AP World History Time Period One (1200-1450) Key Terms

Roman Catholicism/ Catholicism

The major Christian branch practiced in Western Europe during the Middle Ages.

Eastern Orthodoxy

The major Christian denomination practiced in the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages

Byzantine

The term used to describe the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of Rome

Tithe

Taxes paid by peasants and serfs to members of the local clergy to help financially support them

Excommunication

Act of banning someone's membership to the church. During the middle ages this would mean someone would become a social outcast and assumed to be damned to hell

Pope

The head of the Catholic Church, who was viewed in the Middle Ages as god's representative on Earth

Constantinople

Capital city of the Byzantine Empire during the Middle Ages

Decentralization

Process and outcome by which there is no major empire governing a major swath of territory, instead the political situation is marked by many different competing states. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the European continent became very fragmented politically.

Crusades

Set of holy wars, where Catholic knights and nobles travelled to the Middle East to secure Jerusalem from Islamic control

Manors/ Manor System

A self-sufficient agricultural community commonly found in Europe during the Middle Ages

Feudalism

Social-Political system where kings and high ranking nobles would give out pieces of land to lesser nobles in exchange for their military service, taxes, and loyalty.

Fief

A grant of land under feudalism

Knights

The elite mounted warriors of Medieval Europe

Serfs/ Serfdom

Medieval agricultural laborers in Europe who would work the lord's fief in exchange for a place to stay and the lord's security and protection

Homage/ Fealty

A medieval pledge of loyalty

Vassal

Term for an individual who receives a fief under feudalism, agreeing to serve a higher up

Estates system

The three main social classes of medieval Europe

First Estate

Under the estates system, the members of the clergy whose job is to perform sacraments, mass services, and spiritual guidance to the people

Second Estate

Under the estates system, the members of the nobility, whose job it is to protect the clergy and the peasants under their charge

Third Estate

Under the estates system, people who were not clergy or nobility, whose job it was to financially and economically support the other estates

Agrarian

Term which means agricultural or based on farming

Islam

Monotheistic religion in the Middle East founded by Muhammad

Caliph

Arabic for "successor". This person was both the head of the Islamic state and the Islamic religion

Jizya

Non-Muslim Tax imposed on anyone in the Abbasid Caliphate who was not a converted Muslim

Dhimmis/ People of the Book

Term given by Muslims to Chrisitians and Jews because they worshiped the same god. Under Sharia, they could not be enslaved and were entitled to legal protections

Abbasid Caliphate

The greatest of the early Islamic empires, which riuled the Middle East and North Africa from the 9th Century until the 13th century

House of Wisdom

Medieval center of learning built in Baghdad by the Abbasid Caliphate. There Islamic scholars translated the works of earlier civilizations and built on their scientific works. Scholars there also made great advances in astronomy, medicine, mathematics, and engineering

Turks

Ethnic group from Central Asia, who became the main mercenaries of the Abbasid Caliphate before its collapse. They became the new powerful elites in the Medieval Islamic world

South Asia

Region commonly called India

Hinduism

Major dominant religion in India. It is polytheistic, believes in reincarnation, and the practice of a rigid social hierarchy

Caste System

Rigid social hierarchy of India, where once a person is born they are stuck in the social class and there is no chance of social mobility.

Dharma

Term in Hinduism which is the duties one must perform in their caste

Kharma

The energy one accumulates based on how they perform in their caste which effects their caste in the next life

Samsara/ Reincarnation

In Hinduism, it means cycle and its the belief that the soul or atman does not die after death but instead inhabits a new body

Moksha

The ultimate goal under Hinduism. It is where one's samsara has ended and they become one with the Brahmin or fabric of the universe

Buddhism

Major religion established in India by Siddhartha Gautama focused on escaping reincarnation through enlightenment by following the eight fold path

Nirvana

The ultimate goal under Buddhism which is an enlightened state of being, characterized by a perpetual state of happiness and absence of pain and suffering

Delhi Sultanate

Major Turkic Islamic empire in Northern India during the period 1200-1450. Marked the arrival of the first Muslims into India.

Aztec Empire

Major Native American empire in Northern Mexico based around Lake Texcoco

Tenochtitlan

Capital city of the Aztec Empire built on top of Lake Texcoco

Chinampas

Gardens built by the Aztecs on top of lake Texcoco

Andes

Mountain range in Western South America

Inca Empire

Powerful Native American empire in the Andes Mountain range

Carpa Nan

Inca bridge, road, and highway system built to link all the regions o the Inca Empire together

Mi'ta System

Form of corvee labor created by the Inca Empire, which forced populations of the Inca Empire to work on maintaining the road system as a form of taxation

Song Dynasty

A golden age of Chinese rule, characterized by a revival of Confucianism, continued use of the imperial bureaucracy, civil service exam, population growth, and expansion of economic production

Meritocracy

System of promotions based on an individual's feats and achievements instead of their lineage

Champa

Strain of rice originating from Southeast Asia which travelled to China through trade routes. This particular strain of rice is drought resistant, meaning it could be harvested several times a year, leading to a large surplus of rice. As a result China's population skyrocketed during the Middle Ages leading to largescale economic growth

Imperial Bureaucracy

Large body of government officials in China which carried out the directives and commands of the Chinese emperor

Civil Service Examinations

Test that potential members of the Chinese bureaucracy would have to pass to work in government. The core subject of the test was the Confucian classics

Gunpowder

explosive substance invented in China during the 10th century C.E.

Kow Tow

System used by Chinese officials and the emperor to kneel before the emperor or officials as a form of recognition of the Chinese as culturally superior. After completing this, merchants would be allowed to access Chinese markets

Woodblock Printing

One of the oldest system of book duplication which lined up engraved blocks and pressed them onto a piece of paper. Invented by the Chinese

Ancestral Veneration

The act under Confucianism of worshipping deceased ancestors

Filial Piety

One of the hallmark characteristics of Confucianism, where a family should hold tight bonds with one another,

Confucianism

Classical Chinese philosophy which was a template for domestic peace in society. It stressed the importance of close family ties, moral behavior, defined social roles, and proper relationships. The greatest continuity of Chinese history.

Silk

fabric woven by worms of the mulberry tree. Because it was rare and in high demand it was a major trade commodity in China and attracted many merchants

Porcelain

A type of glassy pottery unique to China. It was rare and valuable, one of the main items from China which attracted many merchants to the region

Grand Canal

Major waterway built in the Song Dynasty to link the agrarian production centers of North China to the many southern commercial areas.

Caravanserai

A hotel or inn located on the Silk Roads, which allowed traders to get fresh supplies and rest on their journeys. They also acted as a catalyst for cultural and technological diffusion

Caravan

Commercial practice by which large groups of traders and their pack animals travelled in groups for protection as well as maximizing their profits

Camel

An animal from the Arabian Peninsula adapted to go long distances without water. Because of its natural adaptations an its ability to carry large amounts of weight, it was the ideal animal used by traders on the Silk Roads and Trans-Saharan trade networks.

Flying Money/ Bills of Exchange

Commercial practice used in Song China, which allowed merchants to deposit copper coins with a government official in exchange for a slip of paper. The merchant could travel with their goods to new destinations and swap out their receipt for the coins they deposited

Temujin/ Genghis Khan

Mongol leader who united the Mongol Clans together and created the largest land empire in human history, conquering China, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty that collapsed due to Mongol conquests

Kievan Rus

Empire in Eastern Europe that collapsed due to Mongol conquests into Europe

Abbasid Caliphate

Middle Eastern Empire that collapsed due to Mongol conquests in the Middle East

Pax Mongolica

Period often considered a golden age of trade on Silk Roads due to Mongol policies which protected traders and enhanced the efficiency of travel and trade on the Silk Roads

Khanate

A region of the Mongol Empire, each governed by a Khan or descendent of Genghis Khan

Khanate of the Golden Horde

The Khanate which ruled over the regions of Ukraine and Russia in Eastern Europe

Yuan Dynasty

The Khanate which ruled over China

Il Khanate

The Khanate which ruled over the Middle East

Bubonic Plague

Disease which originated in China, but spread quickly and rapidly during the mid 14th century due to the expansion of trade on Silk Roads caused by the Mongol Empire

Deurbanization

Due to the massive death toll of the plague in Europe many people died of the plague, and many survivors fled to rural areas

Mansa Musa

Wealthy king of Mali who went on a historic hajj and used profits from the Trans-Saharan trade routes to build the largest library in Africa during the medieval period.

Somali Saddle

Special type of camel saddle built by Trans-Saharan traders to increase the carrying weight of camels

Mali Empire

West African empire which grew extremely wealthy off the Trans-Saharan trade routes.

Timbuktu

Medieval library built in Mali paid for by the profits from the Trans-Saharan trade route.

Monsoon Winds

Wind patterns on the Indian Ocean that blew in certain directions at certain times of the year. Because of predictable wind patterns, trader thrived on the Indian Ocean.

Magnetic Compass

Instrument invented in China which uses the Earth's magnetic poles to tell cardinal directions.

Astrolabe

Device invented by Muslims which uses constellaton patters on a disc to project latitude, giving sailors rough map coordinates

Lateen

Special type of sails used on Arabic dhow ships, which were 90 degrees and was able to increase the maneuverability to ships

Swahili

The term often associated to the eastern coast of Africa. Because if its proximity to the Arabian Peninsula, Arabs used the Monsoon winds to travel to Africa, spreading their culture and religion, resulting in a syncretic blend of native Bantu and Arabic

Straits of Malacca

A narrow waterway in the Indian Ocean, which was the most expedient way to travel to China by sea. Because of its location, rulers of the area were able to grow very wealthy from taxing traders.

Diasporic Communities

Because of Monsoon Winds, sailors would be stranded in areas for certain parts of the years until the winds changed directions. Because of this they spread language and culture to new locations, often marrying locals.

Silk Roads

Overland trade route which linked China to the Middle East and Europe.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade route that linked North Africa with West Africa

Indian Ocean Basin

Maritime trade route which linked China, Southeast Asia, India, Middle East, and East Africa

Moscow

Powerful city that emerged in Eastern Europe during the reign of the Mongols. Due to their cooperation with the Mongols, they were granted permission to collect tribute for the Mongols, growing wealthy and expanding their power in Eastern Europe after their collapse.

Zheng He

Chinese explorer who headed a series of voyages into the Indian Ocean by the Ming Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty that usurped the Mongols and re-established many traditional Chinese practices such as the civil service exam and the tribute system. They also built one of the largest naval fleets in the medieval era and used that fleet to exact tribute in various regions of the Indian Ocean.

East Africa

Region of Africa also known as the Swahili coast

Junks

large Chinese ships that utilize multiple square mast and compartment as well as a stern rudder to help with navigation in shallow waters

Mongol Empire

Empire that conquered large parts of Eurasia during the span 1200-1450 C.E., most notably China, Middle East, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. Their empire was so big that it spanned virtually all of the Silk Roads.

Eurasian Steppes

Terrain where the Mongols originated, which was characterized by cold terrain and limited rain fall. Many of the people there became pastoral nomads as a result

Calicut and Goa

Two prominent trade cities on the Indian Sub-continent that grew wealthy from trade on the Indian Ocean

Angkor Wat

Hindu and Buddhist temple complex in modern day Cambodia

Syncretism

The blending of cultures. During the period 1200-1450, several examples of cultural blending emerged such as the architectural styles on the Silk Roads, West Africa, and the linguistics of East Africa

Cultural Diffusion

During the time period 1200-1450, due to a growth of trade, many merchants spread their religion, language, and culture to new locations such as Buddhism to China, Islam to East Africa, and Hinduism and Buddhism to Southeast Asia

Kashgar and Samarkand

Two prominent trade cities in Central Asia that grew large and diverse due to the increase of trade on the Silk Roads.