The Byzantine Empire, Russia, and Eastern Europe (330–1613)

MATCHING

Match the terms to the descriptions.

a. Golden Horde f. Constantinople
b. Justinian g. Ivan the Great
c. Kiev h. patriarch
d. Balkan Peninsula i. Golden Bull of 1222
e. Ivan the Terrible j. steppe

1. the highest official in Byzantine Church

2. Mongol armies who ruled much of medieval Russia

3. an area of southeastern Europe extending into the Mediterranean Sea

4. a Byzantine emperor determined to revive ancient Rome

5. a document that limited the power of Magyar rulers

6. the open, treeless grassland of southern Russia

7. the capital of the Byzantine empire

8. a tsar who brought much of northern Russia under his rule

9. a tsar who left Russia seething with rebellion at the time of his death

10. the center of the first Russian state

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MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which statement is true about the city of Constantinople?

a. It was able to prosper despite having no harbor.
b. It commanded key trade routes linking Europe and Asia.
c. It had few defenses and so was vulnerable to attack.
d. It cut all cultural ties with the heritage of Rome.

2. Justinian’s most important achievement was probably

a. his international diplomacy.
b. his writings on democracy.
c. his “Body of Civil Law.”
d. his conquest of Hagia Sophia.

3. What issue was the cause of a bitter battle between eastern and western Christianity?
a. A Byzantine emperor banned religious icons.
b. A Byzantine emperor allowed priests to marry.
c. The Roman Church rejected Justinian’s Code.
d. The Roman Church used Latin as its official language.

4. What helped cause the decline of the Byzantine empire?

a. Mongol raiders plundered Constantinople.
b. Venetian merchants gained control of Byzantine trade.
c. Rebels overthrew the Byzantine emperor.
d. Ottoman Turks captured Venice, a key ally.

5. Which region of medieval Russia served as a great highway for nomadic migration?
a. the northern forests c. the Ural Mountains
b. the Balkan Peninsula d. the southern steppe

6. Which of these statements is true about the Mongol rule of medieval Russia?
a. Mongols destroyed trade routes between China and Eastern Europe.
b. Mongol rule strengthened ties between Russia and Western Europe.
c. Russian rulers continued the Mongols’ use of absolute power.
d. The Mongols tried to destroy the Russian Orthodox Church.

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 7. Ivan the Great
a. sought to limit the power of landowning nobles.
b. was the first Russian ruler to be officially crowned tsar.
c. organized the oprichniki to enforce his will.
d. reformed Russian law based on Western traditions.

8. Why did the state of Poland-Lithuania weaken in the late 1600s?

a. The Mongols overran Lithuania in 1683.
b. King Jagiello disbanded the diet, or state assembly.
c. Nobles rebelled against the autocratic government.
d. The central government was weak due to the “free veto.”

9. In the 900s, West Slavs of Poland were influenced by missionaries spreading

a. Eastern Orthodox Christianity. c. Judaism.
b. Roman Catholicism. d. Lutheranism.

10. The Magyars who raided Europe from the Asian steppes eventually settled in
a. Poland-Lithuania. c. Bulgaria.
b. Hungary. d. Serbia.

11. The city of Constantinople was in a key location on the strait that links the Mediterranean
Sea with the
a. Red Sea. c. Caspian Sea.
b. Aegean Sea. d. Black Sea.

12. Under the rule of Justinian, the Byzantine empire

a. built the strongest military force in the world.
b. began to decline due to Muslim invasions.
c. replaced the system of Roman law with Muslim law.
d. passed strict laws limiting the power of the emperor.

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13. The rule of the Byzantine emperor Justinian differed from the rule of monarchs in
Western Europe in that
a. Justinian’s Code established a republic.
b. Justinian’s Code limited the monarchy.
c. Justinian had both political and spiritual power.
d. The Byzantine church was the ruling power.

14. After the Great Schism, the Byzantine church became known as the
a. Roman Catholic Church. c. Eastern Orthodox Church.
b. Greek Patriarchal Church. d. Reformed Catholic Church.

15. Byzantine scholars produced many notable books especially in the field of
a. mathematics. c. economics.
b. history. d. biology.

16. Medieval Russian traders most often reached the Byzantine world
a. over an advanced network of dirt roads.
b. through canals dug by the ancient Romans.
c. through sea lanes from ports in the Baltic region.
d. through rivers running from north to south.

17. The development of Kiev and its culture was the result of the blended cultures of what
two peoples?
a. Slavs and Vikings c. Vandals and Bulgars
b. Mongols and Kurds d. Poles and Slavs

18. Russia’s first civilization began in

a. the pasture region of the southern steppe.
b. the forested region of the Ural Mountains.
c. the fishing region of the Baltic Sea.
d. the farming region of Ukraine.

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19. What was an effect of Mongol rule over medieval Russia?
a. Their code of laws served as a model for later Russian rulers.
b. Their teachings helped establish the Russian Orthodox Church.
c. They disrupted important trade routes of Russian merchants.
d. They cut Russia off from contacts with Western Europe.

20. In 1380, the Russian princes of Moscow took control from the Mongols by
a. encouraging the Mongols to fight among themselves.
b. converting the Mongols to Roman Catholicism.
c. defeating the Golden Horde at the battle of Kulikovo.
d. defeating the Golden Horde at the battle of Novgorod.

21. Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible

a. issued laws protecting the rights of Russian Jews.
b. issued laws that tied Russian serfs to the land.
c. helped to revive the power of the old boyar families.
d. abolished the manor system within Russia.

22. In medieval Eastern Europe, goods and cultural influences traveled along the
a. Volga and Urals. c. Don and Rhone.
b. Rhine and Loire. d. Danube and Vistula.

23. Islam was introduced to some areas of the Balkans in the 1300s by the invading
a. Ottomans. c. Magyars.
b. Khazars. d. Mongols.

24. What effect did the “free veto” have on the government of Poland-Lithuania?
a. It allowed the monarchy to veto proposals by the assembly.
b. It pitted the Church and nobility against the monarchy.
c. It made it difficult for the government to take decisive action.
d. It angered the king so that he dissolved the national assembly.

25. What lasting impact did the Magyars have on the kingdom of Hungary?
a. They forced most of the population to convert to Islam.
b. They killed almost half the population and then withdrew.
c. They put a council of nobles in charge of the government.
d. They adopted Roman Catholicism and ruled the kingdom.

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SHORT ANSWER

“Justice is the constant and perpetual desire to give to each one that to which he is
entitled. . . . The following are the precepts of the Law: to live honestly, not to injure
another, and to give to each one that which belongs to him.”
—from the Corpus Juris Civilis, Book 1 (Justinian’s Code)

1. Predict Consequences What ideas from this excerpt would eventually influence Western
legal systems? Explain your answer.

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2. Make Comparisons Describe the three main regions of medieval Russia. Which of these
do you think had the greatest impact on the settlement and growth of medieval Russia?
Explain.

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3. Summarize Explain the role of trade in the development of the first Russian state.

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In this excerpt, a Russian monk sees special meaning in the fall of Constantinople in
1453.
“The third Rome . . . shines like the sun . . . throughout the whole universe. . . . Two
Romes have fallen, and the third one stands, and a fourth one there shall not be.”
—Philotheos, quote in Tsar and People (Cherniavsky)

4. Identify Point of View Refer to the excerpt in which a Russian monk writes about the fall
of Constantinople in 1453. What “two Romes” is the monk referring to in the excerpt? In
what way does Russia represent the “third Rome?”

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5. Determine Relevance Explain how geography affected the development of
Constantinople as the “New Rome.”

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6. Categorize Which of the Byzantine empire’s contributions to world culture do you think
was the greatest? Explain your answer.

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7. Make Comparisons How was the Golden Bull of 1222 similar to the Magna Carta?

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Kingdoms and Trading States of Africa (730 B.C.–A.D. 1591)

MATCHING

Match the terms to the descriptions.

a. Nubia f. Songhai
b. Sundiata g. surplus
c. King Lalibela h. lineage
d. cataract i. Swahili
e. nuclear family j. savanna

1. more food than is needed

2. the West African kingdom that grew around the wealthy trading city of Gao, its capital

3. a grassy plain

4. a group of households claiming a common ancestor

5. directed the building of churches carved out of rock in Ethiopia

6. parents and children living together as a unit

7. the founder of the kingdom of Mali

8. language meaning “of the coast” that emerged in East Africa

9. an ancient African kingdom on the upper Nile River

10. a waterfall

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MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. When camels were brought to Africa from Asia, trade increased across the
a. central rain forests. c. Sahara.
b. Great Rift Valley. d. Ethiopian Highlands.

2. A major reason for Meroë’s success as the capital of Nubia was the ability of its people to
make tools and weapons from
a. copper. c. brass.
b. iron. d. bronze.

3. After Muslims conquered the cities of North Africa in the 690s, the dominant language of
the region became
a. Latin. c. Arabic.
b. Bantu. d. Geez.

4. Tolls collected from the flow of gold and salt helped to build the kingdom of
a. Axum. c. Hausa.
b. Ghana. d. Ethiopia.

5. The Islamic university in Timbuktu was one result of the hajj made by
a. Sundiata. c. Sonni Ali.
b. King Lalibela. d. Mansa Musa.

6. According to tradition, people from Ife taught the people of Benin how to
a. cast bronze and brass. c. grow cotton.
b. mine gold. d. make iron weapons.

7. The ancient book called The Glory of Kings told of the belief that the ancestors of the
kings of Ethiopia were
a. Christian. c. Buddhist.
b. Muslim. d. Jewish.

8. Remains of Chinese porcelain found in the area of Great Zimbabwe suggest that the
people there
a. originally came from China.
b. once conquered part of China.

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 c. traded with people in China.
d. migrated to China.

9. Unlike many other African rulers, the king of Kongo was chosen by
a. a group of electors.
b. leaders of the standing armies.
c. a vote of all males.
d. griots.

10. What contributed to the economic success of Great Zimbabwe?

a. its location on the Nile River
b. its location as a port city
c. its commercial links with coastal cities
d. its valuable copper mines

11. Scholars have been able to trace the Bantu migrations by studying
a. fossil records. c. burial mounds.
b. ancient pathways. d. language patterns.

12. Neolithic people of the Sahara migrated south because of

a. desertification. c. invasion.
b. warfare. d. disease.

13. The kingdom of Nubia absorbed culture and traditions from the civilization of
a. Sofala. c. Egypt.
b. Rome. d. Carthage.

14. The Romans used their conquered lands in North Africa as an important source of
a. grain. c. quartz.
b. lumber. d. copper.

15. West African merchants were willing to pay a high price for salt because
a. it was used to purify water. c. it was scarce in West Africa.
b. it was used in medicine. d. it was dangerous to mine.

16. The rise of the kingdom of Ghana was aided greatly by its abundant supply of
a. dolomite. c. slaves.
b. iron. d. gold.

17. Two separate walled towns about six miles apart made up Kumbi Saleh, the capital city of
a. Mali. c. Ethiopia.

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 b. Ghana. d. Great Zimbabwe.

18. To strengthen the empire of Songhai, Sonni Ali

a. forced his people to convert to Islam.
b. wrote a new system of laws for his kingdom.
c. brought key trade routes under his control.
d. conquered other states using gunpowder weapons.

19. Trade in pepper, ivory, and slaves helped to build the African rain forest kingdom of
a. Great Zimbabwe. c. Benin.
b. Ethiopia. d. Axum.

20. Women were among the rulers of the West African city-state of
a. Hausa. c. Songhai.
b. Benin. d. Mali.

21. In Axum, African and Jewish traditions merged, giving rise to the written and spoken
language called
a. Swahili. c. Geez.
b. Bantu. d. Arabic.

22. The eleven remarkable houses of worship built in Ethiopia by King Lalibela were made of
a. stone blocks rising high above the landscape.
b. gold blocks taken from the kingdom of Ghana.
c. coral and cut stone on cliffs over the ocean.
d. solid rock carved downward from ground level.

23. What do some scholars think was a cause for the decline of the empire of Great
Zimbabwe?
a. overpopulation c. dwindling gold supplies
b. widespread disease d. a Nubian invasion

24. In medieval Africa, matrilineal societies formed strong ties between

a. parents. c. nuclear families.
b. grandparents. d. brothers and sisters.

25. Unlike large kingdoms, governments of smaller medieval African societies often
a. shared power among several people.
b. centralized power in one all-powerful leader.
c. centralized power in a particular clan.

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 d. limited power by adopting a constitution.

SHORT ANSWER

1. Analyze Information Refer to the map. What kingdoms developed in West Africa?
Which West African kingdom emerged first? What natural barrier did caravans from
Timbuktu have to cross to reach the trading destination of Tripoli?

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2. Draw Inferences Why were merchants in West Africa willing to pay large amounts of
gold for salt? Were people of the central Sahara also willing to pay a high price in gold for
salt? Explain your answer.

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3. Make Comparisons How did religion influence the culture of Axum and Ethiopia
compared to their North African neighbors?

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4. Categorize Examine the map. Identify two major geographic features that served as
barriers to the movement of people, goods, and ideas. Identify two features that served as
highways. Explain why you categorized each feature as a barrier or highway.

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5. Draw Conclusions Explain how trade in the East African city-states resulted in a
blending of cultures. Provide examples.

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6. Make Comparisons Describe the religious beliefs in medieval African society before the
arrival of Islam and Christianity. Compare these beliefs to Christian beliefs.

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Spread of Civilizations in East Asia (500–1650)

MATCHING

Match the terms to the descriptions.

a. kana f. celadon
b. pagodas g. Genghis Khan
c. tsunamis h. dowry
d. paddies i. archipelago
e. Marco Polo j. hangul

1. a merchant from Venice who visited Yuan China

2. a chain of islands

3. multistoried Chinese temples

4. the Korean phonetic alphabet

5. a powerful Mongol chieftain

6. the payment a woman brings to a marriage

7. fields where rice is grown

8. Korean porcelain perfected during the Koryo dynasty

9. Japanese phonetic symbols

10. killer tidal waves launched from underwater earthquakes

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MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Land reform under the Tang dynasty resulted in

a. a stronger central government.
b. civil war between peasants and nobles.
c. greater power for the nobility.
d. a decline in tax revenues.

2. Under the Tang and Song dynasties, China’s two main classes were
a. the priests and the peasantry.
b. the samurai and the artisans.
c. the priests and the merchants.
d. the gentry and the peasantry.

3. The Mongol rulers of China

a. expelled both Muslims and Christians from China.
b. gave most high government jobs to the Chinese.
c. allowed only Mongols to serve in the military.
d. ended contacts between Europe and Asia.

4. What is a possible explanation of why China abandoned overseas exploration in 1425?

a. China could not develop advanced naval technology.
b. Confucian scholars wanted to protect China’s traditions.
c. The voyages of Zheng He failed to impress local rulers.
d. The Chinese feared the power of the Spanish navy.

5. Because of its geographical location, Korea has been strongly influenced by the culture
and traditions of
a. Vietnam. c. the Philippines.
b. China. d. Myanmar.

6. How did the Japanese Tokugawa shoguns control the daimyo?

a. They forced the daimyo to live on the distant island of Hokkaido.
b. They gave away many of the daimyo lands to peasants.
c. They required the daimyo to live in Edo every other year.
d. They strictly limited daimyo contact with the samurai.

7. In the years following Tang China’s decline in the 800s, the Japanese
a. rejected Buddhist ideas and practices.
b. rejected Confucian ideas and practices.
c. adopted a Chinese-style civil service system.
d. revised the Chinese system of writing.

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 8. What was an accepted custom or practice in many of the cultures of Southeast Asia?
a. Noblewomen were trained in the military arts.
b. Societies accepted matrilineal descent.
c. Women were forbidden to learn the Chinese language.
d. The practice of foot binding kept women in the home.

9. How did the culture of India influence rulers of the Khmer Empire?
a. They made their capital city a major Buddhist center.
b. They became Hindus and viewed themselves as god-kings.
c. They became Buddhists and viewed themselves as god-kings.
d. They encouraged the people to become missionaries of Islam.

10. The Vietnamese were finally able to break away from direct Chinese rule
a. when the Trung sisters rebelled in 39.
b. when the Tang dynasty collapsed in 939.
c. when the Han armies were defeated in 111 B.C.
d. when King Anawrahta rebelled in 1044.

11. China under the Tang dynasty

a. was conquered by Arab forces from central Asia.
b. halted military expansion to focus on domestic issues.
c. forced Vietnam, Tibet, and Korea to become tributary states.
d. conquered the Mongol empire defeating Kublai Khan.

12. What was usually true about the role of women in Tang and Song society?
a. Merchant women enjoyed high social status.
b. Peasant women seldom worked in the fields.
c. Many women were part of the scholar-gentry class.
d. Married women often managed the family finances.

13. In the Daoist tradition, artists in the Tang and Song dynasties sought to reflect the
a. spiritual essence of the natural world.
b. uncertainty of human existence.
c. motion and chaos of busy cities.
d. stark realities of urban life.

14. The Mongols successfully attacked China’s walled cities with

a. machine guns. c. hot oil dropped from balloons.
b. cannons. d. Greek fire.

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15. During their rule of China in the 1200s and 1300s, the Mongols
a. ended the exchange of goods and ideas with Europe.
b. set up a government based on Islamic law and customs.
c. executed thousands of scholars, artists, and artisans.
d. stabilized China and increased trade.

16. How did early Ming rulers attempt to control the actions of their own government?
a. A board of censors watched over the bureaucracy.
b. Ming rulers abolished the corrupt civil service system.
c. Government officials had to be related to the royal family.
d. Government officials had to be of the Buddhist religion.

17. During the Song dynasty, the Chinese economy expanded because
a. Song warriors destroyed the Mongol threat.
b. new fishing methods created a surplus of food.
c. new farming methods created a surplus of food.
d. China took riches from newly conquered lands.

18. In 668, the Silla kingdom was able to unite warring groups on the Korean peninsula due to
a. the widespread fear of the rival Choson kingdom.
b. the military support of the Japanese Yamato clan.
c. the spread of Shintoism throughout the peninsula.
d. the support of the Chinese Tang empress Wu Zhao.

19. Which statement describes a geographic feature that influenced the development of
Japan?
a. The islands are mostly fertile plains that are easy to farm.
b. The surrounding seas have both protected and isolated Japan.
c. The fear of tsunamis made most people move away from the coast.
d. Japan’s extensive coast put it in constant threat from invasion by
China.

20. What best describes the role of the emperor in Japanese feudal society?
a. He was a powerless, though revered, figurehead.
b. He was the shogun, or supreme military commander.
c. He was commander of the daimyo, or great warrior lords.
d. He was commander of the samurai, or warrior aristocracy.

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21. During the Heian period, Japanese women
a. were encouraged to learn the Chinese language.
b. were forbidden from attending the Heian court.
c. produced many important works of literature.
d. were set on a pedestal under a code of chivalry.

22. What ruler of the Pagan kingdom brought Buddhism to the Burman people?
a. King Suryavarman II c. King Tabinshwehti
b. King Anawrahta d. King Wareru

23. In what way did Indian culture first spread to the people of Southeast Asia?
a. Indian merchants settled in port cities.
b. Indian emperors conquered the region.
c. Vietnamese students visited India to study.
d. Japanese missionaries brought Indian ideas.

24. What is depicted at the great Khmer temple complex at Angkor Wat?
a. magnificent stupas, or dome-shaped shrines
b. tall stone figures dedicated to nature spirits
c. carvings of the sun goddess Amaterasu and the rising sun
d. carved figures that tell Hindu myths and glorify the king

25. What Chinese peasant leader overthrew Mongol rulers in 1368 and established the Ming
dynasty?
a. Li Qingzhao c. Zhu Yuanzhang
b. Temüjin d. Zhen He

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SHORT ANSWER

1. Summarize What changes did Tang rulers make in China to create an effective and
strong central government?

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2. Predict Consequences How might Chinese history have been different if the Chinese had
continued their sea explorations?

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3. Make Comparisons How did foreign cultures influence the Khmer empire and Vietnam
in different ways?

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4. Recognize Ideologies Read the poem by Po Chu-i, a poet of the Tang dynasty. What
aspects of Confucianism can you identify in the poem?
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5. Summarize Describe how the geography of the Korean peninsula affected where people
settled and how they lived.
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6. Make Comparisons How did family life in many Southeast Asian cultures differ from
that in India and China?

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