AP World - Units 2 and 3

Paleolithic era

Cultural stage marked by use of stone tools, hunter gatherer

Agricultural Revolution

Shift from hunter gatherers to agriculture, domestication, settled civilization

Pastoral society

Nomadic society reliant on domesticated animals for food, labor, and trade

Civilization

Societies based in cities

Mesoamerica

Region including modern-day countries like Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and central to southern Mexico

Hierarchy

System that organizes or ranks things according to power, importance, or family

Patriarchy

System where men are considered greater than women and hold more power

Hinduism

Polytheistic religion believing in reincarnation, karma, the Upanishads, and worship using shrines

Brahman

The World Soul; the final and ultimate reality in Hinduism

Atman

The individual human soul in Hinduism

Moksha

Liberation in Hinduism

Samsara

Rebirth/reincarnation cycle in Hinduism

Karma

Law of cause and effect in Hinduism

Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)

Founder of Buddhism who sought enlightenment and taught the path to end suffering

Nirvana

State of overwhelming serenity in Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism

Portrays the Buddha as a teacher, not divine, and emphasizes self-enlightenment

Mahayana Buddhism

Sect portraying the Buddha as divine and encouraging worship of bodhisattvas

Tibetan Buddhism

Form of Buddhism in Tibet aiming for enlightenment through spiritual practices

Bhakti movement

Devotional movement in Hinduism focusing on intense love and worship of a personal god

Vishnu

Principal Hindu deity known as the 'preserver' and protector of the universe

Confucianism

Chinese ethical system emphasizing morality, family loyalty, and social harmony

Daoism

Chinese philosophy advocating living in harmony with the natural order of the universe

Yin and Yang

Dual forces in the universe in Daoism, representing passive and active principles

Judaism

Monotheistic religion of the Jewish people centered on the belief in one God

Jesus of Nazareth

Central figure in Christianity believed to be the son of God and the savior of humanity

Saint Paul

Early Christian missionary who spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire

Muhammad

Founder of Islam and the final prophet in Islamic belief

Quran

Holy book of Islam believed to be the word of God as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad

Umma

Global community of Muslims bound together by faith

Sunni and Shia division

Main branches of Islam divided over the rightful successor to Muhammad

Ulama

Islamic scholars and jurists who interpret Islamic law and theology

Sharia

Body of Islamic law governing all aspects of a Muslim's life

Madrassas

Islamic religious schools teaching theology, law, and sometimes secular subjects

Sufism

Mystical Islamic belief system emphasizing the inward search for God

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (960-1279) known for its economic revolution and innovations

Hangzhou

China's capital during the Song Dynasty

Foot binding

Chinese practice of tightly wrapping girls' feet for beauty

Kowtowing

Practice of bowing before the emperor with the head touching the ground

Hangul

A phonetic alphabet developed in Korea in the 15th century for cultural independence.

Samurai

Professional Japanese warriors.

Bushido

The martial values of Japanese samurai, emphasizing bravery and loyalty.

Kami

Sacred spirits in Japanese beliefs, including human ancestors and natural phenomena.

Tribute system

Practices requiring subordination and tribute payment to the Chinese emperor.

Chu Nom

A variation of Chinese writing in Vietnam, forming the basis of national literature.

Srivijaya

A Malay kingdom dominating the Strait of Melaka in Indian Ocean trade.

Malay

A nation originating from Malaysia in Southeast Asia.

Khmer Empire

Hindu-Buddhist empire in modern-day Cambodia from 802-1431.

Madjapahit

A significant Southeast Asian state on Java, assimilating Hindu ideas.

Angkor Wat

The largest premodern religious structure, built in the 12th century.

Dar al-Islam

Firmly established Islamic territory from Spain to northern India.

Abbasid Caliphate

Arab dynasty governing much of the Islamic world from Baghdad.

Seljuk Turkic Empire

Empire in Persia and Iraq with rulers adopting the title of sultan.

Sultan

Arabic term meaning 'ruler'.

Sultanates

States governed by a sultan, common in Arabia until 1258.

Ottoman Empire

Major Islamic state centered on Anatolia, existing from 1299-1922.

Constantinople

Capital of the eastern Roman Empire, now known as Istanbul.

Caliph

Title meaning 'Successor to the Prophet'.

Sultanate of Delhi

Turkic state in northern India from 1206-1526.

Jizya

Special tax paid by non-Muslims in Muslim territories.

Al-Andalus

Arabic name for Spain, conquered by Arab and Berber forces.

Swahili civilization

East African civilization emerging in the 8th century, combining Bantu and Islamic cultures.

West African civilization

States in West Africa developing due to trans-Saharan trade, including Ghana, Mali, and Songhay.

Empire of Mali

Prominent state in West Africa, known for gold production and Mansa Musa's pilgrimage.

Trans-Saharan slave trade

Commerce exporting enslaved West Africans to Islamic North Africa.

Timbuktu

Major city in West African civilization, known for Islamic scholarship.

Byzantine Empire/Byzantium

Eastern Roman Empire lasting from 330-1453, center of Christendom.

Ottoman seizure of Constantinople

Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II in 1453.

Kievan Rus

Culturally diverse civilization around Kiev, adopting Christianity in the 10th century.

Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Branch of Christianity in the eastern Roman Empire, separate from Western Christianity.

Western Christendom

Western European branch of Christianity, distinct from Eastern Orthodoxy.

Feudalism

A highly fragmented & decentralized society in which power was held by the landowning warrior elite. Lesser lords & knights swore allegiance to greater lords or kings & thus became their vassals, frequently receiving lands & plunder in return for military service.

Roman Catholic Church

Western European branch of Christianity that gradually defined itself as separate from Eastern Orthodoxy, with a major break occurring in 1054. By the 11th century, Western Christendom was centered on the pope as the ultimate authority in matters of doctrine.

European Renaissance

(1350-1500) A "rebirth" of classical learning associated with the cultural blossoming of Italy, including rediscovery of Greek & Roman learning, major developments in art, and growing secularism. It spread to Northern Europe after 1400.

Maya civilization

(~250-900) A major Mesoamerican civilization known for its elaborate writing system & other intellectual & artistic achievements.

Aztec Empire

(~1300-1450) Major state in modern Mexico, dominated by semi-nomadic Mexica, with the capital Tenochtitlán having a population of ~175k.

Chinampas

Aztec "floating gardens" of fertile soil with high agricultural output.

Inca Empire

(~1400-1550) The largest imperial state in the Americas, built by Quechua-speaking people, stretching ~2500 mi along the Andes Mountains with ~10m subjects.

Quipus

Knotted cords serving as accounting devices in the Incan Empire.

Silk Roads

Land-based trade routes linking many regions of Eurasia, named after the most famous product traded along these routes.

Mongol Empire

(1206-1368) World's largest continuous empire, stretching from Korea to the Persian Gulf, capitulated from military campaigns & the Black Death.

Khubilai Khan

Grandson of Chinggis Khan who ruled China from 1271-1294.

Ming Dynasty

(1368-1644) Chinese Dynasty succeeding the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, known for its return to traditional Chinese ways after the Mongol rule.

Black Death

A massive pandemic that swept through Eurasia in the early 14th century, causing massive loss of life.

Sea Roads

The world's largest sea-based system of exchange before 1500, centered on India and stretching from southern China to eastern Africa.

Great Zimbabwe

(1250-1350) A powerful state in southern Africa that emerged from gold trade.

Zheng He

Chinese admiral who commanded voyages in the Indian Ocean from 1405-1433, aiming to enroll distant states in Chinese tribute.

Arabian Camel

Introduced to North Africa around the 4th century to facilitate trans-Saharan travel.

Mecca

The most important Islamic holy city, located in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

House of Wisdom

An academic center for research & translation of foreign texts, established in Baghdad by the Abbasid caliph al-Mamum in 830.

Crusades

(1095-1291 & 15th century) "Holy wars" waged by Western Christendom against Islamic forces in the eastern Mediterranean & Iberia, also conducted in non-Christian regions of Eastern Europe.

American Web

Network of trade linking parts of the pre-Columbian Americas, providing a means of exchange for luxury goods & ideas over large areas.

Maize

Corn🌽