West Asia Study Guide

Front 1

religion, centralized or decentralized government, social situations, intellectual traditions (type of rationalization)

Back 1

primary traditions

Front 2

people that make changes in history: philosophers, artisans, religious leaders, bureaucrats

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creative minorities

Front 3

natural resources play a major role in type of society (nomads, conquerors, etc.)

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resource endowments

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What makes a civilization?

Back 4

urban, distinct religion, political and military structure, bureaucracy, social structure, and writing system

Front 5

an empire (not regional) with city-states governed by monarch-warlord and chief; composed of nobles (king, no orderly transition when he dies), clients (free ppl dependent on nobility), commoners (free ppl doing mundane tasks), and slaves (ppl taken in battle, no freedom); polytheistic religion-gods are out to get you; schools set up to learn cuneiform

Back 5

Sumer

Front 6

style of writing using pictures of objects and signs, created by Sumerians

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cuneiform

Front 7

conquers Sumer and makes two big contributions to government traditions: 1.going to conquer his neighbors (conquest) out of fear they will get taken over by other city-states 2. shifts them from individual city-states to an empire, which ends tradition of battle for warlord and starts dynastic tradition (once he dies, his son takes over)

Back 7

Sargon the Great

Front 8

conquers Akkadians and leads first Babylonian empire; make his kingdom secure, unified Mesopotamia, changes religious system and puts one god over other gods (beginning of monotheism), and creates a law to live by

Back 8

Hammurabi

Front 9

law of the land; has civil (how to legally get along with others) and criminal (consequences for breaking the law) aspects; dictates legal life of people

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Hammurabi's code

Front 10

Indo-European people (many languages) in Turkey area governed by Hattusilis I who sets up empire in central Turkey and moves into Mediterranean coastal area. Succeeded by grandson Mursili I who was killed in a power struggle. Have a conflict with Egypt which causes them to create an alliance with them. Major contribution is introduction of iron into war and agriculture (weapons and tools)

Back 10

Hittites

Front 11

Turk, but not part of other coallition, on his own, rallies other nomadic tribes that have been left out, based on religion; tries to tell people his cause is God, attracts many followers, and becomes main government force

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Osman Gazzi

Front 12

emperor; he who rules; "he with authority"

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sultan

Front 13

Once next sultan has taken power, all of his brothers must be killed, gives stability and prevents a rebellion

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Law of Fratricide

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sultan's council; elites from around empire; anything that goes wrong is lamed on them

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divan

Front 15

prime minister, right hand man, involved with jobs in empire, lots of power

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Grand Vizier

Front 16

provincial governor appointed by sultan, carries out duties of state throughout empire, given land grants if loyal

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Pasha

Front 17

land grant for service; reward

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Sipahis

Front 18

levy; young men turned over to sultan, mainly christian boys, trained muslim for high positions

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Devshirme

Front 19

elite fighting force that fights for sultan- body guards

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Janissaries

Front 20

sultan responsible for expansion into Europe, biggest contribution is capture of Constantinople-capital, use cannon and gunpowder to blow up enemies, ensures loyalty of people with conquest and rebuilding

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Mehmed II

Front 21

sultan that focuses on religious authority and pushes into other area once Istanbul is captured, changes from marriage of sultan which causes lots of competition to no marriage for sultan at all

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Selim I

Front 22

sultan who had lots of imperial expansion, many diplomatic connections-deal with French and alliance with Germany, and rephrases Sharia to make sure government does not vary from region to region. Ottoman empire is as strong as it gets when he is in power

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Suleiman the Magnificent

Front 23

unequal treaties imposed on Ottomans, loses much of power

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capitulations

Front 24

Reasons for Decline of Ottomans

Back 24

brothers of sultans begin to up rise, ottoman empire loses its unity, janissaries allowed to have family-lost braveness of soldiers and their fighting edge, habsburgs begin to fight back

Front 25

religious and secular ruler that unifies Persia, claims to be relative of Ali, works heavily to convert sunnis to sheites, conquest of Iraq

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Shah Ismail

Front 26

"redheads"

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qizilbash

Front 27

most prosperour shah because Europeans are willing to work with Persians, major trading center, reinvest money into buildings and infastructure

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Shah Abbas

Front 28

tries to unite tribes in afganistan, established as emperor, successors move south to Pakistan

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Babur ("the tiger"

Front 29

subdues all of India and brings it under his rule, centralizes authority on himself, in india he: adopts persian language, reforms tax code, and centralizes bureaucracy

Back 29

Akbar

Front 30

Indus valley civilization, displaced by Aryans

Back 30

Harappan society

Front 31

Indo-European ethnic group from southeastern Turkey with written language sanskrit, not commercial and comes to use Indus River valley to raise flocks, better weapons, fundamentally tribal (led by a raja, prince), veda religion (oral tradition)

Back 31

Aryans

Front 32

written language of Aryans, not entirely uniform

Back 32

sanskrit

Front 33

(sacred knowledge) Aryan religion, oral traditions passed down over generations

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Veda

Front 34

(sacred universal power) all things have their origin and also their end; no beginning and no end, continuous cycle

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Brahma

Front 35

Brahmans have high social status and individual worshipers can have more direct contact with the gods, showing their devotion to them without the aid of priests as intermediaries

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Hinduism

Front 36

religion that considers all life sacred and tries to live without destroying other life

Back 36

Jainism

Front 37

religion that believes the four noble truths and the eightfold path toward liberation which will free one from the cycle of birth and death and enter nirvana, a state of blissful nothingness and freedom from reincarnation

Back 37

Buddhism

Front 38

reincarnation; continual process of rebirth

Back 38

samstra

Front 39

Indian system of dividing society into hereditary groups that limited interaction with each other, especially marriage to each other

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caste

Front 40

prescribed social role and moral duty; moral law

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dharma

Front 41

sum of good and bad deeds

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karma

Front 42

freedom from samstra; release from the wheel of life

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moksha

Front 43

individual's reality/energy; your soul has always been

Back 43

atman

Front 44

seeking freedom from samstra, strong firm of not killing/physical violence (ahimsa), self-denial

Back 44

vardhaman mahavira

Front 45

Buddha, prince, high caste, creates Buddhism religion fulfilling vision at his birth, kept in palace his whole life to avoid seeing poor and suffering

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Siddhartha Gautama

Front 46

Four Noble Truths

Back 46

Life is filled with pain and sorrow, This is caused by desire, Release from existence will end suffering, Release can be attained by following the Eightfold Path

Front 47

Semitic-speaking people with an urban and commercial empire consisting of traders and craftsman; not interested in conquest, but establish Carthage-a refueling/refilling spot; started process of monosolovic alphabet

Back 47

Canaanites (Phoenicians)

Front 48

Semitic-speaking people that are very aggressive and conquer a huge region due to their powerful military and cruelty which is known throughout the world. They bring new military technology (battering reams, tunnel under walls, lance) and are the first to have professional soldiers and wear uniforms (unity)

Back 48

Assyrians

Front 49

organized huge conquered region into an empire

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Tiglath-Pileser III

Front 50

people in western turkey that were not into war, but were huge traders and were the first to systematically coin gold and silver

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Lydia

Front 51

main king of Chaldea (neo-Babylonian empire) that engages in mass public works schemes such as the hanging gardens and bridges across the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

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Nebuchadnezzar II

Front 52

king of Persians who unified Indo-European people, takes over much of west Asia because he can, not for need of resources and treat the conquered people very well

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Cyrus the Great

Front 53

son of Cyrus and king of Persia that created satrapies (chunks of territory) governed by satraps appointed by king to try to build good will towards empire. He also creates a road that stretches across his empire

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Darius

Front 54

satrapies or chunks of territory are ruled by satraps that are appointed by the king

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Persian Administrative System

Front 55

religious thinker and preacher that created a new religious system

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Zoroaster

Front 56

monotheistic religion with one God that cared about his people and wanted a relationship with them; emphasized good vs. evil; apocalyptic; influenced many religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Back 56

Zoroastrianism

Front 57

father of Jewish people, lived in Palestine or the land of Canaan, had two main sons Isaac (christianity) and Ishmail (islam), Isaac's son Jacob is the father of the 12 tribes which are the building block for the Hebrew people who move to egypt

Back 57

Abraham

Front 58

leads Hebrew people out of Egypt and back to Palestine, receives law from God which becomes foundation for religions, and brings people closer to the idea of one God supreme over all

Back 58

Moses

Front 59

idea of one God and only one God is supreme over all; one universal God, creator of all things, concerned with individual humans and their conduct and sin

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Ethical monotheism

Front 60

kind of Hebrews who centralizes and unifies the 12 tribes of israel

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Saul

Front 61

king after saul who creates an empire, reunifies 12 tribes, establishes a bureaucracy, and tries to pull people together through public works

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David

Front 62

David's son and next king who builds a temple, centralizes priesthood, and establishes contacts all over the world

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Soloman

Front 63

after Soloman dies, Israel splits into two kingdoms 1.Israel-north, 10 tribes stay and establish Sumeria 2.Judah-south, 2 tribes keep Jerusalem and Soloman's line as king

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Division of Hebrew People

Front 64

Babylonians capture Judah and sent survivors into exile in Babylonia

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Babylonian Captivity

Front 65

Greek old testament, converted Greeks convert Hebrew scriptures to Greek

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Septuagint

Front 66

leader of rebellion against Greeks

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Judas Maccabeus

Front 67

rebellion of Jewish people against oppressive Greeks, losing at first, but win after Romans join them

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Maccabean Revolt

Front 68

Greek leader who tries to undermine and destroy Jewish tradition and turn them to Greeks

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Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Front 69

nomadic people small in number that were extremely loyal and fierce warriors known for their fighting traditions and toughness

Back 69

Bedouin

Front 70

orphan involved in commerce who married a wealthy widow, received revelations from God, and created the Islamic religion

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Muhammad

Front 71

temple in Mecca containing a black stone thought to be God's dwelling place

Back 71

Ka'ba

Front 72

a wealthy widower that marries Muhammad and is the first to convert to Islam

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Khadija

Front 73

sacred book of Islam; recitation of message gabriel brought to Muhammad, compiled shortly after Muhammad's death

Back 73

quran

Front 74

the basic tenets of the Islamic faith, which include reciting a profession of faith, prayer five times daily, fasting and prayer during Ramadan, a pilgrimage to Mecca, and alms to the poor

Back 74

Five Pillars of Islam

Front 75

submission to the will of God

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Islam

Front 76

the Law of Allah; taking Koran and making it into a legal system

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Sharia

Front 77

caught up in world

Back 77

sufis

Front 78

exodus (fleeing) of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina and wins many converts

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hijra

Front 79

pilgrimage tradition to commemorate Muhammad's flight

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hajj

Front 80

community of believers, loyalty to Muslims trumps, gets people to believe there is something bigger than oneself

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umma

Front 81

struggle in the path of God; holy war; individual struggle against sin, must be an outward struggle

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jihad

Front 82

successor to Muhammad; the representative of God or deputy of the Prophet

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caliph

Front 83

tax collector for caliph, holds peole together, succeeds Abu Bakr

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Ali

Front 84

supporters of Ali; must be related to Muhammad to be caliph

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Shi'ites

Front 85

don't support Ali; follow "normative example" to be caliph

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Sunnis

Front 86

sunnis, oppose Ali, are undermined by the Abbasid caliphate; blood descent from Ali;

Back 86

Umayyad caliphate

Front 87

person that manages the government affairs, emphasizes how powerful caliph is

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hajib

Front 88

undermined the ummiad empire, not a conquering empire, caliphs rule by divine right, set in Baghdad, try to keep peace, try to centralize bureaucratic state, permanent armies, use power to expand faith, very far economically

Back 88

abbasid dynasty

Front 89

administrative unit reponsive to caliph, collect taxes, maintain peace, etc.; Arab governors who were given overall responsibility for good order, maintenance of the armed forces, and tax collection

Back 89

emirs

Front 90

judges throughout the region and empire

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qadis-shari'a

Front 91

advisor to caliph that has some power; caliph's chief assistant

Back 91

vizier

Front 92

unit of government; military role of bringing together a multi-ethnic army through faith

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diwan

Front 93

eventually the empire becomes too big and ethnic ruptures arise so other nations, especially the Turks, conquer their territory

Back 93

Decline of the Abbasids

Front 94

revealed: what God told gabriel to tell Muhammad such as Quran, Sharia, and Hadith
rational: math, science, astronomy, medicine, etc.
mystical (sufism): focus more on spiritual position with God

Back 94

Formation of Islamic Knowledge

Front 95

sayings of Muhammad

Back 95

hadith

Front 96

islamic scholars whom sunnis trust to interpret the Quran and the Sunna

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Ulama

Front 97

schools and universities opened to train young elite

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Madrasa

Front 98

Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal: born of conquest, military puts empire together and leader treats state as an extension of themselves, patronage is way of keeping together civilization and buy people off so they are loyal

Back 98

Military Patronage States