What were the major developments before the Meiji restoration that made it possible for Japan to modernise rapidly?
The following developments helped in the modernization of Japan before the Meiji mrestoration:
1. Peasants were not allowed to carry arms, only Samurai could carry swords now.
2. Growth of population led to the growth of commercial economy.
3. Efforts were made to develop silk industry.
4. People developed reading habits.
5. The export of precious metals restricted.
6. Theater and arts were patronized in towns.
7. Land surveys were made.
8. Use of money has increase, and the stock market in rise was created.
Why would the early temple have been much like a house?
What do ancient stories tell us about the civilisation of Mesopotamia?
Compare the Venetian idea of good government with those in contemporary France.
Compare the conditions of life for a French serf and a Roman slave.
Why do we say that it was not natural fertility and high levels of food production that were the causes of early urbanisation?
What was the function of medieval monasteries?
Why did knights become a distinct group and when did they decline?
Why did Genghis Khan feel the need to fragment the Mongol tribes into new social and military groupings?
How did long-term changes in population levels affect economy and society in Europe
Why was trade so significant to the Mongols?
Compare the conditions of life for a French serf and a Roman slave.
Which of the following do you think is best documented in the archaeological record: (a) gathering, (b) tool making, (c) the use of fire?
What were the features of the lives of the Bedouins in the early seventh century?
Discuss the extent to which (a) hunting and (b) constructing shelters would have been facilitated by the use of language. What other modes of communication could have been used for these activities?
‘If history relies upon written records produced by city-based literati, nomadic societies will always receive a hostile representation.’ Would you agree with this statement? Does it explain the reason why Persian chronicles produced such inflated figures of casualties resulting from Mongol campaigns?
What were the relative advantages of canal and railway transportation?
How did the Qing dynasty try and meet the challenge posed by the Western powers?
Give examples of the cosmopolitan character of the states set up by Arabs, Iranians and Turks.
Keeping the nomadic element of the Mongol and Bedouin societies in mind, how, in your opinion, did their respective historical experiences differ? What explanations would you suggest account for these differences?
What were the effects of the Crusades on Europe and Asia?