AP World History Unit 3 and 4 Vocabulary

Land-Based Empire

Centralized state that expanded and maintained power primarily through land armies and territorial control rather than overseas colonies

Gunpowder Empire

Empire that used gunpowder weapons to expand territory and maintain authority

Gunpowder Empire Examples

Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires

Ottoman Empire

Empire that expanded through the Middle East and Southeast Europe and lasted until World War I

Devshirme System

Ottoman practice of taking Christian boys converting them to Islam and training them for military service (Januaries)

Janissaries

Elite Ottoman soldiers recruited through the devshirme system

Mughal Empire

Empire in South Asia that blended Islamic and Hindu traditions

Zamindar Tax System

Mughal land revenue system where local landlords collected taxes for the state

Akbar the Great

Mughal emperor known for religious tolerance administrative reforms and strong central authority

Taj Mahal

Monumental marble mausoleum symbolizing Mughal wealth and artistic achievement

Qing Empire

Chinese dynasty founded by the Manchus that maintained Confucian governance

Kangxi and Qianlong

Qing emperors who expanded China’s borders stabilized rule and oversaw population and economic growth

Manchu Minority over Han Majority

Situation where Manchu rulers governed a much larger Han Chinese population

Treaty with Russia at the Amur River

Agreement that established borders between Qing China and Russia and avoided military conflict

Kangxi Defeats Mongols

Military campaigns that brought Mongolia under Qing control and secured northern borders

Confucianism

Philosophy emphasizing hierarchy filial piety and social order

Ancestor Veneration

Respect and rituals honoring ancestors

Mandate of Heaven

emperor is a “Son of Heaven”; must lead w/ skill and virtue

Dynastic Cycle

Pattern of rise peak decline and replacement of dynasties

Qing Treatment of Conquered Hans

Maintained Confucian bureaucracy and civil service exams while enforcing Manchu cultural distinctions

Qing Banner System

Military and social organization system used by the Manchus to maintain loyalty and control

Jesuits

Catholic missionaries who spread Christianity and Western science in China

Canton System

Policy restricting European trade to one port and licensed merchants

Macartney Mission

British diplomatic attempt to expand trade with China that was rejected by Qing authorities

State Sponsored Maritime Exploration

Exploration funded by governments to gain wealth power and trade routes

Vasco da Gama

Portuguese explorer who reached India and opened a direct sea route to Asia

Prince Henry the Navigator

Portuguese royal who sponsored navigation research and early Atlantic exploration

Caravel Ships

Small maneuverable ships used for long distance exploration

Magnetic Compass

Navigation tool using Earth’s magnetic field to determine direction

Astrolabe

Instrument used to measure latitude by observing stars

Lateen Sails

Triangular sails that allowed ships to sail against the wind

Sternpost Rudders

Rear mounted rudders that improved ship steering

Christopher Columbus

Italian explorer who reached the Americas

Trading Post Empire

Empire based on controlling trade routes and ports rather than land

Trade Forts

Fortified ports used to protect merchants and control trade

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants animals people and diseases between the Americas and Afro Eurasia

DPAP

Diseases Plants Animals Populations

Quinine

Medicine from cinchona bark that helped Europeans survive malaria

Atlantic System

Network of trade connecting Europe Africa and the Americas

Raw Materials

Unprocessed natural resources

Manufactured Goods

Finished products made in factories

Cash Crops

Crops grown for profit rather than subsistence

Middle Passage

Transatlantic journey enslaved Africans took to the Americas

Chattel Slavery

System where enslaved people were treated as permanent property

Indentured Servitude

Labor system where workers exchanged years of labor for passage or wages

Plantocracy

Elite landowning class that controlled plantation economies

Social Disruption

Breakdown of traditional societies due to slavery warfare and colonization

Stagnant Population

Little or no population growth due to disease warfare or enslavement

Child Labor

Use of children as workers especially on plantations

Slave Trade

the buying, selling & transporting of slaves

Society with Slaves

Society where slavery existed but was not central to the economy

Slave Society

Society economically dependent on slavery

Mutually Beneficial Trade

Trade where African elites and Europeans both gained economically

West African Tribal Warfare

Conflicts intensified by European demand for enslaved people

Dahomey

West African kingdom heavily involved in the slave trade

Asante Ashanti

Powerful West African empire that traded gold and enslaved people

Mercantilism

Economic system emphasizing exports state power and maximum profits

BTM Banking Trade Manufacturing

Key economic activities driving early modern capitalism

Joint Stock Company

Business owned by shareholders to reduce individual risk

Dutch East India Company VOC

Powerful trading company with monopoly rights in Asia

Charter Company

Company granted special rights by the state

Stock Market

Place where shares of companies are bought and sold

Urbanization

Growth of cities due to trade and industry

Bourgeoisie

Middle class merchants and professionals

Amsterdam

Major European trade and financial center

Trade Surplus

Exports exceed imports

Trade Deficit

Imports exceed exports

Martin Luther

Criticized Church corruption and sparked the Protestant Reformation

Schism

Split within a religious institution

Protestant Reformation

Movement challenging Catholic authority and practices

Catholic Reformation

Catholic Church reforms responding to Protestantism

Indulgences

Payments claimed to reduce punishment for sins

Vernacular Bible

Bible translated into local languages