East-West PT.1 - Study Set

Chandragupta Maurya

Founder of the Maurya Empire in India in 321 BCE

Maurya Empire

Indian empire founded in 321 BCE with a strong central government

Strong central government

A government with power concentrated under one main ruler or authority

Ashoka

Mauryan ruler who expanded India, converted to Buddhism, and promoted tolerance

Buddhism

Religion Ashoka converted to and helped spread across Asia

Missionaries

People sent to spread religious beliefs

Ashoka’s roads

Roads built to help trade and the exchange of ideas

Gupta Empire

Indian empire founded in 320 CE known as a Golden Age

Chandra Gupta

Founder of the Gupta Empire; not the same person as Chandragupta Maurya

Golden Age

A period of major cultural, scientific, and intellectual achievement

Hinduism

Religion connected to the Gupta Empire

Sanskrit

Written language used during the Gupta Empire

Numerals

Number symbols developed in India that later influenced Arabic numerals

Decimal system

Indian mathematical achievement based on place value

Zero

Important mathematical concept developed in classical India

Ayurveda

Ancient Indian guide to medicine and alternative healing

Inoculation

Medical method used to increase resistance to disease

Astronomy

Study of space, stars, planets, and Earth’s movement

Solar year

The time it takes Earth to orbit the Sun, about 365 days

Trans-Saharan trade

Trade routes crossing the Sahara Desert between North and West Africa

Gold-salt trade

Major African trade system based on gold from West Africa and salt from the Sahara

Sahara Desert

Large desert in North Africa where salt mines were located

West Africa

Region where gold mines and empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai developed

Ghana

West African empire connected to trade

Mali

West African empire ruled by Mansa Musa and connected to Timbuktu

Songhai

West African empire that followed Ghana and Mali as a major power

Mansa Musa

Wealthy ruler of Mali who helped spread Islam and showed Mali’s wealth

Timbuktu

Important city in Mali known for trade, learning, and Islamic culture

Islam

Religion that spread into Africa and Asia through trade and cultural diffusion

Animism

Belief that spirits exist in nature or natural objects

Aksum

East African civilization from about 300–700 CE known for Christianity and stelae

Christianity

Religion practiced in Aksum

Stelae

Large stone monuments used in Aksum to display power and wealth

Great Zimbabwe

Southeast African civilization known for large stone structures

Shona people

People associated with building Great Zimbabwe

Great Enclosure

Large stone structure in Great Zimbabwe

Zambezi River

River near Great Zimbabwe

Limpopo River

River near Great Zimbabwe

Trade

Exchange of goods, ideas, culture, and technology

Paper

Technology from China that spread through trade

Compass

Technology from China that spread through trade

Windmill

Technology from Persia that spread through trade

Lateen sail

Triangular sail from India used on dhow ships

Dhow ship

Ship used in Indian Ocean trade, often with a lateen sail

Waterwheel

Technology from Greece that spread through trade

Han Dynasty

Chinese dynasty from 202 BCE to 220 CE known for expansion, Confucian government, and the Silk Road

Qin Dynasty

Dynasty replaced by the Han Dynasty

Confucianism

Philosophy used by the Han Dynasty to guide government

Bureaucracy

Government system with officials who help run the empire

Civil service system

Han system that used exams to select government officials

Civil service exams

Tests used to choose government officials in Han China

Silk Road

Trade network connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe

Cultural diffusion

Spread of ideas, beliefs, customs, and technology from one culture to another

Silk

Chinese trade good that moved along the Silk Road

Porcelain

Chinese trade good that moved along major trade routes

Cotton

Indian trade good

Spices

Indian trade good

Classical China

Period of Chinese achievement, especially during the Han Dynasty

Japan

Island civilization influenced by China and Korea

Archipelago

Chain of islands

Mountainous archipelago

Japan’s geography as a chain of mountainous islands

Honshu

One of Japan’s four main islands

Hokkaido

One of Japan’s four main islands

Shikoku

One of Japan’s four main islands

Kyushu

One of Japan’s four main islands

Pacific Ocean

Body of water east of Japan

Sea of Japan / East Sea

Body of water west of Japan

Yellow Sea

Body of water near China and Korea

Korean Peninsula

Region near Japan that helped spread culture to Japan

Natural resources

Materials from nature that Japan had limited access to because of geography

Farmland

Land used for farming; limited in Japan because of mountains

Buddhism’s spread to Japan

Buddhism moved from India to China, then Korea, then Japan

Shinto

Native Japanese religion focused on nature, forces of nature, and ancestor worship

Ancestor worship

Honoring or worshipping family members who came before

Torii

Symbolic gate connected to Shinto shrines

State religion

Official religion supported by the government

Emperor worship

Belief connected to State Shinto that the emperor was a god

Coexistence

When two beliefs or systems exist together, like Shinto and Buddhism in Japan

Japanese feudalism

System in Japan based on land, loyalty, and warrior service

Samurai

Japanese warriors in the feudal system