AP World History Modern: Midterm/Finals Review

Caliph

The chief Muslim political and religious leader.

Serf

An agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on their lord's estate.

Grand Canal

The 1,100-mile (1,700-kilometer) waterway linking the Yellow and the Yangzi Rivers, completed during the Sui Dynasty.

Dar al Islam

A term representing the political and religious unity of various Islamic groups.

Maya city-states

Classical culture in Southern Mexico and Central America, contemporary with Teotihuacan, featuring monumental architecture and written language.

Mita

A labor system used by Andean societies in which community members shared work owed to rulers and the religious community.

Manorialism

Economic system during the Middle Ages revolved around self-sufficient farming estates where lords and peasants shared the land.

Bantu Migration

The movement of the Bantu peoples southward in sub-Saharan Africa, spreading language and farming techniques.

House of Wisdom

Large Islamic-based library and learning center in Baghdad, focused on converting Greek and Roman classics into Arabic.

Bhakti Movement

A popular development in Hinduism advocating intense devotion to a particular deity.

Filial Piety

A virtue in Confucian thought emphasizing love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.

Meritocracy

A government system where power is held by individuals chosen based on their abilities.

Vijayanagara Kingdom

Southern Indian kingdom (1336-1565) that later fell to the Mughals, using Hinduism as a unifying factor.

Civil Service Examination System

Exams that Chinese bureaucrats passed to serve in state, based on Confucian concepts.

Christianity

The religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

Vassal

A person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance.

Bill of exchange

A document promising payment of a set amount on a designated date.

Monsoon winds

Seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean, blowing from the southwest in summer and from the northeast in winter.

Paper money

Legal currency issued on paper developed in China as an alternative to coins.

Mansa Musa

Emperor of Mali who made a pilgrimage to Mecca and established trade routes to the Middle East.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty that ruled from 1368 to 1644 and created a wealth of cultural and economic development.

Banking Houses

Establishments for conducting banking, which emerged in Europe.

Samarkand

City in Uzbekistan, crucial stop on the Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean.

Nomadic

Moving from place to place.

Pax Mongolica

Period of relative peace and stability established by the Mongol Empire.

Kublai Khan

Mongolian emperor of China, completing the Mongol conquest of China.

Golden Horde

Mongol khanate founded by Batu, based in southern Russia.

Swahili

Bantu language with Arabic loanwords spoken in coastal East Africa.

Urdu

Official language of Pakistan, blending Hindi grammar with Arabic vocabulary.

Timbuktu

Wealthy trading city in Mali, known for its center of learning.

Hangzhou

China's capital during the Song dynasty, with a population exceeding a million.

Constantinople

Capital of the Byzantine Empire.

Lateen sail

Triangular sail allowing ships to sail against the wind.

Ibn Battuta

Moroccan Muslim scholar who wrote about his travels across Islamic lands.

Genghis Khan

United Mongol tribes, creating the largest land empire in history.

Bubonic Plague

Disease that spread to Europe from Mongols during the Middle Ages, killing a third of the population.

Deforestation

The removal of trees faster than forests can replenish.

Champa Rice

Quick-maturing, drought-resistant rice brought to China from Vietnam.

Stern Rudder

Device controlling the sailing direction of a ship.

Margery Kempe

Wrote the first autobiography in English, detailing her pilgrimages.

Zheng He

Chinese naval explorer who traveled extensively across Asia and Africa.

Astrolabe

Navigational instrument for determining location by observing stars.

Khans

Rulers of the Mongol Empire.

Silk Road

Ancient trade route connecting China and the Mediterranean.

Portuguese explore

Brought back knowledge and goods from Asia, strengthening European trade.