Prologue Key Terms and Reflection

Vocabulary flashcards based on the key terms and themes from the Prologue notes, covering religion, government, economy, and society.

Agricultural Revolution

The transition from foraging to farming, categorized under Environment: Food and Trade.

monsoon winds

Seasonal wind patterns in the Indian Ocean that facilitated maritime trade.

Mauryan Empire

An early classical government in India known for its centralized rule.

Gupta Empire

A classical Indian empire known for advancements in science and the arts.

Mandate of Heaven

The Chinese religious and political ideology used to justify the rule of the emperor.

Qin

The Chinese dynasty that established the first centralized imperial government.

Han

A classical Chinese dynasty that succeeded the Qin and expanded the empire.

Persian Empire

A major classical empire in West Asia known for its administrative efficiency.

Byzantine Empire

The continuation of the Roman Empire in the East during the postclassical period.

Dar al-Islam

An Arabic term meaning 'House of Islam' referring to lands under Islamic rule.

Shinto

The indigenous religion of Japan focused on ritual practices and nature spirits.

Roman Catholic Church

The branch of Christianity headed by the Pope, dominant in Western Europe.

Orthodox Church

The branch of Christianity that developed in the Eastern Roman Empire.

patriarchy

A social system in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership.

civil service exam

An assessment used in imperial China to select candidates for the state bureaucracy.

Silk Roads

Land-based trade routes connecting East Asia to the Mediterranean world.

Indian Ocean trade routes

Maritime exchange routes connecting Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa.

trans-Saharan trade routes

Trade networks traversing the Saharan desert to link Sub-Saharan Africa with the Mediterranean.

diaspora

The dispersion of a people from their original homeland.

entrepôt

A port, city, or trading post where goods are imported, stored, and transshipped.

Abbasid Caliphate

A major Islamic caliphate that ruled from Baghdad during the postclassical era.

shogun

The military dictator of Japan during the postclassical period.

daimyos

Powerful Japanese feudal lords who were subordinates to the shogun.

Sui Dynasty

The short-lived dynasty that unified China after centuries of division.

Tang Dynasty

An imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui, known for territorial expansion.

Song Dynasty

The Chinese dynasty that followed the Tang, noted for economic and cultural prosperity.

Great Zimbabwe

A postclassical city in southern Africa known for its stone architecture and trade.

Teotihaucan

A major pre-Columbian city in the Americas/Mesoamerica.

Centralized Civilizations

Civilizations where power is concentrated in a single, central authority or government.

Decentralized Civilizations

Civilizations where power is distributed among various local authorities rather than one central body.