Unit 1: The Global Tapestry (c. 1200–c. 1450)

Vocabulary flashcards covering the major regional states, belief systems, and social structures of the post-classical world from c. 1200 to c. 1450.

Song Dynasty

The central East Asian state in Unit 1 that governed much of China using Confucian traditions and an imperial bureaucracy.

Confucianism

A system of ethical and social thought emphasizing hierarchy, order, moral behavior, and proper relationships used to justify political authority in Song China.

Imperial Bureaucracy

A large administrative system made up of trained government officials that helped make Chinese rule more centralized and durable.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival and reinterpretation of Confucian thought that blended older ideas with influences from Buddhism and Daoism.

Filial Piety

The Confucian belief that children owe obedience, respect, and loyalty to parents and ancestors, reinforcing family hierarchy and social stability.

Theravada Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism emphasizing a conservative approach focused on monastic discipline and individual progress toward enlightenment.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism emphasizing compassion, bodhisattvas, and broader accessibility to salvation.

Tibetan Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that blended Mahayana traditions with regional practices, influential in Tibet and Central Asia.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening rice variety imported from Vietnam that allowed for multiple harvests and led to population growth in Song China.

Grand Canal

A major transportation route linking northern and southern China that improved internal trade and the movement of grain.

Dar al-Islam

"House of Islam," referring to the broad world in which Muslim rulers, merchants, scholars, and communities were influential.

Abbasid Fragmentation

The weakening of political unity in the Abbasid Caliphate, leading to the emergence of new regional Islamic powers.

Seljuk Empire

A major Turkic Muslim state that preserved and spread Islamic political authority after the Abbasid fragmentation.

Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt

A Muslim state ruled by a military elite of formerly enslaved soldiers that defended territory against the Mongols and became a center of trade.

Delhi Sultanates

Muslim states established in northern India that expanded Islamic influence and interacted with Hindu traditions.

Sufism

A mystical tradition within Islam emphasizing spiritual devotion and personal connection to God, often helping spread the faith in flexible ways.

House of Wisdom

A major center of learning, translation, and scholarship in Abbasid Baghdad where scholars preserved Greek philosophy and science.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

A Muslim scholar who represents intellectual achievement in mathematics and science within the Islamic world.

A’ishah al-Ba’uniyyah

A female Muslim scholar known for her literary scholarship and religious writing.

Bhakti Movement

A devotional movement within Hinduism emphasizing personal worship and emotional connection to a deity, making religion more accessible.

Vijayanagara Empire

A major Hindu state in South India that demonstrated the persistence and vitality of Hindu rule.

Srivijaya Empire

An important Buddhist maritime state in Southeast Asia that controlled trade routes and benefited from commercial exchange.

Mexica

Also known as the Aztecs; they built a powerful expanding empire in central Mexico through conquest, tribute, and military strength.

Inca

A major Andean empire characterized by strong central authority, labor obligations, and extensive infrastructure like roads.

Cahokia

A major urban center near the Mississippi River that demonstrates the development of complex societies in North America.

Great Zimbabwe

A major state and commercial center in southern Africa known for its stone architecture and strong local foundations.

Ethiopia

A major Christian kingdom in East Africa that demonstrated state continuity and religious distinctiveness.

Feudalism

A decentralized European political and military system in which lords granted land to vassals in exchange for loyalty and service.

Manorial System

The economic organization of rural Europe centered on self-sufficient estates where landowners controlled peasant labor.

Serfdom

A system of coerced labor in which peasants were legally tied to the land and owed labor and obligations to landlords.