World History Prologue (to 1200 C.E.) – Core Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering major people, places, concepts, and innovations from early human migrations through the post-classical world (to c. 1200 C.E.).

Animism

Belief that natural objects and phenomena possess a spiritual essence.

Agricultural Revolution

The transition (c. 8000 B.C.E.) from foraging to farming and animal domestication, leading to food surplus and specialization.

Specialization of Labor

Development in which individuals focus on specific jobs once food surpluses free them from farming.

Patriarchy

A social system in which men hold primary power and dominate roles in leadership and society.

Mesopotamia

Region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that hosted the world’s first civilization and city-states.

City-State

An independent urban center and its surrounding territory functioning as a sovereign political unit.

Sumer

Earliest Mesopotamian city-state noted for creating cuneiform and the first written laws.

Ziggurat

Massive stepped temple common in Mesopotamian city-states for religious rituals.

Polytheism

Belief in and worship of many gods.

Cuneiform

Earliest known system of writing, developed by Sumerians using wedge-shaped impressions on clay tablets.

Pharaoh

Hereditary monarch of ancient Egypt regarded as a living deity.

Hieroglyphics

Pictographic script of ancient Egypt used for religious and monumental inscriptions.

Harappa

One of the major urban centers of the Indus Valley civilization known for grid planning and trade.

Mohenjo-Daro

Advanced Indus Valley city featuring indoor plumbing and urban planning.

Ancestor Veneration

Chinese practice of honoring deceased relatives whose spirits are believed to influence the living.

Olmec

Early Mesoamerican civilization (c. 1200–400 B.C.E.) noted for colossal head sculptures and long-distance trade.

Chavín

Early Andean civilization (c. 900–250 B.C.E.) influential in religion and metallurgy in South America.

Hinduism

South Asian belief system rooted in the Vedas, featuring karma, reincarnation, and caste.

Vedas

Ancient Sanskrit scriptures that form the foundational texts of Hinduism.

Reincarnation

Hindu and Buddhist concept of the soul’s rebirth into new bodies until spiritual liberation.

Caste System

Hierarchical social order of Hindu society based on hereditary occupational groups.

Zoroastrianism

Persian monotheistic faith emphasizing the cosmic struggle between good and evil and human free will.

Monotheism

Belief in a single, all-powerful deity.

Judaism

Monotheistic religion of the Hebrews centered on a covenant with Yahweh and the Hebrew Scriptures.

Covenant

Sacred agreement between the Jewish people and their God, Yahweh.

Buddhism

Universalizing religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama teaching the path to enlightenment and nirvana.

Siddhartha Gautama

Indian prince who became the Buddha, or “enlightened one,” after seeking the end of suffering.

Four Noble Truths

Core Buddhist doctrine diagnosing suffering and prescribing the Eightfold Path as cure.

Eightfold Path

Buddhist guide to ethical and mental discipline leading to enlightenment.

Nirvana

Buddhist state of perfect peace and release from the cycle of rebirth.

Universalizing Religion

Faith that actively seeks converts worldwide, e.g., Buddhism and Christianity.

Mauryan Empire

First Indian empire (322–187 B.C.E.) that unified most of South Asia under ruler Ashoka.

Ashoka

Mauryan emperor who converted to Buddhism and promoted it through edicts on pillars.

Gupta Empire

Indian dynasty (c. 320–550 C.E.) known as a Golden Age of mathematics, medicine, and arts.

Inoculation

Gupta medical practice of introducing a mild pathogen to build immunity against disease.

Confucianism

Chinese philosophy emphasizing moral virtue, filial piety, and orderly society based on the Analects.

Analects

Collection of Confucius’s teachings compiled by his disciples.

Filial Piety

Confucian virtue of respect and duty toward one’s parents and ancestors.

Daoism

Chinese philosophy advocating harmony with nature and internal reflection, attributed to Laozi.

Mandate of Heaven

Chinese idea that a ruler’s legitimacy comes from divine approval, lost through poor governance.

Qin Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (221–207 B.C.E.) that unified China, standardized script, and began the Great Wall.

Han Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.) Golden Age of bureaucracy, paper, compass, and Silk Road trade.

Civil Service Exam

Han-origin system selecting officials based on Confucian learning and merit.

Magnetic Compass

Navigational instrument perfected by the Han, later spreading along trade routes.

Persian Empire (Achaemenid)

Land empire founded by Cyrus the Great, noted for road networks and tolerant governance.

Cyrus the Great

Founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire who practiced religious tolerance.

Satrap

Provincial governor in the Persian Empire ensuring local control and tax collection.

Hellenistic

Blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian cultures spread by Alexander the Great.

Democracy

Government in which citizens participate directly or through representatives; pioneered in Athens.

Sparta

Militaristic Greek city-state where society centered on disciplined soldiers.

Athens

Greek city-state famed for democracy, philosophy, and cultural achievements during its Golden Age.

Alexander the Great

Macedonian ruler who created a vast empire and spread Greek culture across three continents.

Roman Republic

Early phase of Roman government (509–27 B.C.E.) featuring elected senators and consuls.

Twelve Tables

Earliest Roman law code publicly displayed to protect citizens’ rights.

Aqueduct

Roman engineering structure that transported water to cities.

“Innocent Until Proven Guilty”

Roman legal principle affirming the defendant’s right to be presumed innocent in court.

Christianity

Monotheistic universalizing religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Jesus of Nazareth

Jewish teacher regarded by Christians as the messiah and son of God.

Constantine

Roman emperor who legalized Christianity and founded Constantinople in 330 C.E.

Byzantine Empire

Continuation of the Eastern Roman Empire with capital at Constantinople (330–1453 C.E.).

Justinian Code

Corpus of civil law compiled under Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, influencing European legal systems.

Hagia Sophia

Grand Byzantine cathedral in Constantinople, later mosque and museum, built 537 C.E.

Diaspora

Dispersion of a religious or ethnic group from its original homeland, notably Jews after Roman rule.

Teotihuacan

Mesoamerican city (c. 100–650 C.E.) with grid layout and pyramids of Sun and Moon.

Mayan Civilization

Mesoamerican culture (c. 250–900 C.E.) noted for writing, calendar, and mathematics including zero.

Concept of Zero

Mathematical idea independently developed by Mayan and Gupta scholars enabling advanced calculation.

Stirrup

Riding device that improved cavalry effectiveness, spreading along Eurasian trade networks.

Camel Saddle

Innovation that increased trans-Saharan caravan trade efficiency across North African deserts.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal wind patterns of the Indian Ocean that merchants timed for sailing trade routes.

Silk Roads

Overland trade network linking China with the Mediterranean, carrying luxury goods and ideas.

Indian Ocean Trade Network

Maritime routes connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia.

Trans-Saharan Trade Route

Caravan network exchanging gold and salt between West Africa and the Mediterranean world.

Abbasid Caliphate

Islamic dynasty (750–1258) with capital at Baghdad; ushered in a golden age of learning.

Dar al-Islam

Term for lands under Islamic rule where Muslims can practice freely.

Five Pillars of Islam

Core duties required of all Muslims: faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, pilgrimage.

Sharia

Comprehensive Islamic law derived from the Qur’an and Hadith governing religious and civil life.

Sunni

Largest Islamic branch holding that the caliph should be chosen by the Muslim community.

Shi’a

Islamic branch believing leadership should stay within Muhammad’s bloodline, notably Ali’s descendants.

Jizya

Tax imposed on non-Muslims within Islamic states allowing them to retain their faith.

Sui Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (581–618) that reunified China and built the Grand Canal.

Grand Canal

1,000-mile waterway linking China’s Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, boosting trade and unity.

Tang Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (618–907) expanding empire, civil service, and innovations such as gunpowder and paper money.

Tributary System

Tang-Song foreign policy requiring neighboring states to pay homage for trade rights.

Gunpowder

Explosive mixture invented in China, initially for fireworks then weaponry.

Paper Money

Tang-Song innovation facilitating large-scale trade with lightweight currency notes.

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (960–1279) noted for economic revolution, urbanization, and neo-Confucianism.

Neo-Confucianism

Song-era synthesis of Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist thought stressing morality and metaphysics.

Meritocracy

System in which advancement is based on ability and performance, exemplified by Chinese exams.

Shogun

Military ruler of feudal Japan exercising actual power over the emperor.

Daimyo

Regional Japanese land-owning lord commanding samurai allegiance.

Samurai

Professional warrior class in feudal Japan following a code of loyalty and honor.

Shinto

Indigenous Japanese faith focusing on ancestor worship and nature spirits (kami).

Bantu Migrations

Long-term movement of Bantu-speaking peoples spreading language and iron-working across sub-Saharan Africa.

Ghana Empire

West African kingdom (c. 700–1240) wealthy from taxing trans-Saharan gold-salt trade.

Great Zimbabwe

Powerful southeast African state (12th–15th c.) known for stone enclosures and control of gold trade.

Entrepôt

Port city where goods are imported for storage and re-export, e.g., Constantinople.

Vikings

Scandinavian seafarers whose raids and trade influenced European political fragmentation (8th–11th c.).

Crusades

Series of medieval Christian military expeditions aiming to recapture Jerusalem from Muslim control.

Roman Catholic Church

Western branch of Christianity headed by the Pope, dominant in medieval Europe.

Orthodox Church

Eastern branch of Christianity centered in Constantinople after the 1054 schism.