AP World History: Vocabulary (2025-2026)

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from Topics 1–6 of the AP World History Global Tapestry to 1450 and beyond.

animism

Belief that natural objects, places, and beings possess spirits.

Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama)

Founder of Buddhism; the enlightenedOne who taught the path to liberation.

Christianity

Monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

shamanism

Religious practice involving a shaman who communicates with spirits.

Shintoism

Indigenous Japanese religion centered on kami (spirits) and rituals.

pastoral societies

Societies based on herding and domestication of animals.

Judaism

Monotheistic faith of the Jews; covenant with God; Torah.

monotheism

Belief in a single, all-powerful God.

Buddhism

Religion based on the teachings of the Buddha; contains practices toward enlightenment.

syncretism

Blending of beliefs and practices from different religious traditions.

Theravada

Early, orthodox form of Buddhism emphasizing monastic discipline.

Mahayana

Buddhist tradition emphasizing broad compassion and bodhisattvas.

Silk Roads

Network of overland trade routes connecting East Asia and the Mediterranean.

Hinduism

Ancient Indian religion with a wide pantheon, dharma, karma, and rebirth.

Polytheism

Belief in many gods.

Reincarnation

Belief that the soul is reborn into a new body after death.

Caste System

Rigid social hierarchy in India based on birth and occupation.

dharma

In Hinduism: duties and ethical law; in Buddhism: cosmic law and path to enlightenment.

bodhisattva

Enlightened being who postpones final nirvana to help others.

monasticism

Religious way of life in which individuals live apart from the world in monasteries.

Mandate of Heaven

Chinese political idea that heavenly approval justifies rule.

Confucianism

Philosophy focusing on social harmony, proper conduct, and filial piety.

filial piety

Respect and obligation toward one’s parents and ancestors.

Zoroastrianism

Ancient Persian religion with a focus on the god Ahura Mazda and moral dualism.

Greco-Roman Philosophy

Philosophical traditions from Greece and Rome, including classical rationalism.

Turkic migration

Movement of Turkic peoples across Eurasia influencing language and culture.

Seljuk Turks

Turkish Muslim empire that controlled parts of the Middle East in the medieval period.

Chinggis Khan

Genghis Khan; founder of the Mongol Empire who united the Mongol tribes.

Crusades-masacre in jeruselam

Series of religious wars; notable violence in Jerusalem during Crusades.

ulama

Islamic scholars and jurists who interpret Islamic law and theology.

Southernization

Spread of South Asian influence (crops, ideas, trade) through Indian Ocean networks.

Sufis

Islamic mystics who emphasize personal experience of the divine.

Mongols

Central Asian nomads who built the largest land empire in history.

Hulegu

Mongol leader who conquered the Abbasid Caliphate and founded the Ilkhanate.

Mamluks

Slave-soldier regime that ruled Egypt and Syria; a major medieval power.

Mahmud of Ghazni/Ghaznavids

Ghaznavid ruler known for military campaigns into the Indian subcontinent.

Delhi/Delhi Sultanate

Muslim-ruled sultanates in northern India after the 12th century.

Malacca (Melaka)

Strategic port city on the Malay Peninsula; key hub for trade.

Dar-al-Islam

The 'house of Islam'; regions under Muslim rule.

Trans-Saharan trade

Trade across the Sahara Desert, exchanging gold, salt, and slaves.

Indian Ocean Maritime System

Network of seaborne trade across the Indian Ocean with monsoon winds.

Mediterranean Sea Lane

Trade routes across the Mediterranean linking Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Muhammad

Prophet and founder of Islam.

Islam

Monotheistic religion based on submission to Allah.

Sunnis

Major Islamic branch emphasizing community consensus in leadership.

Shi'a

Islamic branch that supports leadership through the Prophet’s family.

Abbasids

Caliphate centered in Baghdad; golden age of Islamic culture.

Al-Andalus/Muslim Iberia

Muslim-ruled territories on the Iberian Peninsula.

Arab (Islamic) agricultural revolution

Agricultural innovations and new crops under Islamic rule boosting productivity.

bhaktic cults/bhakti movement

Devotional reform in Hinduism emphasizing personal devotion to a deity.

Srivijaya

Maritime empire in Sumatra controlling shipping through the Strait of Malacca.

Sundiata

Founder of the Mali Empire; a legendary ruler.

Mansa Musa

Mali emperor renowned for wealth and famous pilgrimage to Mecca.

Swahili

East African culture and language blending African and Arab influences.

Mogadishu

Major East African port city engaged in Indian Ocean trade.

Mombasa

East African port city active in long-distance trade networks.

Malindi

East African port city involved in Indian Ocean commerce.

Benin

West African kingdom known for sophisticatedBronze art and trade.

Kilwa

Kilwa Kisiwani; Swahili city-state on the East African coast.

Zanzibar

Islands with Swahili city-states trading networks along the coast.

SofaIa

Port city in East Africa; center of Swahili trade routes.

Ethiopia

Horn of Africa kingdom with ancient Christian heritage.

Copts

Egyptian Christians; members of the Coptic Church.

Sahel

Semi-arid belt south of the Sahara; source of major empires.

griots

West African storytellers/historians who preserve history through song.

Sudanic States

West African states in the Sahel and savanna regions (e.g., Ghana, Mali, Songhai).

Ibn Battuta

Moroccan traveler who documented the Islamic world in the 14th century.

Ghana

Early West African kingdom famous for gold; not the modern country.

Timbuktu

Important city in Mali; center of learning and trade.

Trans-Saharan caravan routes

Caravan networks crossing the Sahara linking West Africa with the Mediterranean.

Mali

West African empire known for wealth from gold and commerce.

Songhay (Songhai)

West African empire that followed Mali; major trading power and center of Islam.

Sharia

Islamic law derived from the Qur'an andHadith.

Kongo

Central African kingdom/people with rich cultural heritage.

Great Zimbabwe

Early African kingdom known for large stone enclosures and trade.

Constantinople

Capital of the Byzantine Empire; renamed Istanbul after 1453.

Justinian

Byzantine emperor who codified laws (Justinian’s Code) and rebuilt Constantinople.

Hagia Sophia

Huge Byzantine cathedral in Constantinople; later a mosque.

Kiev

Major East Slavic city that became the center of Kievan Rus.

Eastern Orthodox

Christian church centered in the Byzantine tradition and the Greek rite.

Middle Ages

Period roughly 5th to 15th century in Europe between Rome’s fall and Renaissance.

Charlemagne

Frankish king who united much of Western Europe; crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

Holy Roman Empire

Medieval Germanic empire; not the same as the ancient Roman Empire.

Vikings

Norse seafarers who raided, traded, and settled across Europe.

manorialism

Economic system of estates (manors) with peasants and lords.

Serfs/serfdom

Peasants bound to the land, owing labor and service.

feudalism

Political/military system of lords, vassals, and fiefs.

vassal/retainer

Noble in feudal system who pledges service to a lord.

Magna Carta

1215 charter limiting royal authority and recognizing legal rights.

Parliament

Representative assembly in England evolving from feudal councils.

Hundred Years' War

Long conflict between England and France (1337–1453).

Crusades

Religious military campaigns to the Holy Land.

investiture

Controversy over who appoints bishops—secular rulers vs. the pope.

Thomas Aquinas

Scholastic theologian who integrated faith and reason.

scholasticism

Medieval method of learning reconciling faith with reason.

Dhimi

Protected non-Muslims ('People of the Book') in Islamic states.

guilds

Associations of artisans and merchants controlling practice and training.

bubonic plague

Deadly epidemic (Black Death) in the 14th century Europe.

Little Ice Age

Period of cooling from the 14th to 19th centuries affecting agriculture.

Black Death

Destructive pandemic of plague in 14th-century Europe.