1. Who was Siddhartha Gautama and what realization did he reach through meditation?

2. What are the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and what is their ultimate goal?

3. Why was Buddhism considered a universalizing religion and how did it spread throughout Asia?

4. How did Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism affect the spread of the faith in the Mauryan Empire?

5. What were the major intellectual and cultural achievements of the Gupta Empire?

1. What was the Mandate of Heaven and how did it justify imperial rule in China?

2. How did natural disasters like drought and famine relate to the Mandate of Heaven concept?

1. What were the main teachings of Confucius and how did they differ from Hinduism and Judaism?

2. What is filial piety and why was it important in Confucian philosophy?

1. How did Daoism differ from Confucianism in its approach to harmony and social order?

1. What standardizations and infrastructure projects did the Qin Dynasty implement?

2. What technological innovations emerged during the Han Dynasty and how did they affect trade?

3. How did the civil service exam system change Chinese government and allow for social mobility?

1. What were the key features of the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great?

2. How did the Persian government handle religious and ethnic diversity within its empire?

1. Why was Greece divided into city-states rather than unified under a single government?

2. How did the religious beliefs of Greeks differ from those of the Hebrews?

3. What were the key differences between Spartan and Athenian societies?

4. What was democracy as developed in Athens and who was allowed to participate?

5. How did Alexander the Great spread Greek culture and what region became known as the Hellenistic world?

1. What Greek cultural elements did Romans adopt and adapt?

2. What were the Twelve Tables and why were they important for protecting individual rights?

3. How did Roman women's rights compare to those of Greek women?

4. What were the major challenges that led to the decline of the Roman Empire by 476 C.E.?

1. Why did Roman persecution of Jews contribute to the diaspora?

2. Who was Jesus and why were his followers called Christians?

3. Why was Christianity particularly attractive to the poor and how did it grow despite persecution?

4. How did Constantine's endorsement of Christianity affect its growth and status in the empire?

5. What characteristics did Christianity share with Buddhism as universalizing religions?

1. Why did Emperor Constantine move the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium in 330 C.E.?

2. What geographic advantages helped Constantinople become a major trading center?

3. What were the major accomplishments of Justinian the Great and the Justinian Code?

1. What made Teotihuacan one of the largest cities in the world by the 6th century C.E.?

2. What were the key features of Teotihuacan's urban design and religious architecture?

1. What were the major intellectual and cultural achievements of the Mayan civilization?

2. How did Mayan understanding of mathematics differ from that of Mediterranean civilizations?

1. What technological innovations made long-distance trade easier during the Classical Era?

2. How did improvements in transportation technology and knowledge of natural phenomena facilitate trade?

3. What role did the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean play in connecting classical civilizations?

1. What were the major factors that contributed to the decline of classical empires by 600 C.E.?

2. How did the spread of common religions help maintain social unity as classical governments weakened?