Important Empires II

Global AIS

Map and TimelineFor your reference

Tokugawa ShogunateJapan

Effects of Geography• Island Location

o Japan: 4 big islands and 1000s of little islandso Difficult to unite

• Remember: what classical civilization couldn’t unite because of geography?o Ancient Greece

o Isolated from other cultureso Homogeneous: everyone in the culture is similar to each other

• Homo: same• Japan’s culture developed independently from other cultures

• Mountainso Almost no land available for farmingo Made Japan dependent on the sea for transportation and food

Effects of Geography Cont’d

• Earthquakes and Volcanoeso Could easily destroy the islandso The unstable environment taught the people to respect nature

• Often used in their art• Shintoism: developed in Japan and taught a great respect for

nature

Japanese Feudalism• VERY similar to European feudalism

o Remember: What is feudalism?• Feudalism was a European economic model based on self-sufficient

manors run by lords.

• Shoguno Military commander with the real power in the country

• Emperor was only the symbolic leader

• Samuraio Warriorso Means “those who serve”o Given land in exchange for protecting otherso Look at how the crowd reacts when the Samurai enter the city.

Feudalism Cont’d• Bushido

o Code of conduct for samurai • Remember: What is the definition of chivalry?

o A knight’s code of honor that dictates their behavior and values.

o Means “way of the warrior”o Focused on loyalty, bravery, honoro Bushido (The Last Samurai)

Japanese vs. European Feudalism

Similarities Differences

Over-allegiance to people above you in the social hierarchy

Status of women-Japan: women could be mothers, entertainers and warriors; freedom depended on social class-Europe: women often restricted to the home or labor, depending on social class

Warriors with an honor code The government’s power -Japan: Shogun not Emperor-Europe: King

Strict social classes Position of merchants-Japan: merchants looked down on-Europe: merchants respected, gained more power after feudalism stopped

Land-based system

Tokugawa Shogunate• A strong family that ruled Japan for almost 300

yearso Remember: What is the definition of a monarchy?

• A single ruler, like a king or emperor, who is not elected.

• Brought stability and unity to Japan under the Tokugawa family of Shoguns

• Culture bloomed during their reign

Policy of Isolationism• Remaining apart from the affairs of other

countries• The Tokugawa isolated Japan by CHOICE• They deliberately didn’t interact with other

cultureso No foreigners into Japano No Japanese out of Japan

Mongol EmpireChina

Origins• Nomadic people from the grasslands of Central

Asiao Remember: What is the definition of nomadic?

• Nomadic: moving from place to place

• Built the largest unified empire in the world• Took over China first then moved westward

o Look back at your map to see the whole empire

Important People• “Khan” means world emperor• Genghis Khan

o Known for spreading terror and destructiono 1200AD: unified all Mongols under his rule

• Kublai Khano Grandson of Genghis Khano Centered in China but spread the empire to the Middle Easto Kept the empire stable and peacefulo When he died, the empire fell apart

Russia• Ruled by the Mongols for 250 years• Long term impact

o The Mongols showed Russia how to have an absolute government• Absolute monarchy: a strong single leader that makes all decisions

and rules because of divine righto Isolated Russia from Western Europe

• No Renaissance ideas• Stuck in more of a Dark Age culture

Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta

• Marco Poloo European traveler to Chinao His writings sparked interest

back in Europe for Chinese things• Remember: What holy wars

resulted in Europe wanting products from Asia?o Crusades

• Ibn Battutao An African Muslimo Traveled extensively through the

Middle East and Chinao His writings are used today as a

historical resource• Remember: Are his writings

a primary or secondary source?o Primary

Ming Dynasty

Origins• Took over China AFTER the Mongols• Re-established the Chinese dynasty system• Brought back the belief that China was the Middle

Kingdomo Remember: What did it mean to be the Middle Kingdom?

• Be the center of the world

• Ethnocentrism: belief that your culture is better than other cultureso Chinese believed their culture, their people, and their products were

superior to everyone and everything else

West African EmpiresAfrica (obviously)

Trade• Sahara Trade Routes

o Beginning in 800-1000 AD, Muslim traders in caravans created trade routes across the Sahara Desert

• Arab Traderso Arabia was a great location for tradeo Main trade routes

• Silk road to China• Mediterranean Sea to Europe

o Remember: What European country got a lot of trade via the Mediterranean Sea?• Italy

• Across the Sahara Desert

Trade Cont’d• Products Traded (In Africa)

o Muslims brought salt to Africans in exchange for goldo Other products: ivory, lumber, tin, and other resources, slaves

• Arab Cultural Contributionso Ideas spread through trade

• Islam• Technology (math, science, medicine)

Traditional African Social Identities

• Extended Familyo More than mom, dad, kids (nuclear family)o Grandparents and/or other relatives lived in the home

• Clano Group of related, extended families who descended from a common

ancestor

• Tribeo A group of related clans

Other Things• Mansa Musa

o Powerful king of the Empire of Mali • Check your map to see where it is

o Converted to Islam, which facilitated cultural diffusion• Remember: What is cultural diffusion?

o Fusing of different cultures to create a new culture• Remember: What is animism?

o A religion based on great respect for animals, nature, and ancestors

• Oral Traditiono Passing down customs, traditions, and cultures through story-telling for

education and entertainmento How the history of African culture is passed to future generations (many

Africans were not literate)o Remember: what does literate mean?

• Can read and write

Empires of Meso-America

Central and South America

Key Civilizations• Maya

o Location: Yucatan Peninsula of Mexicoo Peaceful farmers

• Azteco Location: Central Mexicoo Fierce warriors

• Incao Location: Mountains of Peruo Highly-organized government

Significance• More advanced than other “American” cultures of

their time• Advanced developments

o Architecture: huge temples and citieso Agriculture: able to support large city populationso Science

• Math: used zeroo Remember: What empire invented zero?

• Gupta• Medicine: performed surgery• Astronomy: 365 ¼ calendar• Engineering: over 12,000 miles of roads

o Remember: What classical civilization is famous for its roads?• Rome

Ottoman EmpireWestern Asia (Turkey)

Important Points• Origin

o Out of central Turkeyo Turkish Muslims (not Arab Muslims)

• Fall of Constantinople (a city)o Changed Turkey’s name to Istanbulo Became a Muslim capital of the Ottoman Empire

Important Points Cont’d

• Suleiman I (Suleiman the Magnificent)o Ruled during the golden age of the empire (1530-1566)

• Remember: What is a golden age?o A time of great contributions

o Added a lot of territory to the empire• Remember: What problems arise when an empire becomes too

large?o Hard to protect and govern outer areas

• Impact on European Tradeo Ottomans dominated trade around the Mediterranean Seao Result: Europeans had to find other routes to Asia