World History the Easy Way

by Frazee, Charles A.

• ISBN13: 9780812097658
• ISBN10: 0812097653
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-08-01
• Publisher: Barrons Test Prep

Summary

This volume offers a survey and overview of world history, starting with the earliest-known human settlements and concluding in 1500--the early years of Europe's Renaissance,and in the Americas, the era of the Aztec and Inca empires. Following a summary of prehistoric cultures, the author covers the civilizations of the Fertile Crescent, ancient Egypt, civilization in the Indus and Yellow River valleys, early Mediterranean cultures, India's classical age, the rise of China's dynasties, classical Greek and Roman civilizations, the Islamic world, African kingdoms of the first millenium, Europe's middle ages, the Holy Roman Empire, the Crusaders and their clash with Turks, the Mongol invasion, and the humanism of the early European Renaissance.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xii	(1)
Acknowledgments	xiii
UNIT ONE BEGINNINGS--2,000,000-3500 B.C.	3	(30)
Chapter 1 The First Humans	3	(14)
The Search for the First People	3	(1)
Homo erectus	3	(4)
Neandertals	7	(1)
Homo sapiens	8	(1)
Cro-Magnons	9	(1)
Language and Race	10	(1)
Inventions of the Cro-Magnons	11	(1)
Cro-Magnon Artists	12	(1)
Conclusion	13	(1)
Review	14	(3)
Chapter 2 The New Stone Age	17	(16)
Town Life	17	(1)
Jericho and Catal Huyuk	18	(2)
Invention of Farming	20	(2)
Animal Herding	22	(2)
Technology in the New Stone Age	24	(1)
Megalith Builders	25	(1)
Conclusion	26	(2)
Review	28	(5)
UNIT TWO THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS--3500-1200 B.C.	33	(68)
Chapter 3 The Fertile Crescent	33	(18)
Tigris and Euphrates Valley	34	(1)
Towns of Ancient Sumer	34	(1)
Sumerian Religion	35	(2)
Development of Writing	37	(1)
Economic Activity	38	(2)
Culture in Ancient Sumer	40	(1)
Invaders in Mesopotamia	41	(2)
Anatolian Civilization	43	(1)
Hittites	43	(1)
Building the Hittite Empire	44	(1)
Syrian Peoples	45	(1)
Conclusion	46	(1)
Review	47	(4)
Chapter 4 Ancient Egypt	51	(16)
Nile Valley	51	(1)
Earliest Egypt	52	(2)
Old Kingdom	54	(2)
Religion in Egyptian Life	56	(3)
Arts of Egypt	59	(1)
Middle Kingdom	59	(1)
Hyksos Period	60	(1)
New Kingdom	60	(1)
Religious Reform of Akhenaten	61	(1)
Egypt's Decline	62	(1)
Conclusion	63	(1)
Review	64	(3)
Chapter 5 The First Indian Civilization	67	(8)
Geography of India	67	(1)
People of the Indus Valley	68	(1)
Two Great Cities of the Indus Valley	69	(2)
The Indus Valley Economy	71	(1)
Aryans Arrive	72	(1)
Conclusion	73	(1)
Review	74	(1)
Chapter 6 Prehistoric China	75	(8)
Geography of China	75	(1)
Chinese Origins	76	(2)
Chinese Religion	78	(1)
Chinese Writing	79	(1)
Shang Dynasty	79	(1)
Conclusion	80	(1)
Review	81	(2)
Chapter 7 Mediterranean Regions in the Ancient World	83	(12)
Cycladic Origins	83	(2)
Discovery of Minoan Civilization	85	(1)
Minoans	85	(3)
Indo-European Migrations	88	(2)
Mycenaeans	90	(1)
Rest of Europe	91	(1)
Conclusion	92	(1)
Review	93	(2)
Chapter 8 The First Americans	95	(6)
Hunters of the Americas	95	(1)
Developments in Mexico	96	(1)
South America	97	(1)
Conclusion	97	(1)
Review	98	(3)
UNIT THREE CLASSICAL WORLDS--1200 B.C.-A.D. 500	101	(152)
Chapter 9 Southwest Asia in a Time of Empires	101	(19)
Assyrians	101	(1)
Babylonians	102	(1)
People of Syria	103	(1)
Hebrews	104	(1)
The Hebrew Bible	104	(1)
Hebrew Beginnings	105	(1)
Exodus from Egypt	106	(1)
Hebrew Monarchy	107	(1)
Foreign Conquest	108	(1)
Phoenicians and Arameans	109	(1)
Persians	111	(1)
Persian Culture in Achaemenid Times	112	(1)
Anatolia	113	(2)
Conclusion	115	(1)
Review	116	(4)
Chapter 10 India's Classical Age	120	(17)
Political Life of the Aryans	120	(1)
Brahman Religion	120	(1)
Upanishads	122	(1)
Classes and Castes	123	(1)
Jains Challenge the Brahmans	124	(1)
Buddha	125	(2)
Invasions from the West	127	(1)
Mauryan Empire	127	(2)
Ashoka	129	(1)
South India	130	(1)
Gupta Empire	131	(2)
Sri Lanka	133	(1)
Conclusion	133	(1)
Review	134	(3)
Chapter 11 China and Its Neighbors	137	(17)
Later Shang Period	137	(1)
Scribes and Silk	138	(1)
Zhous Come to Power	139	(1)
Confucius	140	(1)
Laozi and Meng Ko	141	(1)
China During Qin Dynasty	142	(2)
Han China	144	(2)
Han Court	146	(1)
Arrival of Buddhism	146	(1)
Later Han Period	147	(1)
Three Kingdoms	148	(1)
China's Neighbors	149	(1)
Conclusion	150	(1)
Review	151	(3)
Chapter 12 The Rise of Greek Civilization	154	(23)
Dorian Invasion	155	(1)
Greek Renaissance	155	(1)
Colonization	156	(1)
Athens	157	(1)
On the Road to Democracy	157	(2)
Sparta	159	(1)
Persian Attack	160	(2)
Peloponnesian War	162	(1)
Architecture of Ancient Greece	163	(1)
Theater	164	(1)
The Arts	165	(1)
Philosophers	166	(3)
Science	169	(1)
Religion	170	(1)
Athletics	171	(1)
Conclusion	172	(1)
Review	173	(4)
Chapter 13 Alexander the Great and Hellenism in Southwestern Asia	177	(8)
Rise of Macedonia	177	(1)
Alexander	178	(2)
Hellenistic World	180	(2)
Conclusion	182	(1)
Review	183	(2)
Chapter 14 The Roman Republic	185	(18)
Italian Peninsula	186	(1)
Peoples of Italy	186	(1)
Early Rome	188	(1)
Formation of the Republic	189	(1)
Conflict of the Orders	190	(1)
Roman Society	190	(1)
Roman Expansion	191	(3)
Coming of the Romans to Southwestern Asia	194	(1)
Jews and Romans	194	(1)
Roman Religion	195	(1)
Political and Economic Problems of the Late Republic	196	(2)
Europe's Other Peoples	198	(1)
Conclusion	199	(1)
Review	200	(3)
Chapter 15 The Roman Empire	203	(24)
Augustan Age	203	(2)
Successors of Augustus	205	(1)
Jesus of Nazareth	206	(1)
Christians	207	(1)
Second Century	208	(1)
Roman Buildings	209	(2)
Entertainment in Rome	211	(1)
Armenians and Persians	212	(1)
Pax Romana Evaluated	212	(1)
Rome in Jeopardy	213	(2)
Diocletian and Constantine	215	(2)
Rome Under Attack	217	(1)
Progress of Christianity	217	(2)
Western Problems	219	(2)
Germans in Italy	221	(1)
Conclusion	222	(1)
Review	223	(4)
Chapter 16 African Societies	227	(11)
Invaders in Egypt	227	(1)
Kush	228	(2)
Hellenistic Egypt	230	(1)
Carthage and North Africa	231	(1)
Egypt Under the Romans	231	(2)
Roman North Africa	233	(1)
Bantu	234	(1)
Axum	235	(1)
Conclusion	235	(1)
Review	236	(2)
Chapter 17 Indian Civilizations of the Americas	238	(15)
Olmec Civilization	238	(3)
City of Teotihuacan	241	(1)
Mayan Achievements	242	(2)
Religion of the Mayans	244	(1)
Writing	244	(1)
South America's Pacific Coast	245	(1)
Chavin Culture	245	(2)
Conclusion	247	(1)
Review	248	(5)
UNIT FOUR EXPANDING HORIZONS--A.D. 500-1100	253	(138)
Chapter 18 The Islamic World of Southwest Asia	253	(17)
Arabian Peninsula	253	(2)
Prophet Muhammad	255	(3)
After Muhammad	258	(1)
Byzantine-Persian Conflict	258	(1)
Arab Conquests	258	(1)
Umayyad Caliphate	259	(2)
Life Under the Caliphate	261	(1)
Abbasid Caliphs	262	(1)
Turks Enter the Muslim World	264	(2)
Conclusion	266	(1)
Review	267	(3)
Chapter 19 The Early Middle Ages in India	270	(7)
A Period of Migrations	270	(1)
Development Within Hinduism	271	(1)
Muslim Invasions	272	(2)
Conclusion	274	(1)
Review	275	(2)
Chapter 20 East Asian Traditions	277	(23)
China Under the Sui Dynasty	277	(1)
Golden Age of the Tangs	278	(3)
Architecture and Arts	281	(1)
Literature of the Tang Period	282	(1)
Astronomy and Inventions	283	(1)
Religion	284	(1)
Later Tang Emperors	285	(1)
Song China	285	(2)
Economic Activity in Song China	287	(1)
Cultural Life	288	(1)
Chinese Influences Reach Japan	289	(1)
Introduction of Buddhism into Japan	290	(1)
The Great Reform	291	(1)
Building the Capital at Nara	292	(1)
Heian Japan, A World at Peace	292	(2)
Asian Neighbors of China	294	(1)
Conclusion	295	(1)
Review	296	(4)
Chapter 21 African Kingdoms	300	(8)
Muslims in Egypt	300	(1)
South of the Sahara	301	(1)
Ghana, The First West African Kingdom	301	(3)
Axum	304	(1)
Conclusion	305	(1)
Review	306	(2)
Chapter 22 The Early Middle Ages in Europe	308	(20)
Byzantine World	308	(1)
Justinian and Theodora	309	(3)
Struggle Over the Balkans	312	(1)
Daily Life in Byzantine Times	313	(3)
The Byzantine Church	316	(2)
Ireland	318	(1)
England	319	(1)
English Missions to the Continent	320	(1)
Merovingian France	321	(1)
Italy and the Papacy	322	(1)
Western Monasticism	323	(1)
Conclusion	324	(1)
Review	325	(3)
Chapter 23 The Age of Charlemagne	328	(23)
Charlemagne	328	(3)
Carolingian Renaissance	331	(1)
Empire Divided	331	(1)
Northmen	332	(1)
Viking Raiders	333	(3)
Feudal Order	336	(1)
Farmers and Merchants in Carolingian Europe	337	(3)
Islamic Spain	340	(2)
Byzantine Culture and the Slavs	342	(1)
Missions to the Slavs	343	(2)
Magyars	345	(1)
Orthodox and Catholics	346	(1)
Conclusion	346	(1)
Review	347	(4)
Chapter 24 Western Recovery and East European Awakening	351	(29)
Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation	351	(4)
Cluny and Church Reformation	355	(3)
Peoples of the Iberian Peninsula	358	(1)
Normans	359	(2)
Italy Turns to Commerce	361	(1)
Byzantine Empire and the First Crusade	362	(3)
Eastern Europe	365	(3)
Society in Medieval Europe	368	(2)
Work in Medieval Europe	370	(2)
Arts and Literature	372	(2)
Conclusion	374	(2)
Review	376	(4)
Chapter 25 Developments in the Americas	380	(11)
Disasters in Mexico	380	(1)
Toltecs Dominate Mexico	381	(1)
Mississippian Culture in North America	382	(1)
Events in South America	383	(1)
Nazca, Chimu, and Moche	383	(2)
Conclusion	385	(1)
Review	386	(5)
UNIT FIVE CHANGING TRADITIONS--A.D. 1100-1500	391	(105)
Chapter 26 Crusaders, Turks, and Mongols	391	(9)
Latin East	391	(3)
Mongols	394	(2)
Formation of the Ottoman State	396	(1)
Conclusion	397	(1)
Review	398	(2)
Chapter 27 The Late Middle Ages in India and Southeast Asia	400	(8)
Islam and Hinduism	400	(2)
Slave Dynasty of Delhi	402	(2)
Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia	404	(1)
Conclusion	405	(1)
Review	406	(2)
Chapter 28 East Asia in an Age of Khans and Samurai	408	(14)
Last Days of Song China	408	(1)
Khubilai Khan	408	(3)
China's Brilliant Dynasty, the Ming	411	(2)
Shoguns of Japan	413	(2)
Kamakura Shogunate	415	(2)
Korea and Vietnam	417	(1)
Conclusion	418	(1)
Review	419	(3)
Chapter 29 African Empires	422	(11)
Mamluk Egypt	422	(1)
African Life Among the Blacks	423	(1)
Mail	424	(1)
Kanem-Bornu and Songhai	425	(1)
Forest Kingdoms of Guinea	426	(1)
Ethiopia	427	(1)
Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean Trade	428	(1)
South Africa	429	(1)
Conclusion	430	(1)
Review	431	(2)
Chapter 30 Europe in the High Middle Ages	433	(26)
Revival of Towns	433	(3)
Economic Life	436	(1)
Intellectual Life and the Birth of the University	437	(3)
Cathedrals	440	(2)
The Papacy Ascendant	442	(1)
Political Events in the British Isles	443	(2)
Kingdoms of Continental Europe	445	(3)
Fredericks of the Holy Roman Empire	448	(2)
Eastern Europe Between Germans and Mongols	450	(3)
Byzantium	453	(2)
Conclusion	455	(1)
Review	456	(3)
Chapter 31 Europe's Late Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance	459	(28)
Weather and Disease	459	(2)
Warfare and Its Consequences	461	(1)
Hundred Years' War	461	(2)
British Isles	463	(1)
Ferdinand and Isabella	464	(1)
France	465	(1)
Holy Roman Empire	466	(1)
Events in Eastern Europe	466	(1)
Fall of Constantinople	467	(1)
Moscow and the Russian Lands	468	(2)
Origins of the Renaissance	470	(1)
Humanism	471	(2)
Arts and Artists of Italy	473	(2)
Printing	475	(1)
Daily Life in Renaissance Times	475	(2)
Great Western Schism	477	(1)
European Exploration and Colonization	478	(2)
Christopher Columbus	480	(1)
Conclusion	481	(2)
Review	483	(4)
Chapter 32 Aztecs and Incas	487	(9)
Early Aztec History	487	(1)
Building Tenochtitlan	487	(1)
North of the Rio Grande	489	(1)
Inca Empire of South America	489	(1)
Society Among the Incas	491	(1)
Engineering	492	(1)
Conclusion	493	(1)
Review	494	(2)
Index	496