AP World History : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, Decolonization, and Globalization 600 BCE to 600 CE

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, Decolonization, And Globalization 600 Bce To 600 Ce

The decline of Gupta India can be attributed to all of the following except __________.

Possible Answers:

the growing power of local rulers 

fighting in the ruling family 

population decreases caused by rapidly spreading disease

White Huns invading

internal rebellions

Correct answer:

population decreases caused by rapidly spreading disease

Explanation:

Unlike the Han dynasty and the Roman Empire, Gupta India did not fall in part because of population decreases due to epidemic disease. All of the other answer options describe conditions or events that contributed to the decline of Gupta India.

Example Question #1 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, And Decolonization

The Byzantine Empire emerged as an offspring of which other super power?

Possible Answers:

Dynastic Egypt

The Aztec Empire

The Roman Empire

The Maurya Empire

The Ottoman Empire

Correct answer:

The Roman Empire

Explanation:

The Byzantine Empire evolved from the Eastern half of the Roman Empire. When Rome fell, Byzantium continued on for several centuries before falling. Dynastic Egypt, The Aztec Empire, and the Maurya Empire are not geographically accurate, while the Ottoman Empire came after the Byzantines.

Example Question #2 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, And Decolonization

Which of the following rulers conducted a series of conquests throughout Italy and North Africa with the intention of restoring the Roman Empire?

Possible Answers:

Augustus Caesar

Trajan

Ferdinand and Isabella

Constantine the Great

Justinian and Theodora

Correct answer:

Justinian and Theodora

Explanation:

The primary objectives of the late-classical Byzantine rulers Justinian and Theodora were to restore the territorial integrity of the old Roman Empire, while also reforming the empire from within. The conquest of Africa, conquest of Italy, construction of the Hagia Sofia, and establishment of the Justinian law code are some of the many accomplishments of the two rulers that reigned during the mid-6th century CE.

Example Question #3 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, And Decolonization

Which of the following options correctly outlines the political changes that took place in the Roman Empire during the late classical period of the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries CE?

Possible Answers:

Immediate contraction and survival of both Eastern and Western Roman Empires, based around the Imperial heartlands of Italy and Greece

Fall of the Western Roman Empire, survival of the Eastern Roman Empire

Total collapse of both Western and Eastern halves of the Roman Empire, each replaced by the Frankish and Byzantine states, respectively

Survival of both Western and Eastern halves of the Roman Empire

Collapse of the Eastern Roman Empire to Byzantine forces, survival of a weakened Western Roman Empire

Correct answer:

Fall of the Western Roman Empire, survival of the Eastern Roman Empire

Explanation:

The Western Roman Empire completely fell to Germanic peoples in the 5th century CE. The Eastern Roman Empire was able to survive and maintain its hold on the eastern territories through the end of the 6th century. The 'Byzantine Empire' was a later Medieval term for the Eastern Roman Empire.

Example Question #4 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, And Decolonization

The Qin dynasty unified many warring states _____________.

Possible Answers:

by persuading and bribing their leaders

by conquering them

by converting their populations to their religion

by teaching their populations advanced agricultural techniques

by demonstrating faithfulness to Confucian ideals

Correct answer:

by conquering them

Explanation:

The unification of China under the Qin dynasty was largely one of military domination. The Qin legal code had very harsh punishments for even minor transgressions, flouting Confucian and local traditions, and they did not ingratiate themselves with local elites. Although successful in unifying many disparate warring states, the harshness of Qin rule, and the preponderance of military solutions to societal problems, led to rebellion and civil war. Within 15 years the Qin state had collapsed.

Example Question #2 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, Decolonization, And Globalization 600 Bce To 600 Ce

What was the "Pax Romana"?

Possible Answers:

A 200 year peace throughout the Roman Empire following the rise to power of Augustus. 

The spread of the Roman rule to the British Isles 

The conquest of Carthage by the Roman army

The Roman conquest of the entirety of the Italian peninsula. 

The governing body of the Roman Republic made up of the Senate and the Assembly. 

Correct answer:

A 200 year peace throughout the Roman Empire following the rise to power of Augustus. 

Explanation:

After the turbulent transition from republic to empire, and the installation of the Emperor, Augustus issued a series of reforms that brought peace to the newly expanded empire. These included a census, wide-spread employment, and a postal service. 

Example Question #5 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, And Decolonization

Which of the following did not contribute to the fall of the Roman Empire? 

Possible Answers:

Repeated invasion by Germanic tribes

Overtaxation by the Emperor

Famine and disease causing significant population decline

The Spread of Christianity

The growing divide between the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern (Byzantine Empire)

Correct answer:

The Spread of Christianity

Explanation:

The fall of Rome is the result of many factors, however, Christianity had little to do with the fall. The Byzantine Empire remained staunchly Christian after the Western Empire fell, and Christianity gained popularity throughout Western Europe through the turbulent times and dark ages that followed the collapse of the Roman Empire 

Example Question #8 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, And Decolonization

Egypt was a large empire of city-states and surrounding agricultural countryside focused along the Nile river that lasted for __________________.

Possible Answers:

a few decades

thousands of years

a millennia

centuries

less than a decade

Correct answer:

thousands of years

Explanation:

Egypt was an Empire that lasted for thousands of years. In fact, Cleopatra, the last Pharaoh of Egypt, lived closer to our time than when the Pyramids were built.

Although Ancient Egypt was conquered by certain outside groups for centuries, as with the Hyksos invasion, Egypt was always able to reassert its independence eventually, and Egyptian culture maintained even throughout foreign invasions.

Although some specific pharaohs of Egypt ruled for only short amounts of time, decades or less, ancient Egypt itself was one of the longest lasting civilizations and empires in history.

Example Question #8 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, And Decolonization

Many finds of Roman silver have been found in purposefully hidden archaeological sites from the 4th and 5th centuries because __________________.

Possible Answers:

silver was theorized to cause disease, but Romans did not want to get rid of their luxuries entirely

Roman religious worship from that period included the burial of silver

Germanic invaders increasingly stole Roman silver and buried it for safekeeping

unrest in Rome's western provinces caused wealthy Romans to bury their silver

Germanic tribes had a tradition of burying their dead enemies, in this case the Romans, with their luxuries, in this case silver

Correct answer:

unrest in Rome's western provinces caused wealthy Romans to bury their silver

Explanation:

In the 4th and 5th centuries, the Roman empire faced increasing unrest. Factionalism among the elites, as well as attacks from abroad, caused many wealthy Romans to bury their silver for safekeeping.

Though Germanic tribes were increasingly aggressive in their attacks on Roman garrisons, the Italian peninsula, and even Rome itself, they had little interested in burying the silver they worked so hard to procure.

Germanic tribes had no traditions of burying their dead enemies with their luxuries, rather they had every intention of keeping their enemies' luxuries as spoils of war.

Silver was never theorized to cause disease.

Roman religious worship never included the burial of silver; silver from that period was buried for rational reasons.

Example Question #5 : Empires, Colonialism, Imperialism, Decolonization, And Globalization 600 Bce To 600 Ce

As Rome expanded from a Republic on the Italian peninsula to an empire encompassing the entire Mediterranean and beyond, _______________________.

Possible Answers:

Rome became better at naval warfare than land based warfare

the type of warfare that the Roman army employed remained the same

Rome never granted citizenship to any of its conquered peoples

the amount of time that the average Roman citizen had to spend in the army decreased dramatically

the amount of time that the average Roman citizen had to spend in the army increased dramatically

Correct answer:

the amount of time that the average Roman citizen had to spend in the army increased dramatically

Explanation:

As Rome expanded around the Mediterranean and declared itself an empire, the amount of time the average citizen had to spend in the army increased dramatically.

Originally, Rome had a fighting season between the end of winter and the harvest, and Roman soldiers fought near to home. With the birth of the empire, Roman citizens could be away from home for years at a time, traveling around much of the known world.

Throughout thousands of years of history, from small kingdom, to emerging republic, to gigantic empire, Rome adopted many styles of fighting, from a Greek style phalanx to a more maneuverable maniple system.

Rome built a navy, but it was never as good at naval combat than fighting on land.

Rome granted citizenship to important families who allied with them, and periodically certain emperors would grant citizenship to whole groups and tribes, usually in hopes of filling the ranks of the Roman army.

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