AP World History Period 1 Vocab

Grand Canal

A massive waterway in China linking north and south; boosted trade, tax transport, and unity.

Proto-industrialization

Early “putting-out system” where rural families made goods at home before factories.

Scholar-gentry

Educated elites in China who passed civil service exams and ran the government with confuscian values.

Foot binding

Practice in China to bind women’s feet to show beauty/status; limited mobility and caused damage.

Neo-Confucianism

Philosophy from Song China, combining Confucian ethics with Buddhist and Daoist ideas, stressed hierarchy, filial piety, and moral behavior.

Heian Period

Golden age of court culture in Japan (794-1185); marked by a refined court culture, development of Japanese writing, and works like the Tale of Genji, power was concentrated among aristocrats.

Abbasid Caliphate

Islamic empire (750-1258) centered in Baghdad; known for cultural blending, trade networks, and advances in science, math, and medicine.

Mamluks/Mamluk Sultanate

Military slaves who rose to power and ruled Egypt (1250-1517); defeated Mongols at Ain Jalut and protected Islamic lands.

Seljuk Turks

Central Asian Turkic Muslims who took control of the Middle East; supported Sunni Islam and defeated Byzantines at Manzikert, leading to Crusades.

Sufis

Islamic mystics who emphasized a personal, spiritual connection to Allah, used poetry and missionary work to spread Islam, especially in Africa and South Asia.

Jizya

Tax required from non-Muslims (dhimmis) in Islamic states in exchange for protection and limited religious freedom.

Swahili

Culture and language of Eat African coastal cities blending Bantu African an Arab influences; grew wealthy through Indian Ocean trade (gold, ivory, slaves).

Chinampas

Raised agricultural fields built on lakes by the Aztec Empire; extremely productive and supported large urban populations.

Tribute System

System where conquered peoples paid goods, labor, or money to rulers; strengthened empires like the Aztec and Chinese by providing resources.

Theocracy

Government in which religious leaders rule or claim divine guidance; common in societies where religion and politics are closely linked.

Mita System

Incan labor system requires citizens to work on state projects like roads, agriculture, or military service instead of paying taxes.

Qhapaq Nan (Inca road system)

Extensive network of roads and bridges across the Inca Empire; allowed fast communication and control using runners (chasquis).

Kin-based networks

Social and political organization based on family ties and lineage; important for trade, loyalty, and governance in many African societies.

Griots

West African oral historians, poets, and musicians who preserved history, genealogies, and cultural traditions.

Vikings

Seafaring people from Scandinavia who raided, traded, and settled across Europe and North Atlantic (800-1100); also helped spread trade networks.

Feudalism

Decentralized political system in medieval Europe where kings granted land (fiefs) to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military service.

Manorial system

Economic system tied to feudalism; peasants worked a lord’s manor and produced food in return for protection and land use.

Serfs

Peasants legally bound to the land; could not leave and owed Labor and dues too their lord.

Code of Chivalry

Set of ideals for knights emphasizing loyalty to lord, bravery in battle, and protection of women and the weak.

Great Schism

Permanent split between the Roman Catholic Church (western Europe) and Eastern Orthodox Church (Byzantine Empire) over theology and authority.

Crusades

Series of religious wars (1095-1291) launched by European Christians to reclaim Jerusalem; increased trade, cultural exchange, and weakened feudalism.

Little Ice Age

Period of cooler climate in Euorope (1300-1850); led to shorted growing seasons, famine, and social unrest.

Monasticism

Religious practice where individuals live in monasteries devoted to prayer and work; preserved classical knowledge and spread Christianity.

Guilds

Organizations of merchants or artisans that regulated prices, quality, and training. (Apprentice → Journeyman → Master)

Reconquista

Long effort by Christian kingdoms to retake the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule, ended in 1492 with Ferdinand and Isabella.