Units 1-4

Filial piety

A Confucian concept emphasizing respect and duty to one's parents and ancestors.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival of Confucian thought blending traditional values with elements of Buddhism and Daoism.

Theravada Buddhism

The oldest form of Buddhism focusing on personal enlightenment through meditation.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism emphasizing compassion and the potential for all beings to achieve enlightenment.

Champa rice

A fast-ripening, drought-resistant rice variety introduced to China from Champa.

Grand Canal expansion

The construction and expansion of a waterway system in China connecting the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers.

Seljuk Empire

A medieval Turkish empire that controlled much of the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries.

Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt

A medieval Islamic state in Egypt, ruled by former slave soldiers, from the 13th to 16th centuries.

Delhi sultanates

A series of Muslim dynasties that ruled northern India from the 13th to 16th centuries.

Advances in mathematics (Nasir al-Din al-Tusi)

A Persian mathematician and astronomer who contributed significantly to trigonometry and algebra.

House of Wisdom

A major intellectual center in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age for translation and preservation.

Sufism

Islamic mysticism focusing on personal spiritual experiences and the search for a direct connection with God.

Mexica

A Mesoamerican civilization centered in present-day Mexico, known for their advanced society.

Timbuktu

A historical city in Mali, known for its wealth, intellectual life, and as a center of Islamic learning.

Feudalism

A social, political, and economic system in medieval Europe based on land exchange for military service.

Samarkand

A key city along the Silk Road in present-day Uzbekistan, known for its wealth and cultural significance.

Paper Money

Currency in the form of paper notes, first developed in China during the Tang Dynasty.

Banking Houses and Credit

Institutions that facilitated trade and provided loans during the medieval period.

Examples of Luxury Goods

Items such as silk, spices, and precious metals traded along the Silk Road.

Greco-Islamic Medical Knowledge

The fusion of ancient Greek medical texts and Islamic scholarship during the Islamic Golden Age.

Arabic Numerals

The number system introduced to Europe from the Islamic world, including digits 0-9.

Swahili City-States

A group of city-states along the East African coast that thrived on trade.

Sultanate of Malacca

A powerful Muslim kingdom on the Malacca Strait, known for its strategic location.

Zheng He

A Chinese explorer and admiral during the Ming Dynasty, known for his seven voyages.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean facilitating trade routes between various regions.

Camel Saddles

Specialized saddles allowing camels to be effectively used in trade across deserts.

Gunpowder

A Chinese invention that revolutionized warfare, originally used for fireworks.

Bubonic Plague

A deadly disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, resulting in millions of deaths.

Marco Polo

A Venetian merchant and explorer who traveled extensively in Asia during the 13th century.

Ibn Battuta

A Moroccan scholar and traveler known for his extensive journeys across the Islamic world.

Manchu

A group from northeastern China who established the Qing Dynasty in 1644.

Mughals

A Muslim empire that ruled most of India from the 16th to mid-19th century.

Akbar

The third Mughal emperor known for his policies of religious tolerance and administrative reforms.

Devshirme

A system where Christian boys were taken to serve in the Ottoman military and administration.

Eunuchs

Castrated men employed in various roles in royal courts, often holding significant power.

Cossacks

Semi-nomadic warriors from the Russian steppes influential in the expansion of the Russian Empire.

Mandate of Heaven

A Chinese doctrine used to justify the Emperor's rule, asserting heaven's approval.

Sikhism

A religion founded in the 15th century, blending elements of Hinduism and Islam.

Divine Right (Europe)

A doctrine asserting monarchs are appointed by God and accountable only to Him.

Taj Mahal

An iconic mausoleum built by Shah Jahan to honor his wife, symbolizing Mughal architecture.

Forbidden City

An imperial palace complex in Beijing that served as the home to Chinese emperors.

Ottoman Tax Farming

A system allowing private individuals to collect taxes for a fee in the Ottoman Empire.

Salaried Samurai

Samurai warriors paid a salary during the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Sunni and Shia Islam

The two main branches of Islam with differing beliefs about leadership.

Palace of Versailles

The grand palace built by Louis XIV, symbolizing absolute monarchy in France.

Protestant Reformation

A 16th-century movement challenging Catholic practices and leading to the spread of Protestantism.

Enlightenment

An 18th-century intellectual movement emphasizing reason and individual rights.

Lateen Sail

A triangular sail allowing ships to sail against the wind, revolutionizing maritime travel.

Caravel

A small, fast sailing ship developed by the Portuguese for exploration.

Atlantic Trading System

A system of trade routes connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, involving enslaved people.

Chartered European Monopoly Companies

Companies granted exclusive trading rights by European monarchs.

Maroon Societies

Communities of runaway slaves forming independent societies in the Americas.

Castas

A racial classification system in colonial Latin America categorizing people based on heritage.

Encomienda

A Spanish labor system granting settlers rights to extract labor from Indigenous people.

Plantation/Hacienda

Large estates focused on cash crop production using slave labor in the Americas.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The forced transportation of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

Joint Stock Company

A business entity where multiple investors pooled capital for projects.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of goods, crops, and diseases between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.

Smallpox

A disease that devastated Indigenous populations in the Americas after European contact.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery treating individuals as personal property.

Inca Mit’a

A labor system requiring subjects to work for the state on public projects.

Indentured Servitude

A labor system where individuals worked in exchange for passage to the Americas.

Mercantilism

An economic theory emphasizing the importance of stockpiling gold and maintaining a favorable trade balance.

Voodoo/Vodun

A syncretic religion combining African traditions and Catholicism.

Metacom’s War

A conflict between Native Americans and English settlers from 1675 to 1678.

Absolute Monarch

A government form where a king or queen has complete control over the government.

Silver

A precious metal extensively mined in the Americas and key to the global economy.

Pugachev Rebellion

An 18th-century rebellion in Russia challenging the authority of the Tsar.

Pueblo Revolt

A 1680 uprising by Pueblo people in New Mexico against Spanish colonial rule.

Pueblo Revolt

Significantly marked the most successful uprising against colonial rule in North America, leading to a brief period of Pueblo independence.