AP World History Unit 1 Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on the AP Modern World History Unit 1 study guide covering key empires, regions, trade networks, and historical figures from 1200 to 1450.

Song Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty in East Asia (1200–1450) that maintained state power using an imperial bureaucracy and civil service exams.

Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty

The dynasty in China that followed the Song Dynasty, maintaining an imperial bureaucracy with appointed officials instead of civil service exams.

Heian Period and Shogunate

Political eras and governance systems in Japan evaluated during the 1200–1450 period of East Asian state building.

Tran Dynasty

The ruling dynasty in Vietnam during the 1200–1450 period studied for state building methods in East Asia.

Dar al-Islam

The Islamic world, which experienced the rise of new empires and shifts in centralized power between 1200 and 1450.

Abbasid

An Islamic power in Dar al-Islam that initially centralized power before losing control during the period 1200–1450.

Seljuk Empire

A major empire that arose in Dar al-Islam in the period 1200–1450.

Mameluke Sultanate

A sultanate that emerged and established power within Dar al-Islam during the period 1200–1450.

Delhi Sultanate

An Islamic sultanate that rose to power in South Asia / Dar al-Islam during the 1200–1450 period.

Byzantine Empire

An empire in Eastern Europe studied in the context of centralizing power from 1200 to 1450.

Feudalism

A socio-political system in Western Europe relevant to the development and centralization of power between 1200 and 1450.

The Papacy

The central religious authority in Western Europe that influenced political power and cultural developments in the period 1200–1450.

Hausa States

A collection of regional states in West Africa studied for their political, economic, and cultural institutions (1200–1450).

Mali

A West African empire where Islam spread through trade, developing new architecture blending West African and Islamic traditions.

Swahili States

Trading city-states in East Africa analyzed for their political, economic, and cultural structures during 1200–1450.

Ethiopia

An East African kingdom studied for its distinct political, economic, and cultural institutions in the period 1200–1450.

Aztec

An empire in the Americas (1200–1450) evaluated for its state building practices.

Inca

An empire in the Americas (1200–1450) compared with the Aztec Empire regarding state building methods.

Trans-Saharan Trade Network

A network of exchange that connected West Africa to wealthy Muslim caravans in the Middle East, introducing Islam and cross-cultural exchange.

Indian Ocean Trade Network

A maritime exchange network that influenced new syncretic practices and regional developments in South and Southeast Asia.

Silk Road

An overland network of exchange responsible for transferring goods, ideas, and disease across Afro-Eurasia.

mansa Musa

Ruler of Mali who adopted Islam after it spread organically from merchants, making it the empire's religion and fostering syncretic architectural traditions.