A Review of Quarter 2 World History
Use the textbook page numbers located after the sentences to help you locate the correct answers…
Our studies of medieval history this quarter continued with a look at the American Empires of the Maya, Inca, and Aztec. Each of these three empires had a unique geographical location. The Maya lived mainly on the ______Peninsula, which was a rainforest with poor soil (187 map). Because of this the Maya practiced ______-and-______agricultural techniques in order to create good farmland (187). The Inca civilization emerged in the ______of South America. Because of the high elevation and steep topography, the Inca cut ______and irrigation ______in order to create good farmland (214). Lastly, the Aztec lived in an arid region of northern ______(239). A divine revelation led them to Lake ______, where they drained water to create the island settlement called ______(240). With only three causeway entrances, this city was easy to ______from attack (241). In order to feed their people, the Aztecs created ______, or floating gardens. This farming technique was so successful it is still used today (241).
All three of these empires had strict social structures. For example, the Aztec and the Maya broke their societies up into two groups, the ______and the ______(191). Both of these empires shared similar religious practices, including the ritual of ______sacrifice (195). In the Aztec Empire, ______conducted sacrifices at festivals throughout the year (248). Today we know much about the Aztec and Maya social and religious life because they each had a ______system and kept records in a kind of ______called a ______(198-199). Unfortunately we don’t know as much about the Inca because they never developed a system of ______(221). We do know that the Inca had three ______classes and a ______class (219 picture). The commoners lived in communities called ______(220). In the ayllus, everything was shared, including land, ______, animals, ______and resources (220). However, information about Inca religious practices is limited.
The medieval period of Chinese history brought about advances in government, trade, philosophies and inventions. During the Tang Dynasty, Tang Taizong brought stable ______back to his empire by reviving China’s official ______(268-269). A bureaucracy is a government with many ______and ______, all headed by appointed officials (269). Despite this improvement, the Tang Dynasty eventually collapsed. In 960, the ______Dynasty arose, improving on the good government structure (271). The Song rulers depended on a class of ______to run China’s bureaucracy (271). These government employees qualified for their positions by passing a special ______(271). Once selected, the scholar-officials were ______to make sure they were honest and efficient (272). To avoid corruption, the scholar-officials were not allowed to work in their ______districts (272). In addition, they were required to change jobs every ______years so they could not build up too much ______in one place (272). To complement the efficiency of the scholar-official class, the Song rulers encouraged the merit system. A merit system is a process for hiring and ______people based on ______and ______, rather than on wealth or social status (272). Because of these improvements to the government structure, the Tang and Song Dynasties enjoyed long, peaceful reigns.
During the medieval era in Chinese history, trade flourished. Massive cities like Chang’an were thriving ______and ______centers (270). People from all over Asia, including Turks, Indians, ______, Koreans, and ______came to load their camels with goods (270). One factor that helped the growth in trade was the development of paper money. During the ______period, the government issued the world’s first ______currency (285). This money was light in weight and easy to carry over long ______(285). Traders traveled these long distances along the ______Road to return home (270). In addition to goods, new philosophies made their way to China thanks to the Silk Road. ______, a religion based on the teachings of the Indian spiritual leader Siddhartha Gautama made its way north from the country of ______(276). During the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism had ______of followers in China (277). Its appeal was based on the ______for salvation and an end to ______(276).
While Buddhism was criticized for being an ______, or foreign, religion, Confucianism enjoyed a revival of strength during the middle ages (277). Confucianism was based on respect for the social ______, respect for social ______, and the importance of ______(278 chart). Children were taught that they should ______their parents and subjects were expected to respect their ______(278). In addition, Confucius taught that people could ______themselves through ______, which supported the idea of the merit system during the Song Dynasty (278). However, because of the growing popularity of Buddhism, Confucian scholars created a revived form of Confucian thought influenced by ______and ______(278). This new philosophy was called ______-Confucianism (278). The ideas of Neo-Confucianism had a great influence on China from the Song period onward.
In addition to improving the government system and incorporating new philosophies into their society, the Chinese also created many useful inventions that have had a great impact on China and the rest of the world. The Chinese invented paper and by the 900s, ______had replaced papyrus across much of Asia (307). In addition, the moveable type printing process made writing and publishing easier. These two inventions made lowered the ______of books and expanded the number of ______and, as a result, more people could learn to ______and get an ______(282 & 308).
The Chinese also discovered the ______compound we know today as gunpowder (282). While the Chinese first used gunpowder to make ______, this invention led to the creation of bombs, ______and other weapons during the Song era and beyond, becoming one of the most influential Chinese achievements that the world has ever known (282). Another key invention was the ______compass (282). In an age of travel and trade, this compass allowed sailors to sail to distant lands without getting ______(282). However, despite having the magnetic compass, the Mongol ships, of the Yuan dynasty, sent to attack and invade Japan were met, without warning, by a ______, which destroyed their ships and ended the possibility of conquering Japan (339). The Japanese thought this rescue was a ______. They believed that the gods—the kami—had sent divine winds—______—to help (340).
From the beginning of their history, the Japanese believed that they were a people protected by the gods. However, in order to strengthen their culture, they borrowed heavily from the nearby countries of ______and ______(327 map). Around the year 500A.D., the Japanese began to borrow the Chinese ______system (322). At first they used the Chinese ______, but eventually they began to write their own ______using Chinese characters (323). In addition to this, the Japanese leader, Prince Shotoku, sent official ______to ______to study Chinese arts and ______(327). These experts helped make Japan’s government move like that of ______(327). From China, through the country of ______, came the religion, ______(327 map). This religion also had an influence on the Japanese government. The Constitution of ______Articles called for ______for Buddhism (326).
Despite drawing much influence from China and Korea, the Japanese had a social structure and a cultural life that was uniquely theirs. The social structure of Japanese society included many levels. The ______was at the top and he was responsible for granting the title of Shogun to the ______of the imperial ______(332). The Shogun was the supreme ______commander and was supposed to rule Japan in the name of the emperor (332). In order to keep control over an often lawless and violent society, the ______, or land-owning lords, were charged with the responsibility of ______the people (333). They did this by creating a new social order known as ______(333). The Daimyo lords would grant people ______or other rewards in exchange for military ______(333). This military service was provided by a small army of ______(333). The samurai would fight in exchange for land or ______(333). Because they lived under the code of ______, these samurai were loyal to their Daimyo lord, even above their own ______(338). An example of this loyalty can be found in “A Tale of Mutsu,” in which a samurai stated, “For thirty years now I have been in Yoriyoshi’s service…If he must ______, I intend to share his fate and go with him to the underworld.” (338) Lastly, at the bottom of the social structure were the peasants, ______and artisans (332 picture).
Art and culture in the medieval period was uniquely Japanese. Literature about Japanese court life was popular, and the world’s first ______, The Tale of Genji, was so impressive that today, readers are still ______by the descriptions of life at the Heian court (351). Short ______were another popular form of literature (352). The Japanese invented the ______, a form of poetry with 17 syllables and three lines (352). These poems were used to create a quick and sometimes ______image (352). To complement written forms of art, painting Heian artists developed a distinctively Japanese style of ______painting known as Yamato-e (353). Each scroll told a story with pictures and depicted ______events, scenes from ______, and ______(353). Lastly, a new form of drama known as ______appeared in Japan (355). These plays were serious and intense, performed on an almost ______(355). However, the characters of the plays: ______, warriors, beautiful women, crazy people, or ______and devils, were played by actors who wore ______robes and emotional ______on their faces (354-355).