The Global Tapestry Vocabulary

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (960-1279 CE) known for its advancements in technology, economy, and culture.

Confucianism

Philosophy emphasizing ethics, education, and respect for hierarchy and family.

Filial Piety

Confucian virtue of respect for one's parents and ancestors.

Neo-Confucianism

Syncretic philosophy combining Confucianism with Buddhist and Daoist elements.

Theravada Buddhism

Branch of Buddhism focusing on personal spiritual growth through meditation and self-discipline; prevalent in Southeast Asia.

Mahayana Buddhism

Branch of Buddhism emphasizing spiritual growth for all beings and service; popular in China and Korea.

Tibetan Buddhism

Form of Buddhism focusing on chanting and rituals; dominant in Tibet.

Chan (Zen) Buddhism

Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism popular during the Tang and Song Dynasties.

Champa Rice

Fast-ripening, drought-resistant rice from Vietnam that allowed multiple harvests per year in China.

Grand Canal

Extensive waterway system in China facilitating trade and transportation.

Imperial Bureaucracy

Large organization in China where appointed officials carried out the policies of the empire.

Meritocracy

System where officials obtained positions based on merit, often through civil service exams.

Woodblock Printing

Technique for printing text, images, or patterns used widely throughout East Asia, originating in China.

Scholar Gentry

Confucian-educated social class that became the most influential in China.

Abbasid Caliphate

Islamic empire (750-1258 CE) that experienced a golden age of culture and learning.

Seljuk Empire

Turkic empire in Persia and Iraq during the 11th and 12th centuries, instrumental in spreading Islam.

Mamluk Sultanate

Political unit in Egypt established by Mamluks, former slave soldiers, known for defeating the Mongols.

Delhi Sultanate

Islamic government established in India from 1206-1526, marking the beginning of Muslim rule in the region.

House of Wisdom

Academic center in Baghdad for research and translation of foreign texts during the Islamic Golden Age.

Sufism

Islamic mystical tradition emphasizing introspection and spiritual closeness to God.

Al-Andalus

Muslim-ruled region in Spain known for its cultural and scientific achievements.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

Persian mathematician and one of the most celebrated Islamic scholars.

'A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah

Most prolific female Muslim writer and poet before the 20th century.

Bhakti Movement

Hindu devotional movement emphasizing love and devotion to God.

Srivijaya Empire

Maritime empire based on the island of Sumatra that controlled trade routes in Southeast Asia.

Majapahit Empire

Javanese Hindu-Buddhist empire that dominated maritime Southeast Asia.

Sinhala Dynasties

Buddhist kingdoms in Sri Lanka known for their advanced irrigation systems.

Rajput Kingdoms

Hindu kingdoms in northern India known for their warrior ethos and resistance to Islamic invasions.

Vijayanagara Empire

South Indian empire established to resist Islamic invasions and preserve Hindu traditions.

Karma

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the sum of a person's actions determining their future existences.

Dharma

In Hinduism, the moral duty based on class, status, and station in life.

Reincarnation

Belief in the rebirth of a soul in a new body.

Brahman

Hindu concept of the ultimate reality or universal spirit.

Vedas

Oldest collection of scriptures of Hinduism and religious texts in ancient Sanskrit.

Mississippian Culture

Native American civilization known for mound-building and complex societies.

Cahokia

Largest Mississippian city, notable for its large earthen mounds.

Chaco Canyon

Center for Ancestral Puebloan culture in the American Southwest, known for massive stone buildings.

Mesa Verde

Site in Colorado with cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans.

Maya City-States

Independent city-states in Mesoamerica known for advancements in writing, mathematics, and astronomy.

Aztec Empire

Mesoamerican empire known for military prowess and complex social structure.

Inca Empire

South American empire known for extensive road system and centralized economy.

Teotihuacan

Major city in Mesoamerica that was a center for cultural and religious activities.

Olmec

Earliest known Mexican civilization.

Great Zimbabwe

Powerful city-state in southeastern Africa known for its stone structures.

Ethiopia

Christian kingdom in East Africa with a history of resistance to Islamic expansion.

Hausa Kingdoms

Collection of city-states in West Africa known for trade and Islamic scholarship.

Mali Empire

West African empire known for wealth, especially under Mansa Musa.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade routes across the Sahara Desert facilitating exchange of goods and ideas.

Swahili City-States

Coastal trading cities in East Africa blending African and Arab cultures.

Bantu Migrations

Spread of Bantu-speaking peoples from their homeland in what is now southern Nigeria to most of Africa.

Feudalism

Hierarchical system where land was exchanged for military service and labor.

Manorial System

Economic system where peasants worked land owned by lords in exchange for protection.

Serfdom

Labor system where peasants were tied to the land and subject to the lord's control.

Three-Field System

Agricultural method increasing productivity by rotating crops.

Crusades

Series of religious wars initiated by European Christians to reclaim the Holy Land.

Renaissance

Cultural revival of classical art, literature, and learning in Europe.

Humanism

Intellectual movement focusing on human potential and achievements.

Monarchies

Governments where supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch.

Oligarchy

Form of government where a small group of elites make decisions for everyone.

Patriarchy

Society in which men hold power within the family, governance, and/or economics.

Belief System

a set of principles or tenets which together form the basis of a religion, philosophy, or moral code.

Dynasty

a powerful family or group of rulers that maintains its position or power for some time

tribute

Money paid by one country to another in return for protection

Caliphate

Islamic empire ruled by those believed to be the successors to the Prophet Muhammad.

State

An area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs.