period 2 part 2 vocab

absolute monarchy (absolutism)

a political system where a ruler/monarch holds absolute authority (total power); often legitimized by claims of "divine right"

westernization (of Russia)

policies of Czar Peter the Great (Russia) to adopt Western European ideas, technology, and culture, to promote modernization & encourage business with the West

mercantilism

economic policy under which nations (through actions of their governments) sought to increase wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver & by exporting more goods than they imported

capitalism

economic system in which a country's trade and industries are controlled by private owners (entrepreneurs) seeking their own profits, rather than by the state

Ming Dynasty

ruled over China from 1368 until 1644; initially sponsored massive fleets of ships to collect tribute around the South China Sea & Indian Ocean, but later withdrew from these missions and concentrated efforts on internal development within China & the fortification of the Great Wall

Forbidden City

walled palace complex in Beijing (built during Ming Dynasty) that served as a residence for Ming & Qing emperors and their palace bureaucrats & concubines

eunuchs

castrated males, originally in charge of protection of the ruler's concubines. Eventually had major roles in government, especially in China

Manchus (Qing Dynasty)

a people, native to Manchuria, who conquered & ruled China during the Qing Dynasty (from 1644-1912)

shogun

a general who ruled Japan in the emperor’s name

daimyo

a Japanese feudal lord who commanded a private army of samurai

bakufu

military-style government of the Japanese shogun (a shogunate)

“gunpowder empires”

Muslim empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals that employed cannonry and gunpowder to advance their military causes

Ghazi

a “warrior of Islam”

Janissaries

Christian boys taken through the devshirme system, who converted to Islam, and rigorously trained as infantrymen to serve the Ottoman sultan; eventually rose as an elite fighting force in the Ottoman Empire

Sikhism

the doctrines of a monotheistic religion founded in northern India in the 16th c. by Guru Nanak and combining elements of Hinduism and Islam

Sufism

a group of devotional movements in Islam, focused on spiritual rituals (as opposed to doctrine & Sharia law); "Islamic mysticism"

Twelver Shiism

largest branch within the Shi'a sect of Islam; defined by its belief in twelve divinely appointed Imams, who are considered the rightful spiritual and political successors of the Prophet Muhammad

Qizilbash

swordsmen calvary of the Safavid Empire; fought (& lost to) the Ottoman janissaries in the Battle of Chaldiran (1514)

cultural conservatism

tendency in traditional societies to favor continuity of customs, practices and beliefs over any new innovation or progress

“divine right” (Din-I-Ilahi)

introduced by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1582 CE. His idea was to combine Islam and Hinduism into one faith, but also to incorporate aspects of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Jainism

Vodun

also known as Voodoo; a Haitian faith that combines the animist beliefs from West Africa with Roman Catholicism; evidence of the syncretism created when European and African beliefs merged

Santeria

Cuban religion that combines Catholic and West African beliefs

Virgin of Guadalupe

an apparition of the Virgin Mary said to have appeared to a Mexican farmer (Juan Diego) in 1531; she became an icon of Mexican Catholic religious identity

Protestant Reformation

a religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches

Lutherianism

religious doctrine developed by Martin Luther in the 16th c; differed from Catholicism in the doctrine of salvation, which Luther believed could be achieved by faith alone, not by good works; the first Protestant faith

Calvinism

Protestant sect founded by John Calvin in the 16th c.; emphasized a strong moral code and believed in predestination. Calvinists supported constitutional representative government and the separation of church and state

Anglican Church

form of Protestantism set up in England after 1534; established by the Act of Supremacy during the reign of Henry VIII, with the monarch as the Head of the Church of England

English Civil War (1642-1649)

armed conflict between Royalists (supporters of Charles I) and Parliamentarians (led by Oliver Cromwell); resulted in the victory of pro-Parliament forces & the execution of Charles I

Glorious Revolution (1688-1689)

bloodless overthrow of King James II (Catholic); est. William & Mary (James's daughter/Protestant & William of Orange-Netherlands) as new constitutional monarchs of England--AFTER they consented to the English Bill of Rights in 1689

limited monarchy

government in which a constitution or legislative body (like Parliament) limits the monarch's powers; est. in England as a result of the Magna Carta (1215) and the English Bill of Rights (1689)

Enlightenment

European intellectual movement beginning in the 17th c.; focused on rational thought and the understanding of "natural laws" that govern human societies; politically emphasized limited government, natural rights, and individual civil liberties

Seven Years' War (1756-1763)

conflict fought between European powers in Europe, South Asia, North America, and the Caribbean; in North America it was also known as the "French and Indian War" (fought between the English & the French, along with their Native American allies)

balance of power

distribution of military and economic power that prevents any one nation from becoming too powerful; often maintained by the formation of alliances between states in efforts to weaken their rivals