World History BEFORE 1200 [AP World History Review]

Summary

This video introduces the new AP World History curriculum, starting from 1200 CE, by providing a historical context. It traces human development from the Neolithic Revolution to the formation of early civilizations around major rivers. Key points include the rise of permanent settlements, the development of writing, and the establishment of hierarchical societies. Major religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity are discussed, alongside the formation and fall of early empires such as the Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Chinese dynasties. The video aims to prepare students for the new curriculum by highlighting significant historical events and trends before 1200 CE.

Takeaways

• 📜 The new AP World History curriculum starts at 1200 CE, cutting out thousands of years of earlier history.
• 🌱 The Neolithic or Agricultural Revolution began about 10,000 years ago, shifting humans from hunting and gathering to farming, leading to settled societies.
• 🏞️ Early agricultural societies developed around rivers, such as the Nile, Yellow, Indus, Mesoamerican, and Andes River Valleys.
• 🏙️ The formation of cities began about 6,000 years ago in Mesopotamia and the Nile River Valley, leading to complex societies with hierarchies and monumental architecture.
• 📚 Writing emerged for utilitarian purposes like tracking grain but eventually developed into literature and religious texts, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Rigveda.
• 🕉️ Major religions emerged from these early civilizations, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and later, Christianity.
• 🏛️ Empires and city-states frequently interacted through trade and war, exchanging technologies and cultural ideas.
• 🇨🇳 Confucianism and Daoism emerged in China during the Warring States Period, providing social and spiritual frameworks that persisted through various dynasties.
• 🌍 By 600 BCE, major empires and city-states existed globally, including the Achaemenid Empire in Persia, the Qin and Han Dynasties in China, and the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean.
• 🏺 In the Americas, civilizations such as the Maya and Moche developed complex societies with advanced agricultural practices, monumental architecture, and distinct cultural practices.

Q & A

What is the starting point of the new AP World History curriculum?

The new AP World History curriculum begins in the year 1200 CE or AD.

What major historical event does the script begin with?

The script begins with the Neolithic Revolution, also known as the Agricultural Revolution.

What was the primary lifestyle of human beings before the Neolithic Revolution?

Before the Neolithic Revolution, human beings survived by hunting and gathering and wandering from place to place.

What major change occurred during the Neolithic Revolution?

During the Neolithic Revolution, humans discovered that planting seeds in the ground and waiting for them to grow into crops produced more food than hunting and gathering, leading to the advent of farming.

How did the Neolithic Revolution affect human settlement patterns?

The Neolithic Revolution led to humans settling in one place, building permanent structures for crop storage and religious purposes, and experiencing a population explosion.

What were some of the earliest river valley societies?

Some of the earliest river valley societies were the Nile River Society in North Africa, the Yellow River Valley in East Asia, the Indus River Valley in South Asia, and the river valleys of Mesoamerica and the Andes mountain society.

What is the significance of the Code of Hammurabi?

The Code of Hammurabi is significant because it laid down clear lines for societal hierarchies and punishments for lawbreaking, and it was one of the first legal codes to mention the principle of 'an eye for an eye'.

What role did writing play in early civilizations?

Writing in early civilizations was initially used to keep track of grain supplies, but it eventually expanded to produce literature and religious texts, explaining creation and the meaning of life.

How did Hinduism and Buddhism differ in their teachings and societal impact?

Hinduism, a polytheistic religion, emphasized a hierarchical caste system and the concept of reincarnation. Buddhism, which emerged from Hinduism, also taught reincarnation but rejected the caste system, focusing instead on ending suffering by eliminating desire.

What was the Mandate of Heaven in Chinese belief?

The Mandate of Heaven was a Chinese belief that the heavens would provide a just ruler, but if the ruler governed poorly, he would be ousted and replaced by a new ruler.

How did the Roman Empire compare to the Han Dynasty in terms of size, wealth, and technological advancement?

Both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty were large and wealthy, but the Han Dynasty was technologically more advanced, building the Great Wall and extensive canal systems.

What was the role of pastoralists in early civilizations?

Pastoralists, who continued hunting and gathering, played a crucial role in fostering connections and cultural exchanges between major civilizations.

What were some significant contributions of the Phoenicians?

The Phoenicians were known for their advanced seafaring capabilities, establishing colonies through diplomacy and trade, and developing the oldest known alphabet.

How did the concept of citizenship and democracy originate?

The concept of citizenship and democracy originated with the Greek city-states around 600 BCE, where free white males had the ability to influence their government.

What were some key features of the Maya civilization in Mesoamerica?

The Maya civilization built huge monumental structures as religious temples, advanced agriculture and writing systems, and practiced human sacrifice.

What was Teotihuacan, and why is it significant?

Teotihuacan was one of the largest cities in the world at its time, with a complex governmental bureaucracy, huge reservoirs, and stone apartment complexes, showcasing advanced urban planning and architecture.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to New AP World History Curriculum

The video welcomes viewers to a new school year and introduces the updated AP World History curriculum, which now starts from 1200 CE. The presenter aims to provide historical context up to 1200 CE, beginning with the Neolithic Revolution. This revolution marked a transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture, originating in Mesopotamia, and leading to the development of permanent settlements, population growth, and early civilizations around river valleys.

05:02

🌾 Rise of Agriculture and Early Civilizations

The Neolithic Revolution allowed humans to settle in one place and cultivate crops, leading to significant changes in societal structure. Early agricultural societies emerged around rivers like the Nile, Yellow, Indus, and in regions of Mesoamerica and the Andes. These societies built permanent structures, developed religious practices, and experienced population growth. Early cities arose, leading to complex hierarchies and the creation of laws and writing systems, exemplified by the Code of Hammurabi and cuneiform writing.

10:03

🌍 Development of Religions and Cultural Exchange

As societies grew, so did religious and cultural developments. Major religions like Hinduism and Buddhism in India, and Confucianism and Daoism in China, emerged. Judaism spread due to conquests and trade, while Christianity evolved from Judaism. The video highlights how these religions shaped societal structures and influenced cultural exchanges. Additionally, the period saw significant technological and cultural exchanges facilitated by trade and warfare.

🏰 City-States and Empires Around the World

The video explores the development of city-states and empires across different regions, including the Persian empires, Chinese dynasties, Mediterranean civilizations, and Mesoamerican and Andean cultures. Each region developed unique political and social structures, often influenced by their neighbors through trade and warfare. Empires like the Achaemenid, Han, and Roman left lasting impacts through their administrative systems, infrastructure, and cultural achievements.

🔍 Summary and Context for 1200 CE

The video concludes by summarizing the major developments before 1200 CE, emphasizing the importance of cities, hierarchical social structures, and the fall of empires due to overextension, internal disruptions, and external invasions. It sets the stage for understanding the world of 1200 CE, which is crucial for the new AP World History curriculum. The presenter encourages viewers to stay tuned for more educational content throughout the school year.

Keywords

💡Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution, also known as the Agricultural Revolution, was a significant turning point in human history occurring around 10,000 years ago when humans transitioned from nomadic hunting and gathering to settled agricultural societies. This shift allowed for the development of permanent settlements, leading to the construction of permanent structures and the eventual rise of cities and civilizations. In the video, this revolution is highlighted as the starting point for human societies to thrive and grow.

💡Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia, located in Southwest Asia, is often referred to as the 'cradle of civilization' due to its early development of agriculture, writing, and complex societies. It is one of the regions where the Neolithic Revolution first took hold, leading to the establishment of some of the world's first cities and empires. The video mentions Mesopotamia as the origin of the first farmers and a central area for early human development.

💡River Valley Civilizations

River Valley Civilizations, such as those along the Nile, Yellow, Indus, and Tigris-Euphrates rivers, were some of the earliest complex societies. These civilizations thrived due to the fertile land provided by the rivers, which supported agriculture and subsequently, population growth and urban development. The video lists several important river valley civilizations, emphasizing their role in the formation of early cities and hierarchical societies.

💡Hierarchy

Hierarchy in ancient societies refers to the structured ranking of social classes, typically with political and religious elites at the top, followed by merchants, warriors, craftspeople, laborers, and slaves. This social stratification was often formalized through laws and customs, such as the Code of Hammurabi in Mesopotamia. The video discusses how these hierarchies were integral to the organization and functioning of early civilizations.

💡Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi is one of the oldest known legal codes, established by the Babylonian king Hammurabi around 1754 BCE. It set out laws and punishments, establishing a clear societal hierarchy and the principle of retributive justice ('an eye for an eye'). The video references this code as a significant example of early legal systems that helped maintain order in ancient societies.

💡Cuneiform

Cuneiform is one of the earliest systems of writing, developed by the Sumerians of Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE. It was initially used for record-keeping, particularly for tracking grain supplies, but eventually expanded to include literature and other forms of written communication. The video highlights cuneiform as a major technological advancement that contributed to the administration and cultural development of ancient societies.

💡Polytheism

Polytheism is the belief in and worship of multiple gods, which was common in many ancient civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley. These religions often featured elaborate mythologies and rituals. In the video, Hinduism is mentioned as a polytheistic religion that emerged from the Indus Valley, illustrating the widespread nature of polytheistic beliefs in early human societies.

💡Monotheism

Monotheism is the belief in a single, all-powerful god. This concept emerged in Southwest Asia with religions like Zoroastrianism and Judaism. The video discusses how these monotheistic religions developed and influenced the regions they spread to, contrasting with the polytheistic beliefs of other contemporary societies.

💡Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion that originated in South Asia around 500 BCE, founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha). It emphasizes the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path as a means to overcome suffering and achieve enlightenment. The video explains how Buddhism arose from Hinduism and spread to various cultures, adapting and evolving into different forms like Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.

💡Confucianism

Confucianism is a philosophical and ethical system based on the teachings of Confucius, which emerged in China during the late 6th century BCE. It emphasizes order, hierarchy, and the roles and responsibilities of individuals within society to achieve harmony. The video highlights Confucianism's role in unifying China and providing a stable social framework during periods of turmoil.

Highlights

The new AP World History curriculum begins in the year 1200 CE.

The Neolithic Revolution, also known as the Agricultural Revolution, started about 10,000 years ago.

Early farming led to settled societies and the creation of cities.

Major early river valley civilizations included those around the Nile, Yellow, Indus, and Mesopotamian rivers.

The creation of cities brought about social hierarchies and the development of legal codes, such as Hammurabi's Code.

The invention of writing allowed for record-keeping and the creation of literature.

Major early religions included Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism.

Buddhism emerged from Hinduism around 500 BCE and rejected the caste system.

Christianity emerged from Judaism in the first century CE.

Confucianism and Daoism became significant in China, providing social order and focusing on nature, respectively.

Animism and shamanism were prevalent in Africa, the Americas, and parts of East Asia.

The Achaemenid Empire in Persia used regional leaders and built an extensive highway system.

The Han Dynasty in China was technologically advanced and established diplomatic ties with the Roman Empire.

The Greeks introduced ideas of citizenship and democracy, despite their limitations on who could participate.

The Romans were known for their engineering feats, such as aqueducts and roads, and their empire's extensive cultural spread.

Mesoamerican civilizations like the Maya built monumental structures and had advanced agricultural and writing systems.

Teotihuacan was one of the largest cities in the world at the time, with over 200,000 inhabitants.

The Moche civilization in the Andean region was controlled by warrior priests and had similarities to other Mesoamerican civilizations.

Transcripts

why are you there welcome to a new year

at heimlich sister in case you hadn't

heard the new AP World History

curriculum begins in the year 1200 CE or

ad depending on your persuasion and that

means that they have cut millennia out

of the curriculum it's not my intention

to comment on whether or not that's a

good change or a bad change I'm just

here to give you some context so that

when we plop down into 1200 we know

what's going on so sort of the meta

question they're gonna be dealing with

in this video is how did the human race

survive and thrive all the way up to

1200 I'm gonna start about 10,000 years

ago on this massive unfolding event

called the Neolithic Revolution or

sometimes called

the Agricultural Revolution now prior to

the Neolithic Revolution human beings

just basically survived by hunting and

gathering and wandering from place to

place

but somebody and nobody really knows who

discovered that if you plant seeds in

the ground on purpose and then you wait

around for those seeds to sprout up into

crops then you will have a lot more food

than you would by hunting and gathering

phenomenon of farming took place all

around the world at roughly the same

time give or take a few centuries but

the ogee farmers came from Southwest

Asia or to put a finer point on it

Mesopotamia and it is hard to oversell

the consequences of the advent of

farming first instead of wandering from

location to location now people largely

settled in one place and as a result of

that they begin to build permanent

structures especially for the storage of

crops and the purposes of religion I

don't like that but when you've got more

than enough food people start making

babies ad nauseam and there was a huge

population explosion as I mentioned

before this happened all over the world

at different times and in different

circumstances but one thing that was

common to all these agricultural

societies is that they grew up around

water specifically rivers and among the

most important River Valley societies

were the following the Nile River

Society in North Africa the Yellow River

Valley in East Asia the Indus River

Valley in South Asia the river valleys

of Mesoamerica and the Andes mountain

society so apparently when people stay

in one place for their crops for long

enough they will eventually create

cities in fact the word civilization

just means a society that has a city but

first of the major cities came on to the

stage about 6,000 years ago first in

Mesopotamia and then in the Nile River

Valley and the building programs in

these cities was astonishing they built

pyramids and ziggurats and palaces for

the elite and one of the consequences of

this elaborate ordering of society was

hierarchy

hierarchy just means that these

societies were broken up into groups of

people that were distinguished by class

and those at the top of the hierarchy

were usually the ones who were writing

the laws and levying taxes on all the

plebs down below one of the most famous

legal codes was called the Code of

Hammurabi and this code laid down clear

lines for societal hierarchies and

punishments for law breaking now when we

hear an eye for an eye we tend to think

of the first five books of the Jewish

Scriptures namely the books of Moses but

the justice system of Hammurabi was the

first to mention an eye for an eye and

maybe of equal importance during this

time was the invention of writing of the

first uses of this technology were to

keep track of the grain supplies in any

given city in Mesopotamia the written

language was called cuneiform and in

Egypt it was called hieroglyphics but

eventually written language burst free

from these utilitarian purposes and they

began to produce literature and in this

literature they wrote stories have

explained the creation of the world and

expounded the meaning of life the most

famous of these was the epic of

gilgamesh for Mesopotamia the Book of

the Dead from Egypt and the Rigveda from

the Indus Valley also during this time

some of the world's major religions

emerge out of these civilizations out of

the Indus River Valley Hinduism arose

now Hinduism was a polytheistic religion

which is to say they worshipped many

gods and it taught that one over all

God's peer reviewed itself in many forms

and then all the way over in Southwest

Asia to the great monotheistic religions

which is to say they worshiped one God

arose the Persians gave us sorrow

Astraea nism and the Hebrews over in

Israel gave us Judaism now eventually

cities that were in close proximity to

each other especially those who held

similar religious beliefs United to form

the early empires you should know that

the kings of these empires almost always

claimed divinity in order to consolidate

their power and one more thing about

this period not every human being on the

planet during this time was accounted

for in terms of a city or an empire

there was still a significant group of

people who continued their hunting and

gathering in nomadic ways and they are

known as the pastoralists we'll see how

important they were later but for now

you just need to understand that by

going to and fro between the major

civilizations pastoralists fostered

important connections and cultural

exchanges between those empires okay

that gets us up to about 600 BCE in

which there's a new turning point for

the thriving and the surviving of human

beings at this point in history the

world is getting way more populated and

therefore way more complicated so I'm

going to break this down into two

sections first we'll look at religious

and cultural developments and then

second we'll look at the developments of

city-states and empires

alright first religious and

development during this period the major

religions develop and spread into New

Territories Jews for example bring their

religion into all corners of the known

world and usually this happened not

because they chose to but because they

were compelled to by foreign invaders

around 600 BC the Assyrians invaded

Israel and brought many Jews back to

Assyria as prisoners of war and later

the Romans scattered the Jews all over

their empire as well but sometimes

Judaism did spread because it was

carried voluntarily by Jewish merchants

to all the major trade cities across

Europe and South Asia and East Asia are

I go over to India at this time and

Hinduism becomes the fundamental

ordering principle for Indian society

especially its teaching on caste this

teaching said that all living things

were ordered into a hierarchical

structure and a living being can move up

or down that structure not in this life

but in a series of successive lives

depending on their behavior so it's

important to know that Hinduism became

the social glue that held Indian society

together for millennia but these two

religions themselves also experienced

change during this time out of Hinduism

came a new system of belief called

Buddhism which began in South Asia

around 500 BCE Buddhism still held for

example the teaching about reincarnation

that came from Hinduism but it differed

in the way that it did away with the

hierarchical caste system so the main

teaching of Buddhism is that life is

suffering and if the reason why we

suffer is because we desire and

therefore the way to stop suffering is

to kill desire how do you do that while

you live a life that follows a set of

behaviors outlined in something called

the Eightfold Path and then out of

Judaism arose Christianity in the first

century a prophet and a preacher from

northern Israel by the name of Jesus of

Nazareth came on to the scene and he

preached that salvation is not by means

of proper behavior but by believing in

his own saving death and resurrection

for the forgiveness of sin and even

these two innovations were innovated

upon as they spread into different

cultures as Buddhism travelled into

different cultures in the east it

developed new forms you get forms like

tera vaada Buddhism and Mahayana

Buddhism which were more salvation astre

lidge's than the original teachings of

the Buddha and his Christianity spread

there was at least two major distinctive

expressions of you had the Roman

Catholics on the west and then you have

the Orthodox Christians known as the

Byzantines in the East all right let's

fly over to China and see what's

happened in that during this period the

teachings of Confucius came to unify

China after a period of turmoil known as

the warring States Period now confuse

became the bedrock of Chinese society

because it provided a predictable way of

ordering society based on a hierarchical

structure according to Confucius if

everybody in a society plays their

particular role and plays it rightly

then that society will be a piece rulers

must rule wisely subjects must object

themselves with deference and honor

now many empires are going to come and

go throughout Chinese history but

Confucianism is the one thing that seems

to be a continuity throughout all of now

about the same time that Confucianism

was making its debut in China Taoism is

coming onto the scene in East Asia now

Confucius emphasized the ordering of

human relations but Dao is taught that

people must look away from human

creations and institutions and look to

the order of nature for how to live then

if we fly over to Africa and the

Americas and some parts of East Asia

will see a religious form called animism

and shamanism animism taught that the

natural world had spiritual power

embedded in it and shamans were the

priestly kind of folks that had access

to control and direct that spiritual

power and these religious forms had

endless variations depending on where

you found them okay that's how religions

were developing during this period now

let's turn our attention to the

development of city-states and empires

so the major city states and empires for

the most part throughout the world knew

about each other if they were divided by

large distances sometimes they became

trading partners and then just as often

if they were close to one another they

went to war one of the consequences of

frequent war between different empires

was the exchange of Technology oh man

this thing you just stabbed me with is

way better than that thing I just tried

to stab you with hey guys we got to get

one of these all right so let's just fly

around the world again in the six

different regions and see what's going

on with their empires and city-states

let's start with the Persian empires the

first notable mention is the Achaemenid

Empire which lasted from about 550 to

330 BCE and this Empire was so large

that the Emperor used regional leaders

called se traps to govern the affairs of

different districts and they produced an

elaborate highway system that served to

move armies quickly to distant parts of

the Empire this is the case with many of

these old empires the Achaemenids

overextended themselves and therefore

became vulnerable to attack and it was

the Greek hero Alexander the Great who

did the honor of conquering them but

about a century later the Parthian

Empire rose and took back much of what

have been taken by Alexander now the

Chinese Empire here we need to consider

the chin and the Han Dynasty so after a

tumultuous and chaotic period known as

the

warring States period the Qin Dynasty

came into being in 220 BCE now the

Chinese believed in something called the

Mandate of Heaven which said that the

heavens would provide for them a leader

who would rule them with justice that is

until that ruler started governing like

a turd and then he would be ousted so

after the warring States Period the

heavens provided Qin Shi Huangdi and he

established the philosophy of legalism

which gave to the Chinese society clear

rules of command and strict layers of

bureaucracy and everything was good in

that legalistic society as long as you

followed the rules but if not the

punishments were severe now the Qin

Dynasty itself didn't last very long at

all it ended in 206 BCE but it did

establish a dynastic foundation that

would be in place in China for centuries

and millennia to come after the Qin came

the Han Dynasty which lasted for another

400 years and the Han Dynasty existed

roughly at the same time period as the

Roman Republic and the Roman Empire and

as such the Hans and the Romans

established diplomatic ties with one

another and patterns of trade now the

Han Empire was at least as big as the

Roman Empire and at least as wealthy but

pound for pound it was technologically

far more advanced than the Romans were

it was the Hans who began building the

Great Wall of China in order to squash

invasions from the north and that

construction continued for the next

thousand years Han rulers also dug

canals that lengthened north to the

south which not only provided conditions

for a flourishing trade but also helped

the government keep the Empire unified

with the common culture all right let's

look at the Mediterranean empires first

let's stop by the Phoenician city states

because of their advanced seafaring

capabilities the Phoenicians established

colonies all throughout Greece and Italy

and North Africa and Spain and usually

these colonies were established not by

military conquest but by diplomacy and

trade and it was the Phoenicians that

gave us the oldest known alphabet and

taught its people to read from left to

right you can read this bank of

Phoenician now the Phoenicians deeply

influenced the next group of people were

going to consider in the Mediterranean

namely the Greeks the system of Greek

city-states came onto the scene about

600 BCE and exited around 330 BC the

Greeks gave to the world the ideas of

citizenship and democracy just so you

know the democratic process in the Greek

city-states only included free white

males but don't let that sully the idea

that people actually had the ability to

influence their government at the time

this was a revolutionary idea and then a

little later come the Romans

the Romans were deeply influenced by

Greek culture even though the Roman army

conquered Greece about a century after

Alexander the Great's death and the

Romans were deeply dedicated to building

and you see this in there

great aqueducts and their extensive

system of roads and just like the Han

the Romans encouraged the spread and

settlement of its people throughout the

vast stretches of its empire in order to

solidify the Roman culture the western

half of the empire centered in Rome fell

in 476 but the eastern half of the

Empire centred in Constantinople lasted

for another thousand years last of all

let's fly over to the Americas and see

what's happening in the Mesoamerican and

Andean civilization first in Mesoamerica

you've got the mines and in their

civilization they build huge monumental

structures that functioned as religious

temples and they were famous for

advancing the process of agriculture and

systems of writing and astronomical

Charlie let's not forget they got real

good at human sacrifice also another

honorable mention in this area goes to a

city called Teotihuacan you've probably

never even heard of it but it was one of

the largest cities in the world at that

time climbing over two hundred thousand

inhabitants they had a complex

governmental bureaucracy huge reservoirs

and whole apartment complexes made out

of stone and last of all let's visit our

friends in South America the mocha

civilization in the Andean region lasted

from about 100 to 800 seee

its government was controlled by a class

of warrior priests and they bore many

similarities to other Mesoamerican

civilizations ok our troop around the

world while incomplete is complete and

that was a lot to take in but let me try

to summarize everything I've said by way

of comparison before 1200 cities were

important parts of every Empire and all

the ancient cities contain hubs of art

trade religious structures and

governmental buildings the social

structures of ancient civilizations were

pretty similar to for the most part

societies were organized hierarchically

at the top you have the political

religious elites and under them and the

order depends on which civilization

you're looking at you have merchants and

warriors and crafts peoples and laborers

and slaves and all the old empires fell

for some combination of the following

three reasons overextension internal

disruptions and outside invaders they

may have noticed that after all of this

we have not yet reached up to 1200 but

once we start the AP World History

curriculum proper we're gonna be

reaching back into these events in order

to give you the context for everything

that happened in 1200 a good luck this

year in AP World History you want more

videos like this one for the new AP

World History curriculum then subscribe

and come along I'll be releasing new

content videos every single week of the

school year so I'm Laura