MAYAN CIVILIZATION (250-900)
Urban Centers
How did these Maya centers have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Spectacular cities featuring giant pyramids, temples palaces and elaborate stone carvings
Agriculture and Trade
How did agriculture and trade have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Productive farming and trade of goods with the use of chocolate beans for currency
Religious Beliefs and Practices
How did the beliefs and behavior codes of the Maya have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
A polytheistic religion with fascinating beliefs; many gods inhabited 13 layers of the sky and 9 layers of the underworld. Practices included body piercing and human sacrifice.
Social Class Structure & Life
How did the social organization of the Maya have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Kings, priests, warriors and peasants
Technology and Education
How did educational or technological advancements have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Creative calendar making, mathematics, astronomy, written language
INCAN CIVILIZATION
(1438 – 1535)
Important People
How did their actions help have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Pachacuti
Atahualpa & Huascar; civil war
Urban Centers
How did these Incan centers have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Cuzco
Machu Picchu ( the mysterious lost city found high up in the Andes Mountains)
Government & Politics
How did Incan rulers and government structures have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Land of the Four Quarters
Sapa Inca, Orejones, Curacas
Community service, allyu, taxes, laws
Technologies & Education
How did educational or technological advancements have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Roads and bridges
Chasquis Runners
Calendars
Quipus & mathematics
Social Class Structure & Life
How did the social organization of the Inca have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Mamacona, allyu, artisans
Emperors, nobles, commoners
Religious Beliefs and Practices
How did the beliefs and behavior codes of the Aztec have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Inti, other gods
Priests, temples, sacrifice
“Chosen Women”
Japan
Important People
How did their actions help have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
- Prince Shotoku
- Empress Suiko
- Tenchi
- Kammu
- Michinaga
- Minamoto Yorimoto
- Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Tomoe Gozen (female samurai)
- Koman (female samurai)
Important Families
- “The Seventeen Article Constitution”
- Tanka, Katakana, Hiragana, Haiku (Japanese poetic styles)
- “The Tale of Genji” by Murasaki Shikibu
- “Pillow Book” by Sei Shonagon
- “The Gossamer Years”
- Matsuo Basho (samurai poet)
Visual Arts
- Calligraphy
- Jocho (sculptor in Fujiwara period)
- Yamato-e (Japanese painting)
Music & Theater
- Gagaku
- Sheng (sho)
- Pipa
- Bugaku (dance) & Noh theater
Games
- Sumo
- Kemari
- Go
Daily Life
How did aspects of daily life have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Religion
How did religious beliefs have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Confucianism
Technologies & Education
How did educational or technological advancements have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
- Nara
- Kanji & kana Heian-kyo (Kyoto)
African Civilizations
Important People
How did their actions have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Mansa Musa
Sundiata
Sulayman
Sunni Ali
Askia Muhammad
Affonso I
Empires
How did these empires have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Ghana
Mali
Songhai
Ethiopia
Kongo Kingdom
Zimbabwe
Swahili States
Government & Politics
How did an African Empire or Kingdom’s political system have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Agriculture and Trade
How did an African Empire or Kingdom’s agriculture and trade have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Culture
How did cultural contact with other empires have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Religious Beliefs and Practices
How did the beliefs and practices of African Empire or Kingdom have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Bantu Migration
How does the Bantu Migration have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Indian Civilization
(Between the fall of the Gupta empire, 600 AD and the rise of the Mughal Empire, 1550)
Government & Politics
How did Indian rulers and government structures have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
- Small Indian Kingdoms compared to large Empires of China and Islam
- The Delhi Sultanate (A loose empire of Turkish war lords)
Agriculture and Trade
How did agriculture and trade have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
- Productive farming and trade of goods
Religious Beliefs and Practices
How did the beliefs and practices of Indian people have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
- Developments in Hindu beliefs and practices in the Middle Ages
- Developments that led to Buddhism becoming less popular in India
- Jainism
Foreign Relations
How did foreign relations between Hindus and other people have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
- Trade relations
- Islamic invasions
- Turkish invasions
Social Class Structure & Life
How did the social organization based on a caste system have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
Important People
How did their actions have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?
- Sultan Mahmud of Gazni
- Timur the Lame
Cultural/Intellectual Developments
How did the cultural and intellectual developments in India have a positive and/or negative impact on the lives of people in the middle ages?