Cultural Diffusion!

Group from West Africa

Moved south throughout
Africa in search of food

Used slash-and-burn
agriculture

Spread culture, especially
language

Began during Han Dynasty and continued
throughout Tang, Song, and Yuan Dynasties
Peaked during Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty!
At first, the Ming Dynasty was open to trade
Voyages of Zheng He
Later, the Ming Emperor closed China to trade
Isolationist (wanted to protect Chinese culture)

Korea was a cultural bridge between China & Japan
Culture traveled from China to Korea to Japan
Examples: Buddhism & Chinese writing system

The Byzantine Empire preserved Greco-Roman
(Greek and Roman) culture
Justinians Code was similar to 12 Tables
Hagia Sophia is an example of domed architecture

It also spread its culture to Russia (Kiev)
Eastern Orthodox Church
Cyrillic Alphabet

When European crusaders traveled to the Middle
East, they saw how advanced Islamic society was
Arabs had spices, sugar, and other goods
Europeans wanted to buy them
Arabs had knowledge of math, science, and medicine
Increased European knowledge Renaissance!
Exchange of goods (and diseases) between Old World and New
World after Columbus discovered the Americas
Some leaders have incorporated aspects of European
culture into their societies.

These leaders are modernizers & westernizers.

Examples:
Peter the Great (Russia)
Catherine the Great (Russia)
Mustafa Kemal Atatrk (Turkey)
Emperor Meiji (Japan)
Reza Shah Pahlavi (Iran)



The early eastern European Slavic civilization at
Kiev adopted the Eastern Orthodox religion, the
Cyrillic alphabet, and certain styles of art and
architecture as a result of

(1) wars with Japan

(2) conquests by Mongol invaders

(3) visits to western European countries

(4) trade with the Byzantine Empire
The Ming dynasty under Emperor Yonglo (Zhu di)
used Zheng Hes voyages to

(1) expand trade with Africa and Southeast Asia

(2) explore North America and South America

(3) obtain a military alliance with Russia

(4) secure a border agreement with Mongolia
Between 500 B.C. and A.D. 1500, the migration of
the Bantu people of Africa led to the diffusion of

(1) languages and metallurgical skills

(2) porcelain and cannons

(3) camels and Islam

(4) cuneiform and galley ships
Which action did Japan take during the Meiji
Restoration?

(1) established a social system to benefit the samurai

(2) sent experts to learn from modern Western nations

(3) allowed communist ideas to dominate its
government

(4) started an ambitious program to expel foreign
manufacturers
One important impact of the Mongol expansion
across Asia and Europe was the

(1) increased authority of the Kievan princes

(2) rise in trade along the Silk Roads

(3) introduction of Hinduism into Chinese culture

(4) maritime exploration of the Arabian seacoast
One way in which the reigns of Peter the Great and
Catherine the Great are similar is that both leaders

(1) promoted the emancipation of serfs

(2) strengthened the role of the Duma and centralized
royal power

(3) shared their power with the Russian Orthodox
Church

(4) pursued a policy of westernization and expansion