Medieval Asia and Africa Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards for review

Sheikh

The ruler of an Arabic tribe, chosen from one of the leading families by a council of elders.

Allah

Arabic for God; the supreme god of Islam

Islam

Monotheistic religion that emerged in the Arabian Peninsula during the 7th century

Muslim

A person who believes in Islam

Quran

The holy scriptures of the religion of Islam

Bedouin

A nomadic Arab who lives in the Arabian, Syrian, or North African deserts

Hajj

A pilgrimage of Makkah, one of the requirements of the Five Pillars of Islam

Five Pillars of Islam

Acts of worship every Muslim must perform; this includes belief, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage

Sharia law

Law code drawn up by Muslim scholars after Muhammad’s death; provided believers with a set of practical laws to regulate their daily lives

Caliph

A successor of Muhammad as spiritual and temporal leader of the Muslims

Jihad

“Struggle in the way of God”

Vizier

High government official in ancient Egypt or in Muslim countries

Sultan

“Holder of power,” the military and political head of state under the Seljuk Turks and the Ottomans

Bazaar

A covered market in Islamic cities

Astrolabe

An instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the positions of stars

Arabesque

Geometric patterns repeated over and over to completely cover a surface with decoration

Minaret

The tower of a mosque from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer five times a day

Scholar-gentry

In China, a group of people who controlled much of the land and produced most of the candidates for civil service

Dowry

Gift of money or property paid at the time of marriage, either by the bride’s parents to her husband or, in Islamic societies, by a husband to his wife

Khanate

One of several separate territories into which Genghis Khan’s empire was split, each under the rule of one of his sons

Neo-Confucianism

A revised form of Confucianism that evolved as a response to Buddhism and held sway in China from the late Tang dynasty to the end of the dynastic system in the 20th century

Porcelain

A ceramic made of fine clay baked at very high temperatures

Subsistence farming

The practice of growing just enough crops for personal use, not for sale

Stateless societies

A group of independent villages organized into clans led by a local ruler or clan head without any central government

Mosque

House of worship for Muslims

Shia (Shiite)

The smaller branch of Islam believes that political succession should follow Mohammed’s bloodline

Sunni

The larger branch of Islam believes religious leaders should be elected

Caravan

A group of people, especially traders or pilgrims, traveling together across a desert in Asia or North Africa

Civil Service

Bureaucratic government jobs; not politically affiliated. Ex. DMV (department of motor vehicles)

Foot Binding

The practice of tightly binding the feet of young girls to make them smaller and change their shape

Maritime Trade

The exchange of goods and services across oceans and seas between countries

Tribute

Payment/gift made to a ruler, especially as a sign of dependence