Global Tapestry

Paleolithic Era

The period from about 2.5 million BCE to 10,000 BCE when humans primarily lived as hunter-gatherers. People were nomadic, lived in small groups, used stone tools, and survived by hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants. This era came before agriculture and permanent settlements.

Agricultural Revolution

The transition from hunting and gathering to farming and domestication of animals, beginning around 10,000 BCE. Agriculture created a more reliable food supply and led to permanent settlements, population growth, job specialization, social classes, governments, and civilizations.

Pastoral Society

A society based primarily on raising and herding domesticated animals such as horses, sheep, goats, cattle, and camels. Pastoralists were often nomadic or semi-nomadic and frequently traded with or conquered agricultural societies.

Patriarchy

A social system in which men generally hold greater political, economic, and social power than women. Patriarchal societies often gave men authority over property, family decisions, government, and religious institutions.

Hinduism

A major religion that developed in South Asia with no single founder. It includes beliefs such as dharma, karma, reincarnation, and moksha. Hinduism strongly influenced Indian society and was connected to the caste system.

Upanishads

Ancient Hindu philosophical texts that discuss ideas such as Brahman, Atman, karma, reincarnation, and moksha. They encouraged people to seek spiritual knowledge and understand the relationship between the individual soul and ultimate reality.

Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)

The founder of Buddhism who lived in South Asia around the 5th century BCE. After achieving enlightenment, he taught that suffering is caused by desire and that people can escape suffering by following the Eightfold Path.

Theravada Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that emphasizes following the Buddha's teachings and achieving enlightenment through individual effort. It became especially influential in Sri Lanka and mainland Southeast Asia.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that teaches that enlightenment is available to all people. It emphasizes bodhisattvas, enlightened beings who help others achieve enlightenment. It became especially influential in China, Korea, Japan, and other parts of East Asia.

Bhakti Movement

A Hindu devotional movement emphasizing a personal relationship and devotion to a particular deity. It became popular in South Asia and made religious practices more accessible to ordinary people while sometimes challenging traditional religious and social divisions.

Confucianism

A Chinese philosophical and ethical system based on the teachings of Confucius. It emphasizes filial piety, respect for elders, education, social hierarchy, proper behavior, and fulfilling one's role in society. It strongly influenced Chinese government and education.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophical and religious tradition associated with Laozi that emphasizes living in harmony with the Dao, or "the Way." It values simplicity, nature, balance, and wu wei, meaning acting without forcing things.

Judaism

A monotheistic religion that developed among the ancient Hebrews. It is based on belief in one God and religious laws and traditions found in texts such as the Torah. Judaism influenced Christianity and Islam.

Jesus of Nazareth

A Jewish religious teacher whose teachings became the foundation of Christianity. Christians believe Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God. His teachings emphasized love, forgiveness, and salvation.

Saint Paul

An early Christian missionary who played a major role in spreading Christianity beyond its Jewish origins throughout the Roman Empire. His letters became important parts of the New Testament.

Muhammad

The founder and prophet of Islam who lived in Arabia during the 7th century CE. Muslims believe he received revelations from Allah that became the Quran. He united many Arabian tribes under Islam and established the Muslim community.

Quran

The sacred text of Islam, believed by Muslims to contain the revelations of Allah given to Muhammad. It provides religious, moral, and social guidance for Muslims.

Umma

The worldwide community of Muslims. The concept emphasized that Muslims were connected by their shared faith regardless of tribe, ethnicity, or geographic location.

Ulama

Islamic religious scholars who interpreted Islamic teachings, law, and traditions. They became important sources of religious authority in Muslim societies.

Sharia

Islamic law based on the Quran, the teachings and example of Muhammad, and interpretations by Islamic scholars. It provides guidance for religious practices and aspects of daily life, family, business, and government.

Madrassas

Islamic educational institutions that traditionally taught religious studies, including the Quran, Islamic law, and theology. They could also teach subjects such as mathematics, philosophy, and science.

Sufism

A mystical tradition within Islam emphasizing a personal and spiritual relationship with Allah. Sufi missionaries helped spread Islam into parts of Africa and Asia and often adapted Islamic teachings to local cultures.

Tang Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty that ruled from 618 to 907 CE. It created a powerful and wealthy empire, expanded China's territory, strengthened the civil service system, promoted Buddhism, and established traditions later continued by the Song Dynasty.

Song Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty that ruled from 960 to 1279 CE and experienced major economic, technological, and population growth. The Song developed a highly commercialized economy, expanded cities, used paper money, and made advances in printing, gunpowder, and navigation.

Mandate of Heaven

The Chinese belief that rulers received their authority from heaven. A ruler who governed well was believed to retain the mandate, while disasters, rebellion, and poor government could indicate that the ruler had lost it. This belief justified replacing unsuccessful dynasties.

China's Economic Revolution

Major economic growth during the Song Dynasty caused by increased agricultural production, commercialization, population growth, technological innovation, and expanded trade. China became one of the world's most advanced and prosperous economies.

Commercialization

The development of an economy increasingly based on producing goods for markets and trade instead of only producing goods for local subsistence. During the Song Dynasty, Chinese cities, markets, and long-distance trade expanded significantly.

Hangzhou

A major Chinese city and commercial center during the Song Dynasty. Its location near the Grand Canal and important trade routes helped make it one of the world's largest cities and demonstrated China's economic prosperity.

Footbinding

A practice in which girls' feet were tightly bound to prevent normal growth. It became associated with elite Chinese women and reflected patriarchal expectations concerning women's appearance, status, and behavior.

Tribute System

China's system of international relations in which neighboring states sent gifts, tribute, or representatives to acknowledge the Chinese emperor's superiority. In return, China provided gifts, trade opportunities, and political recognition.

Civil Service Exam

Examinations based heavily on Confucian teachings that were used to select government officials in China. The exams helped create a scholar-official class and allowed educated men to enter China's bureaucracy.

Scholar-Officials

Educated Chinese government officials who were selected through the civil service examination system. They were trained in Confucian texts and helped administer the Chinese government.

Centralized Bureaucracy

A system in which a central government controls administration through appointed officials. China's centralized bureaucracy allowed emperors to govern a large territory, collect taxes, enforce laws, and manage government affairs.

Srivijaya

A powerful maritime kingdom based on the island of Sumatra in Southeast Asia. It controlled important sea routes through the Strait of Malacca and became wealthy through Indian Ocean trade. It was strongly influenced by Buddhism.

Majapahit

A powerful Hindu-Buddhist kingdom based on Java that dominated much of maritime Southeast Asia during the 13th to 15th centuries. It benefited from trade and controlled important parts of the Indonesian archipelago.

Angkor Wat

A massive temple complex built by the Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia. It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu and later became associated with Buddhism. It demonstrates the wealth, engineering, and religious influence of the Khmer civilization.

Borobudur

A massive Buddhist temple complex on Java in Indonesia. It demonstrates the spread of Buddhism into Southeast Asia and the influence of Indian religious traditions.

Abbasid Caliphate

An Islamic empire that came to power in 750 CE and established its capital at Baghdad. The Abbasids promoted trade, scholarship, science, mathematics, medicine, geography, and philosophy and were associated with the Islamic Golden Age.

Nomadic Turkic Peoples

Central Asian pastoral peoples who spoke Turkic languages and often migrated across Eurasia. Many Turkic groups adopted Islam and established powerful states, including the Seljuk and Ottoman Empires.

Ottoman Empire

A powerful Islamic empire founded by Turkic peoples in Anatolia. It expanded into southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453 and became a major successor to the Byzantine Empire.

Conquest of Constantinople

The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 under Sultan Mehmed II. The city became the Ottoman capital, and the conquest ended the Byzantine Empire. It is often used as a symbolic endpoint of the medieval period.

Jizya Tax

A tax imposed on certain non-Muslim subjects living under Muslim rule. In many Islamic states, paying the jizya allowed non-Muslims to maintain their religious communities and receive protection from the government.

Spread of Islam

Islam spread from Arabia through military conquest, trade, migration, and missionaries. Muslim merchants helped spread Islam across North and East Africa, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other regions. Conversion was often gradual and occurred through trade networks and interactions with Muslim communities.

Al-Andalus

The Muslim-ruled areas of the Iberian Peninsula, particularly present-day Spain and Portugal. It became an important center of Islamic culture, scholarship, architecture, trade, and intellectual exchange.

Cordoba

A major city in Muslim Spain and an important center of learning and culture. Cordoba had libraries, educational institutions, impressive architecture, and infrastructure and helped connect Islamic, Christian, and Jewish intellectual traditions.

Importance of Islamic Scholarship

Muslim scholars preserved, translated, and expanded knowledge from Greek, Persian, Indian, and other civilizations. Important advances included mathematics, astronomy, medicine, geography, and philosophy. This knowledge later influenced European intellectual development.

Swahili Civilization

A collection of coastal city-states in East Africa that developed through interaction between African societies and Indian Ocean merchants. Swahili culture combined African traditions with influences from Arabia, Persia, India, and Islam. Cities such as Kilwa became wealthy through Indian Ocean trade.

West African Civilizations

Powerful states and societies developed in West Africa partly because of their control over trans-Saharan trade. Important examples include Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Hausa city-states. Gold and salt were especially important trade goods.

Ghana Empire

An early West African empire that became wealthy by controlling and taxing trans-Saharan trade, especially gold and salt. It declined before the height of the Mali Empire.

Mali Empire

A powerful West African empire that rose in the 13th century and became extremely wealthy from controlling gold and salt trade routes. Mansa Musa was one of its most famous rulers and demonstrated Mali's wealth during his pilgrimage to Mecca.

Songhai Empire

A powerful West African empire centered around the Niger River. It expanded greatly during the 15th century and controlled important trans-Saharan trade routes and cities such as Timbuktu.

Hausa

A collection of city-states in West Africa that became important centers of trade, agriculture, and manufacturing. Islam spread among many Hausa elites and merchants through trans-Saharan trade.

Trans-Saharan Slave Trade

The movement of enslaved people across the Sahara Desert through trade networks connecting West Africa with North Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. It existed for centuries before the later Atlantic slave trade.

Byzantine Empire

The eastern continuation of the Roman Empire centered on Constantinople. It preserved Roman political traditions and Greek culture and was strongly associated with Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Eastern Orthodox Christianity

A major branch of Christianity that developed primarily in the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Europe. It differed from Roman Catholic Christianity in areas such as church authority, theology, and religious practices.

Conversion of Kievan Rus

The conversion of Kievan Rus to Eastern Orthodox Christianity under Prince Vladimir in 988 CE. It strengthened connections between Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire and helped shape Russian culture and religion.

Western Christian Society

European societies in which Roman Catholic Christianity was a major cultural and political force. The Church influenced education, government, law, art, and everyday life.

Feudalism

A decentralized political and economic system in medieval Europe in which kings granted land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military service. Lesser nobles and knights controlled land while peasants worked the land.

Roman Catholic Church

The major Christian church of Western Europe during the medieval period, headed by the pope. It played a major role in European politics, education, law, and culture.

European Civilization Post-1000

After about 1000 CE, Europe experienced population growth, agricultural expansion, increased trade, growing towns, and stronger states. The Crusades and expanding trade also increased contact between Europe and other regions.

European Borrowing Examples

Europeans adopted ideas and technologies from other civilizations, especially the Islamic world and Asia. Examples include paper-making, gunpowder, the compass, Arabic numerals, and scientific knowledge.

The Great Schism

The split between Western Roman Catholic Christianity and Eastern Orthodox Christianity in 1054 CE. Differences in religious authority, theology, and political interests contributed to the division.

Aztec Empire

A powerful empire centered in central Mexico that developed in the 15th century. The Aztecs built their capital, Tenochtitlan, on an island in Lake Texcoco and expanded through military conquest and tribute.

Ritual Sacrifice

A religious practice involving the offering of humans or animals to gods in certain Mesoamerican societies. The Aztecs believed sacrifices helped maintain the relationship between humans and their gods and maintain cosmic order.

Chinampas

Artificial agricultural islands built in shallow lakes by the Aztecs. They were highly productive and allowed the Aztecs to grow large amounts of food near Tenochtitlan.

Tribute

Payments of goods, money, or labor made by conquered peoples to a dominant state. The Aztec Empire used tribute to acquire food, resources, and wealth from conquered regions.

Tenochtitlan

The capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco in present-day Mexico City. It was a huge urban center with temples, markets, canals, and sophisticated agricultural systems.

Inca Empire

A large empire in the Andes Mountains of South America that expanded rapidly during the 15th century. It developed an extensive road system, centralized government, sophisticated agriculture, and systems for organizing labor.

Inca Administration

The system used by the Inca government to control a large and diverse empire. The Inca used roads, government officials, labor obligations, record keeping, and local administrators to maintain control.

Quechua

A language spoken by many people in the Inca Empire. The Inca promoted Quechua as a common language to help administer their large empire.

Mita System

A labor system used by the Inca in which communities were required to provide workers for government projects such as roads, farming, construction, and military needs. The system helped the Inca build and maintain their empire.

Gender Parallelism

A social system in which men and women have separate but complementary roles and responsibilities. In some Andean societies, men and women could hold different positions of authority while contributing important functions to society.

Champa Rice

A fast-growing and drought-resistant variety of rice introduced into China from Southeast Asia during the Song period. It allowed farmers to produce more food and contributed to population growth.

Song Dynasty and Economic Growth

The Song Dynasty experienced major economic growth because of increased agricultural production, commercialization, technological innovation, population growth, and trade.

Song Dynasty and Technology

Important Song innovations and developments included improved printing, gunpowder, the compass, paper money, and advanced agricultural techniques. These technologies influenced other regions through trade and cultural diffusion.

Song Dynasty and Confucianism

The Song Dynasty strengthened Confucian traditions and relied heavily on civil service examinations to select scholar-officials for government positions.

Song Dynasty and Cities

Economic growth and commercialization caused Chinese cities to expand. Hangzhou became a major commercial center and demonstrated the wealth and urbanization of Song China.

Islamic Spread Through Trade

Muslim merchants carried Islam along trade routes, including the trans-Saharan, Indian Ocean, and Silk Road networks. Trade allowed Islam to spread into Africa and Asia without relying entirely on military conquest.

Islamic Spread Through Missionaries

Muslim missionaries, including Sufis, helped spread Islam by teaching Islamic beliefs and adapting them to local cultures. This was especially important in parts of Africa and Asia.

Islamic Golden Age

A period of major intellectual and scientific achievement in the Islamic world, especially under the Abbasids. Scholars made important advances in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, geography, philosophy, and other fields.

Gold-Salt Trade

A major West African trade system in which gold from regions south of the Sahara was exchanged for salt from North Africa and the Sahara. Control of this trade helped states such as Ghana and Mali become wealthy and powerful.

Mali and Mansa Musa

Mansa Musa was a famous ruler of Mali whose pilgrimage to Mecca demonstrated the empire's enormous wealth. His journey increased awareness of West Africa's wealth and strengthened Mali's connections to the wider Islamic world.

Swahili and Indian Ocean Trade

Swahili city-states became wealthy by participating in Indian Ocean trade. They exported goods such as gold and ivory and imported goods from Arabia, Persia, India, and China.

Byzantine Empire and Christianity

The Byzantine Empire was strongly connected to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and helped spread Orthodox Christianity into Eastern Europe, including Kievan Rus.

Great Schism Significance

The Great Schism of 1054 divided Christianity into Roman Catholic Christianity in Western Europe and Eastern Orthodox Christianity in the Byzantine world and Eastern Europe. This division shaped the religious and political development of Europe.

European Borrowing from Islam

Europeans adopted technologies and knowledge from the Islamic world, including Arabic numerals, paper-making, scientific knowledge, medical knowledge, and technologies such as the compass and gunpowder.

Aztec Government

The Aztecs controlled their empire partly through military conquest and a tribute system. Conquered peoples were often required to send resources to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

Aztec Agriculture

The Aztecs used chinampas, or artificial agricultural islands, to produce large amounts of food. This supported the enormous population of Tenochtitlan.

Inca Government

The Inca used a centralized administration, roads, officials, labor systems, and local leaders to control their large empire across the Andes Mountains.

Inca Roads

The Inca built an extensive road network connecting different parts of their empire. Roads helped officials, armies, messengers, and goods move across difficult Andean terrain.

Aztec vs Inca

The Aztec Empire was located in Mesoamerica and centered on Tenochtitlan, while the Inca Empire was located in the Andes of South America. The Aztecs relied heavily on tribute and chinampas, while the Inca used the mita labor system and an extensive road network.

Song Dynasty Big Picture

Song China was characterized by economic growth, commercialization, urbanization, technological innovation, population growth, and a strong Confucian bureaucracy.

Islamic World Big Picture

Islam spread from Arabia through conquest, trade, migration, and missionaries. Islamic societies became major centers of trade, scholarship, science, and cultural exchange.

West Africa Big Picture

West African states such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai became powerful by controlling trans-Saharan trade, especially the gold-salt trade.

Christianity Big Picture

Christianity developed into major Western and Eastern branches. Roman Catholic Christianity became dominant in Western Europe, while Eastern Orthodox Christianity became dominant in the Byzantine Empire and parts of Eastern Europe.

Americas Big Picture

The Aztec and Inca Empires developed powerful centralized states in the Americas. The Aztecs relied on tribute and chinampas, while the Inca used centralized administration, roads, and the mita labor system.

Unit 1 Major Theme

From 1200 to 1450 CE, societies around the world experienced expanding trade networks, cultural diffusion, powerful states, technological innovation, economic growth, and the spread of major religions.