Notes
East Asia
- The Song dynasty in China (960–1279) used Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism to support its government, with a bureaucracy staffed through the civil service exam.
- Song China's economy was the most productive in the world: Champa rice from Vietnam boosted food supply, and innovations included the magnetic compass, gunpowder, paper money and movable type. Grand Canal trade connected north and south.
- Buddhism spread and took different forms (Chan/Zen); it also spread to Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
Dar al-Islam
- The Abbasid Caliphate weakened, and new Turkic empires like the Seljuks, Mamluks and the Delhi Sultanate rose.
- Muslim scholars advanced math, science and medicine and preserved Greek texts; the House of Wisdom in Baghdad was a center of learning.
- Islam spread through trade and Sufi missionaries as well as conquest.
South and Southeast Asia
- Hinduism and Buddhism shaped states like the Vijayanagara Empire and the Khmer Empire (Angkor Wat). The Bhakti movement emphasized personal devotion.
- The Delhi Sultanate brought Islamic rule to northern India.
- Srivijaya and Majapahit controlled sea trade in Southeast Asia.
The Americas
- The Mexica (Aztecs) built Tenochtitlan and collected tribute from conquered peoples.
- The Inca used the mit'a system of labor, a road network, and quipu for record-keeping.
- Cahokia in the Mississippi Valley and the Maya city-states were other major societies.
Africa
- Great Zimbabwe grew wealthy from trade in gold. Mali (Mansa Musa) grew rich from trans-Saharan trade and promoted Islam. Ethiopia was a Christian kingdom; the Hausa kingdoms were city-states.
Europe
- Feudalism and manorialism organized society; the Roman Catholic Church was a powerful unifying force.
- Monarchies grew stronger over time. Agriculture improved, but the Black Death (1347–1351) killed about a third of the population.
Practice
Officials were selected by testing Confucian knowledge.
This fast-ripening rice boosted food production.
Merchants and Sufis carried Islam along trade routes.
Subjects worked on state projects like roads and farms.
His spending of gold was famous across the Mediterranean.
Angkor Wat began as a Hindu temple and later became Buddhist.
Land for service was the basis of feudalism.
Scholars translated and expanded Greek, Persian and Indian works.
Free response
Write your answer first, then open the scoring guide.
Free-response question
Answer (a), (b) and (c).
(a) Identify ONE way the Song dynasty used Confucianism to strengthen its rule.
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It staffed its bureaucracy with scholar-officials chosen by civil service exams on Confucian texts, which promoted loyalty and order.
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(b) Explain ONE way the Mexica (Aztecs) kept control over conquered peoples.
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They demanded tribute (goods, labor, and captives for sacrifice) from conquered city-states, backed by military force.
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(c) Explain ONE similarity in how rulers in two different regions legitimized their power between 1200 and 1450.
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Both the Song emperors (Mandate of Heaven) and Islamic rulers (as defenders of the faith) used religion to justify their authority.
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