Comprehensive World History: Civilizations, Religions, and Trade Routes

Judaism

Most influential example of monotheism, AKA Hebrews/Israelites, trace teachings back to Abraham about 4,000 years ago.

Covenant

Jews entered into a mutual promise with Yahweh (God) and are considered the chosen people.

Silk Road

Land trade route that flourished until 600 CE, named after the main traded good: silk from China.

Mauryan Empire

Empire from 322-187 BCE, with greatest leader Ashoka helping to spread Buddhism.

Gupta Empire

Empire from 320 CE-550 CE, known as the Golden Age of India, developed the use of numbers 0-9.

Mediterranean Sea

Major geographic waterway located south of Europe and north of Africa, center of trade for Myceneans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Mesopotamia.

Mandate of Heaven

Universal force that justified an emperor and family to rule China; corruption or disaster meant the emperor was no longer fit to rule.

River Valley Civilizations

Civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Indus River, Nile River, and China that developed due to farming replacing hunting and gathering.

Agricultural Revolution

Farming replaced hunting and gathering as the main source of food, leading to the development of civilizations.

Patriarchy

Power and status in a society dominated by the male gender.

Caste System

Place in society where a person is born and required to stay based on wealth, ethnicity, race, or other social identifiers.

Hinduism

Oldest and largest continuous religion in the world, over 4,000 years old, characterized by worship of many gods and belief in reincarnation.

The Vedas

Large body of religious texts originating in ancient India, written in Vedic Sanskrit from 1500 to 1200 BCE.

Buddhism

Belief system started around 400 BCE in India, focusing on meditation and good behavior to achieve enlightenment.

Zoroastrianism

First monotheistic belief system known to history, with supreme god Ahura Mazda, created by Zoroaster in 1000 BCE.

Confucianism

Belief system in China that guided individual and society behavior, focusing on education, virtue, and respect for authority.

Social Hierarchy

System where societies rank people by privileges and roles, often resembling a pyramid.

Daoism

Chinese belief system emphasizing harmony with nature and balance, developed in response to chaos of the Warring States period.

Filial Piety

Belief in honoring ancestors, significant in Confucianism.

Bureaucracy

System of government where decisions are made by agencies/officials instead of elected representatives.

Civil Service Exam

Exam developed by Han Dynasty in China that tested students on Confucian philosophy, resulting in a meritocratic government.

Indus Script

Earliest known writing system in the Indus Valley, has not been translated yet.

BCE vs. CE

BCE= Before Common Era; CE= Common Era, alternatives to AD and BC, used in the Gregorian calendar.

Meritocracy

Institutions where leaders have earned their position through hard work or an exam system.

Classical Civilizations

Civilizations such as India (Mauryan and Gupta), China (Qin and Han), Persia, Greece, and Rome.

Democracy

System of government where the people rule through voting or government representation.

Dynastic Cycle

Based on Mandate of Heaven, ruling power remains in the family line; corruption and disasters can lead to the fall of dynasties.

Food Surplus

When there is more than enough food for everyone in the community, leading to labor specialization.

Ancestor Worship

Belief system built around reverence of dead family members, foundational to Confucianism.

Labor Specialization

Different types of jobs caused by food surplus during the Agricultural Revolution, leading to social hierarchies.

Civilization

An advanced state of development of a society, judged by complex government, laws, and written records.

Diaspora

Spread of a group of people from origin to foreign lands.

Empire

Territory controlled by a central government with one supreme ruler governing a diverse population.

Matrilineal

Tracing descent through the mother's family, opposite of patrilineal.

Decline of Classical Civilizations

Challenges such as tax collection issues, trade declines, disease spread, and attacks by outside groups.

Trade Networks

A series of roads, waterways, railroads, and air routes that allow groups to trade goods with one another.

Christianity

Monotheistic religion that came out of Roman Provinces, following the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Bantu

Over 500 modern African languages descended from Bantu.

Dar al-Islam

House of Islam; regions of Southern Spain, Northern Africa, Middle East and India unity under Islam.

Islam

Monotheistic religion started by the Prophet Muhammad around 600 CE, followed the teachings of Quran.

Abbasid Caliphate

Islamic empire located in Middle East, capital is Baghdad, influential from 750-1258 CE.

Ibn Battuta

Muslim traveler who dictated travels across the Muslim World and China from 1304-1353.

Margery Kempe

Christian mystic who dictated autobiography of her pilgrimage to Jerusalem, 1373-1440.

Grand Canal

Waterway built in China during the Song Dynasty, 30,000 miles of canals.

Champa Rice

Fast ripening and drought resistant rice crop that allowed increase of crops to twice a year.

Proto-Industrialization

Set of economic changes under Song Dynasty where rural people made more goods than they could sell.

Tribute

Goods or services paid to a dominant state to show loyalty.

Woodblock Printing

System of printing developed by China in 7th century, later used to develop the Gutenberg press.

Syncretic

Fused religions that combine to make new beliefs, e.g., Buddhism + Daoism = Zen Buddhism.

The Tale of Genji

World's first novel written in Japan during the 11th century.

Polygyny

Having more than one wife at the same time.

House of Wisdom

Center of learning developed under Abbasid Caliphate, located in Baghdad.

Mamluk Sultanate

Enslaved people of Turk ethnicity who served as soldiers and bureaucrats in Egypt from 1250-1517.

Seljuk Turks

Central Asian Muslims who conquered parts of Middle East starting in 11th century.

Mongols

Pastoral group from Central Asia united under Genghis Khan, built largest land empire in history.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

Islamic scholar who developed mathematics subjects and built observatory for accurate astronomical charts.

'A'ishah Al-Ba' uniyyah

Sufi mystic and poet, most creative Muslim writer before the 20th century.

Sufism

A mystical form of Islam emphasizing the inward search for God and rejecting materialism.

Bhakti Movement

Hindus fostering loving devotion to God, questioning rigid caste system.

Mit'a System

Incan labor system of mandatory public service for men aged 15-50.

Great Zimbabwe

Massive East African capital city surrounded by stone wall, wealthy trading economy based on gold.

Feudalism

Decentralized government where protection is given through loyalty to a ranked system.

Magna Carta

1215 CE document that forced King John to respect rights of nobles, beginning of democracy in England.

Marco Polo

European explorer across Silk Road in 1200's, influenced European exploration in the 15th century.

Great Schism

1054 split of Christian Church into Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox branches.

Humanism

Focus on man's accomplishments rather than on God only, sought education outside of church.

Vernacular

Using common language to share ideas, e.g., 'y'all' instead of 'you all'.

Pax Mongolica

Eurasian period from 13th-14 centuries (1250-1350 CE) characterized by peace and prosperity under Mongol control.

Kuriltai

Mongolian meeting to elect a new leader, with the leader being known as Khan.

Golden Horde

Army under Genghis Khan's grandson, Batu, that took control of decentralized Russian city-states in 1236 CE.

Caravanserai

Inns located along the Silk Road, about 100 miles apart, providing rest and safety for traders and camels.

Yuan Dynasty

Chinese dynasty led by Kublai Khan that overthrew the Song Dynasty and lasted until 1368.

Flying cash

A credit system used in the Yuan Dynasty to deposit paper money and take as needed.

Maritime Technologies

Innovations such as the lateen sail, dhows, and astrolabe that improved navigation and trade.

Zheng He

Ming Dynasty explorer who led seven great voyages from 1371-1433 CE using 300 junks.

Kingdom of Mali

West African empire known for its wealth and the famous ruler Mansa Musa, who spread Islam.

Gunpowder Empires

Multiethnic states that relied on firearms to conquer and control territories, including the Russian, Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires.

Ivan IV

First Tsar of Russia (1547-1584), known as Ivan the Terrible, who expanded Russian territory using gunpowder.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty from 1368-1644 known for its prosperity and the construction of the Forbidden City.

Qing Dynasty

Chinese dynasty from 1644-1911 ruled by the Manchu, who adopted Chinese culture.

Ghazi Ideal

A model for warrior life in the Ottoman Empire that blended nomadic life with religious duty.

Safavid Empire

Gunpowder empire (1502-1722) that was a Muslim (Shi'a) state and fought with the Ottomans.

Mughal Empire

Gunpowder empire (1526-1739) started by Babur, known for religious tolerance under Akbar the Great.

Divine Right of Kings

European middle ages concept that God determines who rules a kingdom, with the king as both political and religious authority.

Justices of Peace

Officials in England who maintained peace and settled legal matters according to the king's law.

Absolutism

Political system where all authority rests with the king, often associated with the divine right concept.

Coerced Labor

System of labor lacking freedom of choice, including serfdom, mit'a, and chattel slavery.

Peter the Great

Russian ruler (1682-1725) known for Europeanizing Russia and expanding its power.

Devshirme

Ottoman system that forced Christian boys to serve in military and government, ensuring loyalty.

Janissaries

Elite military forces in the Ottoman Empire, part of the Devshirme system.

Zamindars

Mughal government officials who controlled tax collection and construction in the empire.

Protestant Reformation

Movement from 1517-1648 that questioned the Roman Catholic Church and led to the rise of new Christian denominations.

Indulgences

The selling of forgiveness of sin by the Catholic Church, criticized during the Reformation.

Simony

The selling of church office positions, considered a corruption of the Catholic Church.

Shogun

Military leader in Japan

Daimyo

Landholding noble in Japan

Civil War in Japan

Ended in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu took power

Period of Great Peace

Resulted in isolation from the trading world in Japan

Meiji Restoration

Ended the isolation in Japan in 1868

Thirty Years War

Conflict that ended the total power of the Church over states in Europe