ap world exam vocab: unit 3-4

Inca Empire

Centered in Andes Mountains in western South America. Through conquest and diplomacy, it was built along the western coast. Mit’a system imposed forced labor on indigenous peoples, allowing for creations of extensive road network, public buildings, and under the Spanish, mining. Influence peaked in the 15th century but declined in early 16th century when Spanish conquistadors arrived.

Mexica (Aztec) Empire

Built upon Mayan cultures and fell after arrival of Spanish conquistadors. Capital in central Mexico

European exploration

European kings sent expeditions around Africa into the Indian Ocean and across the Atlantic Ocean seeking trade of spices, silk, etc. from East and SE Asia. Portugal, Spain, France, Britain, the Netherlands initiated the first global contacts and caused the rise of European global influence

Columbian Exchange

Columbus’s expeditions to the Americas triggered exchanges of plants, animals, technology, and diseases globally

Atlantic World

People, politics, religions, goods, and ideas that crossed the Atlantic Ocean after Columbus’s journeys connected Europe, Africa, and North/South America.

Mercantilism

Portugal, Spain, Britain, France, and the Netherlands expanded their maritime empires into global power through the Columbian Exchange. Mercantilism was established as economic nationalism, and under mercantilist policies, nations developed colonies in the Americas and Asia to provide raw materials (sugar, furs, silver, lumber). These products were then sold by companies from the owner (mercantilist) nation all over the world. Each nation competed to gain economic and political power through having as many colonies as possible.

Atlantic Slave Trade

European mercantilists found laborers mainly in West Africa to work on their large Caribbean sugar plantations. 16-19th centuries millions were shipped across the Atlantic through the “Middle Passage”.

Encomienda system

Spanish land-use practice in American colonies and the Philippines. Spanish settlers were granted tracts of land and permitted to use the native people already living on that land as indentured servants.

Mit’a system

Form of labor (road building, public works projects) required by the Incan government and adopted by the Spanish for gold mining.

Mughal Empire

Muslim territory in South Asia mid-16 → 19th centuries. Akbar, one of the most famous leaders practiced religious tolerance. The Taj Mahal was built during Mughal reign and leaders claimed to be descended from the Mongols.

Printing press

Developed in China 500 CE. Arrived in Germany in 15th century via trade routes and spread quickly across Europe. Disseminated tenets of the Reformation and changed human communication.

Ottoman Empire

SW Asia → North Africa and Eastern Europe. Muslim empire 13-early 20th centuries. Ottoman Turks ruled this large empire and was an important political, social, economic connection between Western Europe, Africa, and East Asia

Diasporic cultures

Diasporic = “scattered”. Refugees, missionaries, and merchants set up communities in foreign places, called “diasporas”.

Indigenous cultures

People who were “there first”. Australian aboriginals, Native Americans, etc.

Urbanization

Cities’ importance, growth, and decline. Centers of government, religion, trade, education, and the arts.