AP World History Units 1-5 Vocabulary Review

Flashcards for AP World History Units 1-5 Review, focusing on key vocabulary terms and concepts.

Confucianism

A philosophical understanding of the world that is hierarchical, revived during the Song Dynasty. Expansion of the civil service examination led to order, stability, and meritocracy.

Imperial Bureaucracy

Appointed officials who carry out the empire's policies. Expanded during the Song Dynasty to consolidate power.

Chan Buddhism

A Chinese innovation melding Buddhism with traditional Chinese ideas like Daoism. Spread from China to neighboring regions (cultural diffusion).

Champa Rice

Came from the Champa Kingdom in modern Vietnam, harvested more than once a year, allowed more people to be fed in Song China.

Grand Canal

An internal waterway in China that acted as a transportation system, helping China to become the most populous trading center in the world.

Dar al-Islam

A cultural region formed by Islamic states, expanded through military expansion, merchants, and the Sufi Movement.

Delhi Sultanate

An Islamic state in northern India/South Asia.

Mamluk Sultanate

An Islamic state in Egypt.

Sufi Movement

A mystical form of Islam that adapted to local cultures, which facilitated its spread.

Shrivijaya Empire

A Hindu empire that prospered by taxing ships in a strategic location.

Majapahit Kingdom

A Buddhist kingdom that prospered by controlling sea routes.

Vijayanagara Empire

A Hindu kingdom established by two brothers who had converted to Islam but reverted to Hinduism and established a rival empire.

Aztec Empire

Demonstrated continuity in state building with earlier American states like the Maya. Used a tribute system to exercise political dominance.

Great Zimbabwe

An African state that prospered through trade, agriculture, and rich deposits of gold; participated in the Indian Ocean trade network.

Swahili

A language that developed through the intermixing of Bantu and Arabic; facilitated trade in East Africa.

Feudalism

The organizing principle for society in Europe, characterized by decentralized political systems.

Manorial System

The larger organizing political and social order in Europe at the time; a manor contained an entire village.

Three-Field System

An agricultural innovation in Europe where crops were rotated through three fields (two planted, one fallow), allowing for more food production.

Silk Roads

Trade routes that primarily facilitated the trade of luxury goods for elite markets; cities like Qashqar and Samarqand grew in prominence along these routes.

Caravan Sarai

Inns and guesthouses along the Silk Roads that provided safe places for merchants to rest.

Indian Ocean Network

Until around 1500, the world's most significant sea-based trade network; facilitated trade of goods not available at home like Chinese porcelain and Indian cotton.

Diasporic Communities

Settlements created by people living apart from their homeland; facilitated trade by making connections that encouraged economic relationships (e.g., Arab and Persian communities in East Africa).

Trans-Saharan Trade

A trade network that connected North Africa and the Mediterranean with the interior and West Africa; spurred the rise of new empires like the Empire of Mali.

Mansa Musa

The most powerful ruler in Mali, who monopolized trade between the north and the interior of the continent, increasing the wealth of Mali.

Bubonic Plague

Also known as the Black Death, it spread due to increasing connectivity, causing widespread devastation.

Mongol Empire

The largest land-based empire in history, facilitating unprecedented communication, cooperation, and cultural exchange across Eurasia.

Ottoman Empire

Founded in the 14th century, it expanded significantly due to the adoption of gunpowder weapons and sacked Constantinople in 1453.

Safavid Empire

Established in 1501 under Shah Ismael, made into a Shiite Islamic dynasty, which caused conflict with the Sunni Mughals and Ottomans.

Mughal Empire

Established in 1526 by Babur, it covered a large portion of the Indian subcontinent under Akbar, known for his tolerance and administration.

Qing Dynasty

Established in 1636 by the Manchu people from the north, who raided China due to internal divisions and external war in the Ming Dynasty. Tension between Manchu rulers and Han Chinese.

Legitimizing Power

The methods a ruler uses to communicate and convince the people that they are the rightful leader.

Consolidating Power

The methods used to transfer power from other groups to a single ruler or a small group of people.

Devshirme System

A system used by the Ottomans to staff the imperial bureaucracy with highly trained individuals.

Divine Right

The claim by European monarchs that they ruled by this, asserting they were God's representatives on Earth.

Zemindar System

In the Mughal Empire, this tax collection system involved elite landowners who were granted authority to tax peasants on behalf of the imperial government.

Tax Farming

In the Ottoman Empire, this involved selling the right to tax people to the highest bidder, who would then collect taxes and enrich themselves.

Protestant Reformation

A breakdown of shared cultural belief in Christianity in Europe; initiated by Martin Luther in 1517.

Catholic Reformation

The Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation, addressing some issues and reaffirming core doctrines at the Council of Trent.

Sikism

A syncretic blend of Hindu and Islamic doctrines in South Asia, creating a distinct new faith.

Caravel

A Portuguese ship that was smaller, nimble, fast, navigable, combination of square and latine sails, decent-sized cargo holds.

Fluit

A Dutch ship that was a large trading ship with an extremely large cargo space.

Trading Post Empire

An empire composed of small, strategically located trading posts, such as the one established by the Portuguese around Africa and into the Indian Ocean.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of animals, foods, and diseases between Europe and the Americas, significantly impacting both regions.

Encomienda System

A coercive labor system used by the Spanish in the Americas, compelling indigenous people to work on plantations.

Hacienda System

Intended as a reform of the Encomienda System, but became another form of coerced labor with low wages and high debt.

Mita System

Adapted from the Inca, compelling villages to send young men to work in dangerous silver mines under brutal conditions.

Mercantilism

The dominant economic system of European states during the first wave of imperialism, viewing the world's wealth as a finite pie.

Joint Stock Companies

Companies such as the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company, allowed for continued exploration and colonization with limited risks to investors.

Triangular Trade

A trade route: Manufactured goods from Europe to West Africa. Enslaved people from West Africa to the Americas. Raw materials from the Americas back to Europe.

Syncretism

The blending of indigenous religions with new religions as a result of the spread of religion into new territories.

Maratha Rebellion

A rebellion in the Mughal Empire where Hindu warriors, the Maratha, rebelled against the Muslim Mughal emperors.

Pueblo Revolt

Took place in the Spanish colonies of North America when Pueblo and Apache Indians rose up against Spanish attempts to force conversion to Christianity.

Casta System

The new social hierarchy set in the Americas based on ancestry and race, where Spaniards born in Spain were at the top, and Africans and indigenous Americans were at the bottom.

Enlightenment

A European movement that shifted the focus of knowledge from religious belief to empirical data and observation.

Nationalism

Ideology where a people share a sense of belonging to each other based on common language, religion, social customs, and state/territory.

Industrial Revolution

A change in how goods were made for sale, shifting from handmade to machine-made, starting in Britain.

Transnational Corporations

Corporations that began to emerge, operating across multiple national boundaries. (Unilever).

Labor Unions

Factory workers formed labor unions to collectively bargain for better conditions because of long hours, dangerous conditions, and low pay.

Proletariat

The working class.

Bourgeoisie

Those who own the means of production.