AP World History: Units 1-9 Review

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering major world religions, historical eras, empires, and global conflicts from Unit 1 to Unit 9 of AP World History.

Siddhartha Gautama

A young Hindu prince (lived from $563$-$483$ BCE) who founded Buddhism after rejecting wealth and becoming the Buddha, or 'Enlightened One.'

4 Noble Truths

The core tenets of Buddhism: ($1$) all life is suffering, ($2$) suffering is caused by desire, ($3$) one can be freed of desire, and ($4$) freedom is achieved by following a prescribed path.

Theravada Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism focusing on meditation, simplicity, and nirvana as the renunciation of consciousness and self.

Mahayana Buddhism

A complex branch of Buddhism featuring great ritual and spiritual comfort, which allowed for a greater spread of the faith.

Confucianism

A system based on the teachings of Confucius (circa $400$ BCE) focused on restoring political and social order through $5$ fundamental relations, including ruler and subject and parent and child.

Hinduism

A religion centered in India believing in a supreme force called Brahma; it incorporates concepts such as dharma (caste rules) and moksha (the state of internal peace).

5 Pillars of Islam

The essential practices for Muslims: ($1$) confession, ($2$) prayer $5$ times a day, ($3$) charity, ($4$) fasting during Ramadan, and ($5$) pilgrimage to Mecca.

Abbasid Dynasty

An Islamic empire from $750$-$1258$ CE that experienced a golden age in Baghdad, making advancements in mathematics, medicine, and the arts.

Feudalism

A European social hierarchy of the Middle Ages where kings, nobles, and vassals exchanged land (fiefs) for loyalty and military service.

Three-field system

An agricultural method using $3$ fields (fall, spring, and empty) to rotate crops and replenish soil nutrients.

Hanseatic League

A trade alliance formed in $1358$ through northern Europe to increase social mobility and drive toward nationhood.

Genghis Kahn

The leader who unified Mongolian tribes in the early $1200$s, creating an empire that spanned from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe.

Mansa Musa

A Malian ruler who built the capital of Timbuktu and expanded the kingdom, which became a major center for gold trade.

Humanism

A Renaissance movement focusing on personal accomplishment, happiness, and life on earth rather than purely on the goal of salvation.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement initiated by Martin Luther, who challenged the Catholic Church’s use of indulgences and its role as the sole path to salvation.

Scientific Method

A shift in scientific thinking toward a process involving theory, documentation, repetition, and experimentation.

Janissaries

Enslaved Christian children who were converted to Islam and trained as elite warriors specifically for the Ottoman Empire.

National Seclusion Policy

A $1635$ Japanese policy that prohibited Japanese citizens from traveling abroad and restricted most foreigners from entering the country.

Encomienda System

A hierarchical colonial social structure implemented by Spain in the New World that utilized forced labor of natives and African slaves.

Columbian Exchange

The transatlantic transfer of animals, plants, diseases, people, and ideas among Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

Mercantilism

An economic theory stating that a nation's power depends on creating a favorable balance of trade by exporting more than it imports.

Social Contract

The Enlightenment idea that governments are formed to meet social and economic needs of the people rather than by divine decree.

Industrial Revolution

A period beginning in Britain in the $19$th century characterized by a shift from domestic systems to factory-based production and new technologies.

Marxism

A theory by Karl Marx suggesting that the working class should take over the means of production so resources can be shared equally.

Meiji Restoration

An era of Japanese westernization and modernization in the late $19$th century that transformed Japan into a world power.

Berlin Conference

An $1884$ meeting where European powers discussed land claims in Africa, leading to the rapid colonization of nearly the entire continent.

Triple Entente

A World War I alliance consisting of Britain, France, and Russia, later joined by other nations including Japan and the United States.

Bolsheviks

The socialist party led by Vladimir Lenin that took power during the Russian Revolution, eventually forming the Soviet Union.

Fascism

A political ideology that destroys individual will in favor of a unified society, often characterized by extreme nationalism and racial identity.

Marshall Plan

A $1947$ United States program designed to rebuild the economies of Western Europe following the destruction of World War II.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed by the Western bloc to contain the spread of communism.

Cultural Revolution

A movement led by Mao Zedong in China to eliminate Western influences and prevent the emergence of privileged classes.

Apartheid

A system of racial separation established in South Africa in $1948$ that excluded Black people from politics and enforced segregation.

Zionists

Jewish nationalists who advocated for the right of Jewish people to live in Palestine, leading to the creation of the state of Israel in $1948$.

OPEC

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, a cartel formed to manage oil production and prices globally.

Green Revolution

An agricultural movement in the $1950$s and $60$s that increased food production through new technologies but led to significant environmental concerns.