AP World #1

Dar al-Islam & Trans-Saharan Trade Network

Arabs

Ethnic group primarily from the Arabian Peninsula, speaking Arabic and sharing a common cultural heritage. They have historically influenced trade, religion, and politics across the Middle East and beyond.

Desertification

The process of land degradation caused by various factors, including climate change and human activities, leading to the loss of vegetation and productivity in dryland areas.

Camel Saddle

A type of harness used for riding camels, designed to allow for comfort and stability for both the rider and the animal, essential for desert travel.

Mecca

A holy city in Islam, located in Saudi Arabia, known for the Kaaba and as the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad. It is a pilgrimage site for Muslims during Hajj.

Mohammad

The founder of Islam and considered the last prophet of Islam, who received revelations from Allah that form the basis of the Quran.

Five Pillars of Islam

The foundational acts of worship and practice in Islam, which include the declaration of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Hajj

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca that is obligatory for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to undertake it at least once in their lifetime.

Islamic Conquests

The series of military campaigns initiated by Islamic leaders from the 7th century onward, which expanded Muslim control over vast territories across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe, significantly spreading the influence of Islam.

Kaaba

Holiest site in Islam

Jizya

Tax for non-Muslims so they can live under Islamic government

Dar al-Islam

“House of Islam”

Islamic Golden Age

8th-13/14th CE; period of great growth in science, art, and learning

Abbasid Caliphate

750-1258 CE; 3rd major Islamic caliphate; oversaw Islamic Golden Age

House of Wisdom

intellectual center in Baghdad during Islamic Golden Age

Patronage

system where wealthy/powerful people pay artists/scholars/officials to advance their own country

Baghdad

rich capital city of Abbasid Caliphate and center of Islamic Golden Age

Caliph/Caliphate

political and religious leader of Islamic community/empire or state ruled by that leader

Sultan/Sultanate

Muslim political & military ruler/geographic region or state governed by that sultan

Women in Islam

women were depicted to have rights in the Quaran but as time went on their rights plummeted.

Al-Khwarizmi

father of algebra

A’isha al-Ba’uniyyah

Sufi master and poet

Ibn Khaldun

Arab historian and philosopher

Avicenna (Ibn Sinna)

wrote medical encyclopedia; father of early modern medicine

Ibn Battuta

Islamic scholar and traveler; known as one of the greatest travelers

Alhambra

Islamic fortress, became Spanish royal palace

Dome of the Rock

Islamic shrine built on sacred stone believed to have been where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son and where Muhammad ascended

Sharia Law

religious and moral guide telling Muslims how to live a good life according to their God’s rules

Sunni-Shia Split

632 CE; Islam split over who is rightful successor of Muhammad

Shia Islam

branch of Islam that believes the rightful successor of Muhammad is his direct descendant

Turks

tribal nomadic warriors from Central Asia

Mamluks

former slaves; seized power in Egypt

Seljuks

warrior family; seized power in Middle East & Baghdad

Islamic Merchants

Muslim traders who spread Islamic faith through the Trans-Saharan Trade Route

Sufism/Sufis

Muslim missionaries/mystics; worked with Islamic Merchants to spread Islamic faith

Asceticism

avoidance of luxury; complete dedication to spiritual growth

Trans-Saharan Trade

network of caravan routes crossing Sahara Desert, connected West Africa to North Africa and the Mediterranean

Salt trade

salt mined in desert to trade for gold in West Africa; as valuable as gold & needed to survive the desert

Caravanserai

roadside inns for desert travelers

Syncretism

blending of culture/religion from different places

Jihad

“struggle” or “striving” in the way of God

Mali

14th CE; 1st to be predominantly Islamic, hotspot for education, thrives from salt & gold trade

Mansa Musa

king of Mali, richest person ever from salt & gold, built mosques during Hajj and gave to poor, disrupt economics of places

Timbuktu

thrived economically, became educational hub, “Baghdad of Africa”

Great Mosque of Djenne

located in Mali; largest mud-brick structure in the world

Trans-Saharan Slave trade

network that forcibly moved slaves from sub-Saharan Africa across Saharan Desert to North Africa and Mediterranean

Reincarnation

souls can be reborn into other living things after death

Hinduism

oldest continuous religion, no single unifying text or rules, Brahman as source of “god” for all others/name of highest caste in India

Caste System

social structures reinforced by religious traditions, becomes more strict over time, no social mobility in this life/no mixing with other castes, distain for lowest “untouchable” (dalit) caste

Untouchables (Dalit)

in traditional Hindu society, those ‘below’ the caste system, not members of any of the 4 castes, not considered human

Buddhism

religion based on the teachings of Buddha; originated in India & spread to China and Japan

Vedic Religions

foundation for modern Hinduism

Vedas

ancient Sanskrit writings that’re the earliest sacred text of Hinduism

Jerusalem

city in Holy Land, regarded as sacred by Christians, Muslims, and Jews

Temple Mount

raised stone platform in the Old City of Jerusalem, one of the most sacred & religious sites in the world

Vatican

world’s smallest independent nation-state

Pope

Bishop of Rome; supreme head of Roman Catholic Church

Eastern Orthodox Christianity

major branch of Christianity that developed in eastern half of Roman Empire, was centered in Byzantine Empire

Great Schism of 1054

Christianity split between east and west; east-Eastern Orthodox Church and west-Roman Catholic Church

Constantinople

capital city of Byzantine Empire

Hagia Sophia

architectural masterpiece in Istanbul (former Constantinople) built by Byzantine Emporer Justinian I

Daoism/Toaism

ancient Chinese philosophical & religious tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with the Dao (natural force of the universe)

Confucianism

philosophy & system of ethical teachings by Confucius in China during Zhou dynasty to restore social order and harmony

Five Key Relationships

Confucius’s social blueprint for achieving peace and order through defined duties and moral responsibilities

Ancestor Worship

religious & cultural practice of honoring deceased family members, based on belief that their spirits live on and influence the fortune of the living

Venerate

to show deep honor, respect, or reverence to someone or something

Filial Piety

core Confucian virtue emphasizing respect, obedience, and care for one’s parents, elders, and ancestors

Foot Binding

Chinese custom of breaking and tightly wrapping the feet of young girls to change their size and shape

Women in Confucian Society

guided by strict patriarchal hierarchies rather than religious worship

Mandate of Heaven

ancient Chinese political ideology stating that a ruler receives divine right to govern from heavenly forces, but only as long as they rule justly and care for their people

Dynasty

line of hereditary rulers of a country or empire where power is passed down within the family line

Codify

historical process of collecting, organizing, and writing down scattered rules or unwritten customs into a single, systematic system of laws

Song Dynasty

powerful Chinese dynasty, famous for using traditional Confucianism

Chinese Golden Age

Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) and Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE); defining era of immense economic, cultural, and technological prosperity

Commercialized

economic system where people produce, buy, and sell goods through market and trade instead of local barter and self-sufficient farming

Bureaucracy

organized system of unelected officials, clerks, and administrators who carry out day-to-day governance, enforce laws, and collect taxes

Scholar Gentry

elite social class of educated government officials and landowners in imperial China

Mandarins

highly educated bureaucrat-scholars who ran the government in imperial China