of people with the same beliefs with their own leader as well.

Key People and Terms: Delhi sultanate, Urdu, Sikhism, Akbar the Great, Nur Jahan, Shan Jahan, Taj
Mahal, Istanbul, janissary, Suleiman, millet
Nur Jahan- ruled India under Mughal empire b/c husband wasn’t truly ruling
Shan Jahan- fifth Mughal ruler
Taj Mahal- Combines Persian, Indian, and Islamic architecture
11. The Resurgence of Europe
Change: How was the Renaissance a rebirth for Europe? What changes in Europe led to the
Renaissance? – Renaissance take away from church and focus on the individual. This happened because of
the Plague and well can’t think of any others.
Conflict: What were the causes and effects of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation? Why did
Henry VIII form a new church? – The Reformation led to the creation of the Protestant religion while the
Counter- Reformation brought some people back to Catholicism. Henry made a new church because the
Pope wouldn’t annul his marriage but if he made a new church he could put someone in charge who
H2 Final Review Ms. Dworken
would.
Belief Systems: How did Protestantism differ from Catholicism? - Luther and Calvin had the bible as the
only source, Luther thought that one only needs strong faith for salvation while Calvin thinks that it is
predetermined whether or not one will get into heaven, both thought that there was no hierarchy and that
all Christians had an equal connection with god, and for religious practices just listen to the Bible and
have faith (Luther), or no theater and overall strict morality (Calvin).

Science and Technology: What was the impact of the printing press?- More people had Bibles in their
language, people could research the works of others when they couldn’t before, people were more
encouraged to learn to read/write

Key People and Terms: Renaissance, humanism, 95 Theses, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Inquisition,

12. The Age of Exploration and Encounters

Movement of People and Goods: How did global trade patterns change between the late 1400’s and the
1700’s? Why did Portugal take the lead and how did the Dutch end up being the most successful? How
did Qing China, Korea and Japan resist European influence?
Science and Technology: What types of technology allowed Western Europeans to explore the oceans? –
Compass, Mercator Projection
Interdependence: What motivations did Europeans have for establishing colonies between 1500’s and
1700’s? – God, and Gold
Change: What major changes did the European expansion bring to peoples around the world? What
caused Europeans to turn to ocean exploration and trade? – Saw immense wealth of Americas, Europe
became stronger
Choice: How did choices made by individuals and institutions impact the Americas, Africa, and Europe?
– Led to slavery
Economic Systems: How did mercantilism and capitalism lead to expansion of colonialism? – Saw
mother country could benefit off of taking in imports from colonies, saw that slaves would be used
helping capitalists

Key People and Terms: Reconquista, astrolabe, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan,
conquistador, plantation, encomienda, Columbian Exchange, Commercial Revolution, capitalism,
inflation, mercantilism, peninsulares, creoles, mulattoes, mestizos, triangular trade, Trans-Atlantic slave
trade, Jamestown, Puritans, Pilgrims, Qing Dynasty
Peninsular- pure Spanish
Creoles- Spanish but born in Indies
Mulattoes- one white, one black
Mestizos- mixed

13. Mesoamerican and South American Civilizations

Geography: How did geography impact civilizations in the Americas?
Belief Systems: What significance did religion have in empires of the Americas?
Government: What types of governments allowed Mesoamerican societies to rule large areas? How did
the Inca maintain their empire? - hegemonice
Power: What’s the difference between territorial and hegemonic empires?- territorial annexes the land
Culture and Intellectual Life: What were the accomplishments and advances of the Mesoamerican
empires?
Conflict: How did the policies of the Aztec and the Inca lead to conflict within their own empires and
upon arrival of the Spanish? How did a small group of Spanish take over such a large part of the
Americas?

Key People and Terms: Olmecs, Mayas, Aztecs, Incas, allyu, quipus, Quechua, Tenochtitlan,
H2 Final Review Ms. Dworken

14. Age of Absolutism

Government: How did monarchs in England, France, and Russia work to increase their political power?
– Take out enemies, strengthen army, kill those who have different religious beliefs
Power: What ideas did absolute monarchs use to justify their power? – DIVINE RIGHT TO RULE
Political Systems: In what ways was England’s experience of absolutism different from that of other
European countries? – In England there was a civil war against this in which the monarchs were forced to
limit their own power and accept the republican system
Choice: What choices did Parliament make in England to assure a check on absolutism? – They made the
sort of transition to republican system, etc.
Change: How were Absolutist monarchs different than feudal monarchs? Why was this such an
important change? – Absolutist monarchs had all the power while feudal monarchs were just figureheads

Key People and Terms: Absolutism, divine right, Louis XIV, Ivan the Terrible, Oliver Cromwell,
Glorious Revolution, English Bill of Rights, limited monarchy, constitutionalism, westernization, nation-
states