AP World exam

magna carta

Many english nobles objected to the amount of power of the monarch so they forced king john to sign this to limit his power, making him required to respect certain rights like a right to a jury trial 

renaissance

"rebirth"; following the Middle Ages, a movement that centered on the revival of interest in the classical learning of Greece and Rome; began in Florence, Italy and spread throughout Europe

feudalism

A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land

Genghis khan

means ruler of all, original name was Temujin, khan of the mongols, brutally killed then ruled peacefully, religiously tolerant

caravanserai

an inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa; allowed caravans and their camels to rest in a protected environment, encouraging trade

flying cash

Chinese credit instrument that provided credit vouchers to merchants to be redeemed at the end of the voyage; reduced danger of robbery; early form of currency

mongol empire

had the most significant impact on trade; parts of the silk road that were under different rulers were for the first time under a unified government; improved roads and punished bandits (increasing the safety on the silk roads); spread all across Asia and the middle east; largest continuous land empire in history; Pax Mongolica= peace and revitalized trade between Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Europe; conquests spread the Black Death; used centralized power

golden horde

Mongol khanate founded by Genghis Khan's grand son, Batu. It was based in southern Russia and quickly adopted both the Turkic language and Islam; became a tribute state for the Mongols

Zheng He

(1371-1433?) Chinese Ming Dynasty naval explorer who sailed along most of the coast of Asia, Japan, and half way down the east coast of Africa before his death; facilitated China's role in the tribute system in the Indian Ocean trade network

Songhai kingdom

an Islamic West African empire that conquered Mali and controlled trade from the end of the 16th century; eventually defeated by the Moroccans who were broke after fighting with Portugal

trans-saharan trade

trade routes across the Sahara Desert; traded gold, enslaved peoples, ivory and salt; camels, camel caravans, and camel saddles were crucial in the development of these trade networks; facilitated the spread of Islam and linked West Africa to Mecca for participation in the hajj

black death

the plague, major epidemic broke out between 1347-1351 killed 25 million people in Europe, the Mongol conquests helped transmit the fleas that spread the disease from southern china to central asia to southeast asia and europe. The caravanserai also contributed to the spread because the animals carried the infected fleas 

lateen sails

Triangular sails invented by arab sailors that could easily catch winds from many directions allowing it to sail in different directions

champa rice

Quick-maturing rice that can allow two harvests in one growing season; led to increased populations in Song Dynasty China. Originally introduced into Vietnam from India, it was later sent to China as a tribute gift by the Champa state (as part of the tributary system.)

ming dynasty

Chinese society after Kublai Khan’s Yuan Dynasty fell; chinese people in the Yuan dynasty alienated the Chinese by hiring foreigners for government and not following Confucianism; fall of the Mongols started happening everywhere

gunpowder empires

large, multiethnic states in southwest, central, and south asia that relied on firearms to conquer and control territories. Ex. Russia and three where Islam were strong- ottoman, safavid, and the mughal empires

Safavid empires

A Shi'ite Muslim dynasty that ruled in Persia (Iran and parts of Iraq) from the 16th-18th centuries that had a mixed culture of the Persians, Ottomans, and Arabs.

Mughal empire

Muslim state (1526-1857) exercising dominion over most of India in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; often had difficulties managing such a large, diverse empire; practiced Sunni Islam

divine rights of kings

the idea that monarchs are God's representatives on earth and are therefore answerable only to God.

english bill of rights

assured individual liberties. Parliament checked the monarch’s powers and in 1689, England's rulers William and Mary signed this.

romanov dynasty

took control of Russia in 1613 after a period of turmoil following Ivan’s death in 1584. Under this there were three main groups in Russia that had conflicting desires and agendas- the Church (conserving traditional values and traditions), the boyars (desiring to gain and hold power), and members of the tsar’s royal family.

devshirme

the system by which boys from Christian communities were taken by the Ottoman state to serve as Janissaries (elite military units)

Akbar

ruled Muhgal empire from 1556-1605 was the best Mughal leader, defeated Hindu armies and grew the empire. In Delhi he established an efficient gov and a system to administer laws, men from central Asia came to serve him and helped create a strong centralized gov and an effective civil service

Taj Majal

mausoleum (tomb) in India built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan; completed in 1649 in memory of his favorite wife; illustrates syncretic blend between Indian and Arabic architectural styles as well as Islamic influences with calligraphy from the Quran

versailles

Palace constructed by Louis XIV outside of Paris to glorify his rule and subdue the nobility; late 17th-early 18th century

protestant reformation

religious movement begun by German monk Martin Luther who began to question the practices of the Catholic Church beginning in 1519; split the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the 'protesters' forming several new Christian denominations: Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican Churches (among many others)

counter reformation

the reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the Protestant Reformation; reaffirming the veneration of saints and the authority of the Pope (to which Protestants objected), ended sale of indulgences and simony, created Jesuits missionaries, but also the began the Inquisition

Martin Luther

a German monk who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses, or statements of belief attacking the church practices; began the Protestant Reformation

Thirty years war

a war that resulted from the Protestant Reformation (1618-1648 CE); occurred in the Holy Roman Empire between German Protestants and their allies (Sweden, Denmark, France) and the emperor and his ally, Spain who supported Roman Catholicism; ended in 1648 after great destruction with Treaty of Westphalia

maritime empires

European traders became links between Afro- Eurasia and the Americas: America had sugar, tobacco, and rum, Africa had enslaved people, and Asia had silk, spices, and rhubarb. This extensive trade transformed Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, France, and Holland into these types of empires which are based on sea travel.

mercantilism

economic system where nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold/silver and by exporting more goods than they imported; colonies were crucial in the accumulation of wealth; prevalent from 16th - 19th centuries.

trading post empires

imperial dominance based on control of trade rather than on control of subject peoples; practiced by Europeans in the Indian Ocean as they took over trade from Arab and Muslim merchant

northwest passage

the passage the Columbus was trying to find; a route westward from the Atlantic Ocean to the riches of the Pacific Ocean; above Canada and below the Arctic Circle

columbian exchange

 exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus' voyages.

transatlantic slave trade

A three segment trading voyage from Europe, West Africa, and the Americas. Enslaved Africans became part of the Atlantic trading system. European manufactured goods (such as firearms) would go to west Africa, enslaved africans would then go to the Americas, and lastly sugar or tobacco would head to Europe.

African diaspora

A dispersion of Africans out of Africa; usually slaves but still maintained some aspects of their culture 

conquistadores

spanish soldiers, ex. Frances Pizarro and Hernán Cortés who conquered new lands. In the new world they brought smallpox and other diseases with them which helped them to take over native american lands.

middle passage

Captive africans who were swept away from their families were taken to holding pens in West Africa. After this they were crammed in a dark cargo section of a ship, provided with little food or even room for movement. This was the grueling journey across the Atlantic and it got this name because it was the middle part of the captives’ journey. Many captured Africans attempted to rebel at sea, but many failed. The journey was about 6 weeks and normally around half of the passengers died on the way. 

encomienda

grant of land made by Spain to a Spanish settler in the Americas, including the right to use local indigenous peoples as laborers on the farm

indentured servitude

worker bound by a voluntary agreement to work for a specified period of years often in return for free passage to an overseas destination; before 1800 (19th century) most were Europeans; after 1800 most indentured laborers were South or East Asians

aztec empire

also known as the Mexicas, they were originally hunter gatherers in central mexico; their capital was Tenochtitlán (present day Mexico City); they had a network of aqueducts, The Great Pyramid, and floating gardens; developed a tribute system over conquered people; government was a theocracy ruled by an empire called the Great Speaker- representative of the gods; rituals and human sacrifices to honor their gods

inca empire

many tribes combined to create the full state, in South America; conquered people did not have to pay tribute, but they were subject to the mit’a system which was mandatory public service; practiced animism- the belief that the elements of the physical world could have supernatural powers; still did human sacrifice but not as much as the Aztecs

comercial revolution

The transformation to a trade-based economy using gold and silver. It affected all regions of the world and resulted from four key factors: the development of European overseas colonies, the opening of new ocean trade routes, population growth, and inflation, caused partly by the pressure of the increasing population and partly by the increased amount of gold and silver that was mined and put in circulation.

joint-stock company

exploration company made up of a group of shareholders; each shareholder contributed money to the company and received some share of the company's profits and debts; used by European rulers to finance exploration and were used by rulers to compete against one another in global trade: (ex: British East India Company and Dutch East Indian Company)

east India company

British joint-stock company that controlled most of India during the period of imperialism.; controlled the political, social, and economic life in India for more than 200 years.

Dutch east India company

Dutch-chartered joint-stock company that controlled the spice trade in the East Indies.

Monopoly

Patterns of trade were maintained through these charted by European rulers. They granted certain merchants- usually through joint-stock companies- or the government itself the exclusive right to trade.

syncretism

The unification or blending of opposing people, ideas, or practices, frequently in the realm of religion. For example, when Christianity or Buddhism was adopted by people in a new land, they often incorporated it into their existing culture and traditions.

Metacom’s war

English colonists used underhand tactics in their continuing pressure to control Native American lands resulting in this war. It is also called King Philip's War. This conflict was the final major effort of the indigenous people to drive the British from New England. The war spread throughout New England and resulted in the destruction of 12 towns. Some Native American groups, including the Mohegan and Pequot, sided with the English. Although Native American peoples continued to live in the region, the war ended with the subjugation of the Wampanoag people to the English colonists.

glorious revolution

In England in 1685, James 2 became King and he was a Catholic. He had anti- Protestant measures which made many English people very upset. Some nobles invited William of Orange to come and invade England and take over the crown and become the new king. He agreed and came to England in 1688, meanwhile James fled to France. In 1689 Wiallam and his wife Mary 2 ruled England together. They were both Protestants. This can also be called the Bloodless Revolution. It strengthened the power of Parliament, which passed a law saying that Catholics could not rule England.

Qing dynasty

last imperial dynasty of China; founded in 1644 by the Manchus and ruled China for more than 260 years; expanded China's borders to include Taiwan, Tibet, Chinese Central Asia, and Mongolia; preceded by the Ming Dynasty and succeeded by the People's Republic in 1912

Louis VIX

He was the King of France in the mid- 1600s. A failed uprising in France by the noble class convinced him that he must keep power from the common people and the nobility.

Which of the following was most responsible for the initial spread of Islam to West Africa?

Merchants utilizing the trans-Saharan trade routes, significantly influencing local cultures and economies.

Between 200 B.C.E. and 1450 C.E., the Silk Roads linked which of the following?

They linked people in Africa, Europe, and Asia. The Silk Roads went through the Gobi Desert and mountain passes in China and Central Asia to Southwest Asia and Europe, on which merchants tended to specialize in luxury goods. East Asia and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Mongol conquests of much of Eurasia in the thirteenth century tended to encourage trade along the Silk Roads primarily by…

decreasing the risk of bandit attacks and reducing the number of local rulers collecting tribute from trade caravans. Often called Pax Mongolia, the route was protected under the Mongol empire.

Which of the following resulted from the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire following the death of Genghis Khan?

The power of the Mongol empire split between three of his grandson’s who all set up their own khanates to help spread the empire but it also fragmented it into the Golden Horde, Yuan Dynasty, and the Il-Khanate. Formation of several independent Khanates, each ruled by a different descendant of Genghis Khan

Which of the following statements is accurate about the Mongols during the 1200s and the 1300s?

The Mongols facilitated the diffusion of many Chinese inventions.

Which of the following societies engaged in extensive maritime trade well beyond their borders in the fifteenth century?

The Chinese society, under the Ming Dynasty, in the Indian Ocean.

Which of the following was the most important factor in the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia in the period circa 1250-1500 C.E.?

The activities of Muslim traders and Sufi missionaries.

Before 1450 C.E. which of the following is true of sub-Saharan Africa's commercial economy?

Sub- Saharan Africa exported gold to the middle east and Europe.

Which of the following characterized the trans- Saharan trade by 1250 C.E.?

the dominance of Muslim merchants, the exchange of low-priced commodities, and the use of camels for trade.

Which of the following was the most important factor in the spread of the bubonic plague in Eurasia?

Rats and The Mongol expansion from Central Asia to China, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Which of the following contributed the most to the Ottoman Empire’s successful expansion in Europe and the Middle East in the period from 1450 to 1600?

The Ottomans' adoption of the latest gunpowder and artillery technology

Which is the most likely reason that rulers during the seventeenth century built elaborate palaces such as the one at Versailles…

to demonstrate their wealth and power.

During the seventeenth century, one of the reasons Africans participated in the African slave trade was…

demand for weapons among African elites. European traders, especially the Portuguese, offered weapons as a form of payment for slaves.

Which of the following best exemplifies mercantilism as it was practiced in the Atlantic trading system by 1750?

The protection of European merchant companies by their respective governments.

During the period 1450 to 1750, which of the following commodities was most responsible for transforming the global economy?

Silver commodities