AP World History Unit 1: Developments & State Building

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, entities, and concepts from Unit 1 lecture notes on East Asia, Dar al-Islam, South/Southeast Asia, Americas, Africa, and Europe.

Song Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty characterized by the use of Confucianism, imperial bureaucracies, and economic expansion driven by agricultural and industrial innovations.

Mandate of Heaven

A traditional Chinese political concept used by dynasties to justify imperial rule through divine legitimacy.

Heian Japan

A period in Japanese history influenced by Chinese cultural traditions while maintaining unique local governance and practices.

Theravada Buddhism

A major branch of Buddhism emphasizing original teachings and individual monastic life.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism offering a broad, accessible path to spiritual enlightenment for everyday believers alongside monks.

Tibetan Buddhism

A distinct form of Buddhism that developed in Tibet, incorporating unique ritualistic practices and monastic traditions.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening and drought-resistant strain of rice adopted by China to significantly increase food production.

Grand Canal

An expanded trade waterway network in China that facilitated economic growth and regional transportation.

Abbasid Caliphate

An Islamic empire that experienced political fragmentation, giving rise to new Turkic Islamic states.

Seljuk Empire

A Turkic Islamic state that emerged following the fragmentation of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Dehli Sultanates

Muslim states established in northern India that expanded Islamic rule through military expansion.

Sufism

A mystical branch of Islam whose followers played a key role in expanding faith through missionary activities and trade networks.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

A prominent Islamic scholar who made significant contributions and advances in mathematics.

House of Wisdom

An intellectual center located in Abbasid Baghdad that preserved and transferred knowledge across regions.

Srivijaya Empire

A maritime state in Southeast Asia that developed power through control of regional trade networks.

Khmer Empire

A powerful state in Southeast Asia influenced by South Asian religious traditions and state-building methods.

Mexica

An empire in the Americas that expanded its scope, reach, and state power.

Inca

A major state in the Americas known for its empire building and centralized governance.

Cahokia

A complex state in North America known for its large earthen mounds and political organization.

Mali

A West African empire that expanded its reach and state power through trade and religious influence.

Ethiopia

A Christian kingdom in East Africa that built and maintained state power despite regional shifts.

Feudalism

A decentralized political system in Europe based on land allocation and mutual obligations between monarchs and vassals.

Manorial System

An economic system in medieval Europe centered around self-sufficient estates worked by free and coerced laborers.

Serf

A coerced agricultural laborer bound to work a lord's land under the European manorial system.