World Civilizations (1200-1450)

Unit 1 Summary (circa 1200 to 1450)

• Focuses on major world civilizations and state-building.
• Highlights the Song Dynasty in China.
• Neo-Confucianism revived, reinforcing a hierarchical society. Restrictions on women increased, including limitations on legal rights and foot binding.
• The imperial bureaucracy strengthened state rule through civil service exams based on Confucian principles.
• China's economy transformed through commercialization, increased agricultural output with Champa rice, and better transportation.
• Decline of the Abbasid Caliphate and rise of Turkic empires, including the Seljuk Empire.
• Islam influenced various cultures, and Sufi movements spread the faith through trade and missionaries.
• Hinduism and Islam shaped South and Southeast Asia; the Delhi Sultanate brought Muslim rule to India amidst Hindu resistance. The Bhakti movement reshaped Hindu practices.
• State-building in Mesoamerica focused on the Aztec and Inca empires.
• The social and political organization of these civilizations, along with the Mississippian culture in North America, examined.
• East and West African states highlighted trade and cultural exchange.
• Medieval Europe covered feudalism, decentralized governance, the influence of Christianity, and the rise of monarchies.

Unit 1 Highlights

• Unit examines major civilizations from circa 1200 to 1450, focusing on state-building.
• The influence of neo-Confucianism on societal hierarchy and governance in China examined.
• Details on the civil service exams for meritocratic governance in the Song Dynasty.
• Agricultural innovations such as Champa rice and the commercialization of China's economy discussed.
• Outlines the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate and the emergence of Turkic Muslim empires.
• The influence of Hinduism and Islam on societies in South and Southeast Asia illustrated.
• A contrast between the decentralized Aztec empire with the highly organized Inca empire is made.

Unit 1 Key Insights

• Neo-Confucianism under the Song Dynasty reinforced strict societal hierarchies, allowing stability but limiting personal freedoms, especially for women.
• The expansion of civil service exams during the Song Dynasty shifted governance away from hereditary positions to a merit-based system, enhancing efficiency.
• Champa rice enabled multiple harvests per year, leading to population growth and urbanization in Song China.
• Expanded networks like the Grand Canal in China facilitated trade and communication and supported economic growth.
• The transition from the Abbasid Caliphate to Turkic-led empires marked a shift in Islamic political power.
• The Delhi Sultanate facilitated the spread of Islam across South Asia.
• The Bhakti movement in Hinduism emphasized personal devotion over rigid social hierarchies.
• Trade, religious conversion, and state-building in Africa underscored the continent's role in global interconnectedness.

Unit 2 Summary (circa 1200 to 1450)

• Emphasizes networks of exchange from 1200 to 1450.
• The Silk Roads, the Indian Ocean Network, and the Trans-Saharan Trade Network facilitated commerce, culture, religion, technology, and ideas.
• The Silk Roads primarily traded luxury goods like silk and porcelain.
• The Indian Ocean Network was known for textiles and spices.
• The Trans-Saharan Trade Network enhanced trade in gold and commodities, leading to the rise of states like Mali.
• Innovations in transportation and commercial practices increased network efficiency with both cultural and environmental effects.
• The spread of diseases like the Bubonic plague and the transfer of crops happened.
• The Mongol Empire aided networks, promoting trade, cultural exchange, and technological advances across its vast territory.

Unit 2 Highlights

• The period 1200-1450 had the expansion of the Silk Roads, the Indian Ocean Network, and the Trans-Saharan Trade Network.
• The Silk Roads facilitated the trade of luxury goods, increasing wealth for participating states.
• Knowledge of monsoon winds improved trade efficiency within the Indian Ocean Network.
• Improved camel saddles revolutionized transportation across the Trans-Saharan Trade Network.
• Cultural consequences of interconnectedness included transfers of religions, literature, and technological innovations.
• The expansion of trade resulted in environmental shifts, such as the introduction of new crops, exemplified by Champa rice in China.
• The Mongol Empire played a crucial role in enhancing trade networks, creating security for merchants involved in international commerce.

Unit 2 Key Insights

• Dramatic increase in the geographical range of trade networks between 1200 and 1450, driven by desire for luxury goods.
• The introduction of the Caravanserai on the Silk Roads and advanced shipbuilding techniques in the Indian Ocean Network enhanced trade.
• Going from barter to money economies (e.g., paper currency) simplified transactions and increased trade volume.
• Trade networks led to the rise of cities like Kashgar and the decline of others like Baghdad.
• The spread of Buddhism into China, Islamic knowledge, and literature across cultures.
• The transfer of crops like Champa rice to China impacted agricultural productivity and population growth.
• Connectivity of trade routes enabled the spread of diseases, such as the Bubonic plague.

Unit 3 Summary (1450 to 1750)

• Focuses on land-based empires: the Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, and Qing Dynasties.
• Expansion was enabled by gunpowder weapons, military strategies, and administration.
• Conquest of Constantinople in 1453 was a turning point for the Ottoman Empire, which used the Janissaries (enslaved Christians converted to Islam) as elite military.
• The Safavid Empire was established by Shah Ismail in the 16th century, and had a military largely composed of captured Christians.
• The Safavid Empire adhered to Shia Islam; the Ottoman Empire followed Sunni Islam, causing conflict.
• The Mughal Empire, established by Babur, expanded through military conquests and was noted for religious tolerance under Akbar.
• The Qing Dynasty originated from the Manchu people, replaced the Ming Dynasty, and expanded using gunpowder.
• Empires legitimized their power through bureaucracies, military professionals, religious ideas, art, and architecture.
• Innovations in tax collection maintained control.
• The Protestant Reformation in Christianity, the Sunni-Shia divide in Islam, and the emergence of Sikhism discussed.

Unit 3 Highlights

• The period from 1450 to 1750 saw rapid territorial expansion fueled by military innovations.
• The main empires of the Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, and Qing had significant impacts.
• The adoption of gunpowder was crucial for military success.
• Rulers used bureaucracies, military professionals, and innovative tax systems.
• Conflicts emerged from differing Muslim sects and religious policies.
• Cultural legitimacy was achieved through endorsement of art, architecture, and religion.
• The Protestant Reformation in Christianity led to shifts in European religious power dynamics.

Unit 3 Key Insights

• The Ottoman Empire had significant strategic governance and military impact. The conquest of Constantinople altered geopolitics and facilitated expansion into Eastern Europe.
• Gunpowder changed military strategies, enabling rapid expansion. Military innovation was a factor in empire formation.
• Bureaucracies were needed for effective governance. The Ottomans' devshirme system cultivated loyalty.
• Differences between Sunni and Shia Islam led to conflicts between the Ottomans and Safavids.
• Akbar's tolerance enhanced stability in the Mughal Empire.
• Architecture (e.g., the Palace of Versailles) was used as a tool for political power.
• Sikhism exemplified interreligious dialogue, promoting social unity and challenging hierarchies.

Unit 4 Summary (1450 to 1750) Maritime Empires

• Focuses on the dynamics of Maritime Empires from 1450 to 1750.
• European expansion was caused by technological advancements, state power growth, and economic motivations.
• Maritime technology (compass, ship designs) enabled Portugal and Spain to establish trade routes.
• State power centralization facilitated trade.
• Economic drivers included mercantilism and joint-stock companies.
• Colonial Exchange: transfer of foods, animals, and diseases between hemispheres.
• Although European economies benefitted, indigenous peoples in the Americas devastated by diseases.
• Resistance to maritime expansion included Tokugawa Japan and local rebellions.
• Feedback loops involved trade, labor, social hierarchies, and local powers.

Unit 4 Highlights

• Europeans adopted shipping technologies, including the magnetic compass and latine sails.
• The centralization of monarchical power allowed European states to exert control over trade and exploration.
• The mercantilist system motivated European expansion through securing resources and wealth.
• The Dutch East India Company revolutionized funding.
• The Colonial Exchange massively transferred goods, including food and diseases.
• Resistance movements included those in Japan and resistance from enslaved societies.
• Existing trade networks persisted alongside European dominance.

Unit 4 Key Insights

• Maritime technological innovation did not develop in isolation.
• The shift towards centralized political authority in European states facilitated maritime expansion.
• The economic doctrine of mercantilism drove European powers to seek out colonies.
• Joint-stock companies became significant players in colonial trade.
• The introduction of new diseases to the Americas resulted in devastating consequences (the Great Dying).
• Syncretism occurred due to Christianity and other European cultural elements, where indigenous beliefs blended with European traditions.
• Labor systems like chattel slavery and indentured servitude altered social structures in the Americas and Europe.

Unit 5 & 6 Summary (circa 1600 to early 1900s)

• Impacts of economic, political, cultural, technological, and social changes.
• Unit 5 covers the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.
• Unit 6 covers imperial expansion and global migration.
• Unit 5 emphasizes historical continuity and change, focusing on revolutions and their impacts.
• Key Enlightenment influences included John Locke's ideas on natural rights and Voltaire's secularism.
• Unit 6 concentrates on imperial expansion, conquests, resistance, and demographic shifts.
• Pivotal topics include the Enlightenment, economic changes, technological advancements, and migration.

Unit 5 & 6 Highlights

• The Enlightenment laid the groundwork for modern political thought and revolutions, emphasizing rationalism and empirical analysis.
• Industrialization transformed production systems through new technologies and diversified labor practices, affecting demographic shifts.
• Economic pressures and imperial expansion led to migration patterns, forming diverse ethnic enclaves.
• Industrial states rationalized their expansion by leveraging technological advancements and ideologies like Social Darwinism.
• The Industrial Revolution spurred labor rights movements for against child labor and for better working conditions.
• Technological and industrial changes led to increased urbanization and ecological impacts.
• The advent of corporations, stock markets, and international trade altered economic landscapes.

Unit 5 & 6 Key Insights

• The Enlightenment helped shape democratic values and independence movements.
• The Industrial Revolution spread from Britain worldwide, altering production and labor practices.
• Migration patterns were both voluntary and enforced, leading to diasporic communities.
• Imperial expansion was driven by economic desires, political ambitions, and cultural imperatives, instigating socio-political shifts.
• The Industrial Revolution introduced innovations like the steam engine and telegraph.
• Social disparities from industrialization led to political movements, including socialism and labor unions.
• Environmental costs trace to Industrial Revolution from exploitation of resources, increased urbanization, and deforestation.

Unit 7 Summary (early 20th century)

• Significant historical events and transformations, especially WWI and WWII.
• Focus on ideological frameworks, including totalitarianism, total war, and propaganda.
• Causes leading to WWI: economic and imperial competition, nationalism, and military alliances.
• Shifting powers and falling empires: Qing, Russian, and Ottoman Empires.
• Social change movements in Mexico, Russia, and China post-revolutions.
• Devastating effects of the Great Depression, economic interventions, and tensions.
• Contrast between WWI and WWII wars.
• WWI defined as the first total war with industrial advancements and the involvement of civilians.
• Mass atrocities committed as a result of extremist ideologies.

Unit 7 Highlights

• Understand key ideologies including totalitarianism and propaganda.
• World War I expanded military engagement and involved extensive civilian participation.
• Highlight the fall of Qing, Russian, and Ottoman Empires following revolutions and conflicts.
• Emphasize economic upheaval during the Great Depression and its impact.
• Discuss the rise of extremism related to the Treaty of Versailles that led to WWII.
• Examine mass atrocities, linking state power, industrial violence, and ideological commitments.

Unit 7 Key Insights

• Ideologies influenced governance styles and military strategies during major global conflicts.
• Causes leading to WWI were multifaceted influence by economic competition, militarism, and nationalism.
• WWI galvanized societies into forms of combat with civilian industries repurposed for war efforts.
• Economic factors, particularly the Great Depression, catalyzed unrest and political extremism.
• Fascism formed around nationalism and resentment from WWI.
• Both World Wars showed countries considering civilian life integral to warfare.
• State led policies can lead to totalizing ideologies that dehumanize segments of the population.

Unit 8 Summary (mid-20th century)

• Key historical concepts and events related to the Cold War and decolonization.
• The Cold War (1945-1990) involved various countries and ideological stances.
• Nationalist movements in colonized nations inspired independence.
• Rising influence of communism in China and Vietnam and challenges faced by newly independent states.

Unit 8 Highlights

• The Cold War was rooted in political, technological, and economic transformations occurring after World War II.
• Nationalist parties mobilized populations for independence, dismantling colonial empires.
• The Cold War represented a clash of ideas between the U.S. and USSR.
• Newly independent nations sought economic independence, often opposing former colonial powers through nationalization.
• Proxy wars were common as nations found themselves in conflicts reflecting broader ideologies.
• Many states chose to resist alignment with the U.S. or USSR during the Cold War.
• New conflicts spawned after the collapse of the USSR globally.

Unit 8 Key Insights

• The Cold War was a worldwide battle of ideologies while countries sought to affirm sovereignty and identity.
• Inspiration from global events as nationalist parties were inspired by global events, most notably World War II.
• Colonialism caused a political antagonism with communism and capitalism.
• Policies in countries sought economical independence which included nationalization of industries.
• The world was divided as many countries had difficulties in reconciling ethnic and religious differences exacerbated by arbitrary borders drawn during colonialism.
• Countries avoiding the alignment with either superpower.
• Former colonies navigated their identities in a radically altered global landscape.