Unit 1: AP Modern World History

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (960-1279) known for its golden age of innovation, strong bureaucracy, Neo-Confucianism, and expanded civil service system.

Confucianism

A Chinese philosophy that emphasizes respect for elders, social harmony, and the importance of education and moral behavior.

Bureaucracy

A system of government with departments and officials that carry out the work of the state, often based on merit.

Civil Service Exam

A test in imperial China used to select candidates for the state bureaucracy based on Confucian teachings.

Dar al-Islam

The collective lands under Islamic rule, where Muslim culture, trade, and learning flourished.

Abbasid Caliphate

A major Islamic empire that preserved and expanded knowledge, later fragmented into regional Muslim states.

Mamluk Sultanate

A Muslim state in Egypt made up of enslaved soldiers who overthrew their rulers and controlled trade.

Delhi Sultanate

A Muslim empire that ruled parts of India, helping to spread Islam and establish cultural blending in South Asia.

Trans-Saharan Trade

A trade network across the Sahara Desert that connected West Africa to the Islamic world, especially in gold and salt.

Indian Ocean Trade

A vast maritime trade network linking East Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia.

Silk Roads

A land-based trade route that connected China with the Middle East and Europe, spreading goods, religion, and ideas.

Feudalism

A decentralized political system in medieval Europe based on reciprocal relationships between lords and vassals.

Roman Catholic Church

The dominant religious institution in Western Europe during the Middle Ages, with major influence over politics and daily life.

Inca Empire

A powerful South American empire in the Andes known for road systems, engineering, and centralized control.

Aztec Empire

A Mesoamerican empire known for military power, tribute systems, and large cities like Tenochtitlán.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival and blending of Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist ideas during the Song Dynasty, emphasizing ethics and order.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening rice from Vietnam that allowed multiple harvests per year, boosting Chinese population growth.

Grand Canal

A massive waterway in China that connected the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, improving internal trade and transportation.

House of Wisdom

A major center of learning in Baghdad where scholars translated and preserved Greek, Persian, and Indian texts.

Bhakti Movement

A Hindu devotional movement in India that emphasized personal connection to deities rather than caste or rituals.

Sufism

A mystical branch of Islam focused on emotional connection to God, often helping spread Islam through cultural blending.

Vijayanagara Empire

A Hindu empire in southern India that resisted Muslim invasion and promoted trade and culture.

Majapahit Empire

A powerful Buddhist maritime empire in Southeast Asia (Java) that controlled key trade routes in the Indian Ocean.

Khmer Empire

A Southeast Asian empire known for its Hindu and Buddhist architecture, especially Angkor Wat.

Ethiopia

A Christian kingdom in East Africa that maintained its independence and developed a unique form of Christianity.

Hausa Kingdoms

A collection of decentralized West African states linked by trade, language, and Islamic influence.

Manorial System

The economic structure of feudal Europe where peasants worked the land in exchange for protection from a lord.

Serfdom

A labor system in medieval Europe where peasants were tied to the land and worked for lords in return for protection.

Tribute System

A system where weaker states paid money or goods to stronger empires (like China) in exchange for trade and protection.

Kin-based Networks

A form of social and political organization in African societies where families and clans governed local areas.