Study Guide- Unit 2: The Middle Ages

Test- Friday
Essential Questions for Unit: (important to understand and be able to answer)
1. Describe the achievements of Medieval Asia and the Islamic Empires. Provide two
specific achievements and their impact.
Medieval Asia, created paper, printing and the creation of gunpowder. And the islamic
empire, made literature and philosophy.

2. What are the positive and negative implications of human connection and interaction?
Negative: Conflict, Emotional distress, anxiety, stress, social pressure, etc.
Positive: friendships, trading.

3. How does a call for a crusade demonstrate the power of the pope and the Catholic
Church? It shows that the pope has the power to rally a bunch of people to fight “in
the name of their religion”

4. How did the Hundred Years’ War and the Plague affect Western Europe? (Give 3 specific
examples) Why do many historians define the end of the Middle Ages as the end of the
Hundred Years’ War? The Hundred Years War helped define specific countries in
Europe.
 5. In what ways did power/authority, conflict, and innovation develop similarly/differently
throughout the Middle Ages? The pope was the highest power and the rest of the
power and authority was split up into a social hierarchy.

Vocabulary Words:
Patrilineal: Common-Law: Guild: Bushido: A code Fief:
kingdom is run laws that are merchants and of honor and
An estate of land
by the family common sense. artisans that are morals
line of the in a group developed by
mothers side. the Japanese

Manor: a self Crusades: a Chivalry: a code Lord: the rule of Knight: guards of
sustaining series of attacks of conduct that the manor or the manor,
property with in jerusalem to knights had to the king. made sure they
knights to capture it. follow and how weren’t
protect ans men treated attacked.
servants to farm women
To Review:
Early African Kingdoms and Empires of the Middle Ages

1. What was important for trading for the W. African Empires 🡪 Salt and Gold

2. How did Islam influence the development of the African Empires during the Middle
Ages?
a.Government, religion, education, advancements, etc…

3. Swahili- How is this an example of cultural diffusion? natwali and other tribal
tongues It also shares a lot of similarities with the indian language.

4. How were stateless societies organized in Africa

a.Lineage groups- Individuals who traced their ancestry through a single line
b.Patrilineal and Matrilineal- Through the mother side and through the fathers
side.
 5. Empire of Mali🡪 Mansa Musa

mansa musa was the king and ruler of mali, he was really rich, went on pilgrimages
to jerusalem, and was born into the 13th lineage.

Medieval Asia

● Inventions/Innovations of the Tang and Song Dynasties in China

they made gunpowder, paper money, printing, and silk.

● Mongols
o Genghis Khan- unifying the Mongol Clans
o Kublai Khan- ruling China
▪ Marco Polo : The only surviving account of kublai khan

● Japanese Feudalism
o Samurai: Japanese knights, protected the royals.
 ● Japanese Shogunate – the military leader has power in Japan, emperor has no real
power

Medieval Europe

● Middle Ages- considered to be the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and
the Renaissance

● What was the impact of the fall of the Roman Empire on Western Europe? It led to
political unrest and caused chaos, as many people who were once under the
empire, now had no empire to belong to.

● Role of the Church in Europe as a unifying force: the church acted as a unifying
force, because it had power that was equal if not higher than the king, people
were also very religious back then, so the church was able to grow in power.

● What led to the rise of feudalism?

o Describe the manor system/feudal society – social structure The lord is at
the top of the pyramid which he controls the manor, then there is the
knights and peasants, the knights protect the manor and the peasants
working and living on the manor. The feudal society was very limited and
did not allow peasants to move up or change their lives.
● hy was the crowning of Charlemagne so important? It showed the power of the
pope and allowed charlemagne to be respected as he had the popes approval.

● What were the causes and impacts of the Crusades? The causes of the crusades
were the opportunity to become a hero, the chase to gain wealth and loot homes,
and the pope getting more land. The crusades had an impact of making the pope
and the church to gain power. .

● Why could the Crusades be considered one of Europe’s most successful failures? It
was a war that was semi succsesful but ended when the pope was gone.

● What was significant about the Magna Carta? It was the first principle that stated
that the king was not above the law.

● What were the impacts of the Hundred Years’ War? France put to waste causing
suffering.
 ● Why was Joan of Arc significant? She gave hope to france and inspired peasants to
try and become something.

● What factors weakened the Church by the end of the Middle Ages?
the bubonic plague and corruption in the church.

● What factors helped contribute to the decline of feudalism in Western Europe?

the plague

● Plague
o How did it spread? Fleas carrying the plague on rats.

o Impacts on Europe? loss of population and chaos spread.