unit 1 ap world vocab

Pastoralists

Semi-nomadic herders of domesticated animals.

Patriarchy

A system of society in which men hold the power.

Social Stratification

A system by which a society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy.

Metallurgy

The science of working with metals.

Monotheism

Belief in one god.

Polytheism

Belief in more than one god.

Shamanism

The practice of identifying special individuals (shamans) who will interact with spirits for the benefit of the community.

Animism

The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have souls.

Judaism

A religion with a belief in one god, originating with Abraham and the Hebrew people.

Vedas

Ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism.

Hinduism

A religion and philosophy developed in ancient India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being who takes many forms.

Monasticism

A way of life in which men and women withdraw from the rest of the world to devote themselves to their faith.

Commodity

A valuable product.

Legitimacy

The popular acceptance of an authority, like a King or ruler.

Caste System

A set of rigid social categories that determined a person's occupation and position in society.

Mandate of Heaven

An ancient Chinese belief that heaven granted emperors the right to rule based on their ability to govern well and fairly.

Reincarnation

The rebirth of a soul in a new body.

Eightfold Path

In Buddhism, the path to nirvana consisting of eight aspects one must practice.

Confucianism

A philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius, focusing on moral conduct and a stable government.

Buddhism

The teaching of Buddha emphasizing the cessation of suffering through right conduct and wisdom.

Christianity

A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on Jesus' teachings.

State

A nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.

Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha)

Means 'Enlightened One'; he taught a way to overcome suffering.

Filial Piety

In Confucian thought, the virtue of love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.

Ancestor Veneration

The belief that the dead have a continued existence and can influence the living.

Syncretic Religion

A religion that combines two religious traditions into a new system.

Silk Roads

Trade routes stretching from China to the Mediterranean allowing for the exchange of goods and ideas.

Mediterranean Sea Lanes

Trade routes that connected Mediterranean civilizations.

Tribute System

Payment made by one nation to another, acknowledging submission.

Bureaucracy

A system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials.

Commercial Exchange

The buying and selling of goods.

Epidemic

A widespread outbreak of an infectious disease.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal winds that carried ships on the Indian Ocean.

Missionaries

People who work to spread their religious beliefs.

Black Death

A major outbreak of plague that spread across Asia, North Africa, and Europe.

Indian Ocean Trading Network

The world's largest sea-based system of communication and exchange before 1500 CE.

Srivijaya

A Malay kingdom that dominated trade routes in Southeast Asia.

Angkor Wat

The largest religious monument in the world located in Cambodia.

Swahili Coast

East African city-states that emerged from a blend of Bantu and Islamic elements.

Great Zimbabwe

A trading center in southern Africa known for its stone structures.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade across the Sahara desert that contributed to the spread of Islam.

Mali Empire

An empire that traded gold and salt and embraced Islam.

Song Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty known for innovations and economic growth.

Hangzhou

Capital of the Song dynasty, renowned for its trade connections.

Foot Binding

A practice in Chinese society to mutilate women's feet to restrict movement.

Chinese Influence on Japan

The impact of Chinese culture and governance on Japanese society.

Quran

The holy book of Islam.

Pillars of Islam

The five core practices required of Muslims.

Jizya

The extra tax paid by non-Muslims in a Muslim community.

Ibn Battuta

A Moroccan Muslim scholar known for his extensive travels.

Timbuktu

A trading city in Mali that became a center of wealth and learning.

Mansa Musa

The ruler of Mali known for his pilgrimage to Mecca and wealth.

House of Wisdom

A center of learning and translation in Baghdad.

Roman Catholic Church

The branch of Christianity that practices under the Pope's authority.

Serfdom

A type of labor where workers are bound to the land.

Feudal Europe

A decentralized political system based on land ownership and loyalty.

Crusades

Armed pilgrimages by Christians to recover Jerusalem.

Mongols

A powerful military group known for their rapid conquests and cultural diffusion.

Delhi Sultanate

The first Islamic government established in India.

Malacca

A crucial trading port in Southeast Asia.

Inca

The largest empire in pre-Columbian America.

Syncretism

The blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system.

Mita System

An Incan system for tax payment through labor.

Grand Canal

A waterway linking major rivers in China, facilitating trade.

Feudalism

A system where land is exchanged for service.

Arabic

The language of the Islamic civilization.

Quipu

An Incan device for recording numerical information using knots.

Marco Polo

A Venetian traveler whose accounts spurred interest in Asia.

Zheng He

A Chinese admiral known for his maritime exploration.

Champa Rice

Quick-maturing rice that could yield two harvests in one growing season.

Moveable Type

Blocks used for printing that allowed for mass production of texts.

Seljuk Turks

Nomadic Turks that conquered Baghdad and influenced the Islamic world.

Sufism

An Islamic mystical tradition seeking a personal union with God.

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (960 - 1279 CE) known for important inventions and considered a 'golden age'.

Confucianism

A philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius, emphasizing a moral code of conduct for a stable society.

Filial Piety

A virtue in Confucian thought that emphasizes love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.

Neo-Confucianism

A response to Buddhism combining Confucian and Buddhist beliefs, while remaining fundamentally Confucian.

Theravada Buddhism

The oldest major branch of Buddhism, conservative and closest to original Buddhist teachings.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that reveres Buddha and Bodhisattvas; more accessible for the common person.

Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhism including non-Buddhist elements and shamanistic practices, teaching that nirvana can be achieved in one lifetime.

Champa Rice

Quick-maturing rice that allows for two harvests a season, contributing to population growth in Song Dynasty China.

Grand Canal

The 1,100-mile waterway in China linking the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers, important for trade.

Flying Money

An early Chinese credit instrument that reduced risks for merchants during trade.

Seljuk Empire

Turkic empire that helped spread Islam across Eurasia and demonstrated the weakening of the Abbasid caliphate.

Delhi Sultanate

The first Islamic government in India, established from 1206-1520, focused in Delhi.

Abbasid Caliphate

Caliphate that emphasized administration over conquest; characterized by a diverse bureaucracy.

House of Wisdom

A major library and learning center in Baghdad preserving Greek, Roman, and Indian knowledge.

Bhakti Movement

A popular Hindu movement emphasizing intense devotion to a particular deity.

Sufism

Islamic mystical tradition seeking personal union with God through intuition and ascetic practices.

Feudalism

A political system where nobles are granted land by a king in exchange for loyalty and military service.

Vassal

A person who pledges allegiance to a feudal lord in exchange for protection and land.

Serf

An agricultural laborer bound to work on a lord's estate under the feudal system.

Manorialism

Economic system of the Middle Ages based around self-sufficient farming estates.

Great Zimbabwe

A powerful state in Africa that emerged from the trade in gold and flourished between 1250 and 1350 CE.

Cahokia

Dominant center of a mound-building culture in the Mississippi valley, flourishing from 900 to 1250 CE.

Maya city-states

Classical culture in Southern Mexico and Central America known for monumental architecture and written language.

Meritocracy

A system of governance where positions are held by individuals selected based on ability.

Syncretism

The blending of differing beliefs, often seen in the adaptation of religions like Christianity and Buddhism.

Zen Buddhism

A Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing meditation and intuition.

Greek Philosophy

Rational inquiry into existence, ethics, and knowledge, distinguished by thinkers like Socrates and Plato.