600 BCE – 600 CE: Unit 0 Regional and SPICET Theme Development

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key religious, social, political, and economic developments across major world regions from 600 BCE to 600 CE.

Upanishads, Mahabharata, and Ramayana

The key religious texts through which Hinduism was codified in South Asia between $600$ BCE – $600$ CE.

Theravada vs. Mahayana

The major split within Buddhism following its origins with Siddhartha Gautama and the recording of the Tripitaka.

Analects

The primary text of Confucianism, which served as a state ideology for Han emperors in East Asia.

Tao Te Ching

The foundational text of Daoism in East Asia.

Syncretism

A universal theme where regions blend traditions, such as Hellenistic philosophy and Christianity in Alexandria or Buddhist art absorbing Greek forms in Gandhara.

Torah

The core religious text of Judaism, codified post-Babylonian exile alongside the development of the synagogue system and diaspora communities.

Zoroastrianism

The state religion of Persia during the period of the Achaemenid and Parthian empires.

Coptic Christianity

A branch of early Christianity with deep roots in North Africa, specifically Egypt.

Chavín de Huántar

A religious pilgrimage site and cultural unification center in the Andes mountains of South America.

Varna and Jati

The religious and social hierarchy systems (caste and sub-caste) in South Asia where gender roles were encoded in dharmic texts.

Filial Piety

The Confucian concept structuring family and social life in East Asia through respect for ancestors and parents.

Mandate of Heaven

The political-religious ideology used by Han emperors in East Asia to justify their hierarchical rule.

Satrapy

An administrative province in the Achaemenid Persian Empire; the system was complemented by the Royal Road and the Cyrus Cylinder.

Ashoka

The Maurya Empire ruler who utilized Buddhist edicts to project moral authority across South Asia.

Gupta Empire

A South Asian empire characterized by a Hindu revival and a 'Golden Age' with more decentralized rule.

Funan

An early Indianized state located in the Mekong Delta of Southeast Asia, shaped by Indian Ocean commerce.

Meroitic Script

The independent writing system developed by the Kingdom of Kush (Meroe) in North Africa.

Maya City-States

A decentralized political structure in Mesoamerica featuring urban centers like Tikal, Palenque, and Copán.

Teotihuacan

A major urban center in Central America known for its obsidian trade network and wide cultural influence.

Denarius

The standard Roman coinage that functioned as a transregional currency across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Qanat

Underground irrigation channel technology developed in the Middle East to enable agriculture in the arid Iranian plateau.

Sogdian merchants

The dominant middleman group operating across the Silk Roads, particularly in oasis cities like Samarkand.

Monsoon Winds

The seasonal weather patterns that served as the technological enabler for the Indian Ocean trade network.

Dhow and Lateen Sail

The characteristic ship and sail design used by merchants in the Indian Ocean trade network.

Cai Lun

The Han China official credited with the refinement of paper around $105$ CE.

Antonine Plague

An epidemic occurring between $165$–$180$ CE that devastated Rome and likely spread from East Asia via the Silk Roads.

Mesoamerican Long Count calendar

A sophisticated intellectual achievement of the Maya people that tracked long cycles of time.

Ahau

The noble class in Maya society that sat above the commoners and managed ritual warfare.