PROLOGUE: History before 1200 C.E.

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, civilizations, and religious developments from the early human migrations through the Classical and Postclassical eras up to $$1200$$ C.E.

Animism

A system of religious beliefs involving a reverence for deities associated with features of nature, such as animals or specific mountains or rivers.

Patriarchy

Social organization characterized by domination by males, which showed early signs in hunter-forager societies and increased after the Agricultural Revolution.

Agricultural Revolution

A development occurring around $8000$ B.C.E. where humans began to plant crops and raise animals, leadings to food surpluses, specialization of labor, and the growth of cities.

City-state

An independent state made up of a city and its surrounding territory, such as those found throughout ancient Mesopotamia.

Ziggurats

Monumental religious temples built by the patriarchal city-states of Mesopotamia.

Cuneiform

The first written language in history, invented by the Sumerians to record taxes, trade, and the first written laws.

Hieroglyphics

The writing system developed by ancient Egyptians in the Nile River valley.

Pharaoh

The title for the ruler of Egypt, which was a highly centralized civilization compared to the city-states of Mesopotamia.

Caste system

A social structure taught in the Vedas that organized society into sharply defined classes and prohibited social mobility.

Monotheism

The belief in only one supreme deity, with Judaism being the most influential early example.

Four Noble Truths

A summary of Buddhist doctrines that sought to eliminate desire and suffering by following the Eightfold Path.

Nirvana

A peaceful bliss that ends the cycle of reincarnation, which is the ultimate goal in Buddhism reached through meditation and reflection.

Universalizing religion

A faith that actively seeks converts among all people, such as Buddhism and Christianity.

Mandate of Heaven

A Chinese concept providing justification for an emperor to rule based on the idea that 'heaven' or a universal force supports them unless they become corrupt.

Filial piety

A central teaching of Confucius emphasizing the duty of people to honor their ancestors.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophy focused on internal reflection and living in harmony with nature, rather than on external behavior or social structures.

Democracy

A system of government developed in Athens where a large part of the population, specifically free adult males, participated directly in political decisions.

Hellenistic world

The region across Egypt, Persia, and east to India where Greek culture was spread by the army of Alexander the Great in the $300s$ B.C.E.

Twelve Tables

The written laws of Rome that were publicly displayed to protect individual rights and provide a check on government power.

Diaspora

The spreading of Jews to lands throughout northern Africa and Europe after Roman persecution in the Middle East.

Entrepôt

A coastal trading center, such as Constantinople, where goods from different regions arrive for exchange.

Justinian Code

A consolidation of Roman law created by Justinian the Great that served as the foundation of legal knowledge in Europe into the $19th$ century.

Five Pillars of Islam

The core principles of the Qur'an: belief in Allah, ritual prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Sharia

A law code based on the Qur'an that regulates Muslim religious and civic behavior, making no distinction between the two.

Dar al-Islam

A term meaning the 'House of Islam,' referring to the vast area united under Islamic culture including parts of Spain, Africa, and India.

Jizya

An additional tax paid by non-Muslims under the Abbasid Caliphate allowed them to keep their faith.

Tributary system

The Chinese practice where surrounding kingdoms made payments and submitted to Chinese rule in exchange for trading privileges.

Neo-Confucianism

A melding of Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist philosophies that became popular in China during the Song Dynasty.

Shinto

The official religion of Japan centered on the veneration of ancestors and nature spirits.

Bantu-speaking migrations

A movement of people out of west central Africa between $1000$ B.C.E. and $1500$ C.E. that spread language, farming, and iron-working techniques.