ap world unit 1 vocabulary

Song Empire

• known for:

  1. economic prosperity

  2. cultural achievements

  3. advancements in technology

• divided into two periods: Northern & Southern

• saw:

  1. the rise of urban centers

  2. the use of paper money

  3. significant developments in art, literature, & philosophy.

• faced challenges from nomadic invasions & ultimately fell to the Mongols.

neo-Confucianism

• revived Confucianism of the Song period

• integrated Confucian ethics with Buddhist & Taoist elements.

• emphasized:

  1. moral self-cultivation

  2. the importance of family and social harmony

  3. the role of education in personal & societal development

Zhu Xi

• prominent Chinese philosopher of the Song Dynasty

• known for:

  1. his synthesis of Confucian thought

  2. the development of Neo-Confucianism

• emphasized:

  1. importance of moral self-cultivation

  2. the study of classical texts, influencing education & philosophy in East Asia.

• his commentaries on the Four Books became central to the civil service examination system.

Koryo

• Korean dynasty ruling from 918 to 1392

• known for cultural & artistic achievements, including:

  1. the creation of celadon pottery

  2. the establishment of Confucianism as a state ideology.

• recognized for:

  1. significant contributions to Korean literature

  2. development of the Korean writing system, Hangul

• eventually fell to the Mongol invasions & internal strife

Stupas

• a mound-like/hemispherical structure that holds sacred relics

• is used for meditation and worship in Buddhism.

• symbolizes the enlightened mind

• is often adorned with intricate carvings & symbols representing the Buddha's teachings.

Champa rice

• originally from the Champa Kingdom

• significantly increased agricultural productivity in China

• fast-maturing, drought-resistant rice variety

  1. allowed for multiple harvests in a year

  2. contributing to population growth & economic stability during the Song Dynasty.

Grand Canal

• significant waterway in China

• connects the Yellow River & the Yangtze River.

• constructed to facilitate trade & transportation

• playing a crucial role in the cultural & economic development of the regions it spans.

Janal

• traditional form of storytelling that conveys moral lesson

• often featured animals as characters

• known for:

  1. its concise narratives

  2. is commonly used to teach values & ethics

  3. often ending with a clear moral

Gunpowder

• invented in the 9th century in China

• played a crucial role in warfare

• led to the development of cannons & firearms.

• changed military tactics

• contributed to the rise of powerful empires.

Dar al-Islam

• means “the world of Islam”

• refers to regions where Islamic law & governance prevail

  • encompassing countries where Muslims can practice their faith freely.

Mali

• West African country known for its rich history & cultural heritage.

• home to the ancient city of Timbuktu, once a center of trade & scholarship.

• features the Niger River

  • vital for agriculture & transport.

Bilad al-sudan

• historical region in West Africa known for:

  1. its diverse cultures

  2. trade routes

  3. significant empires

• often translated as "Land of the Blacks”

• encompasses parts of modern-day countries like:

  1. Mali

  2. Niger

  3. Sudan

• center for trade in gold, salt, & slaves

• home to powerful empires such as:

  1. Ghana

  2. Mali

  3. Songhai

• played a crucial role in the spread of Islam & cultural exchange across Africa.

Mansa Kankan Musa

• ruler known for:

  1. his extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca

  2. wealth that transformed Mali

  3. promotion of trade

• His pilgrimage in 1324 showcased his wealth

• impacting economies along his route.

• established educational institutions

• expanded the empire

  • making Mali a center of Islamic culture & learning.

Timbuktu

• Historical city known for its ancient universities & trade routes.

• located in Mali

• a center for learning & culture

• played a significant role in the trans-Saharan trade

  • especially in gold & salt.

Sufism

• mystical Islamic belief system

• emphasizes personal experience of God through:

  1. direct communion

  2. spiritual practices

  3. inner purification

• often involves:

  1. rituals

  2. poetry

  3. music

  • to foster a deep emotional connection with the divine.

• Followers seek to transcend the material world & attain spiritual closeness to God

  • often through the guidance of a spiritual teacher/ master.

Urdu

• official language of Pakistan

• widely spoken in India

• known for its poetic literature & script derived from Persian

Delhi Sultanate

• historical period in India from the 13th to the 16th centuries.

• marked by the rule of several Muslim dynasties, including:

  1. Mamluks

  2. Khiljis

  3. Tughlaqs

  4. Lodis

• played a significant role in the spread of Islam in the Indian subcontinent

• saw advancements in:

  1. architecture

  2. culture

  3. trade

• capital was established in Delhi

  • became a major political & cultural center.

• period ended with the rise of the Mughal Empire.

Gurjarat

• State in western India known for its diverse culture and rich history.

Srivijaya

• ancient maritime empire that flourished from the 7th to the 13th century in Southeast Asia.

• centered on the island of Sumatra

• played a crucial role in trade, connecting China and India.

• known for its Buddhist influence & significant cultural advancements

• decline was attributed to the rise of rival powers & changing trade routes.

Borobodur

• Buddhist temple complex known for its intricate carvings and stupas.

• built in the 8th and 9th centuries

• features a 3-tiered structure symbolizing the universe.

Anasazi

• Ancient Native American culture known for impressive cliff dwellings and pottery.

• Flourished in the Southwestern United States from approximately 100 AD to 1300 AD.

• Known for advanced agricultural techniques, including:

  1. irrigation

  2. significant trade networks

• decline is attributed to factors like drought & resource depletion.

Aztec

• Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico from 1300 to 1521.

• strong state due to:

  1. its military power

  2. its religion

  3. its tribute system

• tribute states system:

  • the people they conquered were required to:

    1. provide labor for the Aztecs

    2. provide regular contributions of goods like food, animals, building materials, etc

• enslaved people played a huge role in their religion

  • many became candidates for their human sacrifices

Inca

• largest empire in pre-Columbian America.

• develop elaborate bureaucracy

• rigid hierarchy of officials spread throughout the empire to make sure the conquered were behaving

• adopted the mi’ca system

• incas were highly centralized in how they ruled

  • aztecs werent

Altepetl

• a term denoting the provincial unit/ regional state, of pre-Hispanic Nahua society.

• each altepetl had:

  1. a ruler

  2. land base

  3. marketplace

  4. temple dedicated to a patron deity

Calpulli

• units of commoner housing

• split into kin-based/other land holding groups within Nahua city-states or altepetls.

Tenochtitlan

• capital city of Aztec empire

• was a large Mexican altepetl

• a city of great wealth obtained through the spoils of tribute from conquered regions

Moctezuma

• 9th Aztec emperor of Mexico

• famous for his confrontation with the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés

Mita labor system

• required all people under their rule to provide labor on state projects such as:

  1. large state farms

  2. mining

  3. military service

  4. state construction projects

Khipus/Quipus

• recording devices fashioned from strings

• historically used by a number of cultures in the central Andes Mountains of South America.

• usually consisted of cotton or camelid fiber strings

• contained categorized information based on three dimensions of:

  1. color

  2. order

  3. number

Swahili Coast

• coastal area of East Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean

• inhabited by the Swahili people

• site of cultural & commercial exchanges between East Africa & the outside world

  • particularly the Middle East, Asia, & Europe

Great Zimbabwe

• capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, a Shona (Bantu) trading empire

• a thriving trading empire from the 11th to the 15th centuries.

• economy based on:

  1. cattle husbandry

  2. crop cultivation

  3. the trade of gold on the coast of the Indian Ocean

Three-field system

• a rotational system for agriculture

  • 2 fields grew food crops & 1 was left empty/fallow

• gradually replaced the 2 field system in medieval Europe

Black Death

• an outbreak of bubonic plague

• spread throughout Asia, North Africa, & Europe in the mid-14th century

• caused mass population decline

Hanseatic League

• an economic & defensive alliance of the free towns in Northern Germany

• founded around 1241, but most powerful in the 14th century

• traded extensively in the Baltic

  • including the coasts of Prussia

• merchants ranged eastward to Russia to westward to London

Guilds

• an association/group of men (ex. merchants, artisans, professors)

• worked in a particular trade together to promote their economic & political interests

  • regulated business practices & set prices of the goods they obtained)

• women were also allowed to join, but it was rare

Great Western Schism

• a division in the Latin (Western) Christian Church

• between 1378 & 1415

  • at the time, rival claimants to the papacy existed in Rome & Avignon

Hundred Years’ War

• series of campaigns over control of the French throne

• involved English & French royal families & French noble families

New Monarchies

• term for the monarchies of France, England, and Spain from 1450 to 1600

• centralized states with fixed “national” boundaries

• stronger representative intitutions

• increasing centralization of royal/monarchial power

Reconquest of Iberia

• beginning of the 11th century

• various military campaigns by many Iberian Christians states to recapture territory taken by Muslims

• last Muslim ruler defeated in 1492

• Spain & Portugal emerged as united kingdoms

Renaissance

• a period of intense artistic & intellectual activity

• said to be a “rebirth” of Greco-Roman culture

• usually divided into an Italian Renaissance & a Northern Renaissance

Universities

• degree-granting institutions of higher learning

• universities that appeared in Latin Europe from 1200 onward became the model of all modern universities

Scholasticism

• during the 13th century

• a philosophical & theological system associated with Thomas Aquinas

• devised to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy & Roman Catholic theology

Humanism

• European scholars, writers, & teachers associated with the study of humanities

  • ex. grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, languages, & moral philosophy

• influential in the 15th century and later

Printing press

• a mechanical device for transferring text/graphics from a woodblock/type to paper using ink

• presses using movable type

• first appeared in Europe in about 1450

Holy Roman Empire