Unit 1: Global Tapestry (1200-1450)

Champa Rice

Fast-ripening rice from Southeast Asia introduced to Song China; increased food supply and caused population growth, urbanization, and economic expansion.

Bureaucracy

A system of government run by trained officials; allowed large empires like China to govern efficiently and maintain centralized rule.

Foot Binding

A Chinese practice of tightly binding women's feet; reflected patriarchy, social control, and limited women's mobility and rights.

Theravada Buddhism

A conservative branch of Buddhism emphasizing meditation and enlightenment; dominant in Southeast Asia and spread via trade.

Syncretism

The blending of religious or cultural traditions; helped religions like Islam and Buddhism spread by adapting to local beliefs.

Polygyny

A marriage system where a man has multiple wives; practiced in African and Islamic societies and reflected patriarchal social structures.

Grand Canal

A massive Chinese canal connecting northern and southern China; improved trade, food distribution, and political unity.

Meritocracy

A system where officials earn positions based on ability and exams; strengthened centralized rule and bureaucracy in China.

Buddhism

A religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama emphasizing the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path; influenced Asian culture, governance, and philosophy.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism emphasizing compassion and bodhisattvas; became dominant in China, Korea, and Japan due to its accessibility.

Neo-Confucianism

A syncretic philosophy combining Confucianism with Buddhist and Daoist ideas; reinforced hierarchy, patriarchy, and social order in Song China.

Patriarchy

A social system where men hold primary power; limited women's rights in political, economic, and family life.

Sultan

A political and military ruler in Islamic states; represented the expansion and organization of Islamic governance.

Crusaders

European Christians who fought to reclaim the Holy Land; increased conflict but also trade and cultural exchange between Europe and Islam.

Sufis

Islamic mystics emphasizing personal devotion to God; spread Islam peacefully through trade and missionary activity.

House of Wisdom

A learning center in Abbasid Baghdad; preserved and translated Greek, Roman, and Persian knowledge.

Bhakti Movement

A Hindu movement emphasizing personal devotion to gods; challenged caste barriers and spread Hinduism.

Proselytization

The act of converting others to a religion; helped spread Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam across Afro-Eurasia.

Matrilineal Society

A society where lineage passes through the mother; offered alternatives to patriarchal systems.

Mit'a System

Incan labor tax requiring public service; strengthened imperial control and supported state projects.

Temple of the Sun

An Incan religious site honoring the sun god; linked religion with political authority.

Human Sacrifice

A ritual practice in Mesoamerica offering humans to gods; believed necessary to maintain cosmic order.

Animism

The belief that spirits inhabit nature and objects; foundational to many Indigenous religions.

Pachacuti

An Incan ruler who expanded and centralized the empire; transformed the Inca into a powerful state.

Swahili

A culture formed from African, Arab, and Islamic blending on East Africa's coast; dominated Indian Ocean trade.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade routes across the Sahara Desert; connected West Africa to global trade and spread Islam.

Indian Ocean Trade

A maritime network linking Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia; exchanged goods, ideas, and culture.

Indian Ocean Slave Trade

The movement of enslaved people across the Indian Ocean; supplied labor and linked regional economies.

Magna Carta

A 1215 English document limiting royal power; influenced constitutional government and rule of law.

Manorial System

A medieval European economic system where peasants worked land owned by nobles; sustained feudal economies.

Feudalism

A decentralized political system based on land-for-service; organized medieval European society.

Bourgeoisie

The European middle class of merchants and artisans; weakened feudalism and promoted capitalism.

Estates-General

A French assembly representing the three estates; revealed deep social inequality.

Renaissance

A cultural rebirth focused on classical learning and humanism; transformed European art, science, and thought.

Lay Investiture

The appointment of church officials by rulers; caused conflict between monarchs and the Catholic Church.

Little Ice Age

A period of cooling temperatures; caused famine, population decline, and social instability.

Parliament

England's lawmaking body; limited royal authority and represented nobles and merchants.

Three-Field System

An agricultural method rotating crops; increased food production and population.

Primogeniture

An inheritance system favoring the eldest son; preserved noble wealth but limited social mobility.

Burghers

Wealthy medieval merchants and artisans; expanded trade and weakened feudalism.

Marco Polo

A Venetian merchant who traveled Asia; increased European interest in Asian trade.

Humanism

A Renaissance movement emphasizing classical learning and human potential; shifted focus away from religion alone.

Great Schism

The split between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches; weakened Christian unity.