Deck 10: Turbulent Centuries, 200-600 C.E

Question 1

Scholars have theorized that all of the following may have contributed to the surge in activity of pastoral nomadic populations in Inner Eurasia from the third to sixth century C.E., EXCEPT

A) climatic cooling that may have affected food output.
B) population growth that placed increased pressure on grazing lands.
C) the weakening of larger states in the area.
D) the unification of several disparate pastoral nomadic tribes into a single military force.

Answer 1

the unification of several disparate pastoral nomadic tribes into a single military force.

Question 2

The term Age of Division refers to which of the following?

A) the internal fighting that followed the end of the Parthian empire
B) the years of internal strife that followed the end of the Han empire
C) the struggle for dominance among different Christian sects
D) the clashes of elites that followed the end of the western Roman empire

Answer 2

the years of internal strife that followed the end of the Han empire

Question 3

Which of the following is a true statement regarding the collapse of the Han dynasty?

A) The Han were ultimately unable to financially support the vast territory they ruled.
B) The Han were ultimately conquered by the Sasanids.
C) The Han were ultimately overthrown by a class of Confucian lords who believed that the Han no longer ruled justly.
D) The Han empire was steadily destroyed by growing ecological pressures.

Answer 3

The Han were ultimately unable to financially support the vast territory they ruled.

Question 4

The rebellious movement known as the Yellow Turbans was inspired by which of the following?

A) Confucianism
B) Buddhism
C) Christianity
D) Daoism

Question 5

The period of turbulence following the collapse of the Han dynasty resulted in a

A) large movement of China's peasants and elites from the south to the north.
B) dramatic decline in the production of silk.
C) large population shift from China's north to south.
D) shift in agricultural production from rice to wheat and millet.

Question 6

The production of silk in China was largely carried out by

A) children.
B) women.
C) elite families.
D) merchants.

Question 7

The collapse of the Han dynasty affected trade in which important way?

A) Trade virtually came to a standstill following the fall of the Han empire.
B) Trade over land came to replace trade by sea, the preferred mode of transport under Han rule.
C) Chinese trade flourished as commercial centers sprang up in the south.
D) Merchants profited by selling arms and supplies to warring Chinese elites.

Question 8

The collapse of the Han and Parthian empires differed in which important respect?

A) Centuries of political fragmentation followed the Han collapse, while the Parthian empire was quickly replaced by Sasanid rule.
B) The Han empire fell to ecological disasters, while the Parthians fell to internal strife.
C) The Parthian collapse was followed by decades of political disorientation, while the Han dynasty was immediately replaced by another strong ruler.
D) The Parthians fell to foreign invaders, while the Han only encountered internal enemies.

Question 9

The Sasanids drew upon which of the following to help solidify their rule?

A) their strong ties to Alexander the Great
B) their connection to the Roman empire
C) their Achaemenid lineage
D) their Kushana roots

Question 10

The Sasanids adhered to which of the following religious traditions?

A) Christianity
B) Judaism
C) Roman polytheism
D) Zoroastrianism

Question 11

The term cataphract can best be defined as the

A) class of heavily armored and mounted soldiers that the Romans used in battle.
B) class of mounted soldiers used by the Parthians and adopted by the Sasanids.
C) corps of soldiers trained in using war elephants.
D) massive peasant army raised by the Sasanids.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the Romans and the Sasanids?

A) The Romans and Sasanids united in an effort to defeat the Kushana empire and seize territory in central Eurasia.
B) The Romans captured the first Sasanid king and used him to collect an enormous ransom.
C) The Romans and Sasanids fought one another for centuries, with no decisive victories on either side.
D) The Romans and Sasanids respected one another's borders and attempted to maintain peace to preserve trade and commerce.

Question 13

The Sasanid economy centered primarily on which of the following?

A) agriculture
B) the production of silk
C) the export of fine pottery
D) the trade of iron weapons

Question 14

All of the following contributed to tumult in the Roman empire during the third century C.E., EXCEPT

A) raids by Germanic peoples.
B) a lack of strong leadership.
C) an independent and noncompliant Senate.
D) soaring inflation.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the Roman view of Germanic peoples?

A) The Romans viewed Germanic tribes as their cultural equals.
B) Romans sought to emulate many of the customs and traditions of Germanic clans.
C) Romans despised Germanic peoples and prohibited them from participating in any aspect of imperial life.
D) Romans viewed the Germanic tribes of Europe as primitive and barbaric but nonetheless permitted them to interact frequently with aspects of the empire.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the lifestyle of the Germanic peoples during the first centuries C.E.?

A) They were pastoral nomads.
B) They were primarily farmers and village dwellers.
C) They lived primarily in large cities.
D) They constituted a commercial diaspora.

Question 17

The term Tetrarchy refers to which of the following?

A) the division of the Roman empire into four regions under the rule of Diocletian
B) the policy that Roman rulers had to choose four men to succeed them, with the final selection to be made by the Roman Senate
C) the division of the Roman empire into two regions with four corulers instituted by Diocletian
D) the proclamation by Diocletian that the Roman empire was to have four main regional capitals

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement regarding the attempts of third and fourth century C.E. Roman rulers to reform the empire?

A) They attempted to return Rome to its republican roots.
B) They attempted to move Rome away from a patron-client system to one based on bureaucracy.
C) They attempted to fix the price of certain commodities.
D) They adopted a model of rule closer to that held by the Persians and Egyptians.

Question 19

Beginning in the fourth century C.E., the Roman emperor ruled from which city?

A) Athens
B) Carthage
C) Constantinople
D) Alexandria

Question 20

The Edict of Milan stipulated that

A) within the Roman empire, people could freely practice the religion of their choosing.
B) Christianity was to be the state religion of Rome.
C) Christians could practice their religious beliefs within the Roman empire, but they could not reside in the realm's major cities.
D) all forms of Christian worship were to be banned within the Roman empire.

Question 21

The decision of Emperor Theodosius to make Christianity the state religion of Rome led to which of the following?

A) an uprising by Rome's wealthier classes, who refused to abandon the Roman pantheon of gods
B) an uprising by Rome's poorer classes, who believed that the teachings of Christianity entitled them to a greater share of Rome's wealth
C) the persecution of Romans who clung to polytheistic beliefs
D) the administration of the Christian church by Roman state authorities

Question 22

The Huns can best be described as a

A) great imperial force on the fringes of the Roman empire.
B) group of mercenaries originating from the Pontic-Caspian steppes.
C) confederation of pastoral nomads originating from Inner Eurasia.
D) roving band of peasants originating from Persia.

Question 23

Hun raids in Roman-controlled territories led to which of the following?

A) the mass conversion of Huns to Christianity in the fourth century C.E.
B) large-scale migrations of Germanic peoples throughout the Roman empire
C) the further incursion of Roman control into Inner Eurasia
D) the collapse of the eastern half of the Roman empire

Question 24

Attila the Hun contributed greatly to which of the following events?

A) the adoption of Christianity as Rome's official religion
B) the revival of the Xiongnu empire
C) Rome's loss of the British isles
D) the collapse of the western Roman empire

Question 25

Byzantium was which of the following?

A) the eastern half of the Roman empire
B) the name given to the western half of the Roman empire after it fell to Germanic invaders
C) the territories of North Africa ruled by the Romans
D) the Roman name for western Europe

Question 26

Despite Roman reconquest, Germanic invasions of western Europe resulted in which of the following long-lasting consequences?

A) a return to polytheism
B) the widespread use of Germanic languages throughout western Europe
C) the gradual deurbanization of western Europe
D) the rise of pastoral nomadism in western Europe

Question 27

Which of the following, along with warfare, likely contributed to the gradual decline of western Europe and the western Mediterranean?

A) a dramatic decrease in population due to a massive number of refugees fleeing Germanic and Hunnic invasions
B) a period of climatic cooling and the outbreak of plague, which killed large numbers of people
C) a blight that destroyed most of Europe's wheat crop and resulted in wide-scale starvation
D) an extended period of drought, which caused large numbers of people to abandon their homes

Question 28

The White Huns seized control of which important territory?

A) Central Asia
B) western Europe
C) Byzantium
D) Mesopotamia

Question 29

Which of the following best describes the ruling style of the Guptas?

A) The Guptas set up a republic similar to that found on the Greek isles.
B) The Guptas permitted local rulers to retain much of their authority as long as they paid tribute to the Gupta king.
C) The Guptas stripped local lords and rulers of all their titles and made them vassals of the Gupta state.
D) The Guptas ruled through a well-organized and widespread bureaucracy.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a true statement regarding the economy of South Asia under Gupta rule?

A) Under Gupta rule, India became the largest exporter of cotton goods.
B) Under Gupta rule, India became the primary exporter of sugar.
C) The Guptas traded heavily throughout Southeast Asia, Persia, and Central Asia.
D) Gupta trade suffered dramatically after the collapse of the western Roman empire.

Question 31

The Guptas and Maya were both responsible for developing which of the following?

A) a positional system of expressing numbers
B) a logographic alphabet that also incorporated phonetic sounds
C) an accurate calculation of pi
D) an accurate model of the solar system

Question 32

Which of the following best describes the social structure of Gupta society?

A) Gupta society was highly fluid, and people could move freely up and down the social ladder.
B) Gupta society was rigidly structured, but members of the higher classes could quickly lose their status if they did not observe the proper rules governing social relations.
C) Gupta society was divided into different social classes, but some groups were able to pull themselves up the caste ladder.
D) Gupta society was rigidly structured, with merchants at the top of society and brahmin priests at the bottom.

Question 33

Under Gupta rule, women

A) gained a great deal of political authority and legal rights.
B) gradually declined in status across all castes.
C) were prohibited from participating in political affairs, but gained a great deal of authority in matters of trade and commerce.
D) became important brahmin religious leaders.

Question 34

Which of the following contributed to the decline of the Gupta dynasty?

A) continual invasions by roving Germanic tribes
B) intense raids by the Sasanids
C) the Roman reconquest of western Europe
D) threats from the White Huns of Central Asia

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT common to Buddhism, Christianity, and Manichaeism?

A) They were spread in large part by women.
B) They appealed to individuals across ethnic and linguistic boundaries.
C) They each had a single founder.
D) They promised salvation from the suffering of life.

Question 36

The main difference between Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism is that

A) Mahayana Buddhism never spread beyond India, while Theravada Buddhism spread throughout Asia.
B) Mahayana Buddhism teaches that the individual can only gain salvation by fully devoting his or her life to full-time meditation, while Theravada Buddhism espouses that individuals can achieve salvation while leading ordinary lives.
C) Theravada Buddhism elevated the Buddha to a type of savior, while Mahayana Buddhism viewed the Buddha as an enlightened individual who freed himself from the cycle of rebirth.
D) Theravada Buddhism preaches that the individual must achieve salvation entirely on his or her own, while Mahayana Buddhism teaches that people can achieve salvation with the help of saintly figures.

Question 37

Which of the following contributed to the success of Buddhism in China?

A) Buddhist values closely resembled those of Confucianism.
B) Buddhism offered an escape from the chaos and suffering of China's long Age of Division.
C) The Han dynasty adopted Buddhism as China's state religion.
D) Buddhist monks helped to negotiate a peace between China's warring elites.

Question 38

Buddhism gained popularity in Southeast Asia in large part because

A) prior to the arrival of Buddhism, Southeast Asia did not have any strong religious traditions of its own.
B) Buddhism appealed widely to the rural classes of Southeast Asia, who viewed the religion as a way to prevent their rulers from abusing their authority.
C) Buddhism was attractive to the ruling classes of Southeast Asia, who agreed with the Buddhist model of the moral and just ruler.
D) Buddhism gained popularity throughout Southeast Asia after the Guptas attacked and captured a large swath of territory in the region.

Question 39

Which of the following best describes the relationship of Buddhism and Hinduism in Southeast Asia?

A) People and rulers often blended Buddhist and Hindu traditions and did not make sharp distinctions between the two.
B) After adopting Buddhism as their faith, Southeast Asian rulers prevented Hinduism from taking hold in Southeast Asia.
C) Buddhist and Hindu priests fiercely competed with one another for followers.
D) Followers of Buddhism and Hinduism interacted very little with one another.

Question 40

A major point of contention among early Christian scholars was

A) whether Jesus had been the true founder of Christianity.
B) whether women were capable of achieving salvation.
C) the relationship of Jesus to God.
D) whether Jesus had been resurrected.

Question 41

Which of the following was a consequence of Emperor Theodosius's decision to adopt Christianity as Rome's state religion?

A) Jews gained significant legal rights.
B) Several Christian sects were outlawed and subordinated to the state church.
C) Romans could continue to practice polytheism, as long as they included Jesus among their pantheon of gods.
D) Women gained a great deal of political authority, as they were also important religious leaders.

Question 42

Which of the following best describes the effect of monastic and ascetic Christianity on women?

A) Women came to be seen as a crucial component of any man's path to salvation.
B) Women were praised for their innate ability to shed their desire for worldly pleasures.
C) A cult of worship developed around the biblical figure of Eve.
D) Women were seen as a sinful temptation, though Mary, the virgin mother, was idealized for her virtue.

Question 43

The annual festival of Celtic Ireland in which the goddess Brigid was worshiped was eventually replaced by a festival to worship Saint Brigit. This transformation is an example of which of the following?

A) a clever tactic adopted by many Pagan groups to fool Romans into thinking that they had converted to Christianity
B) the conversion of an important Pagan leader, in this case Bridget, with the result of mass conversions by her followers
C) the mingling of Christian beliefs with pagan beliefs as Christianity spread throughout the Roman empire and beyond
D) the ease with which most pagans welcomed and accepted Christianity as their new faith

Question 44

Which of the following best describes the spread of Christianity in South Asia?

A) Converts to Christianity in South Asia integrated many of their Christian beliefs with Indian cultural and religious practices.
B) Christianity never spread to South Asia.
C) The Guptas persecuted Christians and forced them to practice their religion in secret.
D) The Roman church played an important role in bringing Christianity to India.

Question 45

Monophysite, Gnostic, and Nestorian are all examples of

A) Semitic languages.
B) sects of Christianity.
C) types of Hinduism.
D) pastoral nomadic tribes.

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT a teaching of Manichaeism?

A) vegetarianism
B) monasticism
C) reincarnation
D) polytheism

Question 47

Which of the following best characterizes the growth in population of Africa's tropical regions?

A) Population growth was largely intensive, and densely populated urban centers sprang up throughout the region.
B) Population growth remained stagnant throughout the first millennium C.E., and communities never obtained complex forms of organization.
C) Population growth was largely extensive, and farming communities steadily populated the region.
D) Population growth was stunted by continual outbreaks of disease.

Question 48

The discoveries made at Jenne-Jeno tell us what about life in Sudanic West Africa during the early centuries of the first millennium?

A) Large urban centers with specialized occupations and complex social organization were on the rise.
B) Small imperial states dotted the region, and warfare between these states was frequent.
C) A rigid social system reigned throughout the region, with great divisions between the rich and poor.
D) Though some villages in the region grew to be quite large, they never developed into urban centers.

Question 49

Which of the following was a distinctive feature of the Nok people?

A) They were the only African people to have developed a written language.
B) They created life-sized terra-cotta heads that were likely used in religious rituals.
C) They were one of the few peoples in Africa to not take up iron smelting.
D) They constructed monumental temples similar to the pyramids of Egypt.

Question 50

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding the fact that the language of Madagascar belongs to the Austronesian family of languages?

A) Due to continental drift, travel between East Africa and the South Pacific was easier in ancient times.
B) East Africa was conquered and ruled for a time by mariners originating from the Island Pacific.
C) There was a lively trade in slaves originating from the Island Pacific throughout the continent of Africa.
D) Despite technological limitations, Austronesian-speaking mariners sailed to parts of Africa and interacted with local populations.

Question 51

Discuss some of the important consequences of the collapse of the Han empire. How did the decline of the Han dynasty affect the political, social, economic, and religious life of China?

Question 52

Examine the rise of the Sasanids. What were some of the distinctive features of the Sasanid empire? What was the regional significance of the Sasanids, and how did Sasanid rulers interact with other states?

Question 53

Explore the collapse of the western Roman empire. What important factors contributed to the eventual decline of the western half of the Roman empire? What were some of the major consequences of its decline, especially in western Europe and parts of the Mediterranean?

Question 54

Describe the period of Gupta rule in India. How did the Guptas rule, and how did their rule affect life in South Asia?

Question 55

How did the rise and spread of Buddhism, Christianity, and Brahmanism affect the position of women? How did these different religions view women? In which ways were their attitudes toward women similar, and in which ways did they differ?

Question 56

Compare and contrast the spread of Buddhism and Christianity in the first centuries of the Common Era. What were the basic beliefs of each? What factors contributed to the success of both religions? What were the major mechanisms by which these religions spread and gained followers across Afroeurasia?

Question 57

Discuss the patterns of social and economic development in Africa during the first millennium C.E. What does archaeological evidence tell us about the character of societies in parts of East, West, and South Africa?