The world of 1200 CE was a world of astounding diversity, and it was a world on the verge of some huge transformations. The global tapestry included societies from vastly different regions of the globe, many of which were completely disconnected from each other. Still, among all these differences, we can identify many similarities that connected the human experience across the globe. This overview video introduces the world in 1200 CE along with some of the brilliant scholars of the Islamic Golden Age.

This video is the first overview for this course, and like the eight that will follow, it introduces you to the history and themes you’ll explore in Unit 1. The evidence presented in the video will help you make comparisons across the diverse human communities around the world in 1200 CE and help you respond to the Unit Problem. You will explore connections linking the different themes, particularly governance, cultural developments and interactions, and technology and innovation.

Preview – Skimming for Gist

Before you watch the video, open and skim the transcript. Additionally, you should always read the questions below before you watch the video (a good habit to use in reading, too!). These pre-viewing strategies will help you know what to look and listen for as you watch the video. If there is time, your teacher may have you watch the video one time without stopping, and then give you time to watch again to pause and find the answers.

Key Ideas – Understanding Content

Think about the following questions as you watch this video.

1. What was the Islamic Golden Age?
2. What advantage is there to starting a course in the year 1200 CE?
3. Who was Nasir al-Din al-Tusi?
4. According to the video, what does the story of Al-Tusi and the Islamic Golden Age teach us about the connections linking the governance, technology and innovation, and cultural developments and interactions themes?

Evaluating and Corroborating

1. After watching this video, which theme do you think will be most important in the rest of Unit 1? Provide evidence to support your claim.
2. This video highlights important ways that governments and religions supported and were supported by the innovations made by scholars. Can you think of an example of this relationship from our world today?

This activity introduces you to the WHP AP Three Close Reads process. You will use this process when approaching all readings in the course because it will help you practice historical inquiry by teaching you how to analyze historical accounts and interpretations using a variety of reading strategies. Instead of simply learning about historical concepts, you’ll learn to evaluate different perspectives on historical issues so you can take an active role in constructing and deconstructing history, rather than taking things at face value.

At the beginning of each unit of this course, you will be provided with an introductory reading that will help you get a sense of what’s to come. By looking at a zoomed-out view of a unit, you’ll be able to think about the patterns and themes that exist within it, something that’s often more difficult to figure out when you study history in smaller time periods or segments.

Before digging into the article, take out the Three Close Reads worksheet, and with your class, quickly review the process as well as how to fill out the organizer section. Reading everything in the course three times might seem insane, but it’s actually a really helpful tool for getting all the information you need from the articles. Don’t worry—the process get faster and faster with each reading. Somewhere in the middle of the course, you’ll probably notice that the three reads take the same amount of time one used to take.

Framing Question or Idea

Before you start to read, it’s usually a good idea to have a question to help focus your reading. For this article, think about the following question, which you will revisit again at the end of the third read: What are the similarities and differences in how states were organized in the period from 1200 to 1450 CE?

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

The first close read is really meant to be a skim of the article. It should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the article is about. You should be looking at the title, author, headings, pictures, and opening sentences of paragraphs for the gist. On the Three Close Reads worksheet, look at the “Questions” section for the first close read and see which questions you can answer quickly.

Read 2—Understanding Content

Now that you’ve completed the first close read, look at the second section of the worksheet. This read is probably closest to the kind of reading you usually do. Basically, you’re trying to get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the article. Review the “Pay Attention to…” and “Questions” sections of the worksheet so you know what to think about when reading and to be sure you understand the information from the article. Also, this is where you will write down any vocab you see in the article that is unfamiliar to you. Your teacher will suggest ways to keep track of these words.

By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What is the difference between “world-systems” with a hyphen and “world system” without a hyphen?
2. Why does the author say that the world from 1200 to 1450 seemed like “worlds apart”?
3. How does the author characterize different regions of Afro-Eurasia? What were some characteristics of each region?
4. Why did distant, seemingly separate parts of the world nevertheless share many similarities? What are the two possibilities the author provides?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

Now it’s time for the third and final read. For this read, focus on why this article matters, how it connects to other content you’ve studied. Since this is the first reading assignment of the course, you may not connect it to much, other than the knowledge you already have.

At the end of the third read, discuss the following questions with your class:

1. What are the similarities and differences in how states were organized in the period from 1200 to 1450?
2. The author explains a seemingly silly debate about the use of a hyphen in world-systems. But he also mentions that this is also a meaningful debate. Do you agree that it’s meaningful? Why or why not?
3. The author outlines two different lenses for examining the world from 1200 to 1450: as a world of similarities and connections, or as a world of differences and separations. How do you think our understanding of the world changes depending on which of these lenses you use?

For a long time, historians thought of the world in 1200 as a bunch of disconnected regions. In a way, this was true. Natural barriers like oceans and deserts separated human communities into their own worlds. But it was also false. When we consider their commonalities and connections, these separate worlds don’t seem so separate. The networks that connected distant communities helps explain their similarities, despite their differences. In this introduction article, Trevor Getz introduces the world in 1200 and uses a seemingly silly argument over a hyphen to examine how it was both a world together and worlds apart.

There’s only one world, but parts of it have been more connected than others. In the period covered in this unit, societies in huge parts of the world were disconnected from each other. In particular, the Americas and Afro-Eurasia were separated by oceanic barriers. This introduction article is intended to introduce you to the rich variety of the world that you’ll encounter in this unit. But it also introduces a framework—world-systems—to help you examine the ways in which different parts of the world were linked together.

Think about the following question as you read the article: What were the similarities and differences in the ways communities were organized in different parts of the world from c. 1200 to c. 1450? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What is the difference between “world-systems” with a hyphen and “world system” without a hyphen?
2. Why does the author say that the world in 1200-1450 seemed like “worlds apart”?
3. How does the author characterize different regions of Afro-Eurasia? What were some characteristics of each region?
4. Why did distant, seemingly separate parts of the world nevertheless share many similarities? What are the two possibilities the author provides?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. What were the similarities and differences in the ways communities were organized in different parts of the world from c. 1200 to c. 1450?
2. The author explains a seemingly silly debate about the use of a hyphen in world-systems. But he also mentions that this is also a meaningful debate. Do you agree that it’s meaningful? Why or why not?
3. The author outlines two different lenses for examining the world from 1200 to 1450, as a world of similarities and connections, or as a world of differences and separations. How do you think our understanding of the world changes depending on which of these lenses you use?

This article introduces an important period in Chinese history, as well as the histories of its East Asian neighbors in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. Song dynasty China saw great innovation, growing trade, and the deepening of Confucian culture. Chinese dynasties differed considerably from one period to the next, in categories such as foreign relations, technological innovations, and territory controlled. Chinese dynasties influenced their neighbors sometimes through conquest and sometimes through peaceful cultural sharing.

This essay will help you understand China’s development in this period, and also its influence on neighboring territories of Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. From the Tang, Song, and Mongol Yuan dynasties, and in neighboring regions, you should find material to help in comparing and contrasting the history of these regions and periods of East Asia with other regions.

Think about the following question as you read the article: To what extent does this article explain the effects of Chinese cultural traditions on East Asia over time? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. How did the Chinese imperial map change in this period?
2. What kind of values were emphasized in the Confucian writings that continued to be so important in China in this period?
3. What were some of the important innovations of China’s Song dynasty?
4. What were two of the main forms that Buddhism took in Japan?
5. What was a shogun and what was a samurai?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. To what extent does this article explain the effects of Chinese cultural traditions on East Asia over time?
2. How did China and its East Asian neighbors in this period form a type of a network?
3. What central ideas of Confucianism were significant in the way that the societies described in this article interacted and organized as communities?

Silk: more than just nice for clothing, it funded the rise of Song Dynasty China and was the lynchpin of the largest trading system of the medieval world. English wool and Indian cotton, while important as trade goods across pre-Mongol Eurasia, couldn’t compete. Silk was used for intricate art, as the currency that paid large armies, and as the symbol of imperial power. With the help of Dr. Xiaolin Duan, we explore both the myths, and the history, that made Song Dynasty China a silk powerhouse.

Silk helped make Song Dynasty China not only a powerful manufacturing state, but also a big part of the trading networks connecting Afro-Eurasia. As you watch the video, consider how silk affected the Chinese state, economy, and society. This video will provide you with evidence to help you answer the Unit Problem: How was the process of state formation similar and different in various regions of the world from c. 1200 to 1450 CE?

Think about the following question as you watch the video: How does the production and trade of silk impact the government, economy, social interactions, and cultural developments of China? You will be asked to respond to this question again at the end of the video.

Preview—Skimming for Gist

As a reminder, open and skim the transcript, and read the questions before you watch the video.

Key Ideas—Understanding Content

Think about the following questions as you watch this video:

1. According to Francesca, where was silk produced in the era of the Song Dynasty, and what were some of the most important export markets?
2. According to Professor Xiaolin Duan, how did the economy work during the Song Dynasty? Who made silk, in particular?
3. Other than clothing, what other uses were there for silk?
4. According to Professor Duan, was the silk trade part of a wider Afro-Eurasian trading system? How?
5. What does the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving tell us about who did most of the work to produce silk?
6. Does Professor Duan believe that there was an industrial revolution in China in this period? What evidence is there for it?

Evaluating and Corroborating

1. How does the production and trade of silk impact the government, economy, social interactions, and cultural developments of China?
2. Chinese silk is one example of a local commodity that was traded across extensive regional networks. The silk trade reshaped small communities, the Chinese state, and regional exchange networks across much of Asia. Can you think of anything that is or was once made in your community? Where does that good get distributed? Who produces it? How does that industry affect your community, and how do you think it impacts other places?

In the thirteenth century, the political unity of the large Arab caliphates was breaking. But by 1500, Islam remained a dominant force in Afro-Eurasia. But while the central political authority of the caliph had weakened, Islam as a belief system and cultural world continued to expand dramatically between 1200 and 1450. This expansion spread the innovations of the Islamic Golden Age around the world, mainly at the hands of non-Arab conquerors like the Turks and Mongols. The unified cultural world of Islam allowed travelers like Ibn Battuta to move thousands of miles and still feel at home.

This survey of the diverse and large world of Dar al-Islam will introduce you to a large and diverse region of the world that was unified by a shared belief system, though at the same time disunified politically. From 1200 to 1450, Arab rulers of many parts of the Islamic world were displaced by new groups, among them Turks and Mongols. By introducing the states they formed, this article will help you identify the similarities and differences in the ways societies were organized in this period. This will form important evidence to help you to compare and contrast them to the states and belief systems of other parts of the world.

Think about the following question as you read the article: To what extent does this article explain how systems of belief and their practices affected society from c. 1200 to 1450? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What is Dar al-Islam?
2. What were some of the innovations of the Islamic Golden Age?
3. The author argues that Islam experienced a political fragmentation while it also saw a cultural expansion. What does he mean?
4. What does Ibn Battuta’s experience on his travels have to tell us about Dar al-Islam?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. To what extent does this article explain how systems of belief and their practices affected society from c. 1200 to 1450?
2. This article emphasizes the theme of cultural developments and interactions as well as governance. The author claims that even though the political structure of Dar al-Islam fractured at this time, the religious community expanded and united many people. What evidence does the author give for his claim and do you agree with it? Is there another theme that could be used to examine the changes that occurred in Dar al-Islam at this time?
3. Does it make sense for historians to define a region based on a shared belief system, rather than a single government? Why or why not?

Islam is practiced by nearly 2 billion people—that’s 1 in 4 people on the planet. It emerged in the seventh century, when Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad received revelation from God, which was compiled into the Holy Qur’an. Islam spread rapidly after the Prophet’s death, mostly through the expansion Muslim-ruled empires. However, traveling merchants and mystics continued to spread Islam beyond these conquests in the centuries that followed. Today, Muslims and historians alike continue to think about the history of early Islam by studying the Qur’an and accounts about the Prophet and his companions called Hadith.

This video will give you a brief overview of Islamic beliefs and focuses on the early history of Islam. This history will help you to evaluate the many different narratives about Islam, which come from both Muslim and non-Muslim sources. This historical context is key for testing different claims about Islam’s origins, beliefs, and political history. This will also help you contextualize future lessons about empires, trade networks, and religion in the Islamic world.

Think about the following question as you watch the video: To what extent does this video help explain how belief systems impacted society from c. 1200 to 1450? You’ll be asked to respond to this question again at the end of the video.

Preview—Skimming for Gist

As a reminder, open and skim the transcript, and read the questions before you watch the video.

Key Ideas—Understanding Content

Think about the following questions as you watch this video.

1. According to the Islamic faith, who received messages from God?
2. What are the five pillars of Islam?
3. What are Hadith?
4. How far did Islam expand in the first century after the death of the Prophet? How was this expansion achieved?
5. How did Islam spread from 750 to 1700?
6. What do most historians agree on about early Islam?
7. What are important sources of Islamic history for Muslims?

Evaluating and Corroborating

1. To what extent does this video help explain how belief systems impacted society from c. 1200 to 1450?
2. Why do you think understanding Islamic history is important for practicing Muslims? In what aspects of your life is understanding history important for your own activities?
3. In this video, Nate Bowling talked about different narratives about Islam that may be politically motivated. Can you think of a politically-motivated narrative about a religion that you have heard? Do you think this narrative is credible? Why or why not?

This article introduces some of the ways in which societies developed in South and Southeast Asia between 1200 and 1450. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam all had a profound impact on shaping not only the religious practices of the diverse cultures in these regions, but also influenced social and political institutions. These religious traditions interacted and shaped societies in various ways, through examples like the social role of Buddhist monasteries, or the impact of religious ideas like bhakti and purdah.

This essay will help you understand how Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam shaped South and Southeast Asian society. You will learn how these religious and cultural traditions became part of political systems as well. You’ll also find some evidence for use in comparing and contrasting the history of this region, in this period, with other regions you’ll learn about.

Think about the following question as you read the article: To what extent does this article explain how the various belief systems and practices of South and Southeast Asia affected society over time? Write this question at the top of the Three Close Reads worksheet. You will be asked to respond to this question again after the third read in the Evaluating and Corroborating section of the worksheet.

Read 1—Skimming for Gist

Fill out the Skimming section of the Three Close Reads worksheet as you complete your first close read. As a reminder, this should be a quick process!

Read 2—Understanding Content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. Did the Mongols ever conquer Southeast Asia? What about South Asia?
2. Why is 900 to 1400 called the period of “classical states” in Southeast Asia?
3. What foreign culture first inspired the Khmer rulers of Angkor?
4. What was the importance of Buddhist monasteries in the societies of South and Southeast Asia?
5. According to the article, what is purdah, and how did it differ in different social groups and different regions?

Read 3—Evaluating and Corroborating

At the end of the third close read, respond to the following questions:

1. To what extent does this article explain how the various belief systems and practices of South and Southeast Asia affected society over time?
2. In South and Southeast Asia, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam played an important part in shaping religious, social, and political institutions between 1200 and 1450. Compare and contrast the different ways in which these religions influenced the organization of societies and politics of the diverse regions examined here.