Unit 3: World History - Mongol Empire & Eurasia Vocabulary

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated directly from the Unit 3 key vocabulary list and Mongol Empire lecture materials.

Steppe

Vast dry grassland stretching across Eurasia that served as a land trade route between East and West and gave rise to mobile nomadic societies.

Pastoral Nomads

Mobile groups who herded animals, followed familiar seasonal routes, traveled in clans, and depended on horses and livestock for survival.

Settled Societies

City-based civilizations that produced grain, metal goods, cloth, tea, and wealth, which nomadic peoples sought through trade or raiding.

Interaction Pattern (Nomads and States)

Historical pattern where strong settled states protected their frontiers, whereas weak or divided states experienced increased nomadic attacks.

Temujin

The birth name of Genghis Khan, who sought to unify the Mongol clans around c. 1200 before taking the title of universal ruler in 1206.

Genghis Khan

Title meaning 'universal ruler' taken in 1206 by Temujin (c. 1162–1227), who united the Mongol clans and led expansive military conquests across Asia.

Jin Empire

Empire in northern China that was invaded by Genghis Khan and his Mongol forces in 1211.

Mongol Military Organization

System of grouping warriors into hierarchical units of 10, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 commanded by loyal leaders.

Mongol Military Strategy

Battlefield tactics that included retreat tricks, sudden attacks, and multiple-front assaults.

Mongol Military Mobility

Capability of expert Mongol horsemen to travel quickly across long distances by riding with extra horses.

Stirrups

Riding technology that enabled mounted Mongol warriors to turn and shoot arrows accurately while riding horses.

Mongol Terror Tactics

Use of a fierce reputation for destruction to intimidate enemy cities into surrendering without a fight.

Mongol Army Self-Sufficiency

Structure of the army as a moving city, where cavalry units of 10,000 were accompanied by family members, herds of livestock, and mobile yurts pulled by oxen.

Khanate

One of four regional empires created by 1260 when the Mongol Empire was divided among descendants of Genghis Khan.

Khanate of the Great Khan

The Mongol khanate that governed Mongolia and China.

Chagatai Khanate

The Mongol khanate that governed Central Asia.

Ilkhanate

The Mongol khanate that governed Persia.

Golden Horde

The Mongol khanate that governed Russia.

Tigris-Euphrates Valleys

Region where Mongol destruction led to severe damage of ancient agricultural irrigation systems.

Mongol Religious Tolerance

Policy where Mongol rulers rarely imposed their own beliefs or way of life, with some rulers adopting local religions and cultures.

Pax Mongolica

Period of 'Mongol Peace' across Eurasia that guaranteed safe passage for caravans, travelers, and missionaries, promoting trade and cultural exchange.

Trade Goods of Pax Mongolica

Key items and innovations traded along Eurasian routes, including silk, porcelain, printing, gunpowder, the compass, paper currency, and playing cards.

Bubonic Plague (1300s)

Disease epidemic whose spread across Eurasia in the 1300s is linked by historians to the increased movement of people and trade goods during Pax Mongolica.

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis Khan who assumed power in 1260, conquered all of China by 1279, and established the Yuan Dynasty.

Yuan Dynasty

Dynasty established in China by Kublai Khan that united China for the first time in over 300 years and opened the country to foreign trade.

Mongol Rule Infrastructure in China

Construction and restoration projects under Kublai Khan, including extending the Grand Canal and building a paved highway to Beijing.

Marco Polo

Venetian merchant who arrived at Kublai Khan's court around 1275, whose written accounts introduced Europeans to the wealth and cities of China.

Khan-balik

The Mongol capital city (Beijing) described by Marco Polo as importing more precious wares, costly products, and treasures than any other city in the world.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty established in 1368 after native rebels overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty.

Factors in Mongol Decline

Combination of long distances, overspending, succession disputes, economic problems, disease, flood, famine, and popular rebellions that led to the collapse of Mongol rule.

Dynasties of China Timeline (500–1400 A.D.)

Historical timeline showing Chinese dynasties (Sui, Tang, Song, Southern Song, Yuan) and key innovations such as gunpowder (850), paper money (1024), and movable type (1040).

What was the Hijrah and why was it a turning point?

The migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib (Medina) in 622 CE after facing persecution. In Medina, Muhammad joined Arabs and Jews into a single community (umma), serving as a political, religious, and military leader.

What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

Faith (Shahada): Declaration of faith in Allah and Muhammad as His messenger. Prayer (Salah): Praying five times daily facing Mecca. Alms (Zakat): Giving money to support the poor through a religious tax. Fasting (Sawm): Fasting from dawn to sunset during Ramadan. Pilgrimage (Hajj): Performing a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once if able.

What are the primary sources of authority in Islam?

Allah is the ultimate authority, whose word was revealed in Arabic in the Qur'an. This is supplemented by the Sunna (Muhammad's living example) and Shari'a (the system of law regulating moral, family, and community life).

What caused the Sunni-Shi'a split?

Disagreements over leadership after Caliph Ali's assassination in 661 CE ended the elective caliphate system. Shi'a Muslims believed leaders must be direct descendants of Muhammad, while Sunni Muslims accepted Umayyad rule and followed Muhammad's example (Sunna).

What was the House of Wisdom?

A combination library, academy, and translation center opened in Baghdad in the early 800s by Caliph al-Ma'mun. Scholars of diverse backgrounds translated Greek, Indian, and Persian scientific and philosophical texts into Arabic.

What was the Justinian Code and what were its four parts?

A single, uniform legal code created by Emperor Justinian's panel of legal experts by streamlining 400 years of Roman law. The four parts were: The Code (nearly 5,000 active Roman laws), The Digest (50 volumes summarizing legal opinions), The Institutes (a legal textbook for students), and The Novellae (new laws passed after 534).

What was the Theme System in Byzantium?

A military administrative reorganization where provinces were turned into themes (military districts) run by generals who reported directly to the emperor to defend against foreign invasions.

What caused the Great Schism of 1054?

Longstanding disputes over church authority, language, papal power, and the 8th-century icon controversy (when Emperor Leo III banned icons) culminated in mutual excommunications and the formal split into the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East.

How did Saints Cyril and Methodius impact Slavic culture?

They were Orthodox missionaries who invented an alphabet (the Cyrillic alphabet) for Slavic languages so Slavs could read the Bible in their native tongue.

Who was Rurik and what city did he establish?

A Viking (Varangian or Rus) chief who, according to legend, was invited by the Slavs to be their king; he founded Novgorod, Russia's first important city, in 862 CE.

Why did Prince Vladimir convert Kievan Rus to Byzantine Orthodoxy in 989 CE?

After sending envoys to evaluate major world religions, his team reported being awestruck by the splendor of Byzantine church architecture and worship. Converting established strong religious, political, and commercial ties to Byzantium.

How did Yaroslav the Wise both strengthen and weaken Kievan Rus?

He strengthened Kiev by forging European royal marriages, building the first library, and creating a property law code. He weakened it by dividing his realm among his sons instead of passing rule to the eldest, triggering generations of destructive civil wars.

How did Ivan I and Ivan III help Moscow break free from Mongol control?

Ivan I ("Ivan Moneybag") earned Mongol trust by crushing a revolt, becoming "Grand Prince" and chief tax collector while moving the Orthodox Patriarch to Moscow. Ivan III took the title czar, refused to pay further tribute, and secured independence after a bloodless standoff at the Ugra River in 1480.

What military strategies enabled Genghis Khan's conquests?

Strict decimal military organization (units of 10,000 down to 10-man squads), deceptive cavalry tactics like fake retreats, stirrups for mounted archery, and psychological warfare through terror.

What were the Four Khanates established by 1260?

Khanate of the Great Khan (Mongolia & China); Khanate of Chagatai (Central Asia); Ilkhanate (Persia); Khanate of the Golden Horde (Russia).

What was the Pax Mongolica and what were its key outcomes?

A century of peace and stability (mid-1200s to mid-1300s) across Eurasia. It guaranteed safe passage along the Silk Roads, facilitated active trade, enabled the spread of Chinese technologies (such as gunpowder), and contributed to the spread of the bubonic plague.