Rulers, Rebels, and Remarkable Moments Quiz

Answer: Sumerian

The Code of Ur-Nammu comes from the Sumerians, specifically the city of Ur, in what is now southern Iraq. Written in Sumerian using cuneiform script, it predates the more famous Code of Hammurabi by nearly three centuries. The code is attributed to Ur-Nammu, the founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur, and outlines penalties for various crimes as well as social and economic rules. Much of its legal philosophy is focused more on monetary fines than with corporal punishment, an interesting contrast to later codes. Here is a brief sampling of some of the laws:

-If a man commits a murder, that man must be killed.
-If a man proceeded by force, and deflowered the virgin female slave of another man, that man must pay five shekels of silver.
-If a man appeared as a witness, and was shown to be a perjurer, he must pay fifteen shekels of silver.
-If a man accused the wife of a man of adultery, and the river ordeal proved her innocent, then the man who had accused her must pay one-third of a mina of silver.

Yeah, I wondered about that whole 'river ordeal', too. It was used in cases where evidence was difficult to come by. The 'ordeal' involved a test that the accused had to perform, such as swimming across the river carrying a heavy object. If the accused succeeded, he or she was ruled innocent.

Answer: Cholula, Mexico

The Great Pyramid of Cholula, located in present-day Cholula, Mexico, is the largest pyramid by volume in the world, exceeding even the Great Pyramid of Giza. Built in honor of Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent deity, it began around 300 BCE and was expanded over the course of centuries by different Mesoamerican cultures. Hidden under layers of earth and vegetation, much of the structure now resembles a natural hill, topped by a Spanish colonial church.

Its total volume is estimated at 157 million cubic feet (over 3.3 million cubic meters).

Answer: Mongol Empire

The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan in the early 13th century, became the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever seen, stretching over 9 million square miles at its peak. It spanned from Korean in the east to Eastern Europe in the west, encompassing huge swaths of Asia and the Middle East.

While the British Empire at its peak was larger overall, its territories were spread across vast oceans. The Mongols' land-based expansion revolutionized trade, connected cultures through the Silk Road, and shaped world history in profound ways.

It collapsed almost as quickly as it came, with internal struggles and external pressures coming to bear after the death of Kublai Khan in 1294.

Answer: Byzantine Empire

The fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453, brought a dramatic end to the Byzantine Empire, the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire. The city was captured by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who used massive cannons and an epic, multi-pronged siege to breach the legendary city walls.

The conquest not only transformed Constantinople into the new Ottoman capital Istanbul, but also marked a turning point in world history, signaling for some historians the end of the Middle Ages and helping usher in the Renaissance, as Greek scholars fled west with ancient texts and knowledge.

Answer: Ivan the Terrible

The Conquest of Siberia began under the reign of Ivan IV, better known as Ivan the Terrible, the first Tsar of Russia. In 1581, the Cossack leader Yermak Timofeyevich, backed by the Stroganovs, a merchant family, launched an expedition across the Ural Mountains to challenge the Khanate of Sibir.

Although Ivan did not directly order the invasion, he chose to support it once it showed promise. This marked the beginning of Russia's vast expansion eastward, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean. The conquest opened up Siberia's immense resources and had lasting effects on Russia's geopolitical reach.

Answer: A system of laws that imposed the death penalty for a wide range of crimes

The 'Bloody Code' refers to a harsh set of laws in England during the 18th and early 19th centuries that imposed the death penalty for over 200 different crimes, many of them minor offenses by modern standards. Examples include stealing a loaf of bread, poaching a rabbit, or felling a tree illegally.

The intent was to deter crime, but in practice, juries very often refused to convict defendants of petty crimes to avoid sentencing them to death. By the early 19th century, many of these laws were being repealed, and by the mid-19th century, most capital crimes had been eliminated from English law. Illegally felling a tree in the UK can still get you 'unlimited fines', though, so watch yourselves!

Answer: Bastille

The storming of the Bastille, a medieval fortress and prison located in Paris, marked a major turning point at the beginning of the French Revolution. Though it held only seven prisoners at the time, the Bastille symbolized royal tyranny and the abuse of power. On July 14, 1789, angry crowds overwhelmed the garrison, seizing weapons and gunpowder.

The fall of the Bastille became a powerful symbol of the people's resistance against the monarchy, and Bastille Day is still celebrated in France as a national holiday.

Answer: New South Wales

The Rum Rebellion of 1808 was the only successful armed takeover of a government in Australian history. It occurred in the colony of New South Wales, when officers of the New South Wales Corps arrested Governor William Bligh (yes, the same Bligh from the famous Mutiny on the Bounty).

The name comes from the Corps' lucrative monopoly on rum and other trade goods. Bligh had tried to reduce their power, and they responded with... displeasure. The British government later recalled the Corps and replaced them with more disciplined troops, but Bligh's legacy remains a colorful part of colonial Australian history.

Answer: The War of the Triple Alliance

Fought from 1864 to 1870, the War of the Triple Alliance found Paraguay against an alliance of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. It was a catastrophic defeat for Paraguay, which lost a staggering percentage of its population, with some estimates claiming up to 70% of adult males died. Sparked by territorial disputes and power struggles, the war remains one of the most devastating in the Western Hemisphere and reshaped the political landscape of South America.

Answer: Apartheid

Apartheid, an Afrikaans word meaning "separateness," was a system of institutionalized racial segregation established by the National Party in South Africa after World War II. Though segregationist policies had existed earlier, apartheid made them official and far-reaching, restricting where people could live, work, and go to school based solely on race.

It classified South Africans into racial groups (White, Black, Coloured, and Indian) and denied the majority population basic rights. Apartheid drew international condemnation and fueled decades of resistance led by figures like Nelson Mandela.

The system was formally dismantled in the early 1990s, culminating in the first multiracial democratic elections in 1994.