apworld1-4vocab

Mandate of Heaven

A Chinese political and religious doctrine used to justify the rule of emperors, stating they were chosen by heaven to govern as long as they ruled justly.

Confucianism

A Chinese philosophy founded by Confucius emphasizing moral integrity, social harmony, and filial piety.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophy promoting harmony with nature and simplicity, often focusing on 'The Dao' (the Way).

Filial Piety

A Confucian virtue of respect for one's parents and ancestors.

Civil Service System

A bureaucratic system in China where government officials were chosen based on merit, typically through examinations.

Examination System

A rigorous testing process used in imperial China to select candidates for government service.

Scholar-Gentry

A social class of educated elites in China who held government positions through the examination system.

Hangzhou

A prosperous Chinese city and capital of the Song dynasty known for its commerce and culture.

Censorate

An agency in imperial China responsible for monitoring government officials to prevent corruption.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival of Confucian thought mixed with Daoist and Buddhist influences during the Song dynasty.

Foot Binding

A practice in imperial China where women's feet were tightly bound to achieve small, 'delicate' feet, symbolizing beauty and social status.

'Middle Kingdom'

The Chinese belief that their civilization was the center of the world and superior to others.

Tribute System

A Chinese system where neighboring states had to pay tribute and acknowledge China's superiority.

Kowtow

A ritual act of bowing to show submission to the Chinese emperor.

Khitan/Jurchen Peoples

Nomadic groups from the north who established their own dynasties and challenged Chinese rule.

Nomadic Pastoralism

A way of life where people migrate with their herds across grasslands for sustenance.

Turks

Central Asian nomadic peoples who played key roles in Islamic, Mongol, and Ottoman empires.

Berbers

Indigenous North African nomads who facilitated trans-Saharan trade.

Chinggis Khan

Founder and leader of the Mongol Empire who united nomadic tribes and created the largest contiguous empire in history.

Yuan Dynasty

The Mongol dynasty established in China by Kublai Khan.

Khubilai Khan

Grandson of Chinggis Khan and founder of the Yuan dynasty in China.

Khutulun

A Mongol princess known for her prowess in wrestling and military skills.

Golden Horde

A Mongol khanate that ruled over parts of Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

Ulama

Islamic scholars responsible for interpreting and teaching Sharia law.

Madrassas

Islamic schools for religious and secular learning.

Sufis

Islamic mystics who sought personal union with God and spread Islam through missionary work.

The Hajj

The pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are required to undertake once in their lifetime.

Baghdad

The capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and a major center for learning, commerce, and culture.

House of Wisdom

A renowned center for translation, research, and scholarship in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal winds that facilitated trade in the Indian Ocean by carrying ships between Africa, Arabia, and Asia.

Straits of Malacca

A crucial maritime chokepoint between the Indian Ocean and East Asia, vital for trade.

Lateen Sail

A triangular sail that allowed ships to sail against the wind, advancing maritime trade.

Swahili Language

A Bantu-based language with Arabic influences spoken along the East African coast.

Great Zimbabwe

A powerful trade-centered city-state in Southern Africa, known for its stone architecture.

Brahmin

The highest caste in Hinduism, typically priests and scholars.

Srivijaya Kingdom

A Southeast Asian maritime empire that controlled trade in the Straits of Malacca.

Angkor Kingdom

A powerful Cambodian empire known for its Hindu and Buddhist temples, including Angkor Wat.

Borobudur

A massive Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia, reflecting the spread of Buddhism in Southeast Asia.

Jenne-Jeno

A prominent city in West Africa and early center for trade along the Niger River.

Camel Caravans

Groups of traders who used camels to transport goods across deserts, especially in the Sahara.

Feudalism

A decentralized political system in medieval Europe where lords granted land to vassals in exchange for loyalty and service.

Manor System

The economic system of feudal Europe, centered on self-sufficient agricultural estates (manors).

Little Ice Age

A period of cooling temperatures from the 14th to 19th centuries that disrupted agriculture and economies.

Mexica

The people who established the Aztec Empire in Mesoamerica.

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco.

Pochteca

Aztec long-distance traders who facilitated trade and acted as spies.

Chinampas ('floating gardens')

Artificial islands built by the Aztecs for agriculture.

Quechua

The language of the Inca Empire, still spoken today in parts of South America.

Inca Roads

A vast network of roads used for communication and transportation in the Inca Empire.

Gender Parallelism

A system where men and women operate in separate but complementary spheres of life.

Gunpowder

An explosive substance used in weapons, originating in China and revolutionizing warfare.

Cannons

Early artillery weapons powered by gunpowder, used in sieges and battles.

Armed Trade

The use of military force to control and expand trade networks.

Manchu

A nomadic group from Northeast Asia that conquered China and established the Qing Dynasty.

Mughal

A Muslim empire in India known for its religious tolerance (under Akbar) and monumental architecture like the Taj Mahal.

Ottoman

A powerful Islamic empire centered in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) that lasted from the 14th to 20th century.

Safavid

A Persian empire known for establishing Shi'a Islam as the dominant religion in Iran.

Qing

The last imperial dynasty of China (1644-1912) established by the Manchus.

Inca

A South American empire in the Andes known for its advanced roads, agriculture, and engineering.

Bureaucratic Elites

Government officials who held administrative power within centralized states.

Monumental Architecture

Large-scale architectural projects, such as temples, palaces, or pyramids, that showcased a ruler's power and legitimacy.

Tribute Collection

A system where subordinate states or people pay goods, services, or money to a dominant power.

Tax Collection

The organized gathering of taxes by states to finance their administration and military.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement in 16th-century Europe led by Martin Luther that challenged the authority of the Catholic Church.

Catholic Reformation

The Catholic Church's response to the Protestant Reformation, which included reforms to address corruption.

Sunni

The largest branch of Islam, believing leadership belongs to the most qualified member of the Muslim community.

Shi'a

A branch of Islam that believes leadership should stay within the Prophet Muhammad's family, specifically through Ali's descendants.

Sikhism

A syncretic religion founded by Guru Nanak in India, blending elements of Islam and Hinduism.

Syncretism

The blending of different religious, cultural, or philosophical traditions into a new system.

Transoceanic Travel

Long-distance sea voyages across oceans, particularly during the Age of Exploration.

Trading-Post Empire

A form of empire established by the Portuguese and others to control key trade routes and ports rather than large territories.

Columbus

An Italian explorer sponsored by Spain who 'discovered' the Americas in 1492, leading to European colonization.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, diseases, culture, and technology between the Americas, Europe, and Africa.

Cash Crops

Agricultural products grown primarily for sale rather than personal use (e.g., sugar, tobacco, and cotton).

Coerced Labor

Systems of forced labor, including slavery, serfdom, and indentured servitude.

Ming Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty (1368-1644) known for its maritime expeditions, cultural achievements, and the construction of the Forbidden City.

Maritime Empires

Empires that relied on sea-based power and overseas colonies (e.g., Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and British Empires).

Kingdom of the Kongo

A powerful Central African kingdom that engaged in trade with the Portuguese but suffered due to the slave trade.

Encomienda

A Spanish labor system in the Americas that granted colonists the right to extract labor and tribute from indigenous people.

Hacienda

Large estates or plantations in Spanish colonies where laborers (often indigenous or enslaved) produced cash crops.

Plantation Economy

An economic system based on large-scale agricultural production, often using enslaved labor to grow cash crops.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery where individuals are treated as property to be bought, sold, and owned permanently.

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses in which investors pooled their resources to fund trade expeditions, sharing risks and profits (e.g., British East India Company).

Mercantilist

An economic system in which colonies provided resources to the mother country, aiming to accumulate wealth and power through trade.

Peasant and Artisan Labor

Labor performed by farmers and skilled craftspeople, crucial for pre-industrial economies.

Silver Trade

The global trade of silver, primarily from Spanish mines in the Americas, which fueled economic systems and connected world markets.

Casta System

A racial and social hierarchy in colonial Latin America based on ancestry, with Europeans at the top.

Janissaries

Elite Ottoman soldiers recruited through the Devshirme system from Christian communities.

Sati

A Hindu funeral practice where widows self-immolated on their husband's funeral pyre.

Jizya

A tax imposed on non-Muslims in Islamic empires in exchange for protection and religious freedom.

Devshirme

The Ottoman practice of forcibly recruiting Christian boys for military and administrative service.

Soft Gold

A term referring to valuable furs traded from Siberia and North America.

Treaty of Nerchinsk, 1689

A treaty between Russia and China that established boundaries and trade relations.

Doña Marina

A native woman who served as a translator and advisor to Hernán Cortés during the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

The Great Dying

The massive population decline of indigenous peoples in the Americas due to European diseases and conquest.

Repartimiento

A colonial Spanish labor system where indigenous people were forced to work for wages under harsh conditions.

Peninsulares

Spanish-born elites in the Americas.

Creoles

American-born descendants of Spaniards.

Tupac Amaru Revolt

An indigenous uprising in Peru against Spanish colonial rule.

Middle Passage

The brutal transatlantic voyage that brought enslaved Africans to the Americas.