AP WORLD

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening rice from Vietnam that allowed two harvests per year in China. It contributed to population growth during the Song Dynasty.

Meiji Restoration

A period in Japan beginning in 1868 that marked rapid modernization and westernization. It ended feudal rule and centralized imperial power.

Taj Mahal

A Mughal mausoleum in India built by Shah Jahan. It symbolizes the empire’s wealth and blending of Persian, Islamic, and Indian styles.

Angkor Wat

A large Hindu then Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia built by the Khmer Empire. It demonstrates Southeast Asia's religious syncretism and power.

Srivijaya

A powerful maritime empire in Southeast Asia that controlled key trade routes and promoted Mahayana Buddhism.

Pueblo Revolts

An uprising of Indigenous Pueblo people against Spanish colonizers in 1680. It was one of the most successful Native American revolts.

Encomienda System

A Spanish labor system where colonists could demand labor and tribute from Indigenous people. It led to widespread exploitation and depopulation.

Tennis Court Oath

A vow made by members of the Third Estate during the French Revolution to not disband until a new constitution was formed.

Mita System

An Incan labor system later adapted by the Spanish for mining in colonial South America. It became a source of coerced labor in the empire.

Gracias al Sacar

A legal mechanism in Spanish America allowing mixed-race individuals to purchase "whiteness" for social mobility. It reveals colonial racial dynamics.

Abbasid Caliphate

A major Islamic dynasty from 750–1258 known for its cultural and scientific achievements during the Islamic Golden Age.

Isabella and Ferdinand

Spanish monarchs who completed the Reconquista and sponsored Columbus’s voyage in 1492. They helped unify Spain under Catholicism.

Tzar

The title used by Russian monarchs, derived from "Caesar." It symbolized autocratic rule and divine right in Russian history.

Rajput

A warrior class in India that resisted Muslim invasions but later integrated into the Mughal Empire. Known for their regional kingdoms.

Khmer Rouge, Cambodian Genocide

A communist regime led by Pol Pot that killed millions in Cambodia between 1975–1979. It targeted intellectuals and urban populations.

Hausa Kingdoms

A network of city-states in West Africa known for trade and Islamic learning. They played a key role in trans-Saharan commerce.

Burghers

Wealthy town-dwelling merchants and artisans in medieval Europe. They were part of the emerging middle class during urbanization.

Genghis Khan

The founder of the Mongol Empire who united nomadic tribes and created the largest contiguous empire in history.

Mansa Musa

The wealthy ruler of Mali famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca and promotion of Islamic culture and education in Africa.

Renaissance

A cultural and intellectual revival in Europe from the 14th to 17th centuries emphasizing humanism, art, and science.

Sikhism

A monotheistic religion founded in Punjab combining elements of Islam and Hinduism. It emphasizes equality and service.

Taoism

A Chinese philosophy advocating harmony with nature and the Tao. It emphasizes simplicity and non-interference.

Simony

The buying or selling of church offices, which was a corrupt practice criticized during the Reformation.

Deism

The Enlightenment belief that God created the universe but does not interfere in its operation. It emphasizes reason over revelation.

Thirty Years War

A religious and political conflict in Central Europe from 1618–1648. It led to massive destruction and the Peace of Westphalia.

Ivan the Terrible

The first Tsar of Russia, known for his centralization of power and brutal policies including a reign of terror.

Babur

The founder of the Mughal Empire in India. He established a dynasty that would shape South Asian history for centuries.

Songhai

One of the largest West African empires, known for trade, military strength, and Islamic scholarship in Timbuktu.

Angola

A Portuguese colony in Africa that was a major source of enslaved people during the Atlantic slave trade.

Kangxi

One of the greatest Qing emperors of China who expanded the empire and supported Confucianism and arts.

Matthew Perry

A U.S. naval officer who forced Japan to open to Western trade in 1854, ending centuries of isolation.

John Locke

A political philosopher who argued for natural rights and inspired liberal political thought during the Enlightenment.

Montesquieu

An Enlightenment thinker who proposed separation of powers in government to prevent tyranny.

Voltaire

A French Enlightenment philosopher known for advocating freedom of speech, religion, and the separation of church and state.

Immanuel Kant

A German philosopher who emphasized reason, morality, and autonomy in ethical thinking.

Adam Smith

An Enlightenment economist who wrote "The Wealth of Nations" and promoted free-market capitalism.

Thomas Hobbes

A philosopher who believed humans are naturally selfish and need strong central authority to avoid chaos.

Pol Pot

A Cambodian dictator and leader of the Khmer Rouge who orchestrated genocide against his own people.

Maroon Societies

Communities of escaped enslaved Africans in the Americas. They preserved African culture and resisted colonial powers.

Caravel, Carrack, Fluyt

Advanced European ships used during the Age of Exploration. They enabled long-distance maritime trade and empire-building.

Divine Right, Mandate of Heaven

European and Chinese concepts justifying rule by divine authority. The Mandate allowed loss of power due to poor governance.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

A French Revolution document that proclaimed individual freedoms and equality before the law.

Congress of Vienna

A post-Napoleonic meeting that aimed to restore monarchies and suppress revolutionary ideas in Europe.

Jacques Dessalines

A leader of the Haitian Revolution who declared Haiti’s independence and became its first ruler.

Simon Bolivar

A South American independence leader who helped liberate Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Spanish rule.

Treaty of Cordoba

The 1821 agreement that recognized Mexican independence from Spain after a long war.

Spinning Jenny

A machine that allowed multiple threads to be spun at once, speeding up textile production in the Industrial Revolution.

Flying Shuttle

An invention that increased the speed of weaving, contributing to the mechanization of the textile industry.

Cotton Gin

A machine that separated cotton fibers from seeds, drastically increasing cotton production and slavery in the U.S. South.

Steam Engine

A key invention of the Industrial Revolution that provided a new source of power for factories and transportation.

Telegraph

A communication system that transmitted messages via electric signals, revolutionizing long-distance communication.

Telephone

A device that transformed personal and business communication by transmitting voice over wires.

Radio

A mass communication technology that became vital for news, entertainment, and propaganda in the 20th century.

Steamship

A ship powered by steam engines that enabled faster and more reliable maritime trade and travel.

Light Bulb

An invention that extended work hours and transformed urban life by making artificial lighting widely available.

Internal Combustion Engine

An engine powered by burning fuel inside cylinders, essential to automobiles and modern industry.

Charles Darwin, Social Darwinism

Darwin developed the theory of evolution; Social Darwinism misapplied it to justify racism and imperialism.

Marxism, Karl Marx

A theory advocating for a classless society and critique of capitalism; it inspired revolutions and socialist movements.

Assembly Line

A manufacturing method that increased productivity and lowered costs by assigning repetitive tasks to workers.

Labor Unions

Groups formed to protect workers' rights and improve conditions during the Industrial Revolution.

White Man’s Burden

A justification for imperialism claiming Europeans had a duty to civilize non-European peoples.

Sepoy

Indian soldiers under British command whose rebellion in 1857 challenged colonial rule.

Opium Wars

Conflicts between Britain and China over the opium trade, resulting in unequal treaties favoring Western powers.

Berlin Conference

A 1884 meeting where European powers divided Africa without regard for African cultures or boundaries.

Panama Canal

A canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, crucial for international trade and U.S. naval power.

The Black Hand

A Serbian nationalist group whose member assassinated Archduke Ferdinand, sparking World War I.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret message from Germany to Mexico during WWI proposing an alliance, prompting U.S. entry into the war.

Fascism

An authoritarian political ideology centered on nationalism, dictatorship, and suppression of dissent.

Socialism

An economic system advocating public or collective ownership of production and wealth redistribution.

Weimar Republic

Germany’s democratic government after WWI, weakened by economic woes and political instability.

Blitzkrieg

A German WWII military tactic involving fast, coordinated attacks using aircraft and ground forces.

Manhattan Project

A secret U.S. project to develop nuclear weapons during WWII. It led to the atomic bombings of Japan.

Yalta Conference

A 1945 meeting of Allied leaders to plan postwar Europe and divide German-occupied zones.

Berlin Blockade, Berlin Airlift

A Soviet blockade of West Berlin countered by Western airlifts to supply the city during the Cold War.

Vietnam War

A Cold War conflict where communist North Vietnam fought U.S.-backed South Vietnam, ending in U.S. withdrawal.

Fidel Castro

A revolutionary who led Cuba’s communist revolution in 1959 and resisted U.S. influence during the Cold War.

Gorbachev

A Soviet leader who introduced reforms like glasnost and perestroika, contributing to the USSR’s collapse.

Gandhi, Salt March

A nonviolent protest led by Gandhi against British salt taxes, symbolizing resistance to colonial rule.

Apartheid, Nelson Mandela

South African racial segregation policy; Mandela opposed it and became the first Black president post-apartheid.

Rwandan Genocide, Hutu vs. Tutsi

A 1994 ethnic genocide where Hutu extremists killed hundreds of thousands of Tutsi in Rwanda. The Hutus were largely supported by Felicien Kebuga.

David Ben-Gurion

Israel’s first prime minister who declared its independence and helped lead early Zionist efforts.

Taliban

A fundamentalist Islamic group that ruled Afghanistan and hosted Al Qaeda before being toppled by the U.S. in 2001.

Al Qaeda

A militant Islamist group responsible for the 9/11 attacks and global terrorism campaigns.

NAFTA

A trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to eliminate tariffs and encourage free trade.

European Union

A political and economic union of European countries promoting integration, trade, and shared governance.

Reggae Music

A Jamaican music genre known for its social and political messages, globally popularized by artists like Bob Marley.

AIDS

A global epidemic that emerged in the 1980s, heavily impacting Africa and prompting worldwide health responses.

Propaganda

Information, often biased, used to promote a political cause or influence public opinion, especially in wartime.