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Study guide for the Middle Ages test



Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 

All of the following were effects of the growth of European towns and cities EXCEPT
a.
a strengthening of the feudal social structure and Manorialism.
b.
the beginnings of a middle class in Europe.
c.
the establishment of the guild system to regulate occupations.
d.
there was an increase in pollution and diseases.
 

 2. 

All of the following are examples of the Chinese influence on Japan EXCEPT
a.
The Emperor was the “Son of Heaven.”
b.
Feudalism
c.
Buddhism
d.
The civil service exam
 

 3. 

All of the following were part of the Feudal system in Europe EXCEPT
a.
the granting of Fiefs in return for loyalty and service.
b.
Kings having absolute power over the nobility.
c.
Nobles having absolute power over their serfs.
d.
the relationship between Vassals and Lieges.
 

 4. 

mc004-1.jpg
The building pictured above is located in what city? (it looks like a black cube)
a.
Medina
b.
Kaabah
c.
Jerusalem
d.
Mecca
 

 5. 

The Il-Khanate dominated what part of the world?
a.
The Indian sub-continent
b.
The Middle East
c.
Southeast Asia
d.
Eastern Europe
 

 6. 

All of the following are true of the Tang dynasty EXCEPT
a.
gunpowder was invented.
b.
transportation expanded due to the Grand Canal and extensive road building.
c.
the dynasty suffered from constant threat of invasion by the Mongols.
d.
Confucian scholars led an attack on Buddhism.
 

 7. 

What was the long term effect of the use of the Longbow and Crossbow in the Hundred Years’ War?
a.
They changed military tactics as the mounted archer became supreme.
b.
They made the armored knight obsolete, one factor leading to the end of Feudalism.
c.
They had far better range than the short bow, making war more impersonal.
d.
They led to England’s loss of the war and its influence in continental events.
 

 8. 

What were the two major sources of stability during the early Middle Ages in Europe?
a.
trade profits and protection from the Vikings
b.
Roman law and the Orthodox Church
c.
Feudalism and the Catholic Church
d.
centralized government and the barter system
 

 9. 

What is the Kaaba?
a.
The meteorite that symbolizes the covenant with Allah.
b.
The Islamic book of scripture.
c.
The sacred building towards which Muslims pray.
d.
The cave where Muhammad saw the angel Gabriel.
 

 10. 

The split between the two main branches of Islam began with a disagreement over
a.
the nature of Allah.
b.
acceptance of Muhammad’s writings as scripture.
c.
the choice of a leader.
d.
whether the pilgrimage was required of all followers.
 

 11. 

What was the actual disease, and the route the Black Death followed from Asia to Europe?
a.
Ebola Virensis, Black Sea trade routes
b.
The Bubonic Plague, the Silk Roads
c.
Small Pox, the Columbian Exchange
d.
Syphilis, Trans-Saharan routes
 

 12. 

Where did a merit-based bureaucracy, open to all social classes, exist 1000 years earlier than anywhere else?
a.
Fujiwara Japan
b.
Tang China
c.
Delhi Sultanate India
d.
Abbasid Arabia
 

 13. 

Which of the following best describes Japan after the collapse of the Shogunate in 1333?
a.
The emperor was able to gain actual—rather than just ceremonial—political power.
b.
The samurai maintained an era of peace in spite of no centralized political authority.
c.
The Mongols were able to successfully invade and control the southern islands.
d.
It degenerated into a feudal “warring states”-type period.
 

 14. 

In which centuries was the Silk Road trade disrupted by Mongol expansion and the Black Death?
a.
11th and 12th
b.
14th and 15th
c.
13th and 14th
d.
12th and 13th
 

 15. 

All of the following are true of the Japanese Shogunate EXCEPT
a.
The system was strong enough to successfully delay the Mongol invasion until the “Kamikaze” destroyed the fleet.
b.
The Shogun held both military and political power, making the emperor a ceremonial position.
c.
It continued until the Japanese empire was established just prior to WWI.
d.
It was established by Minamoto.
 

 16. 

Chavin culture (Peru) was an influence on which civilization?
a.
The Inca
b.
The Maya
c.
The Aztec
d.
The Olmec
 

 17. 

Besides the Longbow and Crossbow, what newly arrived military technology was first used by Europe in the Hundred Years’ War?
a.
The Cannon
b.
Steel swords and lances
c.
Greek fire
d.
The Trebuchet
 

 18. 

Marco Polo is an important source of knowledge about which of the following people?
a.
The Minamoto Shogunate
b.
The Abbasid Caliphate
c.
The Great Viet
d.
The Yuan dynasty
 

 19. 

While religion provided the unifying force, what was the main political unit of Dar al-Islam?
a.
The Khanates
b.
The Caliphate
c.
Theocratic feudalism
d.
The Shari’a
 

 20. 

Where did Muslim culture have the greatest influence on Medieval Europe?
a.
The Russian steppes
b.
North of the Italian Alps
c.
The Iberian Peninsula
d.
Along the French Riviera
 

 21. 

Manorialism is associated with which area of the world?
a.
Mongol Asia
b.
India
c.
Sub-Saharan Africa
d.
Western Europe
 

 22. 

All of the following were accomplishments of Justinian EXCEPT
a.
He provided an important codification of Roman law.
b.
He rebuilt Constantinople, making it the largest city in Europe.
c.
He created the feudal system of government, used in Europe throughout the Middle Ages.
d.
He was able to re-conquer most of the Roman empire.
 

 23. 

All of the following are reasons for the rapid spread of the Umayyad and Abbasid empires EXCEPT
a.
The egalitarian nature of Islam appealed to people of the lower social classes.
b.
Their equine-based military was superior to the camel cavalry of the Crusader States.
c.
The desire to spread Islam united and motivated its adherents.
d.
The Byzantine and Persian empires had been weakened by constant fighting.
 

 24. 

Besides gold, salt, and slaves, what also traveled along African trade routes?
a.
Technology, such as the printing press
b.
Religion, such as Islam
c.
Invaders, such as the Crusaders
d.
Agriculture, such as the 3-field system
 

 25. 

Japanese and European feudalism were similar in all of the following ways EXCEPT
a.
The warrior classes strictly followed a code of conduct.
b.
Both lacked a strong central authority.
c.
Peasants/serfs were the lowest social class.
d.
Their society was held together by mutual ties and obligations.
 

 26. 

All of the following were part of the golden age of the Abbasid Caliphate EXCEPT (read carefully)
a.
advances in astronomy, such as the astrolabe.
b.
advances in chemistry, such as alcohol.
c.
advances in agriculture, such as planting corn.
d.
advances in math, such as algebra.
 

 27. 

Who of the following established Samarkand as a center of learning after conquering the Delhi Sultanate?
a.
Kublai Khan
b.
Genghis Khan
c.
Tamerlane
d.
Ibn Battuta
 

 28. 

Which kingdom dominated Trans-Sahara trade until they were overwhelmed by coastal tribes using guns obtained from the Portuguese?
a.
Songhai
b.
Swahili
c.
Axum
d.
Mali
 

 29. 

What dynasty ruled China during Pax Mongolia?
a.
The Yuan
b.
The Tang
c.
The Song
d.
The Ming
 

 30. 

Who most benefitted from the cultural exchange of the Crusades?
a.
The Byzantine empire
b.
Catholic Europe
c.
Arab oceanic traders
d.
The Abbasid caliphate
 

 31. 

Review: All of the following began in Africa at approximately 1000 BCE EXCEPT
a.
the establishment of Christianity in Axum.
b.
the establishment of the Kush kingdom.
c.
the migration of Bantu speaking peoples.
d.
the use of the camel to cross the Sahara.
 

 32. 

Review: What nomadic people invaded the Han dynasty?
a.
The Mongols
b.
The Hun
c.
The Buddhists
d.
The Xiongnu
 

 33. 

What civilization had the greatest influence on Japan?
a.
China.
b.
India.
c.
Mongolia.
d.
Korea.
 

 34. 

Whose journals provide a great source of knowledge about the Islamic world of the 1300s?
a.
Ibn Battuta
b.
Mansa Musa
c.
Hulagu Khan
d.
Tamerlane
 

 35. 

What city was the capital and trade center of Mali?
a.
Cairo
b.
Great Zimbabwe
c.
Timbuktu
d.
Ghana
 

 36. 

When did Islam become an important influence in India?
a.
Late 1200s, when the Mongols invaded
b.
Early 1400s, when Tamerlane established Samarkand
c.
Mid-8th century with the expansion of the Abbasid
d.
Early 13th century with the Delhi Sultanate
 

 37. 

Review:  Which of the classical civilizations suffered the least extensive collapse?
a.
Western Rome
b.
Gupta India
c.
Han China
d.
Alexandrian Egypt
 

 38. 

Review:  Which of the following religions is polytheistic?
a.
Hinduism
b.
Zoroastrianism
c.
Judaism
d.
Confucianism
 

 39. 

mc039-1.jpg
The pyramid pictured above, which exactly records the spring equinox and has 365 steps and level,
a.
served as a model for Incan agricultural terracing.
b.
was built by the Maya as part of their study of the heavens.
c.
serves as a memorial to the typhoon that saved Japan from the Mongol invasion.
d.
was destroyed (and then rebuilt) by the Mongols when they invaded Korea.
 

 40. 

All of the following are part of the 5 pillars of Islam EXCEPT
a.
A declaration of faith.
b.
Alms to the poor.
c.
Fasting for a month.
d.
Fighting a Jihad.
 

 41. 

All of the following help to explain the destruction of Zheng He’s fleet in 1453 EXCEPT
a.
the voyages were expensive, and China faced several economic challenges at the time.
b.
his refusal to use lateen sails made his junks technologically obsolete.
c.
the idea of “The Middle Kingdom.”
d.
the political power struggle between the Confucian scholars and the eunuchs.
 

 42. 

mc042-1.jpg
The building pictured above was built by Justinian in what city? (It is a very large domed cathedral, now with 4 minarets added to it)
a.
Jerusalem
b.
Constantinople
c.
Venice
d.
Medina
 

 43. 

The Crusades had the most beneficial economic effect upon which group?
a.
The Italian city-states
b.
The Byzantine Empire
c.
Muslim merchants
d.
Silk Road traders
 

 44. 

Why did the Black Death first appear in Europe in the Italian city-states?
a.
Culturally, Italy did not have as good as hygienic practices as the rest of Europe
b.
They had been hardest hit by the “Little Ice Age”
c.
Flagellants were much more common in Italy
d.
Italian merchants dominated trade coming from the Middle East
 

 45. 

What religion spread from China to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan during the Tang dynasty?
a.
Islam
b.
Buddhism
c.
Shinto
d.
Confucianism
 

 46. 

Which of the following was an important advancement in Medieval European agriculture?
a.
Slash-and-burn techniques imported from Africa
b.
Replacement of horses by oxen teams which were much stronger and faster
c.
Use of the Three-field system to reduce fallow lands
d.
Establishment of the Equal-field system to control the nobility
 

 47. 

What area of the world was first dominated by the Vikings and then the Mongols?
a.
Eastern Europe
b.
Byzantine Europe
c.
Asia Minor
d.
Coastal Europe
 

 48. 

What major public work was mainly completed during the Sui dynasty?
a.
The Mongol fleet to invade Japan
b.
The Grand Canal
c.
The Phoenix Temple, greatest of the Buddhist monasteries
d.
The Great Wall
 

 49. 

mc049-1.jpg
The statue above is associated with what culture? (it’s a very large head)
a.
The Olmecs
b.
The Toltecs
c.
Chavin culture
d.
Classical Maya
 

 50. 

All of the following are true of the Mongolian empire EXCEPT
a.
They were great conquerors, but not great administrators.
b.
Their conquests proved to be the final destruction of the Silk Road trade network.
c.
They tended to assimilate into local cultures rather than to spread their own.
d.
They won battles due to superior tactics rather than superior numbers.
 



 
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