Final - October 29 - America, Africa and Asia before 1492

Question 1

Common Geographical Knowledge before the age of discoveries

Answer 1

No educated European believed the world was flat in 1492 - The Earth was known to be a sphere since Classical Greece (but there were disagreements on its size) -The Ocean between Europe and Asia was thought to be largely empty and uncrossable for the ships of the time- Life at the planet’s equator thought to be impossible due to the sun’s heat (torrid zone)

Question 2

what were the Notions of Space before the age of discoveries

Answer 2

Space was not simply a physical reality - Physical Space and Religious Space intersected – Jerusalem was considered to be the spiritual center of the world – Biblical places (such as the Earthly Paradise) were considered to exist somewhere

Question 3

what were the Technical skills before the age of discoveries

Answer 3

By the end of the Middle Ages, European geographers were able to create competent maritime charts known as ”portolanos”, but lacked adequate “projection” methods to represent large masses of land

Question 4

what were the Winds before the age of discoveries

Answer 4

The main limitation to the exploration of the Atlantic was the scarce knowledge of the “return” winds that allowed to go back to Europe – The discovery of the wind circulation in the Atlantic was key for the Age of the discoveries

Question 5

what was Commerce before the age of discoveries

Answer 5

The exploration of the Atlantic was linked to commerce and the need to reestablish a direct connection with China and the Far East – the land route was closed after the Fall of Constantinople

Question 6

explain Gold, Silver, and the European economy before the age of discoveries

Answer 6

Commercial expansion in the 15th Century, a trade deficit with Asia, and the shift from paper money to coins in the early period of the Ming Dynasty meant that the demand for precious metals in Europe skyrocketed – Spanish and Portuguese ”obsession” with gold and silver needs to be placed in this context

Question 7

give a summary of the slide “Geographic and Economic considerations before the Age of Discoveries”

Answer 7

Common Geographical Knowledge: No educated European believed the world was flat in 1492 - The Earth was known to be a sphere since Classical Greece (but there were disagreements on its size) -The Ocean between Europe and Asia was thought to be largely empty and uncrossable for the ships of the time- Life at the planet’s equator thought to be impossible due to the sun’s heat (torrid zone)
Notions of Space: Space was not simply a physical reality - Physical Space and Religious Space intersected – Jerusalem was considered to be the spiritual center of the world – Biblical places (such as the Earthly Paradise) were considered to exist somewhere
Technical skills: By the end of the Middle Ages, European geographers were able to create competent maritime charts known as ”portolanos”, but lacked adequate “projection” methods to represent large masses of land
Winds: The main limitation to the exploration of the Atlantic was the scarce knowledge of the “return” winds that allowed to go back to Europe – The discovery of the wind circulation in the Atlantic was key for the Age of the discoveries
Commerce: The exploration of the Atlantic was linked to commerce and the need to reestablish a direct connection with China and the Far East – the land route was closed after the Fall of Constantinople
Gold, Silver, and the European economy: Commercial expansion in the 15th Century, a trade deficit with Asia, and the shift from paper money to coins in the early period of the Ming Dynasty meant that the demand for precious metals in Europe skyrocketed – Spanish and Portuguese ”obsession” with gold and silver needs to be placed in this context

Question 8

explain Geographical Knowledge in the West before 1500: Africa (full slide)

Answer 8

Northern Africa and the Middle East are well-known to the European since classical times
However, the Muslim conquest made difficult to have access to those societies –
Central Africa and South Africa as well as Madagascar are basically unknown to the Europeans until the Portuguese voyages of the 15th Century
Although there are news of Christian kingdoms such as the one in Ethiopia
Importance of Gold (story of Mansa Musa, emperor of Mali, 1280-1337)
Existence of complex societies - Empire of Benin at its height at the time of the Portuguese Expansion
Pre-modern slave routes in Africa played a role in the development of Atlantic slavery

Question 9

Northern Africa and the Middle East are well-known to the European since when

Answer 9

classical times

Question 10

Northern Africa and the Middle East are well-known to the European since classical times
However, the Muslim conquest made difficult to what

Answer 10

have access to those societies –

Question 11

Northern Africa and the Middle East are well-known to the European since classical times
However, the Muslim conquest made difficult to have access to those societies –
why

Answer 11

Central Africa and South Africa as well as Madagascar are basically unknown to the Europeans until the Portuguese voyages of the 15th Century
Although there are news of Christian kingdoms such as the one in Ethiopia
Importance of Gold (story of Mansa Musa, emperor of Mali, 1280-1337

Question 12

Existence of complex societies - Empire of Benin at its height when

Answer 12

at the time of the Portuguese Expansion

Question 13

Pre-modern slave routes in Africa played a role in the development of what

Answer 13

development of Atlantic slavery

Question 14

explain Importance of Gold (story of Mansa Musa)

Answer 14

Mansa Musa, fourteenth century emperor of the Mali Empire, is the medieval African ruler most known to the world outside Africa. His elaborate pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in 1324 introduced him to rulers in the Middle East and in Europe

Question 15

Geographical knowledge in the West before 1500: ASIA (full slide)

Answer 15

Relatively known to Europeans before 1492
Classical travel narratives go back to Alexander the Great
Attempts at establishing diplomatic and commercial relations with China since the Middle Ages
Belief in the existence of powerful Christian Kings in the East – especially in India and later in Africa (legend of Prester John)
Marco Polo’s voyages (late 13th/early 14th Century) are highly influential
The Ming Dynasty rules China – Although a powerful navy is developed in the early 15th Century, it was considered an unnecessary expense and dismantled by 1433
Japan finds itself in the Sengoku period or “Age of Warring States”; c. 1467 – c. 1600) - a period in Japanese history marked by social upheaval, political intrigue and near-constant military conflict
For two and a half centuries from the mid 13th century, politics in Northern India was dominated by the Delhi Sultanate, and in Southern India by the Vijayanagar Empire.- The early modern period of Indian history is dated from 1526 CE to 1858 CE, corresponding to the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire, during which India’s economy expanded, relative peace was maintained and arts were patronized
Knowledge of India, South East Asia, Malasya and Japan mostly fictional/mythical

Question 16

was asia known to eropeans

Answer 16

Relatively known to Europeans before 1492

Question 17

Classical travel narratives (of asia) go back to who

Answer 17

Alexander the Great

Question 18

european Attempts at establishing diplomatic and commercial relations with China since when

Answer 18

the Middle Ages

Question 19

Asia: belief in existence of what

Answer 19

Belief in the existence of powerful Christian Kings in the East – especially in India and later in Africa (legend of Prester John)

Question 20

explain the legend of Prester John

Answer 20

Prester John a legendary medieval Christian king of Asia, said to have defeated the Muslims and to be destined to bring help to the Holy Land. The legend spread in Europe in the mid 12th century

Question 21

why re Marco Polo’s voyages (late 13th/early 14th Century) are highly influential

Answer 21

columbus read them

Question 22

who ruled china before 1500

Answer 22

The Ming Dynasty rules China – Although a powerful navy is developed in the early 15th Century, it was considered an unnecessary expense and dismantled by 1433

Question 23

what was happening in Japan before 1500

Answer 23

Japan finds itself in the Sengoku period or “Age of Warring States”; c. 1467 – c. 1600) - a period in Japanese history marked by social upheaval, political intrigue and near-constant military conflict

Question 24

what was happening in india before 1500

Answer 24

For two and a half centuries from the mid 13th century, politics in Northern India was dominated by the Delhi Sultanate, and in Southern India by the Vijayanagar Empire.- The early modern period of Indian history is dated from 1526 CE to 1858 CE, corresponding to the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire, during which India’s economy expanded, relative peace was maintained and arts were patronized

Question 25

was the knowledge of asia accurate before 1500

Answer 25

Knowledge of India, South East Asia, Malasya and Japan mostly fictional/mythical

Question 26

Pre-Columbian Americas: Some key points (full slide)

Answer 26

Human beings entered North America by walking across a land bridge from Asia more than twenty thousand years ago – There might have been other migration routes through the Pacific Ocean
There were different kinds of societies:
Concentrated sedentary/ Empires: permanently settled agricultural peoples organized into some kind of empire (Mexicas, Incas, Tarascas, Cakchiquel Mayas and QuichéMayas)
Segmented sedentary/ State Cities: Occupied lands where there were no empires or large polities (Muisca, Zapotecs and Mixtecs, some Mayas of Yucatán Peninsula and Guatemala)
Semisedentary: relied on both agricultural (mostly) and hunting. Sometimes they need to move to other areas for surviving and religious factors. Tainos (Antilles)
Non-sedentary or Nomads: (Tehuelche in Argentina)
The demography of Pre-Columbian America. New Evidence and Long Debates.

Question 27

Pre-Columbian Americas: Some key points

Human beings entered North America how

Answer 27

by walking across a land bridge from Asia more than twenty thousand years ago – There might have been other migration routes through the Pacific Ocean

Question 28

Pre-Columbian Americas: Some key points
There were different kinds of societies:
such as

Answer 28

Concentrated sedentary/ Empires
Segmented sedentary/ State Cities
Semisedentary
Non-sedentary or Nomads

Question 29

explain the pre-columbian americas society of Concentrated sedentary/ Empires:

Answer 29

permanently settled agricultural peoples organized into some kind of empire (Mexicas, Incas, Tarascas, Cakchiquel Mayas and QuichéMayas)

Question 30

explain the pre-columbian americas society of Segmented sedentary/ State Cities:

Answer 30

Occupied lands where there were no empires or large polities (Muisca, Zapotecs and Mixtecs, some Mayas of Yucatán Peninsula and Guatemala)

Question 31

explain the pre-columbian americas society of Semisedentary:

Answer 31

relied on both agricultural (mostly) and hunting. Sometimes they need to move to other areas for surviving and religious factors. Tainos (Antilles)

Question 32

explain the pre-columbian americas society of Non-sedentary or Nomads:

Answer 32

(Tehuelche in Argentina)

Question 33

is the The demography of Pre-Columbian America solid

Answer 33

no, New Evidence and Long Debates.

Question 34

Two Main Cultural Regions of Pre-Columbian America

Answer 34

Mesoamerica (just under mexico/mexico) and the Andes (south america)

Question 35

Mesoamerican Civilization: The Mayas. Some Key Points (fun slide)

Answer 35

The earliest Maya settlements date to around 1800 B.C (Beginning of the Preclassic or Formative Period.)
The Late Preclassic city of Mirador, in the northern Peten, was one of the greatest cities ever built in the pre-Columbian Americas. The smallest Maya centers covered less than a square kilometer. Tikal, the largest, covered 123 square kilometers.
From the late eighth through the end of the ninth century, the Maya civilization collapsed. The Maya never disappeared really, according to recent studies around seven million direct descendants of the Mayans live in the Americas today.
According to scholars, the most distinctive Maya achievements were in abstract mathematics and astronomy.
The Maya were literate and had a written language and even “books.” The Mayan system of hieroglyphics, one of the most complex systems on Earth, only began to be successfully decoded in the 1950’s.
The Ancient Maya were incredible engineers, constructing incredible Pyramids and temples that match the ones in Egypt.
The Ancient Maya played sports. The Mesoamerican ballgame was a “sport” practiced byall the major civilizations from the Olmecs to the Aztecs. The objective of the ball gamewas to strike a rubber ball through the hoop using any part of the body except the hands.Mayas main crops were maize (corn), beans, squash, avocados, chili peppers, pineapples, papayas, and cacao.

Question 36

Mesoamerican Civilization: The Mayas. Some Key Points

The earliest Maya settlements date to when

Answer 36

around 1800 B.C (Beginning of the Preclassic or Formative Period.)

Question 37

Mesoamerican Civilization: The Mayas. Some Key Points

The Late Preclassic city of Mirador, in the northern Peten was what

Answer 37

was one of the greatest cities ever built in the pre-Columbian Americas. The smallest Maya centers covered less than a square kilometer. Tikal, the largest, covered 123 square kilometers

Question 38

Mesoamerican Civilization: The Mayas. Some Key Points– From the late eighth through the end of the ninth century, what happened to the mayans

Answer 38

the Maya civilization collapsed. The Maya never disappeared really, according to recent studies around seven million direct descendants of the Mayans live in the Americas today.

Question 39

Mesoamerican Civilization: The Mayas. Some Key Points According to scholars, the most distinctive Maya achievements were what

Answer 39

in abstract mathematics and astronomy.

Question 40

Mesoamerican Civilization: The Mayas. Some Key Points– were the mayans literate or good at engineering

Answer 40

“The Maya were literate and had a written language and even books.” The Mayan system of hieroglyphics, one of the most complex systems on Earth, only began to be successfully decoded in the 1950’s.
The Ancient Maya were incredible engineers, constructing incredible Pyramids and temples that match the ones in Egypt

Question 41

Mesoamerican Civilization: The Mayas. Some Key Points– did they play sports

Answer 41

The Ancient Maya played sports. The Mesoamerican ballgame was a “sport” practiced byall the major civilizations from the Olmecs to the Aztecs. The objective of the ball gamewas to strike a rubber ball through the hoop using any part of the body except the hands.Mayas main crops were maize (corn), beans, squash, avocados, chili peppers, pineapples, papayas, and cacao.

Question 42

The Aztec empire: Some Key points (full slide)

Answer 42

Origins: The origin of the Aztec people is uncertain, but elements of their own tradition suggest that they were a tribe ofhunters and gathererson the northern Mexican plateau before their appearance in Mesoamerica
Capital: They settled on islands in Lake Texcoco and in 1325 founded Tenochtitlán, which remained their chief centre. Built a remarkable system ofagriculture, which featured intensive cultivation of all available land, as well as elaborate systems ofirrigationand reclamation ofswampland.
Politics: The Aztec state was a despotism in which the military arm played a dominant role. Valour in war was, in fact, the surest path to advancement in Aztec society, which was caste- and class-divided but nonetheless vertically fluid.
Religion: Aztec religion was syncretistic, absorbing elements from many other Mesoamericancultures. At base, it shared many of the cosmological beliefs of earlier peoples, notably theMayas. Prominent in the Aztec pantheon wereHuitzilopochtli, god of war;Tonatiuh, god of the sun;Tlaloc, god of rain; andQuetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, who was part deity and partculturehero.
Sacrifices: Human sacrifice, particularly by offering a victim’sheart to Tonatiuh, was commonly practiced – This will become one of the ”justifications” for the Spanish intervention.

Question 43

The Aztec empire origins

Answer 43

The origin of the Aztec people is uncertain, but elements of their own tradition suggest that they were a tribe ofhunters and gathererson the northern Mexican plateau before their appearance in Mesoamerica

Question 44

The Aztec empire capital

Answer 44

Capital: They settled on islands in Lake Texcoco and in 1325 founded Tenochtitlán, which remained their chief centre. Built a remarkable system ofagriculture, which featured intensive cultivation of all available land, as well as elaborate systems ofirrigationand reclamation ofswampland.

Question 45

The Aztec empire politics

Answer 45

Politics: The Aztec state was a despotism in which the military arm played a dominant role. Valour in war was, in fact, the surest path to advancement in Aztec society, which was caste- and class-divided but nonetheless vertically fluid.

Question 46

The Aztec empire religion

Answer 46

Religion: Aztec religion was syncretistic, absorbing elements from many other Mesoamericancultures. At base, it shared many of the cosmological beliefs of earlier peoples, notably theMayas. Prominent in the Aztec pantheon wereHuitzilopochtli, god of war;Tonatiuh, god of the sun;Tlaloc, god of rain; andQuetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent, who was part deity and partculturehero.

Question 47

The Aztec empire sacrifices

Answer 47

Sacrifices: Human sacrifice, particularly by offering a victim’sheart to Tonatiuh, was commonly practiced – This will become one of the ”justifications” for the Spanish intervention.

Question 48

Andean Civilization: The Inca Empire. Some Key Points (full slide)

Answer 48

Predecessors: The Inca empire was preceded by other important cultures such as the Chavin, Nazca, Moche, Huari and Tiwanaku civilizations (watch next video)
Origins: Manco Capac established the Inca Empire in 1438. He declared himself Sapa Inca, divine son of the Sun.. Most historians agree there were 13 emperors during the time when the Incan Empire existed.
Extension: The Inca originated in the village of Paqari-tampu, about 15 miles south of Cuzco.. Their empire ran along thePacific coast and Andean highlands from the northern border of current dayEcuadorto the Maule River inChile. There were over a million people who were Inca.
Language and writing: The official language of the Inca was Quecha. However, they had no written language. They kept their history alive through stories that were passed from father to son, and they were able to use mnemotechnic devices known as “quipus”
Religion: The Incas worshipped many gods and goddesses. The major Incan god was the god of nature, Viracocha, the creator. Another god was Inti, the sun god. Gold was the symbol of Inti. The sun god temple is the most important structure in Cusco, the major city of the Incas. The Incas believed Inti was the father of Inca rulers.
Architecture and Engineering: The Ancient Inca built aqueducts, cities, temples, fortresses, tunnels, suspension bridges, and 2,250 miles of roads. The Inca pyramids were built with mud bricks of clay that were mixed with dry straw from the corn plant. When the Incas found a pyramid that had been built by another culture, they would build their own Inca temple on top of it. This practice was also replicated by the Spaniards
Art and Science: The Inca had skills in music, textiles, wood and stone carving, art, and poetry. The Inca were also highly skilled in working with all types of metals. They also had elaborated medical practices.

Question 49

Andean Civilization: The Inca Empire predecessors

Answer 49

The Inca empire was preceded by other important cultures such as the Chavin, Nazca, Moche, Huari and Tiwanaku civilizations (watch next video)

Question 50

Andean Civilization: The Inca Empire origins

Answer 50

Manco Capac established the Inca Empire in 1438. He declared himself Sapa Inca, divine son of the Sun.. Most historians agree there were 13 emperors during the time when the Incan Empire existed.

Question 51

Andean Civilization: The Inca Empire extension

Answer 51

The Inca originated in the village of Paqari-tampu, about 15 miles south of Cuzco.. Their empire ran along thePacific coast and Andean highlands from the northern border of current dayEcuadorto the Maule River inChile. There were over a million people who were Inca

Question 52

Andean Civilization: The Inca Empire language and writing

Answer 52

The official language of the Inca was Quecha. However, they had no written language. They kept their history alive through stories that were passed from father to son, and they were able to use mnemotechnic devices known as “quipus

Question 53

Andean Civilization: The Inca Empire religion

Answer 53

The Incas worshipped many gods and goddesses. The major Incan god was the god of nature, Viracocha, the creator. Another god was Inti, the sun god. Gold was the symbol of Inti. The sun god temple is the most important structure in Cusco, the major city of the Incas. The Incas believed Inti was the father of Inca rulers

Question 54

Andean Civilization: The Inca Empire architecture and engineering

Answer 54

The Ancient Inca built aqueducts, cities, temples, fortresses, tunnels, suspension bridges, and 2,250 miles of roads. The Inca pyramids were built with mud bricks of clay that were mixed with dry straw from the corn plant. When the Incas found a pyramid that had been built by another culture, they would build their own Inca temple on top of it. This practice was also replicated by the Spaniards

Question 55

Andean Civilization: The Inca Empire art and science

Answer 55

The Inca had skills in music, textiles, wood and stone carving, art, and poetry. The Inca were also highly skilled in working with all types of metals. They also had elaborated medical practices.