Period 0

Hunter-Gatherers

People who hunt animals and gather wild plants, seeds, fruits, and nuts to survive

Nomadic

wandering from place to place

Neolithic Revolution

(10,000 - 8,000 BCE) The development of agriculture and the domestication of animals as a food source. This led to the development of permanent settlements and the start of civilization.

Agriculture

farming

Surplus

extra

Absolute Power

complete control over someone or something

Patriarchy/Patriarchal

Where men are the rulers over women in the society.

Domesticate

to tame; to bring plants or animals under human control

River Valley Civilizations

a type of civilization that developed near or around a major river and considered the earliest known large human civilizations

Continuity

Stays the same

Monumental Architecture

Large structures, such as pyramids, temples, public spaces, and large statues, that generally appear wherever powerful leaders emerge; a feature of all agrarian civilizations.

Taxes

Fees for the support of government required to be paid by people and businesses.

Infrastructure

the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, and power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.

Economics

the study of how society manages its scarce resources (think money and trade)

Corruption

dishonest or illegal actions

Confucianism

a system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius. Longest continuity in Chinese history.

Daoism

A religion in China which emphasizes the removal from society and to become one with nature.

Hinduism

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

Caste System

A social class system in India that controlled every aspect of daily life

Judaism

A religion with a belief in one god. It originated with Abraham and the Hebrew people. Yahweh was responsible for the world and everything within it. They preserved their early history in the Old Testament.

Zoroastrianism

One of the first monotheistic religions, particularly one with a wide following. It was central to the political and religious culture of ancient Persia.

Christianity

A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior.

Buddhism

the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth

Islam

A religion based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammed which stresses belief in one god (Allah), Paradise and Hell, and a body of law written in the Quran. Followers are called Muslims.

Silk Road

An ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea extending some 6,440 km (4,000 mi) and linking China with the Roman Empire. Marco Polo followed the route on his journey to Cathay.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Route across the sahara desert. Major trade route that traded for gold and salt, created caravan routes, economic benefit for controlling dessert, camels played a huge role in the trading

Indian Ocean Trade

long distance trade across an ocean that created interaction between peoples, cultures, and civilizations. Needed to know about monsoon winds.

Animism

Belief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life.

Paleolithic Age

(750,000 BCE - 10,000 B.C.E.) Old Stone Age. A period of time in human history characterized by the use of stone tools and the use of hunting and gathering as a food source.

Urbanization

Movement of people from rural areas to cities

Centralized Government

A government in which power is concentrated in a central authority to which local governments are subject

Decentralized Government

A government where its top level decision-making processes are dispersed throughout the system rather than being concentrated on one person, place or legislative body

Bureaucracy

A system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials

Circa

approximately or around

Kin

family

Mandate of Heaven

a political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source

Diaspora

A dispersion (spread) of people from their homeland

Samarkand

A wealthy trading city on the Silk Road

Calicut

A city in India known for its spices on the Indian Ocean Trade

Timbuktu

A trading city in Mali that became a center of wealth and learning on the Trans-Saharan Trade

Monsoon winds

The seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia, blowing from the southwest in summer and from the northeast in winter. (in India and nearby lands) the season during which the southwest monsoon blows, commonly marked by heavy rains; rainy season. any wind that changes directions with the seasons