Final Exam Study Guide--World Civilization to 1660
What advantage did the 1600-mile Royal Road provide to the Achaemenids?
-It allowed management of a sophisticated political system -It provided for good communication within the empire -It allowed a diverse trade to develop
Which Chinese philosopher proposed that only strong social discipline would bring society into order?
Xunzi
Which Chinese dynasty laid the foundation for principles of government and political legitimacy?
Zhou
Who was the prophet/reformer of Iranian religion?
Zoroaster
Monotheism was the distinct tradition of the __________.
hebrews
Which belief was at the heart of Mencius's philosophy?
human nature was essentially good
Where were the earliest civilizations located?
in river valleys
Which statement describes the cult of Amon-Re?
it honored a combination of the Egyptian sun gods
The hierarchical character of Indian society is intimately connected with the Hindu religion.
true
The most important Aryan veda is the Rig Veda.
true
What term the Aryans use to refer to social classes?
varnas
Who founded the Achaemenid empire?
Cyrus
What people did Darius allow to return to their capital city and rebuild their temple?
Jews
The most influential post-Confucian philosopher, who served as the chief spokesman for Confucius's philosophy, was _________.
Mencius
Tradition holds that Egypt was united around 3100 B.C.E. by which conqueror?
Menes
The Greek historian Herodotus used the phrase "the gift of the ________" to describe Egypt.
"nile"
Buddha taught a religion, not a philosophy.
false
Hinduism gradually replaced Jainism in Indian society.
false
Horses & silk are two of the luxury goods India produced.
false
In the Upanishadic worldview, existence was a linear concept that started with birth and ended with death.
false
Jainism embraced the caste distinctions of Indian society.
false
The African kingdom of Buganda is the earliest-known literate & politically unified civilization in Africa after the pharaohs' rule of Egypt.
false
The Qin Dynasty maximized its rule through a decentralized bureaucracy.
false
The caste system led to much social instability.
false
The Sasanids believed they were the rightful heirs to the Achemenid empire.
true
What does the word Mesopotamia mean?
"land between the rivers"
Which Greek leader conquered the Achaemenid in 334 B.C.E.?
Alexander the Great
Whose conquests helped Chandragupta Maurya establish the first Indian empire?
Alexander the Great
The collection of Confucian sayings and teachings is known as what?
Analects
Which of the following was NOT a major Persian dynasty?
Assyrian
In the ninth century C.E., a loose Maya empire was constructed by the state of _________.
Chichén Itzá
Which philosophy criticized social activism and instead proposed a life of reflection and introspection?
Daoism
Who was the greatest Achaemenid emperor?
Darius
In the __________ , the oldest existing literary work, a king strives for power and immortality.
Epic of Gilgamesh
Who established Babylonian dominance over much of Mesopotamia?
Hammurabi
What was the earliest known civilization in India?
Harappan
What religious and/or philosophical practices developed in the post-Mauryan era?
Hindu tradition and Buddhist practices
The construction of light, horse-drawn war chariots and the refinement of iron metallurgy were technological innovations of which people?
Hittites
The most influential ancient Indo-European migrants into southwest Asia were the ___________.
Hittites
Who were the Aryans?
Indo-Europeans
Why is the mandate of heaven important?
It allowed the ruler to serve as a link between the heavens and the earth.
Which statement describes the Chavín cult?
It enjoyed enormous popularity in the central Andes
Who is considered to be the traditional founder of Daoism?
Laozi
The Austronesian-speaking peoples became the first human settlers on which large island off the east African coast?
Madagascar
What is another name for the Iranian peoples?
Medes & Persians
The conqueror Menes founded ________, a city that would serve as the capital for early Egypt, around 3100 B.C.E.
Memphis
Which is the fist Mesoamerican civilization for which we have written records & archeological evidence?
Olmec
Who was the Egyptian god of the underworld?
Osiris
The first simplified alphabet, containing only twenty-two letters, was created by the ____________.
Phoenicians
Whose tomb contained thousands of terra-cotta soldiers?
Qin Shihuangdi
Who created the first empire in Mesopotamia?
Sargon of Akkad
The first complex society was developed in the southern Mesopotamian land of _______.
Sumer
Where was the Pyramid of the Sun located?
Teotihuacan
What did Confucius believe about political and social harmony?
They arose from the proper ordering of human relationships
Where does most of our information about the early Aryans come from?
Vedas
How many characters comprised the written language during the Shang period?
approximately 3000 characters
Why was Parthian rule significant?
because its nationalistic emphasis was emulated by later peoples
For what is Hammurabi is best known?
code of laws
What were the Upanishads?
commentaries and reflections on the Vedas
What is Sumerian writing called?
cuneiform
Which of the following features describe the Mauryan Dynasty as developed by Ashoka?
extension of the empire to cover most of India strengthening of Buddhism provided the model of the ideal king
Who were the Hyksos?
external invaders who helped bring about the end of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom
Bronze metallurgy in China likely developed as a result of communication with Mesopotamia.
false
Which Chinese political philosophy called for clear and strict laws?
legalism
What was the staple food of Mesoamerica?
maize
Who were the earliest heirs of the Olmecs?
maya
The domestication of plants and animals is a hallmark of what?
neolithic era
The first complex society of Mesoamerica, which founded traditions followed by all later societies, was the _________.
olmec
What was Mohenjo-daro?
one of the two main cities of the Harappan society
What was the key to economic success in the Achaemenid empire?
pax Achaemenica
Why is Çatal Hüyük is significant?
site of one of the first cities
The Hebrew religion began a religious tradition that revolutionized the world that followed it.
true
Where was original homeland of the Indo-Europeans most likely?
southern Russia
Which of the following is NOT a legacy of the Mauryan empire?
strong, decentralized administration
Which tribes began to spread their language and agricultural techniques throughout Africa as early as 3000 B.C.E.?
the Bantu
The Babylonians eventually fell in 1595 B.C.E. to whom?
the Hittites
The area of the first great civilizations received enough rainfall for growing grain and to feed grazing animals. What is this area called?
the fertile crescent
What was the ultimate goal and achievement of Legalism?
the unification of China
Which statement describes Pharaohs in the Middle Kingdom?
they were less powerful than pharaohs of the Old Kingdom
Which statement accurately describes the Lapita peoples?
they were the first Austronesian migrants to establish human settlements in the Pacific islands
What was the most important political center of the Maya realm at its height?
tikal
Buddhism is one of India's greatest contributions to world civilization.
true
It is believed that Asian immigrants reached North America via the Bering land bridge.
true
Jainism advocates that a person's most important duty is to cause no harm or pain to any being that can feel pain.
true
King Nebuchadnezzar revived the kingdom of Babylonia and rebuilt the city of Babylon.
true
The Han Dynasty embraced Confucianism as its official course of study.
true
By what name was the Hebrew God known?
yahweh
Which river valley hosted the origins of early Chinese civilization?
yellow
Which of the following mathematical concepts, essential for positional notation and the manipulation of large numbers, was invented by Maya mathematicians?
zero
A Mesopotamian stepped pyramid is known as a ____________.
ziggurat
