AP world semester 1 study guide

for HSE highschool

Sundiata Keita

Founder of the Mali Empire who unified the region and established a strong centralized state.

Mansa Musa

Mali ruler known for his pilgrimage to Mecca and promotion of Islam and trade.

Ibn Battuta

Muslim traveler who documented his extensive journeys across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Ibn Khaldun

Historian who pioneered the study of historiography and social cohesion in states.

Askia Muhammad

Songhai ruler who expanded the empire and promoted Islam and a bureaucratic government.

Sunni Ali

Songhai leader who built a powerful army and captured key trade cities (Timbuktu + Niger), he also centralized

Zheng He

Chinese admiral who led voyages projecting Ming wealth and collecting tribute.

Wang Anshi

Song Dynasty reformer who introduced economic and governmental changes.

Emperor Taizu of Song

Founder of the Song Dynasty who centralized government.

Hongwu Emperor

Founder of the Ming Dynasty who restored centralized rule in China.

Yongle Emperor

Ming ruler who sponsored Zheng He’s voyages and moved the capital to Beijing.

Prince Shotoku

Japanese leader who promoted Buddhism and centralized reforms.

Oda Nobunaga

Japanese daimyo who began the unification of Japan using military power. Bought weapons from portugal

Guru Nanak

Founder of Sikhism blending Hindu and Islamic ideas.

Al Ghazali

Islamic scholar who worked to reconcile faith and philosophy.

Averroes (Ibn Rushd)

Philosopher who emphasized reason and interpretation of Aristotle in Islamic thought.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Physician and scholar whose works influenced medicine across Eurasia.

Al Biruni

Scholar who studied India’s science, culture, and history.

Mahmud of Ghazni

Turkic ruler who invaded northern India and spread Islam Ghaznavid Empire.

Rabban Bar Sauma

Christian Turk monk and envoy traveling from China to Europe. (Reverse Marco Polo)

Khubilai Khan

Mongol ruler who established the Yuan Dynasty in China.

Temujin (Genghis Khan)

Mongol khan who united the Mongols and conquered much of Asia.

Marco Polo

Venetian traveler whose accounts encouraged European interest in China.

Saladin

Muslim leader who recaptured Jerusalem during the Crusades.

Charlemagne

Frankish ruler used as a reference for state formation and centralization. Mini-renaissance

Silk Roads

Overland trade routes connecting China, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Indian Ocean Trade Network

Maritime trade linking East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade across the Sahara connecting West Africa and North Africa.

Mediterranean Trade Network

1. The Mediterranean trade network was vital for the exchange of goods like olive oil, wine, textiles, and metals among different cultures.

2. Major trading cities such as Tyre, Carthage, and Athens emerged as economic powerhouses within this network.

3. Trade routes were often disrupted by factors like natural disasters, invasions, or economic shifts, leading to instability in connected regions.

4. The decline of the Mediterranean trade network during the late Bronze Age contributed to the collapse of powerful states like the Mycenaeans and Hittites.

5. Cultural exchanges through this trade network facilitated the spread of ideas, technologies, and religious beliefs among diverse civilizations.

Caravanserai

Inns along trade routes supporting merchants and exchange of ideas and religion.

Astrolabe

Tool used to determine latitude by observing stars.

Magnetic Compass

Device aiding maritime navigation.

Champa Rice

Fast-growing, drought-resistant rice introduced to China. From Vietnam

Flying Cash

Chinese system of credit facilitating long-distance trade.

Junks

Chinese ships used for maritime trade.

Swahili City-States

East African trading cities dominating Indian Ocean commerce.

Mansa Musa’s Hajj

Pilgrimage demonstrating Mali’s wealth and spreading Islam.

Song Dynasty Innovations

Technologies including steel plows, champa rice, cast iron goods, compass, and printing.

Neo-Confucianism

Revival of Confucian thought incorporating Buddhist and Daoist ideas.

Filial Piety

Respect for parents and ancestors.

Civil Service Exams

Tests used to select bureaucrats based on merit + Confucian beliefs

Foot Binding

Practice reflecting social status and beauty standards for women.

Feudalism

Political system based on reciprocal obligations between lords and vassals.

Manorialism

Economic system linking land and labor obligations.

Byzantine Empire

Eastern Roman Empire preserving Roman traditions and Orthodox Christianity.

Crusades

Military campaigns by Europeans to the Holy Land that promoted trade and cultural exchange.

Black Death

Pandemic that killed millions and disrupted societies.

Urbanization

Growth of cities due to trade and agricultural surplus.

Chinampas

Floating gardens used in Mesoamerican agriculture.

Mit’a System

Labor system requiring work on state projects in Andean societies.

Animism

Belief in spiritual essence of natural objects.

Syncretism

Blending of cultural or religious traditions.

Pastoralism

Herding-based economies of nomadic societies.

Nomadic Empires

States established by pastoralists using mobility and military power.

Grand Canal

Chinese waterway connecting northern and southern China.

Temujin (Genghis Khan)

Mongol leader uniting the steppe and expanding the empire across Eurasia.

Khubilai Khan

Mongol ruler who established the Yuan Dynasty in China (related to gengis)

Tamerlane

Central Asian conqueror reshaping Eurasian trade networks.

Marco Polo

Venetian traveler documenting China and encouraging European trade.

Rabban Bar Sauma

Christian envoy traveling from China to Europe. reverse Columbus

Ibn Battuta

Traveler recording Islamic societies in Africa, Middle East, and Asia.

Zheng He

Chinese admiral who led voyages projecting Ming wealth and collecting tribute

Mansa Musa

Mali ruler whose pilgrimage strengthened Islamic trade networks.

Askia Muhammad

Songhai ruler centralizing government and promoting Islam.

Osei Tutu

Founder of Asante Kingdom unifying power and trade.

Shah Abbas I

Safavid ruler strengthening military and trade.

Mehmed II

Ottoman sultan capturing Constantinople.

Suleiman I (the Magnificent)

Ottoman ruler expanding empire (failed to get Vienna) and reforming laws.

Osman I

Founder of the Ottoman Empire.

Nurhaci

Manchu leader unifying tribes to establish Qing foundations.

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Japanese shogun centralizing power and restricting foreign trade.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese patron of exploration.

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese navigator reaching India.

Ferdinand Magellan

Explorer leading the first circumnavigation.

merchant guilds

Organizations coordinating Indian Ocean trade.

Paper Money

Chinese currency facilitating commerce.

Gunpowder

Military technology spreading across Eurasia.

Printing Press

Innovation spreading knowledge widely.

Bureaucracy

Administrative system organizing states.

City-States

Independent urban centers controlling trade.

Maritime Trade Networks

Oceanic commerce linking Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal winds enabling predictable maritime travel.

Diaspora Communities

Merchant settlements connecting distant markets.

Samarkand

Key Silk Road trading city.

Kilwa

Swahili trading city thriving on Indian Ocean trade.

Calicut

Indian port central to the spice trade.

Caliphates

Islamic states facilitating trade and cultural exchange.

Mali Empire

West African empire enriched by trans-Saharan trade.

Ghana Empire

West African empire controlling gold trade.

Hanseatic League

Northern European trade alliance.

Marco Polo’s Travels

Accounts promoting European interest in Asia.

Ibn Battuta’s Travels

Records documenting Islamic societies.

Ming Voyages

Chinese state-sponsored maritime expeditions.

Zheng He’s Expeditions

Ming voyages projecting power and collecting tribute.

Steppe Empires

Nomadic empires relying on cavalry and mobility. Cossacks + mongols

Karakorum

Mongol capital connecting Eurasian administrators.

Mongol Postal System

Network enabling communication across the empire. Pony express!!!

Silk Production

Chinese textile industry fueling trade.

Tea Production

Chinese export commodity in Indian Ocean trade.

Sugar Production

Important traded agricultural product. In Brazil, grew Portugal economies, plantations