AP World History: Unit 1 PK

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes (Pages 1–9).

Homo Sapiens

The species of human beings; anatomically modern humans.

Agricultural Revolution

Shift from foraging to farming and domestication of plants and animals; enabling settled farming and pastoral societies.

Paleolithic Era

The long pre-agricultural period when humans hunted, gathered, and fished; subsistence persisted after agriculture.

Pastoral Societies

Societies based on raising livestock rather than crops.

Civilization

A society with a productive agricultural base that can support many people who do not produce their own food.

Patriarchy

A social system in which men hold primary power; linked to plow-based agriculture, warfare, and private property.

Caste System (India)

Indian social hierarchy based on occupation and ritual purity; China had broader categories such as scholar-gentry, landlords, peasants, merchants.

Hinduism

A major Indian religion with diverse beliefs, practices, and philosophies.

Brahmin

A priestly caste responsible for sacrifices and rituals.

Upanishads

Indian mystical and philosophical works written roughly 800–400 BCE.

Atman

The individual soul; in Hindu thought, a part of Brahman.

Moksha

Liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

Samsara

The cycle of rebirth or reincarnation.

Karma

Actions appropriate to one’s station that influence rebirth.

Siddhartha Gautama

The Indian prince who became the Buddha and founded Buddhism.

Buddha

The awakened one; symbol of enlightenment in Buddhism.

Eightfold Path

The Buddhist path of ethical conduct, meditation, and wisdom.

Nirvana

Enlightenment; extinguishing of desire and the self.

Theravada Buddhism

Teaching of the Elders; early form where Buddha is a wise teacher, not a god.

Mahayana Buddhism

Great Vehicle; later Buddhist movement with emphasis on compassion and celestial beings.

Bodhisattvas

Enlightened beings who postpone final liberation to help others.

Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhism in Tibet; emphasis on learned lamas and death awareness.

Lamas

Learned Tibetan Buddhist teachers.

Bhakti Movement

Hindu devotional movement focusing on intense worship of a deity.

Mahabharata

Long Indian epic describing dynastic conflict and philosophy.

Vaishyas

Hindu merchants.

Shudras

Hindu workers.

Analects

Writings by Confucius and his followers.

Confucianism

Chinese philosophy emphasizing moral example of superiors to sustain social order.

Five Confucian Relationships

Relationships: father–son, husband–wife, older brother–younger brother, ruler–subject.

Han Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) that established long-lasting political and cultural patterns.

Filial Piety

Respect for one's ancestors and parents.

Daoism

Chinese philosophy promoting harmony with the Dao and simple living.

Laozi

Traditionally the founder or sage associated with Daoism; attributed author of Dao De Jing.

Daodejing

The Way and Its Power; foundational Daoist text.

Yin/Yang

Concept of complementary opposites in Chinese thought.

Abrahamic Faiths

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; traditions tracing to Abraham.

Judaism

Monotheistic religion of the Hebrews; Yahweh; emphasis on justice and covenant.

Jesus of Nazareth

Jewish teacher whose life and teachings led to Christianity.

Saint Paul

Early Christian missionary who spread Christianity among Gentiles.

Perpetua

Christian martyr from Carthage who inspired others.

Muhammad

Prophet and founder of Islam; revelations recorded in the Quran.

Quran

The holy text of Islam; words of God as revealed to Muhammad.

Umma

Community of all Muslims bound by faith.

Ulama

Islamic scholars who shape and transmit core teachings.

Sharia

Islamic law; a path to living life governed by God.

Madrassas

Formal Islamic schools for religious and secular instruction.

Sufism

Islamic mysticism focusing on inward purification and union with God.

Silk Roads

Land-based trade routes linking Eurasia; named for the silk traded along them.

Sea Roads

World’s largest premodern sea-based trade network, centered on India.

Sand Roads

Trans-Saharan trade routes linking West Africa to the Mediterranean.

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (960–1279) noted for scholarly Neo-Confucianism and economic growth.

Chinese Examination System

Civil service examinations to recruit government officials.

Hangzhou

Song capital; population over a million at its height.

Footbinding

Practice of binding girls' feet to small size; beauty standard.

Silla

Korean kingdom; later Koryo and Joseon dynasties.

Koryo

Korean dynasty after Unified Silla.

Joseon

Later Korean dynasty (1392–1910).

Hangul

Korean phonetic alphabet developed in the 15th century.

Samurai

Japanese warrior class; local military power and governance.

Bushido

The Way of the Warrior; values of courage, loyalty, and honor.

Kami

Sacred spirits in Shinto; ancestors and nature phenomena.

Tale of Genji

Classic Japanese novel by Murasaki Shikibu (c. 1000) exploring court life.

Tribute System

Practice requiring subordination and tribute to the Chinese emperor for trade rights.

Chu nom

Vietnamese script derived from Chinese characters; southern script.

Srivijaya

Malay kingdom dominating the Strait of Malacca (670–1025 CE).

Majapahit

Southeast Asian empire centered on Java; Hindu ideas; peak in 14th century.

Angkor Wat

Largest religious structure in the premodern world; built by the Angkor kingdom.

Abbasid Caliphate

Arab Muslim caliphate centered in Baghdad; ruled vast Islamic world from 750 CE.

Seljuk Turkic Empire

11th–12th-century empire in Persia/Iraq; Islam and Turkish leadership.

Ottoman Empire

Major Islamic state centered on Anatolia; spanned Europe, Asia, Africa (14th–20th c.).

Constantinople

Capital of the eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire; fell to the Ottomans in 1453.

Caliph

Leader (successor) of the Prophet and the Muslim community.

Jizya

Tax on non-Muslims (dhimmis) in Muslim-ruled territories in exchange for protection.

Al-Andalus

Islamic Spain; a site of cultural encounter between Islamic and Christian worlds.

Swahili Civilization

East African city-states blending Bantu and Islamic influences within Indian Ocean trade.

Ibn Battuta

Arab traveler and scholar who visited the Swahili coast in the 14th century.

Mali

West African empire (1235–c. 1600s); known for gold and Mansa Musa's pilgrimage.

West African Civilization

Series of states (Ghana, Mali, Songhai, etc.) along the trans-Saharan trade network.

Trans-Saharan Slave Trade

Slavery across the Sahara; enslaved West Africans shipped to Islamic North Africa.

Timbuktu

Major West African city and center of Islamic scholarship.

Seizure of Constantinople

Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453; end of Byzantine rule.

Byzantine Empire

Continuation of the eastern Roman Empire; lasted until 1453.

Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Christian tradition in the Byzantine world; distinct practices and church structure.

Kievan Rus

Early East Slavic state centered in Kiev; Christianization in the 10th century.

Western Christendom

Western European Catholic tradition; break with the East in 1054.

Feudalism

Decentralized system with lords and vassals; military service tied to land.

Roman Catholic Church

Western Christian church under the pope; separate from Eastern Orthodoxy.

High Middle Ages

Period of significant economic and social change in Western Europe.

Black Death

14th-century plague that reshaped European society.

Renaissance

Cultural rebirth in Europe; revival of classical learning and secular ideas.

Maya Civilization

Mesoamerican civilization known for writing and astronomy (250–900 CE).

Aztec Empire (Mexica)

Central Mexican empire dominated by the Mexica in the 14th–16th centuries.

Triple Alliance

Mexica-led alliance with neighboring city-states to expand power.

Tenochtitlan

Aztec capital city on Lake Texcoco.

Chinampas

Floating gardens; artificial islands for high-productivity agriculture.

Inca Empire

Largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas; Andes; ~10 million people.

Quipus

Knotted cords used for accounting and record-keeping.

Quechua

Indigenous language of the Inca; used in administration and culture.

Mita

Labor tribute system; households contributed labor to the state.