Question 1

Discuss Japanese society at the end of the first millennium C.E. What were some of the key features of Japan's political, social, religious, and cultural life?

Accepted Answer

At the end of the first millennium C.E., Japanese society was characterized by a complex political system, a strong emphasis on tradition and hierarchical social structures, a blend of indigenous Shinto and imported Buddhist religious practices, and a flourishing cultural life.

Politically, Japan was ruled by an imperial court centered in Kyoto, with power concentrated in the hands of a hereditary elite of noble families. The emperor held symbolic authority, but real power was often wielded by powerful noble families and regional military leaders known as daimyo. This period also saw the rise of the samurai warrior class, who played a significant role in shaping Japan's political landscape.

Socially, Japan was organized into a rigid hierarchical system with the emperor at the top, followed by nobles, samurai, peasants, and artisans. This social structure was heavily influenced by Confucian principles and emphasized filial piety, loyalty, and duty to one's superiors.

Religiously, Japan experienced a syncretism of Shinto, the indigenous animistic religion, and Buddhism, which was introduced from China and Korea. Shinto continued to be deeply ingrained in Japanese life, while Buddhism provided a framework for moral and ethical guidance. This blending of religious practices contributed to a rich tapestry of rituals and beliefs in Japanese society.

Culturally, Japan saw a flourishing of arts and literature during this period. The Heian period, in particular, is known for its highly refined court culture, including poetry, calligraphy, and the development of the Japanese writing system. This era also saw the creation of classic works of literature such as "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu.

In conclusion, the end of the first millennium C.E. in Japan was marked by a complex political system, a rigid social hierarchy, a blending of Shinto and Buddhist religious practices, and a flourishing cultural life. These key features shaped Japanese society and laid the groundwork for the development of the country's unique identity in the centuries to come.

Question 2

Which of the following is an accurate definition of the term feudalism?

Accepted Answer

A)   a political system based on a well-organized bureaucracy and highly centralized states
B)   a system in which a landed aristocrat provides protection for those individuals and families that serve him or her in a variety of capacities
C)   a system in which wealthy aristocrats maintain large estates mostly through slave labor
D)   an agricultural system in which peasants divide up land according to the size and needs of each family B

Question 3

Which of the following is an important consequence of the Dar al-Islam?

Accepted Answer

A)   A great flourishing of the arts and sciences swept across Afroeurasia, leading to a larger accumulation of old and new knowledge.
B)   Texts written in languages other than Arabic were discarded and thought to be irrelevant to the new Muslim faith.
C)   Christians and Jews came to be widely persecuted.
D)   Warfare arose as different Muslim rulers sought to claim their right to represent the religion as a whole. A

Question 4

The life and work of Abu Bakr al-Razi tells us what about Islamic society at the end of the first millennium C.E.?

Accepted Answer

A)   Muslim thinkers focused primarily on religious texts and paid little attention to the sciences.
B)   Muslim physicians relied heavily on religious rituals to diagnose and treat illnesses.
C)   Muslim thinkers knew little of classical Greek and Roman works.
D)   Muslim thinkers made many advances in the fields of science and medicine, but relied heavily on the works of earlier Greeks and Romans.

Question 5

Which of the following did NOT contribute to the rise of maritime trade in Southern India from the sixth to eleventh centuries C.E.?

Accepted Answer

A)   A period of global warming made it far easier to sail across the Arabian seas.
B)   Mariners gained increased knowledge regarding monsoon winds, making travel far more reliable and safer.
C)   Under the rule of the Pallava dynasty, parts of India's agricultural output increased.
D)   The region of Gujarat continued to grow as a center of cloth production.

Question 6

Discuss the rise of feudalism in western Europe toward the end of the first millennium C.E. What were some of the key structural elements of feudal society? Who held power in feudal Europe, and in what ways did they wield it?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the rise of feudalism in western...

Question 7

Which of the following best describes the relationship between science and religion in the Islamic world beginning in the eleventh century?

Accepted Answer

A)   Science and religion constituted two entirely separate spheres for most Muslims.
B)   Muslims were forbidden to study the sciences because of their tendency to cause people to reject religious teachings.
C)   While many Muslims continued to engage in scientific inquiry, authorities expected obedience to religious values in the public arena.
D)   Muslim authorities encouraged open investigation of the sciences even if findings contradicted ideas expressed in the Quran.

Question 8

Non-Muslim populations, such as Jews and Christians, often lived in separate quarters of a city from their Muslim neighbors

Accepted Answer

A)   because the Quran forbids Muslims from living alongside non-Muslims.
B)   in order to provide protection for non-Muslim communities and allow their leaders a degree of independence.
C)   in order to discourage the mixing of Muslim and non-Muslim religious beliefs.
D)   so that the activities of non-Muslim communities could be closely monitored and regulated.

Question 9

Examine the rise of competing Muslim states at the end of the first millennium C.E. What were the major similarities and differences among these states? How did the growth of these states affect Islam and Islamic society?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Examine the rise of competing Muslim states...

Question 10

Which of the following likely contributed to the rise of states in West Africa from the third to the eleventh centuries C.E.?

Accepted Answer

A)   an extended period of increased rainfall
B)   a shrinking of the Sahara Desert due to climatic shifts
C)   the spread of Islam to the region
D)   the ability of Chinese mariners to reach the territory by sea

Question 11

Which of the following best summarizes the trans-Saharan trade during the first millennium C.E.?

Accepted Answer

A)   Though easier than in earlier times, the arduous journey across the Sahara made trade extremely difficult.
B)   Trade was weighted far more from south to north than north to south.
C)   Muslim states at the northern end of the trade route would not permit the sale of slaves in their lands.
D)   Trade increased significantly during this time period, and both the northern and southern ends of the route benefited greatly from the influx of goods.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes Viking incursions into other parts of Europe?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Vikings attacked as a highly unified and well-organized military unit.
B)   While some Vikings raided and looted, others remained and founded new settlements throughout northern Europe.
C)   While Vikings readily attacked and looted aristocratic estates, they refrained from attacking religious institutions.
D)   The Vikings readily permitted their women to participate in raids and attacks.

Question 13

Islam appealed to large numbers of individuals because it

Accepted Answer

A)   promised wealth to those who followed the prophet Muhammad.
B)   was easier to understand and follow than Christianity and Buddhism.
C)   used Arabic as its language of prayer.
D)   provided a framework for different groups of people to form bonds of social trust.

Question 14

One important difference between Islam and Christianity was that

Accepted Answer

A)   Islam had extremely formal structures through which the religion spread, while Christianity diffused in a more inconsistent and unpredictable manner.
B)   Islam lacked the hierarchical structure that Christianity possessed and spread through more informal channels.
C)   Islamic societies encouraged a strict division between matters of religion and matters of state, while Christianity regularly blended the two together.
D)   Islam relied on an educated elite to spread the teachings of the Quran, while Christianity made regular use of merchant missionaries to spread the teachings of the New Testament.

Question 15

All of the following were tactics of Basil II EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)   the suppression of Greek aristocratic families.
B)   an enormous military campaign to take Jerusalem.
C)   an increased reliance on the educated bureaucratic class of Byzantium.
D)   incursions into the fringes of the Abbasid empire.

Question 16

The art of making paper originated in which country?

Accepted Answer

A)   Egypt
B)   China
C)   Babylonia
D)   Greece

Question 17

One important consequence of the trans-Saharan trade was the

Accepted Answer

A)   spread of Islam into West Africa.
B)   spread of West African religions into North Africa.
C)   introduction of Ghana's writing system into Muslim culture.
D)   end of matriarchy in Ghana.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement regarding the Dar al-Islam?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Dar al-Islam was composed of the many Muslim kingdoms that sprung up throughout Afroeurasia.
B)   The Dar al-Islam served as a type of network of constant intellectual, artistic, religious, and economic exchange.
C)   Only Muslims travelled throughout the Dar al-Islam.
D)   Arabic was the lingua franca of the Dar al-Islam.

Question 19

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding the social structure of Muslim states?

Accepted Answer

A)   Though Islam encouraged equality among all of its followers, Muslim cities were marked by great disparities between rich and poor.
B)   In most Muslim cities, the wealthy were strictly barred from flaunting their wealth in public.
C)   Slavery was outlawed in all Muslim cities and towns.
D)   Women played an important role in the public affairs of Muslim urban centers.

Question 20

One important consequence of Viking incursions into eastern Europe was

Accepted Answer

A)   the adoption of Scandinavian tongues by Slavic inhabitants.
B)   the absorption of eastern Europe into the Byzantine state.
C)   the melding of Viking, Slavic, and Turkic cultures and the rise of centralized states in the region.
D)   a long delay in the spread of Christianity to the region.

Exam 12: State Power and Expanding Networks of Exchange, 750-1000 C.E