Chapter 4 Vocab Terms AP World History

Chabi

Influential Khatun (empress) of the Yuan dynasty and wife of Kublai Khan who promoted Buddhism and advised on governance strategies in China.

Romance of the West Chamber

Famous Chinese dramatic play written during the Yuan dynasty that reflected popular culture and urban entertainment during Mongol rule.

White Lotus Society

Secret religious and political peasant movement in China that advocated for the overthrow of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang

Peasant leader who led the rebellion against the Yuan dynasty and founded the Ming dynasty.

Ming dynasty

Imperial dynasty of China (1368–1644) that succeeded Mongol rule, restored Han Chinese control, rebuilt the Great Wall, and sponsored treasure fleet voyages.

Hongwu

Regnal title of the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, known for centralizing power, reinstating civil service exams, and promoting peasant welfare.

foot-binding

Patriarchal practice in imperial China involving the painful physical deformation of young girls' feet to signal elite status and female subordination.

bushi

Regional warrior leaders in feudal Japan who built private armies and controlled rural estates, forming the foundation of the warrior class.

samurai

Elite warrior class of feudal Japan who served regional military lords (daimyo) and adhered to a strict code of conduct (bushido).

Seppuku

Ritual suicide by disembowelment practiced by Japanese warriors to restore family honor or avoid capture.

Taira

Powerful Japanese warrior clan defeated in the Gempei Wars of the late 12th century.

Minamoto

Dominant Japanese warrior clan that defeated rival forces and established the Kamakura shogunate, initiating military rule in Japan.

Gempei Wars

Late 12th-century conflict between rival warrior clans in Japan that resulted in the establishment of a feudal military government.

bakufu

Feudal Japanese military government headed by a shogun, existing alongside the nominal imperial court.

Hojo

Warrior family that exercised actual political power as regents over the Kamakura shogunate in Japan during the 13th and 14th centuries.

Ashikaga Takuaji

Japanese general who overthrew the Kamakura rule and established a new military government in Kyoto in 1336.

Ashikaga shogunate

Feudal military regime in Japan (1336–1573) characterized by weak central authority and regional instability among local lords.

Tran Dynasty

Ruling dynasty of Vietnam (1225–1400) known for successfully repelling multiple Mongol invasions and preserving Vietnamese independence.

Chams

Austronesian ethnic group in central and southern Vietnam who established the maritime trading kingdom of Champa.

Khmers

Dominant ethnic group of the Angkor Empire in Southeast Asia, renowned for constructing massive temple complexes like Angkor Wat.