1. Fall Semester World History Final Exam Study Guide
Ancient River Valley Civilizations
The Neolithic Revolution is considered the turning point in history because permanent settlements developed into river valleys
Anthropologist examined artifacts at archeological digs to recreate early peoples cultural behavior
During Neolithic times, the development of farming brought about the establishment of permanent settlements
Hammurabi’s Code was Mesopotamia’s first uniform code of laws
Cuneiform and hieroglyphics ware both early forms of writing
Theocracy is a form of government based on the belief that the ruler is a god
The Egyptians kept track of time between floods and planting season with a calendar
The Sumerians are credited with the inventions of the sail, wheel, arch, number system based on 60 and complex irrigation
Cultural diffusion is the process of a new idea or a product spreading from one culture to another
The spring monsoon brought rain to water the crops in India
Harappa and Mohenjo Dara had well organized governments as seen from the evidence found by archeologist such as uniform bricks, plumbing and a grid system.
The Mandate of Heaven is the God-given right to rule
The Zhou dynasty justified their overthrow of the Shang dynasty by claiming the gods had given them the Mandate of Heaven
Greece & Rome
The Mediterranean Sea contributed the most to the spread of ancient Greek culture
Because of the rugged geography the Greeks developed into separate, independent city-states
People voting directing for their leaders today in the US system was modeled after Athenian democracy
Sparta’s government was ruled by a small group of powerful people in an oligarchy
The Greeks worshipped a family of gods and goddesses
The culture of the Greeks is the foundation of Western Civilization
After the death of Alexander the Great the Hellenistic culture emerged which is a blend of Persian, Indian, Greek and Egypt.
A Republic is a political system where the power rest with the citizens, who have the right to vote and select their leaders
Roman concepts of civil and natural law impact Western Civilizations in equal treatment under the law
Under the rule of Augustus, Rome entered a 200 year period of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana
The Roman system of justice was considered a milestone because it served as a model for many later European legal systems
The central location of Italy on the peninsula contributed to Roman control of the Mediterranean and influenced the development of the Roman Empire
Rome fell because of Barbarian invasions, it became too big to control and many leaders and politicians were corrupt
A period of disorder and weak central government was an immediate result of the fall of the Roman Empire
Olympic games, the poems of Homer and Hellenistic culture are associated with the Greeks
The Roman Empire differed from the Roman Republic because the political power was primarily held by one person during the Roman Empire.
Ancient Middle East
The Assyrians were the most feared and hated in the ancient world
Cyrus was the Persian ruler that allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple
The Assyrian military was a greatly organized and deadly fighting force
Hinduism is a complex religion that evolved from a blend of Aryan and Indus Valley beliefs
Karma is the Hindu belief that what happens to a person in this life depends on their actions in a previous life
Siddartha Guatama left his royal position in Nepal in search of enlightenment
Nirvana is the Buddhist word for the release from all selfishness and pain
On the Silk Road the Indians discovered they could profit by acting as middlemen
The purpose of the Great Wall of China was to prevent invaders from entering China
The Silk Road was a caravan route that crossed central Asia, introducing silk from China to Western Asia and on to the Roman Empire
The Chinese were the first civilization to develop a civil service system, invented gunpowder and manufactured porcelain
The two Buddhist sects are Mahayana and Theravada
Meso- American/Pre-Columbian
The first major civilization of Meso-America were the Toltecs
The Aztec, Mayan and Incans were all polythesitic
A major difference between the Pre-Columbian civilization and the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia is that the pre-Columbians did not develop in river valleys
Obsidian was a resource used by the Aztecs to make razor sharp weapons
The Aztec, Maya and Inca adapted to their environment with creative farming techniques
The mita, which is the tax that the Incan state placed on its people, is also known as a tribute of labor
The Maya based their calendar on careful observation of the planets, sun and moon
The Aztecs joined with Texcoco and Tlacopan to form the Triple Alliance
The Incan system of government was similar to socialism
The Mayans declined hundreds of years before the arrival of the Europeans
The Inca added territory to their empire through military force and diplomacy
The Aztecs were resented by conquered provinces because the Aztec used them for human sacrifice
The Aztec and Mayan flourished prior to European contact and this is evident through their calendar and writing system
Quetzalcoatl was the feathered serpent God worshipped by the Aztecs, Mayans and Toltec.
The technology of the Spanish conquistadors was a major reason for the end of the Aztec Empire
The decline of the Inca Empire can be traced to a struggle between rivals for the Incan throne
The totem pole was a symbol of unity

2. Middle Ages and Crusades How to prepare for the final
Islam
The world Islam means submission to the will of Allah
Islam was monotheism
Muslims pray 5 times a day
Muslims needing to know the precise direction of Mecca during mandatory prayer lead to the advancement in astronomy
Shari’a is the system of law regulates the family life, moral conduct and the business and community life of Muslims
The Muslims considered the Jews and Christians and “people of the book”
During the Golden Age of Islam there was toleration of several other religions
Since Jews and Christians worshipped the same God as the Muslims, the caliphs allowed them to live in self-governing communities and had to pay a special tax
The House of Wisdom in Baghdad was where scientific and philosophical texts were translated into Arabic
Muslim scientist preferred experiments in the laboratory setting
The Golden Age of Islam was best known for advances in mathematics, science and medicine.
Calligraphy was the style of writing used to record Islamic scripture in the Quran
Byzantines & Mongols
Justinian undertook massive building projects such as the Hagia Sophia, re-conquered most of the western half of the former Roman Empire and codified Roman law
In the Byzantine Empire, one important feature of life was the development of Eastern Orthodox Christianity
The Byzantine civilization preserved Greek and Roman learning and passed it on to western and eastern Europe
The Justinian Code compiled during the time of the Byzantine Empire, served to preserve Roman legal principles and practices
Constantinople became the center of the Byzantine Empire because it was located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia
The early Russian civilization adopted aspects of religion, the Cyrillic alphabet and different styles of art and architecture through contact with missionaries from the Byzantine Empire
Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire differed because the Byzantine Empire maintained a centralized government while western Europe broke apart into local political units
Orthodox Christianity spread from the Byzantine Empire to early Russia
The Byzantine Empire did not experience the conflicts between the church and the state that were common in medieval Europe because the Byzantine Emperor played a direct role in the administration of the church
The Byzantine Empire influenced the development of Russia and eastern Europe because many early settlements were located on trade routes between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea
Membership in a Mongol clan was determined by a member’s claim of a common ancestor
The advantage that horsemanship and the stirrup gave the Mongols was it gave them better stability and versatility
The result of the Pax Mongolia on Mongol controlled lands was it led to regional stability and increased trade on the Silk Road
From the Mongol Empire ruled peoples from China, Russia, eastern Europe and India, which demonstrated that diversity was an important characteristic of the Mongol Empire
The Mongol empire allowed the people who lived in Russia and much of Asia in the late 1200s the ability to trade and travel from one end of the empire to the other
Isolating Russia from Western Europe was the most significant role the Mongols played in Russian history during the early Renaissance
Genghis Kahn was the first leader to unite all the Mongol clans under a single leader
Kublai Khan favored the Mongols and foreigners for government post because he believed that had no local loyalties
Immediately following the death of Genghis Khan, the Mongol empire was divided into 4 khanates
Baghdad was sacked and obliterated by the Mongols in 1258
The major effect of the destruction of Baghdad was the Golden Age of Islam began to decline
Middle Ages and Crusades
A major effect of the decline of the Roman Empire was that Western Europe entered a period of chaos and disorder
Feudalism is the political system that developed in Western Europe, which provided the framework that allowed the people to survive the breakdown of central government and order
The development of feudalism and manorialism filled a void that was created by the loss of the Roman imperial protection
The Bubonic plague was considered a pandemic because is spread to areas on separate continents
A major goal of the Catholic Church during the Crusades was the capture the Holy Land from Islamic rulers
Under feudalism, relationships among groups of people were clearly defined by mutual obligation among social classes because a weak national government lacked the ability to
The most significant effect of the Crusades was the increased trade between Europe and Asia
An important long-term result of the Crusades in the Middle East was the increased tension between the Muslims and Christians
The motivation behind the nobles’ desire to force King John to sign the Magna Carta was “no taxation without consent”
How to prepare for the final
Start looking over the review sheet now…don’t wait until the last minute
Underline key words that will help you remember the information
Start with the information you don’t remember (the early chapters)
Get a good night sleep and eat breakfast
Relax when you take the test….YOU KNOW THIS STUFF!!!!