Expansion of Asian Cultures and Mongol Dominance

Vocabulary flashcards covering Asian cultures, Mongol rulers, military strategies, and reasons for the decline of Mongol dominance.

Shang

The earliest dynasty in Chinese history.

Song

The second Chinese dynasty under which great economic growth occurred.

Technology

Putting knowledge to effective use.

Ancestor Worship

Practice of worshiping dead ancestors, the leading religion in early Chinese history.

Confucius

Chinese teacher who taught philosophies based on the five human relationships.

Buddhism

Religion founded on the four noble truths.

Taoism

Chinese religion that teaches harmony with nature and living in peace.

Lao-Tzu

Chinese teacher who taught Taoism.

Feudalism

System in which local rulers controlled large estates and had servants who worked for them in exchange for a place to live, brought on by a weak central government in Japan.

Shogun

Japanese title meaning "great general".

Samurai

Name for a Japanese warrior.

Bushido

The unwritten military code of the Samurai.

Hara-Kiri

Practice of Samurai warriors committing suicide rather than being captured or becoming dis-loyal.

Shintoism

Japanese religion that teaches nature worship.

Zen Buddhism

Religion that had a great impact on the military class in Japan.

Angkor Wat

Temple located in modern day Cambodia built during the Khmer empire.

Yurts

Portable shelters made of felt that Mongols packed up and transported as they moved.

Chinggis Khan

Meaning "Great Ruler", the title given to Temujin as he rose to supreme ruler uniting all Mongol tribes.

Great Yasa

The name of the law code used by Mongols, written by Chinggis Khan.

Siege Warfare

Mongol strategy of surrounding a walled city for a long period of time with repeated attacks.

Pretend Retreat

Mongol strategy of faking retreat to draw enemy out into the open.

Kamikaze

Meaning "Divine Wind", refers to storms that sank Mongol fleets trying to invade Japan on 2 different occasions.

Batu Khan

Grandson of Chinngis Khan who led Mongol forces into Europe.

Tartars

The European name for Mongol forces.

Battle of Liegnitz

Battle in which Mongols defeated a combined forces of Poles, Czechs, and Germans.

Golden Horde

Name of the Mongol empire established in western Asia.

Tengri

Meaning "Great God of Heaven", the supreme god believed by Mongols to rule all spirits.

Shamans

Men who Mongols believed had powers over the spirits, serving as the priests of traditional Mongol religion.

Ming

Dynasty name meaning "brilliant", established after the Chinese were able to expel the Mongols.

Tamerlane

Name given to Timur, a powerful Mongol conqueror who focused on collecting treasures from battles rather than building a strong empire, leading to its collapse shortly after his death.

Mughal

The dynasty that ruled the last Mongol Empire, which was a peaceful empire that slowly declined after the death of Akbar.

Akbar

The most famous ruler of the last Mongol empire.

Taj Mahal

A marvel of architecture from the Mughal dynasty in India.

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Chinngis Khan who established the Yuan Dynasty and unsuccessfully tried to invade Japan.

Yuan Dynasty

The name of China's first foreign dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan.

Mongol Infighting

Conflict among Mongol tribes that the Chinese viewed as a way to break free of Mongol rule and actively encouraged.