MEGA APWH TERMS STUDY

Grand Canal

The 1,100-mile (1,700-kilometer) waterway linking the Yellow and the Yangzi Rivers. It was begun in the Han period and completed during the Sui Empire.

Champa rice

Discovered in the Champa Kingdom of Vietnam, grew in dry soil, drought and flood resistant, matured early, harvested 3x a year, more food -> more people = pop explosion

Proto-industrialization

Fewer people farm and more become artisans in urban areas

Confucianism

A philosophy that adheres to the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. It shows the way to ensure a stable government and an orderly society in the present world and stresses a moral code of conduct.

Filial piety

Subordination to male and rulers in Confucianism: accepting your "place." What kept people loyal to the Dynasties for 2000 years

Civil service exam

In Imperial China starting in the Han dynasty, it was an exam based on Confucian teachings that was used to select people for various government service jobs in the nationwide administrative bureaucracy. Changed during the Song dynasty to include any social class, so the government became a MERITOCRACY

Meritocracy

A system in which promotion is based on individual ability or achievement: civil service exam in Song China

Mandate of Heaven

A political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source. If things went well = approval of gods. If not, = no approval of gods.

Foot binding

Practice for Chinese upper-class women as a social status signifier, as lower class women couldn't work in the fields w/ deformed feet. Women couldn't walk, but small feet were desirable and attractive

Scholar gentry

New social class from bureaucratic government, like Confucian landowners who inherited their wealth

Prophet Muhammad

The founder of Islam, believed to be the last true prophet sent by God, wrote the Koran which were his revelations, around 632 AD

Abu Bakr

Muhammad's father-in-law, took over after M's death, Rashidun caliphate leader

Rashidun Caliphate

Took over Egypt, Iraq, and Syria. Egypt by 642, ten years after Muhammad's death.

Umayyad Caliphate

First great Muslim dynasty to rule the empire of the Caliphate

Sunni Muslim

Muslims who believe that you do not need to be a descendant of Muhammad to be a leader (caliph)

Shia Muslim

Muslims who believe that a person must be a descendant of Muhammad to be a leader (caliph)

Caliph

Successor to Muhammad as political and religious leader of the Muslims

Caliphate

Islamic empire ruled by those believed to be the successors to the Prophet Muhammad.

Damascus, Syria

Capital of the Umayyad Caliphate

Iberian Peninsula

Spain and Portugal

Al-Andalus

Muslim Spain

Abd Al Rahman III

Tolerant ruler of Muslim Spain

Al Mansur

Intolerant ruler of Muslim Spain, persecuted Christians

Reconquista

1200-1492, Christians retaking Muslim Spain

Granada, Spain

Last Muslim stronghold, taken by Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain during the reconquista

Abassid Caliphate

The third of the Islam Caliphates, spanned North Africa, Arabian peninsula, al-Andalus, parts of the Middle East, did not extend into Turkish peninsula

Baghdad

Capital of Abassid Caliphate

House of Wisdom

Abassid house of scholarship established in Baghdad, recruited scholars from everywhere, translated classical Greek work into Arabic, obtained printing tech from China

Delhi Sultanate

Muslim Turk empire in India, gained power, but had a hard time converting Hindu Indians to Islam

Mamluk

Egyptian slaves

Mamluk Sultanate

Sultanate centered in Egypt, when Mamluks (non-Muslim military slaves) overthrew the ruling Abassids

Seljuk Sultanate

Turks: Took over Persia, Azerbaijan/Georgia/Armenia region, Mecca and Medina, Turkish peninsula

Madrasas

Islamic schools of learning: Trained religious scholars in the Quran and also taught state administrators

Ottoman Empire

Created 1301 when Uthman, an Uzbek of the Ottoman clan, took over Seljuks and declared himself Sultan of Asia Minor. Spanned Budapest to the North, Afghanistan to the East, Algeria to the West, and Mecca Medina and Egypt to the South at its largest

Constantinople -> Istanbul

Renamed by Ottomans after the takeover of the Byzantine capital in 1453. Istanbul = City of Islam

Tributary system

How China conducted foreign affairs, including trade: under the belief that China was superior. Foreign ambassadors would show deference thru kowtow

Kowtow

Foreign ambassadors show deference to the Chinese emperor by bowing their head to the floor, in order to establish tributary relations

Sufis

Islamic mystics; spread Islam to many Afro-Asian regions. Said anyone could revert to Islam

Judaism

Monotheistic religion of the Jews: The first Abrahamic religion, upon which Christianity and Islam were built. Revolutionary in its monotheism

Monotheism

Worship of a single god

Covenant

A solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human being in which mutual commitments are made. A large belief in Judaism

Sharia Law

The system of Islamic law, based on varying degrees of interpretation of the Qu'ran

5 Pillars of Islam

Only one god, 5x daily prayer, fast during Ramadan, Hajj, donate a percent of your income to those in need

Ummah

Muslim community, which comes before tribe

Jesus

The son of God, a prophet, also God. Born a Jew under the Roman Empire, he preached love, peace, kindness, and was anti-authoritarian and anti-rich. Christians believe he will come again

Quran

Muslim Holy Book

Bible

Christian Holy Book

Torah

Jewish Holy Book

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism: A prince who gave up his wealth to find enlightenment, 6th century BC

Nirvana

Enlightenment, transcendence of suffering. Buddhist term

4 Noble Truths

Buddhist beliefs: Life is suffering, the root of suffering is desire, stop suffering by ridding yourself of desire, do this thru the eightfold path

Eightfold path

Buddhist path to nirvana

Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Vedas

Hindu religious texts

Caste system

The Hindu social class system, a very rigid social hierarchy with little to no social mobility, because Hindus believe that to maintain order, they must fill their caste

Brahmin

Hindu religious leaders, highest of the caste systems, said to have the ability to speak to the Gods

Dharma

Hindu: The idea of a role in society, and the ability to fill that role. Contributes to the caste idea

Samsara

Hindu and Buddhist: The cycle of birth and rebirth, with the only escape being reaching enlightenment

Karma

Hindu and Buddhist: Consequences as a direct result of actions. Can allow a soul to escape samsara

Moksha

Hindu: Enlightenment itself, the release from Samsara

Brahman

Hindu: The universal soul

Brahma

Hindu: The creator god

Vishnu

Hindu: The preserver god. Also called Krishna

Shiva

Hindu: The destroyer god

Theravada

A more conservative branch of Buddhism, focusing on individuals and their own, personal paths to nirvana through meditation. Seen as less accessible, and usually, enlightenment is seen as only available to the monks. Practiced mostly in Southeast Asia

Mahayana

The more "accessible" sect of Buddhism that focuses on helping others get closer to nirvana. The idea is that once a person is near nirvana, they will become a teacher and help others, while staving off their own salvation. Also accessible to the public because of the many gods that are seeking to help followers. Practiced more in China and Japan

Arhat

A Theravada Buddhist who reaches their personal nirvana

Bodhisattva

A Mahayana Buddhist who is near nirvana but delays salvation in order to guide others

Daoism/Taoism

A Chinese philosophy that emphasizes living in harmony with nature, practicing humility, and going with the flow

Dao

"The Way": The main idea of Daoism. It cannot be fully understood, but it is the flow of the universe. It inspired the Force from Star Wars, if that helps to envision it

Li

The way that Dao can be seen everywhere is called Li, an organic expression of Dao in nature. Can include the ripples of the tide or the patterns on a leaf

Wu-wei

Daoist belief in acting without intent, or not acting against what is bound to happen, because according to Daoism, change is natural and good

Daodejing and Zhuangzi

Daoist texts, important to note they are NOT "holy" books, but rather philosophies written for rulers as a guide to ruling properly

Shinto

A native religious practice of Japan that explains how the islands were created, with a focus on nature spirits. Similar to Daoism. "Shin" = Kami, "-to"= Dao, or in other words, the way of the Kami

Kami

Shinto nature spirits

Musubi

Shinto: The energy of the universe under which all things are united

Harae/ Purification

A staple in Shinto: Removing spiritual pollution, which is only temporary, because life is inherently good

Mesoamerica

Refers to Central America's indigenous people

Olmecs

1200-400 BCE, earliest known Mexican civilization. Big heads.

Maya

Mesoamerican civilization concentrated in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and in Guatemala and Honduras but never unified into a single empire. Major contributions were in mathematics, astronomy, and development of the calendar.

Aztecs

134-1528 AD Civilization based on Lake Texcoco, spoke Nahuatl, called themselves Mexica. Warrior society, included human sacrifices, and had many gods

Quetzalcoatl

God of wisdom, life, knowledge, wind, the west

Tenochtitlan

Capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest. Mexico City was constructed on its ruins.

Incas

1438-1533 AD. Civilization based on the West Coast of South America, in the Andes. 2500 miles with 10 million inhabitants. 80 provinces

Quipus

Record keeping system for population in the Incan empire- based on a series of knots

Cuzco

Capital of the Inca empire, planned to look like a jaguar from above

Mita

Incan tax in the form of labor

Silk Road

Land trade routes connecting China, India, and the Middle East. Traded LUXURY goods and helped to spread culture.

Trading cities on the Silk Road

Samarkand, Uzbekistan; Chang'an, China; Kashgan, China

Chinggis/Genghis Khan

Born Temujin into a tribe of steppe nomads. 1206, united nomads into the Mongols, who then took over most of Eurasia and united them under the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire

Mongol Empire

Largest land empire in the history of the world, spanning from Eastern Europe across Asia. Largest from 1209-1309

Khanates

The states ruled by a khan; the four units into which Chinggis divided the Mongol Empire after his death

The Mongol Terror

A term describing the psychological havoc wreaked by the Mongols. Arose through their method of slaughter: killing villages but leaving few alive to send a message to others. This meant they sometimes would not have to violently take over, because their reputation for violence preceded them

Yam System

Mongol trade/communication system, rider rides to different stations, gets what they need and continue on to the next station with more messages

Pax Mongolica

The period of Mongol Peace, when the Silk Road was at its greatest

Batu and the Golden Horde

One of Khan's grandsons, invaded Orthodox Christian Russia, but didn't like the winters, so they ruled from afar and collected tribute and taxes. Ivan the Great retook Russia

Hulegu and the Islamic Heartland, Persia

One of Khan's grandsons. Took over and established the Il-Khanate

Sack of Baghdad

1258- Mongols led by Hulegu trash the Islamic House of Wisdom, ending the Islamic Golden Age, and killing thousands

Il-Khanate

Mongol empire established by Hulegu. Religiously tolerant until the Mongols converted to Islam, at which point, Christians and Jews were prosecuted. Mongols allowed Persian leaders to stay in charge, and the Mongol rule only declined when they assimilated into Persian culture

Kublai Khan

One of Khan's grandsons, defeated the Song dynasty. He united China, thus, Confucians believed he had the mandate of heaven.

Yuan Dynasty

Name for the Mongol Chinese era, lasted about 100 years. Religiously tolerant, which earned loyalty from Daoists and Buddhists. Improved infrastructure, like roads, but there was no large-scale assimilation like in the Il-Khanate