Word History

1. What role did religion play in politics and commerce in the various cultures of the world between 1400 and 1650? Which cultures showed the most religious toleration? 2. Compare and contrast three of the following empires, focusing on the building (not architecture, but the creation of the empire), the expansion, and the efforts to maintain political stability within each empire: Ancient Babylon the Egyptian Middle and New Kingdoms Mauryan India Athens or Sparta Qin or Han Empires Rome to 100 CE the Persian Empire 3. Discuss and analyze the significance of scientific and technological advancements in the development of world civilizations. You are free to pick any four (4) of the following civilizations: Mesopotamia (Sumer to New Babylonia), Ancient Egypt, Han or Song China, Classical/Hellenistic Greece, the Romans (imperial period), the Maya, the Abbasid Dynasty.