WHH Midterm Vocab

Mandate of Heaven

the belief that the ruler was chosen by God at birth, used in Ancient China

Crusades

the Catholic movement to kill people that did not follow the same religion

feudalism

form of government used in Europe

griots

storytellers that spread stories through singing

animism

the religious belief that all living things have a soul

Carpa Nan

20,000-25,000 mile roadway system built by the Incas

mit'a system

mandatory service of the Inca Empire

theocracy

system of government where priests and religious roles ruled

Mexicas

another name for Aztecs

Aztecs

civilization of people located in central Mexico

Sunni Muslims

a branch of Islam where Muslims can be elected as a caliph (most common form of Islam)

Shia Muslims

a branch of Islam that believes only descendants of Muhammad can be the caliphs (least common form of Islam)

Sufis

Islamic mysticism in which Muslims have a one on one relationship with God

Muhammad

central figure in Islam

Daoism

the religion that focuses on oneness with nature

Confucianism

major religion in China that focused on having a good character through personal ethics and morality

syncretism

the blend of religions and cultures

Buddhism

religion most prominent in northern India (dharma, karma, reincarnation)

foot binding

oppression in East Asia where women broke and tightly binded their feet

bureaucracy

non-elected officials manage a government; most prominent in East Asia

Song Dynasty

located in East Asia; also known as modern-day China

Grand Canal

a waterway system that run from northeastern to central eastern China

filial piety

an attitude of respect for parents and ancestors in society (influenced by Confucian thought), most prominent in China

Scholar gentry

the highest caste in China reached through Merit exams

Champa rice

hearty crop that was very drought resistent

Silk Roads

a network of trade routes connecting the Eastern Mediterranean to Central Asia and Central Asia to China

Trans-Saharan trade network

a trade network across the Sahara desert with 7 north-south trade tours and 2 east-west trade routes

Indian Ocean trade network

the world's largest sea based network of communication and exchange that stretched from southern China to eastern Africa through the Indian Ocean and included the exchange of luxury and bulk goods, ideas, and crops.

compass

a tool that helps sailors identify their location

junk ship

big ships used to transport things in bulk

Mongol Empire

a powerful empire in East Asia formed by Genghis Khan

caravanserai

inns along the Silk Road that were 100 miles apart where merchants could rest and trade

Pax Mongolica

“Mongolian Peace”; a period of peace in the Mongol Empire

Swahili city states

thriving city-states along the coast of east Africa, known as inhabitants of bustling commercial centers because of the Indian Ocean trade

monsoon winds

alternating wind currents that blew eastward across the Indian Ocean in the summer and westward in the winter; knowledge of these winds was essential for trade

lateen sails

triangular sails that were popular with sailors because they could easily catch winds coming from multiple directions

astrolabe

allowed sailors to determine how far north or south they were from the Equator

Zheng He

a Muslim admiral who went on voyages to display the might of the Ming Dynasty and to receive tribute from people he encountered

diaspora

settlements of people away from their homeland

Mansa Musa

Sundiata’s grand-nephew who was known to be extremely rich and made pilgrimages to Mecca

bubonic plague

also known as the Black Death, a deadly plague that spread through trade routes and wiped out 25 million people in Europe

Ibn Batutta

a Muslim scholar from Morocco who traveled to see the world (mainly Muslim places) and told stories of the places he saw

Kashgar

a city on the western edge of China where northern an southern routes of the Silk Road crossed; merchants depended on it for water and food, and artisans produced textiles, rugs, leather goods, and pottery

Genghis Khan

known before as Temujin, the first ruler of the Mongol Empire

Manchu/Qing Dynasty

located in east Asia, the empire that replaced the Ming Dynasty until 1911

Gunpowder Empires

large, multiethnic states in Southwest, Central, and South Asia that relied on firearms to conquer and control territories

Ottoman Empire

the largest and most enduring of the great Islamic empires

Safavid Empire

established in the Azerbaijan region (Iran) and founded in the Safavid order of Sufism that had a strong land-based military and great leadership

Mughal Empire

located in India, one of the richest and best-governed states in the world, lead by Akbar

castes

also known as jatis, strict social groupings designated at birth that divides Hindu people into four categories: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and the Shudras (as well as the untouchables)

divine right of kings

a common claim from the Middle Ages that the right to rule was given to a king by God

Devshirme

a selection system used to staff the Ottoman Empire’s military; Christian boys were recruited by force to serve the government

Janissaries

the most famous group of boys serving the Ottoman Empire that formed elite forces in the Ottoman army

daimyo

landholding aristocrats in Japan

tax farmers

local officials and private tax collectors distant from the central government

Taj Mahal

built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife

Versailles

an elegant and spacious palace that was used as a political instrument for France

boyars

a privileged class of rich Russian landowners

plenary indulgences

granted a person absolution from the punishments for sin

Spanish Inquisition

used to root out and punish non-Christians and allowed the use of torture

Protestant Reformation

a religious reform movement that swept through Europe in the 1500s; a movement away from the Catholic Church

Martin Luther

a monk who concluded that several traditions of the Catholic Church violated biblical teachings and went off to create Lutheranism (wrote the 95 Theses)

95 Theses

Martin Luther’s charges against the Catholic Church in which he nailed onto a church door

Counter-Reformation

the Catholic Church’s attempts to fight against Protestant attacks

Jesuits

also known as Society of Jesus, a religious order founded in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola who also opposed the spread of Protestantism

Sharia Law

a strict Islamic legal system that deals with all aspects of life, such as criminal justice, martial laws, and issues of inheritance

Sikhism

a new religion which developed from Hinduism and may have been influenced by Islamic mysticism known as Sufism