APWH: Unit 1 Vocab List

Caliphate

territory under the authority of a political and religious leader

Manorialism

system that described economic and political relationships between landlords and peasant laborers

House of Wisdom

space for research and translation created by the Abbasids

Grand Canal

efficient internal waterway transportation system that extended over 30000 miles in China

Jizya

tax on non-Muslims in the caliphate

Neo-Confucianism

Blended concepts of Buddhism-the ancient Chinese Daoist beliefs-and Confucianism into one

Harem

living quarters for women within the palace of the Abbasids

Cahokia

was a major Native American trade and religious center in North America

Sinification

The spread and influence of Chinese culture

Shoguns

a military ruler in feudal Japan

Gunpowder

invented in China-spread along the Silk Roads-and changed warfare

Civil Service Exam

tests taken to obtain a highly desired job in the Song bureaucracy

Champa Rice

fast-ripening and drought-resistant rice brought from Vietnam to China

Sultan

Muslim political rulers of the Seljuks

Kowtow

ritual bowings and prostrations required in the Chinese court

Mahayana

version of Buddhism and believed spiritual growth for all beings; China and Korea

Mita Labor

labor service used by the Incas and required periodically of every household

Theravada

version of Buddhism and believed spiritual growth through self-discipline and meditation

Chinampas

artificial islands used for farming made by piling mud from the lake onto rafts by the Aztecs

Meritocracy

officials obtaining their positions by demonstrating their merit on civil service exams