World History Midterm Study Guide: Earliest Civilizations, Religions, and Ancient China

Vocabulary flashcards covering key historical terms, religious traditions, philosophical schools, and political systems from early world civilizations and ancient China.

Neolithic Revolution

The period beginning around 10,000 BCE in the Fertile Crescent, translating to 'New stone age,' marked by the transition from hunting and gathering to farming and animal domestication, which introduced settled agriculture, specialization of labor, and social hierarchies.

Cuneiform

The first known writing system, which began in Urk between 3400 and 3200 BCE, named after the wedge-shaped reeds pressed into clay tablets to document Mesopotamian life.

Oracle Bones

Animal or turtle shells inscribed with religious texts for ceremonies during the Shang dynasty in ancient China; their preservation provided evidence of early Chinese logographic writing and proved the historical existence of the Shang dynasty.

Specialization of Labor

The division of work into singular tasks (such as farmers or butchers) following human settlement during the Neolithic Revolution, which replaced multi-task hunter-gatherer roles and created social hierarchies topped by rulers and priests.

Abraham/Ibrahim

The figure regarded as the father of the three largest monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), believed to have lived near Ur during the Middle Bronze Age around 2000 to 1700 BCE.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophy and religion established during the Warring States period around the 3rd and 4th century BCE that focused on living in harmony with the natural flow of the universe ('the Dao') rather than forcing outcomes.

Confucianism

A religion and philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius (551 to 479 BCE) during China's Warring States period, teaching that order could be restored through moral cultivation, core interpersonal relationships, and political legitimacy via the Mandate of Heaven.

Vedas

The oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, divided into four collections of hymns and rituals meant to maintain relations between humans and gods; dating from 1500 BCE to 500 BCE in the Indus Region of northwest India.

Legalism

A Chinese philosophical system based on the belief that humans are naturally self-interested and require clear laws with strict punishments and high rewards; adopted by the Qin dynasty to unify China and standardize laws, punishments, weights, measurements, and writings.

Warring States Period

An era of constant warfare among Chinese states from 475 to 221 BCE near the Yellow River region following the decline of Zhou royal power, prompting the rise of Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism.

Mandate of Heaven

The political doctrine originating under the Zhou Dynasty in 1046 BCE stating that a ruler's legitimacy comes from divine selection rather than man, with natural disasters, famines, and wars serving as signs that the ruler has lost divine favor.

Zhou Feudalism

The political system instituted in 1046 BCE after the conquest of the Shang, in which the Zhou king granted financial aid and territory to regional governors in exchange for loyalty, military support, tributes, and ritual duties.

Caliphate

Like a kingdom to a king, caliphate referred to the land that a caliph ruled

over. A caliph was both a religious leader and a political leader of the Muslim world.

They protected both muslim law and the faith. There were four major caliphs following

Muhammod, starting with Abu Baker. When Muhammad died, there was a power

vacuum that the caliphates were designed to fill in 632 CE.