World History Review

Flashcards for exam review.

Caste system

Social Structure of Hinduism, defines both level of social acceptability and role to play in society

Siddhartha Gautama

A wealthy prince looking to understand human suffering, founder of Buddhism

Karma

Roles and functions assigned to all living things and each Hindu caste, the fulfillment of which leads to reincarnation as a higher form of life or a higher caste

Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama; son of an Indian nobleman who attained Enlightenment after leaving home to discover the source of human suffering

Torah

Holy book of Judaism consisting of the first five books of the Old Testament which includes Mosaic law

Allah

Arabic term for monotheistic God worshiped by the Abrahamic religions

Coptic Christianity

Christian sect of Egypt

Mahayana

“the Greater Cart”; predominant form of Buddhism found in China, Korea, and Japan including Chan and Zen traditions

Shamanism

Religious belief that focuses on people (often called medicine men) who are believed to have access and/or power over the spiritual world

Untouchables

Lowest social class in Hindu society who were not even considered part of the caste system. Performed tasks that were considered polluting such as street sweeping, etc.

Zoroastrianism

Monotheistic religion native to Persia, known for the balance between good and evil

Moksha

Peaceful escape from the cycle of reincarnation to merge with the Brahman

Pope

Bishop of Rome, head of the Christian church in Western Europe

Stupas

Buddhist temples constructed in India by Asoka to house relics of the Buddha

Vedas

Oral traditions of the Indo-Aryan tribes that were later recorded by Brahmins in Sanskrit which form the foundations of Hinduism

Animism

Traditional religious belief that natural objects have spirits

Sanskrit

Sacred language of Classical India in which Brahmins recorded the sacred texts of Hinduism

Augustine

Early Christian theologian and Church Father who wrote The City of God which defined the early theology of the Catholic Church

Bodhisattvas

Buddhist holy men whose prayers could aid others in achieving reflected enlightenment even after their death

Jesus of Nazareth

Founder of Christianity. Executed by the Romans c. 35CE for treason and whose death and resurrection is believed by Christians to bring salvation to believers

Ancestor Worship

Practice of venerating ancestors whose spirits protect their living relatives

Reincarnation

Hindu cycle of life, death, and rebirth before reaching nirvana or enlightenment

Paul

Early Christian apostle who wrote many letters to early Christian churches interpreting the meaning of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus

Islam

A monotheistic religion with an ethical code consisting of the Five Pillars

Devi

Mother Goddess of ancient Indian Culture, later incorporated into Hinduism

Buddhism

Religion focused on renouncing desire to find relief of suffering, follows the eightfold path

Hinduism

Religion focused on increasing Karma and following current role and duty in society

Dharma

Current role, duty and purpose in society in Hinduism

Brahma

Creator god in Hinduism, all other gods and goddess are extensions of it

Upanishads

108 Hindu Religious teachings, start as commentary on the Vedas

Bhagavad Gita

Epic poem about the god Krishna, a part of a larger work describing a war between two kings called the Mahabharata

Nirvana

Peaceful release from suffering

Abraham

God spoke to them and told them to lead the Hebrew people to Canaan from Babylon

Daoism

Philosophy based ideas of Lao Tzu, focuses on the energy of the universe and believes there is always light in darkness and darkness in light

Confucius

Seeks to understand the political and social turmoil in the mid Zhou dynasty, his teachings will be the basis of morality for many Chinese dynasties

Manorial system

Economic system of feudalism which leaves the vassal responsible for the economy of the fief and enforces royal law on the peasantry

Vikings

Norse seaman who raided much of Western Europe between the 8th and 11th centuries

Taika reforms

Set of law codes used to incorporate Confucian thought in newly unified Japan in 645

Serfs

Unfree agricultural laborers in a manorial system who are legally bound to the land

Kublai Khan

Genghis Khan’s grandson and most important of the Yuan dynasty emperors in China

Scholasticism

System of theology and philosophy which emphasizes logic and the writings of early Church Fathers

Chinampas

Artificial islands created by the Aztecs as a method of agriculture in the Valley of Mexico

Hanseatic League

Loose medieval commercial and defensive confederation of North German towns which promoted trade

Sinification

Process of adopting Chinese culture in other Asian cultures, typically through the adoption of Confucian ideas

Samurai

Japanese feudal knights and military officers, equivalent of European knights

Jurchens

People from Manchuria who blended with the Manchu, who ruled Northern China as the Jin dynasty until Mongol conquest in 1234

Charlemagne

Frankish king made King of the Romans in 800 after uniting much of Western Europe, promoted European feudalism

Split Inheritance

Inca practice of descent; all titles and political power went to successor, but wealth and land remained I hands of male descendants for support of cult and dead Inca’s mummy

Black Death

Plague pandemic from 1346-1353 which killed between a half and a third of Europe’s population

Chinggis Khan

Elected Khagan of all Mongol tribes in 1206; responsible for conquest of northern kingdoms of china, territories as far west as the Abbasid regions

Mali

Trade empire founded by Sundiata in West Africa, which lasted from 1230 to 1670

Battle of Tours

Battle in 732 between Charles Martel and the Umayyads which stopped the Islamic invasion of Western Europe

Askia Muhammad

Songhai emperor who expanded trade and Islamic culture in West Africa

Crusades

Series of holy wars between Christians and Muslims fought between 1095- 1291 over control of the Holy Land

Seppuku

Japanese ritual suicide, which reflects the idea that it is better to die with honor than to be captured based on the Bushido code

Mansa Musa

King of Mali who brought Mali to its peak power and wealth. Great promoter of Islam

William the Conqueror

First Norman king of England who invaded England from northern France in 1066

Ghana

Great African trading empire in West Africa, founded in 750CE

Sudanic States

States that traded with North Africa, led to a mixing of Islamic and Indigenous cultures

Quetzalcoatl

Most important central Aztec god of wind and learning, depicted as a feathered serpent

Mita

Mandatory public service in the Inca empire, which often provided the labor for imperial building projects

Great Zimbabwe

Bantu confederation of Shona-speaking people located between Zambezi and Limpopo rivers; developed after 9th century; featured royal courts built of stone; created centralized state by 15th century

Magna Carta

Charter signed between King John of England and the nobility which limits the king’s power and provides basic rights

Bantu Migration

Bantu speaking people of West Africa moved south and east into the rainforests and towards the Congo river. 1000 BCE-1100 CE

Timbuktu

Ancient city built by the Mali in West Africa, used as a trading outpost along the Trans Saharan trade route

Swahili States

Trading states along the east coast of Africa, from Kenya to Mozambique. These people had a mixed Arabic and bantu heritage

Sundiata

The lion prince; a member of the Keita clan; created a unified state that became the Mali Empire; Died about 1260

Aztecs

Also known as the Mexica, who dominated Mesoamerica between 1300 and 1521

Tang Dynasty

Dynasty that succeeded the Sui in 618 CE; more stable than previous dynasty

Sui Dynasty

Dynasty that succeeded the Han in china; emerged from strong rulers I northern china; united all of northern china and reconquered northern china