Global Tapestry Units 1.1 to 1.4

Song Dynasty

The ruling dynasty of China known for its wealth, political stability, and innovation.

Imperial Bureaucracy

A vast government organization where appointed officials carry out state policies.

Meritocracy

A political system in which government officials gain their position by demonstrating merit.

Civil Service Exam

A rigorous test based on Confucian texts used to select qualified men for government positions.

Champa Rice

A drought-resistant strain of rice from Vietnam that significantly expanded agricultural yield.

Scholar Gentry

An influential Chinese social class created by bureaucratic expansion, educated in Confucianism.

Tributary System

An arrangement where foreign states paid goods to honor the Chinese emperor, reinforcing superiority.

Kowtow

A ritual bow where foreign representatives touched their heads to the floor to show respect to the emperor.

Foot Binding

A patriarchal practice among Song families where young girls' feet were tightly wrapped to show status.

Woodblock Printing

A technique developed in China allowing texts or images to be stamped using carved wooden blocks.

House of Wisdom

A famous center of learning in Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate for translating and analyzing texts.

Sultan

The title given to leaders of the Seljuk Turks, signaling political dominance and reduced caliph authority.

Abbasid Caliphate

An empire led by Arabs and Persians that oversaw an Islamic Golden Age before internal fragmentation.

Ibn Khaldun

An influential Islamic scholar recognized as a founder of historiography and sociology.

A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah

A female Sufi poet and mystic whose writings reflected her journey toward mystical illumination.

Sufis

Islamic mystics who emphasized personal spiritual connection over formal study, aiding Islamic expansion.

Battle of Tours

A 732 CE military engagement where Frankish forces defeated Islamic armies, halting Western European expansion.

Vijayanagara Empire

A Hindu empire founded in southern India by two brothers, Harihara and Bukka.

Rajput Kingdoms

Decentralized Hindu kingdoms in northern India led by rival clan leaders vulnerable to invasions.

Delhi Sultanate

An Islamic empire established in the early 13th century that ruled northern India for roughly 300 years.

Jizya

A tax imposed by the Delhi Sultanate on all non-Muslim subjects, creating resentment.

Bhakti Movement

A 12th-century Hindu movement emphasizing direct, emotional attachment to a deity over rigid rituals.

Urdu

A language developed among South Asian Muslims combining Hindi structures with Arabic and Farsi vocabulary.

Mississippian Culture

A North American civilization that emerged in the Mississippi River Valley known for monumental earthen mounds.

Matrilineal Society

A social system in which inheritance and social standing are passed down through the female lineage.

Cahokia

The largest mound site of the Mississippian culture, located in modern-day Illinois.

Chinampas

Built-up floating agricultural gardens constructed on lakes by the Aztecs to increase crop production.

Pachacuti

The Incan ruler whose military victories beginning in 1438 unified small Andean tribes into the Incan Empire.

Mit'a System

A mandatory labor service system required of conquered men in the Inca Empire for public works.

Carpa Nan

A 25,000-mile roadway system constructed across mountainous terrain by the Incas using forced labor.