Download Post-Classical Era - Mr Jimenez` AP World History

Post-Classical Era
600 C.E. - 1450 C.E.
Muhammad and His Message
• Muhammad ibn Abdullah was
born in Mecca to a wealthy
merchant family in 570 C.E.
• He married a wealthy widow
Khadija in 595 and worked as a
merchant starting at age 30
• At age 40 he received a
message from Allah, the one
true god, who would bring
judgment to the world
Muhammad (570-632 C.E.)
The Quran
• The Quran was a compilation
of Muhammad’s revelations
written down by his followers
• It would serve as the ultimate
authority on the laws of Islam
• Other works, such as the
hadith, included other quotes
and deeds of Muhammad
Shia vs. Sunni
• The Shia sect of Islam supported
Ali and his descendants as the
one true caliph
• The Sunni sect were known as
the traditionalists and accepted
the authority of the earliest
caliphs
• The two sects separated
Shia patriarch Ali
– The Shia created holy days for
leaders and believed them to be
infallible
The Sui Dynasty (589-618)
• Chinese leader Yang Jian
reunified China in 589 after 350
years of chaos following the
Han dynasty collapse
• The new Sui dynasty had a
distinct style
– built palaces and granaries
– military expeditions into central
Asia and Korea
– High taxes and forced labor
Tang Dynasty (618-907)
• The Tang dynasty started after
the fall of the city of Chang’an
• Emperor Tang Taizong began his
reign in 627 and ruled with an
iron grip on power
• Although ruthless, his reign
produced a time of prosperity
and stability in government
Tang Achievements
Entertainment of the Tang royal
court
• The Tang built a vast
transportation and
communications network
• The equal-field system divided
land up according to the
people’s needs
• Government positions were
filled according to highest
scores on a civil service exam
• China viewed itself as the
center of civilization and forced
its neighbors to pay tribute
The Song Dynasty (960-1279)
• Founded by Song Taizu in 960
• The large government
bureaucracy and high salaries
depleted the treasury
• The nomadic Khitan and Jurchen
groups began creating problems
in north and central China
• The Song government moved to
the south and ruled China until
1279
Nara Japan (710-794)
One of Nara’s royal palaces
• Inspired by the Tang, one
Japanese clan took authority
over all Japan in 710
• They built a capital city at
Nara modeled after the
Chinese capital at Chang’an
• The Japanese adopted
Confucianism and Buddhism
but retained their Shinto
traditions
Heian Japan (794-1185)
• Moved the capital to Kyoto in
794
• Japanese emperors were
symbols of authority, not the
true rulers of the nation
• Power was held in the hands of
the Fujiwara family
• Chinese learning dominated
Japanese education and politics
Art of the Heian period
The Samurai
• The samurai class was a class of
warriors and provincial lords
• They followed the Bushido code
of loyalty, military talent, and
discipline
• They often engaged in ritual
suicide to preserve their honor
Traditional Samurai armor
Social Organization in
Sub-Africa
• Most societies were kin-based
clans or tribes ruled by family
based groups
• Groups of villages united to form
districts
• Village chiefs were in charge of
intervillage dealings
Modern chiefs in Ghana
European Improvement in
Agriculture
• Crop rotation and the growth
of beans enriched the soil
• The increase in animal
domestication also improved
soil
• Numerous books and lectures
were written on proper
household economies and
agricultural techniques
A typical feudal manor
The Crusades
• Pope Urban II called on Christian
knights to take the holy land in
1095
• A disorganized army led by Peter
the Hermit fell failed
• The first crusade led by French
and Norman nobles seized
Jerusalem in 1099
• Jerusalem was recaptured by
the Muslims in 1187
Christian attack on Ma’arra, Syria
Later Crusades
• By the mid 1200s five major
crusades had been launched
• The 4th Crusade (1202-1204)
conquered Constantinople
• Overall, the crusades failed to
take over Palestine from the
Muslims
Crusaders enter Constantinople
Aztec Upper Class
Aztec warrior of the 15th century
• The warrior elite held the upper
class of the social hierarchy and
held most of the wealth and
privileges
• Women had no public role but
were honored for being mothers
and sometimes warriors
• Priests were also high ranking:
read omens, presided over
rituals, and some became rulers
Aztec Lower Class
• Most Aztecs were farmers or
slaves who worked to pay
tribute or serve public works
projects
• Many slaves worked as
household servants
• Artisans and craftsmen were
valued for their production of
luxury items, but trade was risky
An Aztec slave market
The Incas
• Originated near Lake Titicaca in
the Andean highlands
• Under the reign of Pachacuti
they launched attacks against
neighboring tribes in 1438
• The Incas built a huge empire
spanning spanning nearly 4,000
kilometers from north to south
Inca ruins at Muchu Picchu
Inca Government and Military
Inca ceremony at Cuzco, Peru
• Capital city of Cuzco was home
to nearly 300,000 people by the
1400s
• An extensive road system linked
the entire empire
• Runners were used to maintain
communication and spread the
Quecha language
• The Inca ruled as a military and
administrative elite
• Use quipo for record keeping