Reference no: EM131080922

1. In 1071, the Byzantines lost a major battle to the Seljuk Turks which led to the loss of most of Asia Minor for the Byzantine Empire. What is the name of the battle?

A. Nicaea
B. Nicopolis
C. Manzikert
D. Thessalonica

2. Who is the pope who called for the First Crusade in 1095?

A. Francis I
B. Innocent IV
C. Pius III
D. Urban II

3. What is the name of the Mongol general who was one of Genghis Khan's four "Dogs of War" and who was famous in Europe for heavily defeating the Russians, Polish, and Hungarians?

A. Subutai
B. Jebe
C. Batu
D. Bayezid

4. These Turkish slave soldiers were imported by Arab states to serve in the army and in several cases, these slave soldiers set up their own dynasties and ruled in their own right. These Turkish slave soldiers are called:

A. Bedouin
B. Tatars
C. Mamluks
D. Etruscans

5. The Vikings who sailed down the rivers of Russia, set up the early principalities of Russia, and often served as an elite unit in the Byzantine army were called:

A. Varangians
B. Northmen
C. Icelanders
D. Laplanders

6. The practice of "monument capture" was a characteristic of which civilization?

A. Korea
B. Aztecs
C. Wales
D. Inca

7. What was the name of the last major Native American civilization in the Ohio area?

A. Mississippian culture
B. Adena culture
C. Hopewell culture
D. Fort Ancient culture

8. Which Byzantine emperor had two reigns, during the second of which he wore a prosthetic nose made of gold?

A. Michael V
B. Justinian II
C. Tiberius II
D. Constantine IX

9. Which of the following countries sent out a crusading army only to have their monarch drown in a river while taking a bath as that army was marching to Jerusalem?

A. Outremer
B. England
C. Holy Roman Empire
D. Poland

10. Which of the following world leaders is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 5% of the world's total population?

A. Timur the Lame
B. Ramsay Bolton
C. Saladin
D. Genghis Khan

Essays: Write a paragraph-length response to SIX (6) of the following questions: 60%

1. In his Secret History, Procopius provides an alternative view of Justinian and his activities as emperor. What does Procopius have to say about the characters of Justinian, Theodora, Belisarius, and Antonina?

2. For contemporaries and for many modern scholars, the Arabian/Islamic conquests came as a shocking surprise since it seemed to come out of nowhere. What was the condition of the major empires near Arabia around 630 CE? How much previous experience did the Arabs have in governance and warfare? Why was there a large population of Arabs outside of Arabia?

3. Following the Islamic conquests, Byzantium seemed to be on the verge of complete annihilation. How did the Byzantines save themselves militarily from attacks by Arabic and Slavic armies in the 8th Century? What steps did Basil II take to restore Byzantium's territory and power?

4. The period between 500-1000 in Europe is known as the Dark Ages. What is the nature of the controversy surrounding the use of this term? What is a Dark Age? Based on what you know, where do you stand on the controversy?

5. The First Crusade is one of the most formative events in world history. Despite being a unified effort by Western and Byzantine Christians, there was considerable discord between the two factions. Why did the two powers have such friction and what how did this affect the eventual outcome of the crusade?

6. Briefly describe the historical evolution of the Papacy as a secular and religious power. What are three of the most important steps in its development and at what point does it emerge as a true power broker in Christian Europe?

7. What was the original goal of the Fourth Crusade? What happened to derail this original design and what was the outcome of the Fourth Crusade? What were the long-term consequences of the Fourth Crusade?

8. Charlemagne is considered to be one of the greatest medieval rulers in Europe. Briefly describe his career. What were some of Charlemagne's achievements and what was his ultimate aspiration? Why does Charlemagne's great empire fail to survive beyond Charlemagne's death?

9. After 800 CE, the Vikings exploded onto the European scene. What internal factors in Scandinavia led to the departure of the people who came to be known as Vikings? What caused the Vikings to shift away from raiding and move towards conquest by about 950 or 1000 CE?

10. The Hundred Years' War is one of the most formative periods in Western European history. What were the origins of the war? Describe the general course of the role looking at the differences between the English and French militaries and the role of Joan of Arc. What was the outcome and the long-term cultural impact of the conflict?

11. The Abbasid caliphate technically lasted from 750-1258. However, the Abassids had serious issues maintaining their authority. What caused the central power of the Abassids to dissipate over time? What impact do you think that the decline of Abassid political authority had on the course of history?

12. The Ottoman Empire emerged onto the international stage around 1300 and quickly established itself as a major player in global affairs. What are some of the key institutions of the Ottomans which led to their stability and success and how did those institutions work?

13. How did the Slavic people form in Eastern Europe? What were some of the nations which emerged from the Slavic tribes?

14. Describe the historical origins of Poland and Hungary. What are some of the major similarities between the two countries in terms of their system of government, historical development, and ultimate fate?

15. Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia, more commonly known as Dracula, is famous for his atrocities against the advancing Ottoman Empire in the 15th Century. However, Dracula did not exist in a vacuum. Describe Eastern Europe at the time of Dracula and explain how Dracula fit into a larger context of religious warfare and international political struggle.

16. Give a brief summary of Russian political history from the early Slavic settlements to the time of Ivan III the Great. Focus on the different people groups and external events which helped shape early Russian history.

17. The Renaissance of western Europe began in the closing decades of the 13th Century. Where did the Renaissance begin and what were the factors which made this possible?

18. What is the relationship between the Renaissance and the age of exploration? How did the reawakening of learning and the material conditions of the Renaissance contribute to European interest in exploring the rest of the world?

19. In India, local aristocratic houses called the Rajput emerged in the 6th Century and lasted until the 20th Century. What was the context of the rise of the Rajput and how does their rise affect Indian politics prior to the Islamic invasions of India?

20. The Delhi Sultanate controlled India starting in the years immediately following 1200 CE? What previous historical events led to their entry into India and rise to dominance? What did the Delhi Sultanate do to ingratiate itself with the Hindu majority of India?

21. The Sui and their successors, the Tang, took China to new heights of power and prosperity. What were some of the key institutional reforms and policy initiatives that created these conditions in China?

22. The Ming dynasty came to power in 1368 after a century of Mongol rule under the Yuan dynasty. What were some of the grievances that the Chinese had against the Mongols that led to the revolt which placed the Ming in power? Once the Ming came to power, what were some of their major goals?

23. Due to the prominence of explorers in European history, the explorations which took place under the early Ming dynasty have attracted a great deal of attention in modern times. What was the purpose of these Ming naval expeditions and who led them? Why were these expeditions downplayed in the Chinese historical tradition?

24. Temujin, a dispossessed prince from an obscure nomadic tribe called the Mongols, managed to craft a great empire out of thin air. Describe the process by which Temujin became Genghis Khan and united the nomadic tribes to the north of China into a unified force. What were the primary problems that Genghis Khan faced in creating his empire? What was his strategy for conquering China?

25. The unified Mongol empire broke into various khanates around 1280 CE. However, most of these khanates functioned the same way on a governmental level. Describe the Mongol method of governance and use examples from the Ilkhanate, the Golden Horde, or the Yuan dynasty to back up your claims.

26. Timur the Lame is one of the most famous men in world history, but his success was far from inevitable. What obstacles and social stigmas did he have to overcome to create the Timurid empire? Why has he gone down as possibly the most feared leader in world history?

27. Korea, Japan, and Vietnam all grew up near China and experienced a similar clash between their native traditions and the importation of Chinese ideas. What was the shared significance and purpose of the native writing systems that emerged, what was done with those writing systems, and who were the chief early practitioners of these new written languages?

28. Mound-building was the chief characteristic which united the Native American populations of North America. What are these mounds and what functions do scholars think that these mounds served? When and why did people stop building mounds and why do we know so little?

29. The Maya civilization and its magnificent ruins have long fascinated scholars and visitors to the Yucatan peninsula. What were some of the key achievements and characteristics of the Maya? When did they reach their peak and why did their civilization decline after that point?
30. Compare and contrast the way that Aztecs and Inca administered their respective empires.

31. In this class, we have seen that periods of decline and collapse for states tend to have lots of similarities in terms of governmental decisions and structural changes. In general terms, what seems to be the cause of the decline and fall of states in world history? Use at least two different examples to advance your argument.

32. In the earlier portion of this course, we saw that civilizational collapses often occurred during periods of climate change. However, despite the end of the Classical Optimum in 500 CE, civilization around the world not only continued but continued to advance despite less favorable climatic conditions. Why do you think that civilizations around the world were able to continue to advance despite these unfavorable environmental developments?