AWH: S2 Finals Study Guide

Byzantine Empire

Eastern Roman empire centered in Constantinople, lasted 1000 years after Rome’s fall

Germanic Kingdoms

Barbarian tribes that formed after Rome’s fall

Monasticism

Way of life dedicated to religious practice and discipline

Monasteries

Religious communities where monks lived, worked, worshiped

Germanic tribes

Nomadic farmers and herders turned invaders; governed by unwritten customs; ex Franks, Visigoths

Clovis

leader of the Franks; converts to Christianity, earning support of the Gauls

Charlemagne

grandson of Charles Martel; king of Franks; warrior king; “Emperor of Europe”'; expanded Frankish empire; promoted learning/Christianity

Medieval Constantinople

capital of Byzantine Empire; crossroads for trade and business between Europe, Asia, and Africa; had stunning structures, like the Hagia Sophia

Orthodox Church

centered in Constantinople; eastern Christian Church that split from Roman Catholicism

The Patriarch

head of Orthodox church

Language spoken in the Byzantine Empire

changed from Latin to Greek officially when Rome split

Allah

Worshiped by Muslims; Arabic word for God

Muhammad

prophet; founder of Islam; said to be last prophet of God; his revelations became the Quran

Abraham

Patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, Islam; Islams are people of Abraham too; God’s gift of land to Abraham meant for Arabs also

Medina

city where Muhammad fled during Hijrah; capital of Islamic empire until moved to Kufa; significant

Ishmael

considered ancestor of Arab people; son of Abraham and Hagar

Gabriel

considered most important angels; messenger; revealed Quran to Muhammad

Quran

holy book of Islam; revealed to Muhammad through Gabriel

Five Pillars of Islam

practices; foundation of Islam: belief in Allah/Muhammad; Pray 5x a day facing Mecca; Give to poor; Fast during Ramadan; Pilgrimage to Mecca

Hijrah

Muhammad and followers’ pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE

Hajj

pilgrimage to Mecca, must be made at least once; one of five pillars

Bedouin

nomadic Arab tribes, living in desert regions; many converted to Islam

Caliph

leader of Muslim community; the first was Muhammad’s father

Craft Guild

Determined number of people entering specific trade; Directed almost every aspect of production process; Set standard for quality of produced articles; Set fixed price for sale of finished goods

Viking invasions

raids from Scandinavian warriors that destabilized Europe; caused European kingdoms to become more centralized and focused

Fief

grant of land given by lord to vassal in exchange for loyalty, service, etc

Knight

mounted warriors, served lords in exchange for fiefs, followed code of chivalry

Feudalism

economic, political, social system in medieval Europe from 9-15 centuries. Based on hierarchy of lords, vassals, peasants

Lords

landowners controlling vast estates; held authority of people on their lands

Manorial system

Lord ran a manor that peasants worked; manors were estates

Serfs

worked their own land and their lord’s land, not slaves, but under control of lord

Chivalry

code of conduct knights followed; honor, loyalty, courtesy emphasized

Magna Carta

Charter signed by King John limiting monarch’s power; established individual rights

Sacraments

things needed by Catholics to go to heaven (Communion, infant baptism, confirmation, etc.)

Silla

SE part of Korean Peninsula; founded by Hyokkose (혁거세), one of the bigger ones

Kublai Khan

Genghis Khan’s grandson; completed conquest of Song; setting up Yuan dynasty

Han Dynasty

establishment of civil service system, opened Silk Road, promoted Confucianism; founded by Liu Bang

Song Dynasty

period of cultural, economic, technological advancement; founded by Emperor Taizu

Daimyo

“great names”; head of noble families in Japan; controlled vast estates

Sui Dynasty

reunified China; constructed Grand Canal; implemented reforms in government

Grand Canal

waterway; facilitated trade; used forced labor/high taxes

Tang Dynasty collapse

due to combo of internal factors, natural disasters, rebellions, weakening government

Civil service examinations

test used by government to hire officials; very hard

Mongols

largest land empire; originated from group of nomadic herders

Ghengis Khan

founder of Mongol empire; known for military prowess and unifying tribes of Mongolia

Koguryo

founded by King Chumo; largest; established royal hereditary

Paekche

founded by Onja; focus on art

Farming in Japan

reliant on rice; farmland owned by state

Islam in Malaysia

Most of SEA became Buddhist, but Malaysia/Indonesia became Muslims

Samurai

“those who serve”; Japanese warriors; expected to follow bushido

The Black Plague

Began in Asia, spread through fleas on rats; either bubonic or pneumonic

First Crusade

successful military campaign by European Christians to capture Jerusalem from Muslim control

The Fourth Crusade

Failed attempt to reach the Holy Land that ended with Crusaders sack Constantinople, a Christian city, instead

Saladin

Muslim military leader who united the Muslim world and recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187, leading to the Third Crusade

Dark Ages

Refers to the early part of the Middle Ages (roughly 500–1000 CE), marked by the fall of the Roman Empire, political instability, and a decline in learning and culture in Western Europe

Joan of Arc

 French peasant girl; claiming to be guided by God, led French troops to key victories in the Hundred Years’ War; helped crown Charles VII, before being captured and executed for heresy in 1431

Jerusalem

holy city for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, and was a major goal of the Crusades, especially during the First Crusade, when it was captured by Christian forces in 1099

Forms of black plague

1. Bubonic – Caused swollen lymph nodes (buboes); most common form.

2. Septicemic – Affected the blood; caused internal bleeding and was often fatal.

3. Pneumonic – Affected the lungs; spread through the air and was highly contagious

Scholasticism

medieval method of learning that used logic and reason to reconcile faith with philosophy, especially combining Christian theology with Ancient Greek thought, like the works of Aristotle

Heresy

belief or opinion that goes against the official teachings of a religion, particularly in Christianity, where it was considered a serious offense and often led to excommunication or persecution

Lay investiture

secular rulers, like kings, appointed church officials, leading to conflicts with the Church over authority

Excommunication

banishment from the Catholic Church as punishment for serious offenses

Vernacular

Everyday language spoken by people in a particular region, as opposed to formal or classical languages like Latin

Collapse of Ghana

11th century due to invasions, internal conflict, and resource depletion

Salt and Gold trade

exchange of salt from the north and gold from West Africa, which made empires like Ghana and Mali wealthy and powerful

Mansa Musa

richest ruler of the Mali Empire, famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, where he spread wealth and promoted Islamic culture

Sahara

vast desert in North Africa, known for its extreme heat and size, making it a natural barrier but also a key trade route in ancient times

Diversity of Geography in Africa

Africa's geography includes deserts, rainforests, savannas, mountains, and coasts, creating diverse environments and cultures

Moche

ancient Andean civilization in modern-day Peru, known for their advanced pottery, architecture, and irrigation systems

Cherokee

Native American tribe from the southeast U.S., known for their culture and forced relocation on the Trail of Tears

Inca

ancient civilization in South America, known for their advanced architecture, road systems, and the Machu Picchu site in present-day Peru

Nazca

ancient civilization in Peru, famous for creating the Nazca Lines, huge geoglyphs etched into the desert

Anasazi

Native American group living in SW North America (modern day Arizona) they built cities inside cliffs.

Aztec religion

polytheistic, with rituals and human sacrifice to honor gods and ensure the world’s survival

Machu Picchu

ancient Incan city in Peru, known for its stunning mountain-top location, terraces, and advanced architecture

Niccolo Machievelli

Italian Renaissance writer and political thinker best known for "The Prince," a book that advised rulers to use cunning and power to maintain control, even if it meant being ruthless

Italian states

group of independent regions in Renaissance Italy, including Venice, Florence, Milan, and the papal states

Humanism

Renaissance intellectual movement that emphasized the study of classical texts, individualism, and the potential of human achievement

Fresco

painting done on freshly applied plaster on walls or ceilings, commonly used during the Renaissance

Republic

form of government where the people elect representatives to make decisions, rather than having a monarch or dictator

Florence

city in Italy, known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, famous for its art, architecture, and being home to figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Gutenburg

Inventor of the movable-type printing press in the 15th century, which revolutionized the production of books and helped spread knowledge

Printing Press

machine invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, allowing for the mass production of books and the spread of knowledge

Jan Van Eyck

15th-century Flemish painter, known for his detailed oil painting like the “Arnolfini Portrait”

Brunelleschi’s architecture

known for using classical styles and creating the famous dome of Florence Cathedral, a key work of the Renaissance

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance artist and inventor, best known for the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper," and for his notebooks filled with ideas on art, science, and engineering

Martin Luther

German priest, theologian, writer and hymn composer. He was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. Posted the 95 theses protesting the Catholic church’s forced acts upon the congregation

95 theses

95 statements on Luther's views on the teachings of the Christian Bible and the practice of Christianity against the Catholic Church.

English Reformation

Church of England separated from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. The Church also denied the government's influence in the church and its functions

Henry VIII

King of England who broke from the Catholic Church and established the Church of England in the 16th century; had 6 wives in total

Lutherans

Followers of Martin Luther who believed in salvation by faith alone and rejected the authority of the Pope

Calvinism

Protestant faith founded by John Calvin, emphasizing predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God

Consubstantiation

Lutheran belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist along with the bread and wine

Anabaptists

radical Protestant group that believed in adult baptism and separation of church and state

Erasmus

Dutch humanist and Catholic priest who called for church reform but did not support breaking from the Church

Indulgence

grant by the Catholic Church that released a person from punishment for sins, often criticized for being sold

Edict of Worms

decree issued in 1521 declaring Martin Luther an outlaw and banning his writings

Predestination

belief that God has already determined who will be saved and who will be damned

Catholic Reformation

Catholic Church’s response to the Protestant Reformation, aiming to reform itself and reaffirm doctrine

Council of Trent

series of Catholic Church meetings from 1545–1563 that developed clear doctrine, unified under pope; got rid of indulgences and lay investiture