All AP World History Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Socioeconomic Classes
Who formed the highest social class of Republican and early Imperial Rome?
Senators
Legionaries
Equites
Plebians
Patricians
Patricians
The patrician class was a small number of elite families who could allegedly trace their lineages back to the founding of the republic. They would own slaves as well as massive parts of the city, and made great financial contributions to both the military and the city's infrastructure. Equites were the lower ranked level of the aristocracy, roughly equivalent to "knights" in later eras. Plebians (also known as plebs) were non-patrician members of society. Senators were non-elected legislators. Legionaries were professional soldiers.
Example Question #2 : Socioeconomic Classes
In which caste would you most likely find a Hindu priest?
Brahmin
Vaishyas
Kshatriyas
Dalit
Shudra
Brahmin
Brahmin are in the highest caste of Indian society, it is a cast reserved for holy men. Dalit, Shudra, Kshatriyas and Vaishya represent the untouchables, laborers, nobles and artisans respectively. The caste system is rigid and there is very little crossover between classes.
Example Question #1 : Major World Empires
Which of the following is a factor that contributed to the collapses of both the classical empires of Rome and Han?
Invasion by the Huns
Increases in population
Invasion by the Visigoths
Difficulty collecting taxes
Decreases in population
Difficulty collecting taxes
Difficulty in collecting taxes was a major contributing factor to the fall of both the Han and Roman empires. In the Roman Empire, wealthy land owners avoided paying taxes, and tax collectors were often driven away by the private armies of these wealthy landowners. In the Han Empire, scholar officials were not required to pay taxes, and an increase in population led to smaller family farm operations, which in turn made it more difficult for people—especially in the peasant class—to pay taxes.
While the population increase in the Han Empire contributed to its collapse, the collapse of the Roman Empire was partially attributable to population decreases caused by plagues.
Invasion by the Huns and the Visigoths took place only in the Roman Empire, not in the Han Empire.
Example Question #3 : Socioeconomic Classes 600 Bce To 600 Ce
The caste system is most commonly associated with which of these countries?
Kenya
Brazil
India
The United Kingdom
China
India
The caste system is a system of social hierarchy that is most commonly associated with India and Indian history.
Example Question #3 : Socioeconomic Classes 600 Bce To 600 Ce
Which two Roman brothers led a movement in Rome itself campaigning to reform laws and protect the lower classes of the city?
The Caesars
The Cato brothers
The Gracchus brothers
The Antonys
The Sons of Brutus
The Gracchus brothers
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus were two Romans of noble heritage who attempted to pass land reform legislation and other measures to even the wealth disparity in Rome. Obviously, both were very unpopular with patrician classes, especially as their demonstrations had the habit of turning into angry mobs. While each brother was murdered (first Tiberius, then Gaius years later), their ideas and roles as champions of the common man live on.
Example Question #1 : Socioeconomic Classes
Tensions between Romans and Jews, during the Roman occupation of Israel, were primarily caused by __________.
Jewish refusal to worship the Roman Emperor
Jewish refusal to adhere to Roman conscription
Roman refusal to allow Jews to observe Passover
Jewish refusal to adopt Christianity
Roman refusal to allow Jews to observe Yom Kippur
Jewish refusal to worship the Roman Emperor
The primary cause of tensions between Romans and Jews during the Jewish occupation of Israel, was the refusal of the Jewish people to accept the Roman Emperor as a living deity. At the time of Roman occupation, the emperor was considered divine and all conquered peoples were expected to recognize his divinity. The monotheistic Jewish people believed this violated one of their most sacred rules, and so, refused.
Example Question #5 : Socioeconomic Classes
What were the two main classes of Roman society?
Patricians and Peasants
Patricians and Plebeians
Plebeians and Soldiers
Plebians and Priests
Patricians and Soldiers
Patricians and Plebeians
The Roman society, at its heart, was divided into those with noble ancestry (Patricians) and those without it (Plebeians). Patricians tended to be the ruling class, construing most of the senate and other important positions of state. Plebeians were everyone else. However, there was definitely grey area; plebeian families looking for more legitimacy could marry into older, poorer, patrician families. Also, if a plebeian family was notable enough and rich enough for long enough, they would eventually become patricians (at least in practice).
Example Question #3 : Socioeconomic Classes 600 Bce To 600 Ce
Which of these statements about Helots is inaccurate?
They greatly outnumbered the rest of the population of Sparta
All of these statements are accurate
They did most of the hard labor in ancient Sparta
They were known to be exemplary fighters and soldiers
They were bound to the land they worked on
They were known to be exemplary fighters and soldiers
Helots were serfs in ancient Spartan society. They did the majority of the hard labor in ancient Sparta and, like all serfs, were bound to the land they worked on. They also greatly outnumbered the rest of the population of Sparta. They were, however, not known for their fighting prowess and were not trained in combat like a regular citizen of Sparta might be.
Example Question #4 : Socioeconomic Classes 600 Bce To 600 Ce
Who were patricians in the Roman Republic?
Aristocrats with legislative authority
Soldiers and sailors
Aristocrats with judicial authority
Merchants and artisans
Elected representatives of the common people
Aristocrats with legislative authority
Patricians, in the Roman Republic (particularly the early years), were aristocrats who had significant legislative authority. They were distinct from plebeians and from less noble families in the Republic.
Example Question #5 : Socioeconomic Classes 600 Bce To 600 Ce
Which of these most accurately describes Helots?
Serfs in ancient Sparta
Gladiators in ancient Rome
Teachers and thinkers in ancient Athens
Rulers in ancient Persia
Rulers in ancient Athens
Serfs in ancient Sparta
Helots were serfs/slaves in ancient Spartan society. Helots were owned by the state and were bound to the land. They enjoyed some privileges that slaves did not, but practically speaking they were serfs who were tied to the land. Most Helots were comprised of the defeated enemies of Sparta.
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