AP World Unit 1 Vocab

House of Wisdom

A renowned center of learning during the Islamic Golden Age

Hijab

The practice of dressing modestly or a specific kind of covering

Battle of Tours

A fight the Islamic military lost in in 732 against Frankish forces

“people of the book”(Dhimmi)

A term for "protected persons" or non-Muslims living in an Islamic state.

Delhi sultanate

an Islamic kingdom in Delhi that ruled parts of the Indian subcontinent from 1206 to 1526 CE

Jizya

a tax on non-Muslims in Islamic states, providing them with protection, religious freedom, and exemption from military service in exchange for financial contribution to the state and symbolic acknowledgment of their subordinate status.

Proselytize

To actively seek counts of religion

Caste system

A rigid, hereditary social hierarchy based on birth, determining a person's occupation, social status, and purity.

Qutub Minar

A gigantic learning Tower in India

Bhakti Movementa

A medieval Indian religious reform movement emphasizing a direct, personal relationship with a single deity, challenging the rigid caste system and ritualistic traditions of Hinduism.

Angkor Wat

represents the pinnacle of the Khmer Empire's power and culture, built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II

Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE)

A Chinese imperial dynasty that ushered in a "golden age" of economic prosperity, technological advancement, and cultural flourishing

Grand Canal

A vast, man-made waterway system in China, originally built by the Sui Dynasty and expanded by later dynasties, that linked the northern and southern regions to facilitate the economic transport of grain and other goods, enhancing imperial power and supporting population growth.

Champa Rice

A fast-maturing, drought-resistant rice variety that originated in the Champa Kingdom of modern-day Vietnam. It was introduced to Song Dynasty China (960–1279) as a tribute gift and enabled Chinese farmers to have two harvests per year. This innovation dramatically increased food production and led to significant population growth and urbanization in China during this period. 

Tributary System

A diplomatic and economic arrangement in which a smaller, less powerful state pays tribute to a more powerful state, often in the form of goods or money. In return, the tributary state receives benefits such as trade access, military protection, and the powerful state's recognition of its ruler's legitimacy. 

Kowtow 

The ritual act of kneeling and bowing so low that one's head touches the ground. The ritual was performed in traditional China to show reverence to the emperor, who was considered the "Son of Heaven".

Scholar Gentry

An influential social and political class in imperial China, particularly during the Ming and Qing dynasties, composed of educated individuals who had passed rigorous civil service exams based on Confucian principles.

Foot Binding

A traditional Chinese practice that involved tightly wrapping the feet of young girls to alter their shape, typically to achieve a smaller foot size considered attractive.

Zen Buddhism

A school of Mahayana Buddhism focusing on meditation and direct experience to attain spiritual enlightenment.

Filial piety

The Confucian virtue and duty to respect, love, and obey one's parents, elders, and ancestors, emphasizing the importance of family, elders, and the patriarchal family structure in East Asian societies.

Neo-Confucianism

A Chinese philosophy that emerged during the Song Dynasty, reviving and reinterpreting Confucianism by synthesizing it with elements of Buddhism and Daoism

Sinification

The process by which non-Chinese societies are assimilated or acculturated into Chinese culture, absorbing Chinese language, social norms, beliefs (like Confucianism), and other cultural practices

Cahokia

An advanced pre-Columbian urban center of the Mississippian culture, located near present-day St. Louis, known for its massive earthen mounds, extensive trade networks, and sophisticated social structure before its decline around 1450 CE.

Matrilineal society

A social structure where family lineage, inheritance, and social status are traced through the mother's side of the family rather than the father's

City-State

An independent political entity consisting of an urban center and the surrounding agricultural territory it controls, functioning as its own sovereign state with its own government, economy, and culture

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Aztec Empire (also known as the Mexica Empire), founded on an island in Lake Texcoco in 1325 CE. It was a large and complex urban center, featuring advanced architecture, roads, and a thriving marketplace, which became one of the largest cities in the world at its peak.

Great Pyramid

A massive stepped pyramid located at the center of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City), with two temples at its summit. The city's Sacred Precinct was organized around it, placing it at the very heart of the Aztec world. It served as a key religious site and was dedicated to the gods Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, symbolizing the power and cosmology of the Aztec civilization.

Chinampas

An agricultural technique used by the Aztecs, involving the creation of floating gardens on shallow lake beds to increase arable land and enhance food production.

Theocracy

A system of government in which priests or religious leaders rule in the name of a deity. In a theocracy, laws are often based on religious laws and principles, allowing for a direct connection between governance and spiritual beliefs.

Pochteca

Merchant class in the Aztec Empire, responsible for long-distance trade and the exchange of goods, information, and luxury items.

Mita System

A labor system used in the Inca Empire, requiring citizens to work on state projects, such as agriculture or infrastructure, for a certain period each year.

Carpa Nan

A major Inca road system that facilitated trade and military movement across the empire, ensuring connectivity between regions.

Trans-Saharan Trade 

A network of trading routes that connected sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa, enabling the exchange of goods such as gold, salt, and textiles.

Hausa Kingdoms

A collection of independent city-states in West Africa that were known for their agricultural production and trade, especially in textiles and leather goods.

Sundiata

The founder of the Mali Empire, known for his epic tale and establishing trade networks that boosted the economy of West Africa.

Indian Ocean Trade

A maritime trading network connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, facilitating the exchange of goods like spices, silk, and precious stones.

Great Zimbabwe

A medieval African kingdom known for its impressive stone ruins and as a major center for trade in gold and ivory. It connected trade routes between the interior regions of Africa and the coastal regions.

Zanji Rebellion

A major slave revolt in the 9th century against Arab rule in Mesopotamia, led by East African slaves (Zanj), aiming to gain freedom and better living conditions.

Griots/Griottes

West African storytellers and oral historians who preserve the history and traditions of their people through storytelling and music.

Indian Ocean Slave Trade

A network of trade routes across the Indian Ocean that facilitated the exchange of slaves, primarily from East Africa to various parts of the Middle East and Asia, beginning in the 7th century.