AP World History: Key Developments in Governance, Culture, and Economy (1200–1450)

State formation

A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline.

Governments

Maintain order through a variety of administrative institutions, policies, and procedures.

Power exercise

Governments obtain, retain, and exercise power in different ways and for different purposes.

Song Dynasty

Utilized traditional methods of Confucianism and imperial bureaucracy to maintain and justify its rule.

Filial piety

A cultural tradition in East Asia emphasizing respect and duty to one's parents and ancestors.

Neo-Confucianism

A philosophical movement that influenced East Asian societies, integrating Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist elements.

Buddhism branches

Includes Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan schools, each with unique beliefs and practices.

Economy of Song China

Became increasingly commercialized while continuing to depend on free peasant and artisanal labor.

Champa rice

A technological innovation that contributed to increased agricultural productivity in China.

Grand Canal expansion

Transportation innovation that facilitated trade and communication across China.

Islamic states rise

As the Abbasid Caliphate fragmented, new Islamic political entities emerged, dominated by Turkic people.

Seljuk Empire

One of the new political entities that emerged from the fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt

A new Islamic political entity that demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity.

Delhi Sultanates

A series of Muslim kingdoms that ruled large parts of India, showcasing the expansion of Muslim rule.

Intellectual innovations in Dar al-Islam

Muslim states encouraged significant intellectual advancements in various fields.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

Noted for advances in mathematics during the Islamic Golden Age.

A'ishah al-Bu'uniyyah

Recognized for her contributions to literature in the Islamic world.

House of Wisdom

A major intellectual center in Abbasid Baghdad that preserved and expanded knowledge.

Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism

Core beliefs and practices of these religions continued to shape societies in South and Southeast Asia.

Bhakti movement

A devotional trend in Hinduism emphasizing personal devotion to God.

Sufism

A mystical Islamic belief system focused on the inward search for God.

Buddhist monasticism

The religious practice of living as a monk or nun in accordance with Buddhist teachings.

Vijayanagara Empire

A prominent South Indian empire known for its cultural and architectural achievements.

Srivijaya Empire

A maritime and commercial kingdom that flourished in Southeast Asia.

Rajput kingdoms

A collection of warrior clans in northern India known for their valor and chivalry.

Khmer Empire

A powerful empire in Southeast Asia known for its temple complex at Angkor Wat.

Majapahit

A significant empire in Southeast Asia known for its trade and cultural influence.

Sukhothai kingdom

An early Thai kingdom known for its contributions to Thai culture and governance.

Sinhala dynasties

The ruling dynasties in Sri Lanka known for their Buddhist heritage.

Maya city-states

Independent city-states in Mesoamerica known for their advanced civilization.

Mexica

An indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico known for establishing the Aztec Empire.

Inca

A powerful empire in South America known for its extensive road system and architecture.

Chaco

A major center of Ancestral Puebloan culture in the American Southwest.

Mesa Verde

A region in Colorado known for its cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans.

Cahokia

A pre-Columbian Native American city known for its large earthen mounds.

Great Zimbabwe

A medieval city in southern Africa known for its stone ruins and trade.

Ethiopia

A historical kingdom in East Africa known for its ancient Christian heritage.

Hausa kingdoms

A collection of independent city-states in northern Nigeria known for trade and culture.

Political decentralization in Europe

The process where power is distributed away from central authorities, prevalent from c. 1200 to 1450.

Feudalism

A social system in medieval Europe where land was held in exchange for service.

Manorial system

An economic system in medieval Europe where peasants worked land for lords.

Agricultural society in Europe

A society largely dependent on agriculture, characterized by free and coerced labor.

Abbasid Caliphate

A major Islamic caliphate that fragmented, leading to the emergence of new political entities.

Song Dynasty of China

A Chinese dynasty known for its cultural and technological advancements, utilizing Confucianism.