Ways of the World Chapter 13

Questions and Answers

What was a possible reason why Australian hunter-gatherers did not develop farming societies?

They did not need to farm to master their environment.

The agricultural civilizations of West Africa were characterized by what kind(s) of government?

A mixture of stateless societies and more highly centralized kingdoms.

Which of the following was NOT a value of the Iroquois League of Five Nations that some European colonists found attractive?

Empire building.

The conquest of Timur was the last military success of what kinds of people from Central Asia?

Nomadic peoples. Signup and view all the answers

What was the main reason that Emperor Yongle sent Zheng He on his voyages?

To draw distant lands into the Chinese tribute system of trade. Signup and view all the answers

Why did the Ming government suddenly stop the exploration of the Indian Ocean basin?

Emperor Yongle's successors viewed expansion as a waste of time and resources. Signup and view all the answers

The Hundred Years' War between England and France was comparable to which conflict in Ming dynasty China during the fifteenth century?

There were no similar conflicts in Ming dynasty China in the fifteenth century, as it was internally unified, unlike Europe. Signup and view all the answers

The Renaissance was an era in which educated Europeans sought to 'return to the sources.' What sources?

The art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. Signup and view all the answers

Just after Ming dynasty China withdrew from the Indian Ocean and East Africa, which European power began to expand into the void left behind by the Chinese?

Portugal. Signup and view all the answers

All of the following are reasons why Europeans put so much effort into expanding their power, while Chinese withdrew into their borders during the fifteenth century, EXCEPT:

The Europeans had more ships, armies, and wealth to fund their exploration than the Ming state, which was large but poor. Signup and view all the answers

How did the Songhay Empire fit into the Islamic world of the fifteenth century?

It was a substantial Islamic state on the West African frontier of the Islamic world. Signup and view all the answers

A North African traveler described Timbuktu, the capital of the Songhay Empire, as?

A vibrant center of cultural, intellectual, and commercial activity. Signup and view all the answers

Muslim travelers described the Islamic port of Malacca as?

A dangerous and lawless nest of thieves and cheaters. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was NOT a feature of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán?

A lack of pyramids and temples. Signup and view all the answers

Why did the Aztecs perform ritual human sacrifice?

They believed the victims' blood replenished the energy of the sun. Signup and view all the answers

In what ways did the Inca and Aztec empires differ substantially from each other?

The Inca Empire built an elaborate bureaucracy to integrate its subjects; the Aztecs did not. Signup and view all the answers

How did the Aztec and Inca empires treat women?

Women had separate roles from men, but those roles were seen as equally important. Signup and view all the answers

All of the following pairs of societies shared a common religion EXCEPT

Mexican and Andean. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was NOT a feature of the modern era in the centuries following 1500?

Growing equality among entire regions and civilizations. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following 'what ifs' might have most drastically altered world history by not leading to European dominance?

What if the Chinese authorities had not called their fleet back from its explorations in 1433? Signup and view all the answers

The Chinookan, Tulalip, Skagit, and other peoples of northwestern North America were _______________ gathering and hunting cultures.

complex or affluent. Signup and view all the answers

The Igbo, Yoruba, and Bini peoples represented different types of agricultural societies in _________________.

the Amazon River basin. Signup and view all the answers

The constant warfare between the Onondaga, Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, and Mohawk tribes was ended by the creation of the _________________.

Iroquois League of Five Nations. Signup and view all the answers

The culturally sophisticated capital of Timur's empire was ______________.

Samarkand. Signup and view all the answers

The pastoral Fulbe of West Africa slowly adopted ______________ as a religion as they drifted eastward.

Islam. Signup and view all the answers

The period of remarkable expansion by Zheng He occurred during the _____________ century.

early fifteenth. Signup and view all the answers

Much of the nation building in Europe during the fifteenth century was driven by the needs of ____________.

war. Signup and view all the answers

In The Prince, one of the most influential writings in European history, author Niccolò Machiavelli writes that it is better for a ruler to be ____________ than to be loved.

feared. Signup and view all the answers

The crews of early European explorers such as Columbus and da Gama were ___________ in comparison to the number of crew members aboard Zheng He's fleet.

miniscule. Signup and view all the answers

The most impressive and enduring of the new Islamic states of Afro-Eurasia was the __________ Empire.

Ottoman. Signup and view all the answers

The Sunni/Shia split divided the ________________ empires during the fifteenth century.

Ottoman and Safavid. Signup and view all the answers

The king of the Songhay Empire, Sonni Ali, combined belief in Islam with belief in ______________.

traditional West African religious practices. Signup and view all the answers

The 'second flowering of Islam' in the fifteenth century saw the spread of Islam to ________________.

Southeast Asia. Signup and view all the answers

Islam in Malacca was blended with ______________ traditions.

Hindu/Buddhist. Signup and view all the answers

The goal of Aztec warfare was to ___________ the enemy.

capture. Signup and view all the answers

The Inca Empire encompassed almost the whole of _____________ civilization in the fifteenth century.

Andean. Signup and view all the answers

The official language of the Inca Empire, still spoken by millions today, was _____________.

Quechua. Signup and view all the answers

The Inca state demanded ____________, or labor service, as tribute from its subjects.

mita. Signup and view all the answers

Islam's many diverse cultures were brought together each year by the annual __________________.

pilgrimage to Mecca. Signup and view all the answers

The Micronesian island Yap was a center of oceanic ____________ in the fifteenth century.

commerce. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Aztec Empire?

Major state that developed in what is now Mexico in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; dominated by the seminomadic Mexica, who had migrated into the region from Northern Mexico. Signup and view all the answers

What is Benin?

Territorial state that emerged by the 15th century in the region that is now southern Nigeria; ruled by a warrior king who consolidated his state through widespread conquest. Signup and view all the answers

What was the seizure of Constantinople in 1453?

Constantinople, the capital and almost the only outpost left of the Byzantine Empire, fell to the army of the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II 'the Conqueror' in 1453, an event that marked the end of Christian Byzantium. Signup and view all the answers

What are the Fulbe?

West Africa's largest pastoral society, whose members gradually adopted Islam and took on a religious leadership role that led to the creation of a number of new states. Signup and view all the answers

What are the Igbo?

People whose lands were east of the Niger River in what is now southern Nigeria in West Africa; they built a complex society that rejected kingship and centralized statehood and relied on other institutions to provide social coherence. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Inca Empire?

The western hemisphere's largest imperial state in the 15th and early 16th centuries, built by a relatively small community of Quechua-speaking people; the empire stretched some 2,500 miles along the Andes Mountains and contained perhaps 10 million subjects. Signup and view all the answers

What is Malacca?

Muslim port city that came to prominence on the waterway between Sumatra and Malaya in the fifteenth century C.E.; it was the springboard for the spread of a syncretic form of Islam throughout the region. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Ming dynasty China?

Chinese dynasty (1368-1644) that succeeded the Yuan dynasty of the Mongols; noted for its return to traditional Chinese ways and restoration of the land after the destructiveness of the Mongols. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Ottoman Empire?

Major Islamic state centered on Anatolia that came to include the Balkans, the Near East, and much of North Africa. Signup and view all the answers

What is paleolithic persistence?

The continuance of gathering and hunting societies in substantial areas of the world despite millennia of agricultural advance. Signup and view all the answers

What is the European Renaissance?

A 'rebirth' of classical learning that is most often associated with the cultural blooming of Italy and that included not just a rediscovery of Greek learning, but also major developments in art as well as growing secularism in society. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Safavid Empire?

Major Turkic empire of Persia founded in the early 16th century, noted for its efforts to convert the populace to Shia Islam. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Songhay Empire?

Major Islamic state of West Africa that formed in the second half of the fifteenth century. Signup and view all the answers

What is Timbuktu?

Great city of West Africa, noted as a center of Islamic scholarship in the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Timur?

Turkic warrior (1336-1405), also known as Tamerlane, whose efforts to restore the Mongol Empire devastated much of Persia, Russia, and India. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Zheng He?

Great Chinese admiral (1371-1433) who commanded a fleet of more than 300 ships in a series of voyages of contact and exploration that began in 1405. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the Iroquois?

A group of Native American peoples who spoke related languages, lived in the western Great Lakes region of North America and formed an alliance in the late 1500s. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Hunter-Gatherers and Agriculture

Australian hunter-gatherers thrived without developing agriculture, mastering their environment through foraging.

West African Civilizations

West African agricultural civilizations featured diverse governance systems, combining stateless societies with centralized kingdoms.

Iroquois Values

The Iroquois League emphasized unity and peace among tribes, lacking interest in empire building, which contrasted with European aspirations.

Nomadic Conquest

Timur's conquests marked the final military successes of nomadic Central Asian peoples before the rise of Russian and Chinese dominations.

Zheng He and Tribute System

Emperor Yongle's primary motive for sending Zheng He on voyages was to integrate distant regions into China's tribute trade system.

Ming Dynasty Exploration

The cessation of Ming exploration in the Indian Ocean occurred as Yongle's successors deemed expansion unnecessary and unresourceful.

European and Ming Conflicts

Unlike Europe, Ming Dynasty China experienced internal stability without major conflicts during the 1337-1453 Hundred Years' War.

Renaissance Ideals

The Renaissance signified a cultural revival focused on ancient Greek and Roman art and literature.

European Expansion Post-Ming Withdrawal

Following China's retreat from maritime exploration, Portugal emerged as the dominant European power in the Indian Ocean.

Why Europeans Expanded

European investments in expansion were driven by wealth and maritime capabilities, contrasting with the underfunded, vast Ming state.

Songhay Empire and Islam

The Songhay Empire represented a significant Islamic presence on the periphery of the Islamic world during the fifteenth century.

Timbuktu's Significance

Timbuktu emerged as a major hub of culture, intellect, and commerce in the Songhay Empire, known for its educational institutions.

Perceptions of Malacca

Muslim travelers criticized Malacca as an unsafe region filled with thieves and dishonest merchants.

Aztec Capital Features

Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, was notable for its pyramids and temples, contrary to claims of their absence.

Purpose of Aztec Human Sacrifice

The Aztecs conducted ritual human sacrifices, believing the blood revitalized the sun's energy.

Inca vs. Aztec Governance

The Inca Empire established a sophisticated bureaucracy for governance, while the Aztecs lacked such integration.

Gender Roles in Empires

In both the Aztec and Inca empires, women had distinct yet equally valued roles within their societies.

Religious Commonality

Mexican and Andean societies did not share a common religious practice, setting them apart culturally.

Modern Era Features

The modern era post-1500 was marked by increasing inequality among regions, negating the notion of universal equality.

Impact of Chinese Exploration Withdrawal

Historical speculation includes how sustained Chinese exploration post-1433 might have prevented European dominance.

Northwestern North American Societies

The Chinookan, Tulalip, and Skagit peoples exhibited complex, affluent hunter-gatherer cultures in the Pacific Northwest.

Igbo, Yoruba, and Bini Societies

These West African groups represented diverse agricultural societies across southern Nigeria, each with unique characteristics.

Formation of the Iroquois League

Continuous warfare among the Onondaga, Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, and Mohawk tribes led to the establishment of the Iroquois League of Five Nations.

Timur's Capital

Samarkand was the culturally rich capital of Timur’s empire, highlighting its significance during his reign.

Fulbe Conversion to Islam

The pastoral Fulbe gradually embraced Islam as they migrated eastward, gaining religious leadership roles in West Africa.

Zheng He’s Voyages Timeline

Zheng He conducted his prominent voyages during the early fifteenth century, expanding Chinese maritime influence.

European Nation Building

Europe's nation-building efforts in the fifteenth century were largely influenced by the demands arising from war.

Machiavelli's Beliefs

In "The Prince," Machiavelli argued that it is preferable for rulers to be feared rather than loved.

Early European Exploration Crews

The crews of early European explorers like Columbus and da Gama were significantly smaller compared to Zheng He's fleet.

Ottoman Empire's Significance

The Ottoman Empire emerged as a powerful Islamic state, expanding its reach across Anatolia, the Balkans, Asia Minor, and North Africa.

Sunni/Shia Divide

The Sunni/Shia schism uniquely affected the Ottoman and Safavid empires during the fifteenth century.

Sonni Ali of the Songhay Empire

Sonni Ali harmonized Islamic beliefs with traditional West African religious practices during his rule.

Spread of Islam in the Fifteenth Century

The "second flowering of Islam" saw the religion's expansion into Southeast Asia during the 1400s.

Islam in Malacca

Islamic practices in Malacca incorporated Hindu/Buddhist influences, creating a unique syncretic tradition.

Objectives of Aztec Warfare

The primary aim of Aztec warfare was to capture enemies for sacrifice rather than outright destruction.

Inca Empire Territory

The Inca Empire was the largest in the western hemisphere, spanning most of the Andean civilizations.

Lingua Franca of the Inca Empire

Quechua served as the official language of the Inca Empire, still spoken by millions today.

Tribute System in Inca State

The Inca demanded tribute in the form of mita, a labor service from subjects to sustain the empire.

Unifying Islamic Cultures

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca served as a key unifying element for Islam’s diverse cultures.

Yap Island's Role

The island of Yap was a vital center for oceanic commerce during the fifteenth century.

Aztec Empire Overview

The Aztec Empire, a significant state in Mexico during the 14th and 15th centuries, was driven by the seminomadic Mexica people.

Benin's Political Structure

Benin emerged as a warrior-ruled territorial state in southern Nigeria during the 15th century, established through conquest.

Fall of Constantinople

The 1453 seizure of Constantinople by Mehmed II marked the fall of Byzantine influence and the rise of the Ottoman Empire.

Fulbe Society and Islam

The Fulbe, West Africa’s largest pastoral society, gradually adopted Islam, gaining prominence in religious leadership.

Igbo's Societal Structure

The Igbo developed a complex societal arrangement without centralized kingship, relying on alternative institutions for social cohesion.

Inca Empire's Scale

The Inca Empire, centered in the Andes, was marked by a vast extent, containing approximately 10 million people at its peak.

Historical Importance of Malacca

Malacca developed as a crucial Muslim port city influencing a syncretic form of Islam across Southeast Asia.

Ming Dynasty Characteristics

The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) focused on restoring traditional Chinese practices after Mongol rule, marking a significant cultural return.

Ottoman Empire Overview

The Ottoman Empire, a major Islamic state, grew to encompass regions across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Paleolithic Persistence

Despite advancements in agriculture, some areas maintained hunter-gatherer societies, demonstrating persistent lifestyles.

European Renaissance Characteristics

The European Renaissance was characterized by a revival of classical knowledge, emerging prominently in Italy with significant artistic developments.

Safavid Empire Features

Founded in the early 16th century, the Safavid Empire was known for its endeavors to convert the populace to Shia Islam.

Songhay Empire Overview

The Songhay Empire emerged as a key Islamic political entity in West Africa during the latter part of the fifteenth century.

Timbuktu's Recognition

Timbuktu was acknowledged as an essential center of Islamic scholarship during the 14th to 16th centuries.

Timur's Historical Impact

Timur's campaigns, marked by military upheaval, aimed to reconstruct the Mongol Empire but left widespread devastation.

Zheng He’s Maritime Legacy

As a notable Chinese admiral, Zheng He led expansive voyages for exploration and connection, impacting trade routes significantly.

Iroquois Alliances

The Iroquois comprised native groups in North America's Great Lakes area, forming alliances to bolster collective strength.

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This quiz covers key concepts from Chapter 13 of 'Ways of the World'. Explore important terms and definitions related to the development of societies, including hunter-gatherers and agricultural civilizations. Test your knowledge on the diverse forms of government found in West Africa and other related themes.