Unit 3 AP World

Analects

The collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius; a core text of Confucianism.

Bakufu

"Tent government"; the military government established in Japan under the Shogun (e.g., Tokugawa), retaining symbolic authority for the Emperor.

Bunraku

A sophisticated form of traditional Japanese puppet theater, popular during the Tokugawa period.

Civil Service Examinations

A rigorous system in China to select government officials (mandarins) based on merit and knowledge of Confucian classics.

Christovão Ferreira

A Portuguese Jesuit missionary who apostatized (renounced his faith) after being tortured by the Japanese government during the suppression of Christianity.

Daimyo

Powerful feudal lords in Japan who commanded a private army of Samurai and ruled over local domains.

Dutch Learning

The body of Western knowledge (science, medicine, cartography) that reached Japan via the Dutch trading post at Nagasaki during the Tokugawa isolation.

Edo

The former name of Tokyo; the capital of the Tokugawa Bakufu government and the center of Japanese political power.

Eunuchs

Castrated males who served as powerful, confidential officials in the Chinese imperial court (especially the Ming Dynasty), often rivaling the scholar-gentry.

Filial Piety

A foundational Confucian virtue of respect and obedience for one's parents, elders, and ancestors.

Foot Binding

The painful practice of tightly binding the feet of young Chinese girls to limit their growth, symbolizing patriarchal authority and aristocratic status.

Forbidden City

The massive imperial palace complex in Beijing that served as the home of the Chinese Emperor and the ceremonial/political center of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Francis Xavier

A Jesuit missionary who traveled to Japan in the mid-16th century, introducing Christianity to the region.

Great Wall

A series of fortifications built across the historical northern borders of China, primarily rebuilt and reinforced by the Ming Dynasty to defend against northern invaders.

Hongwu

The founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1398), who drove out the Mongols and established a highly centralized government.

Infanticide

The crime of killing an infant; specifically, female infanticide was sometimes practiced in China due to poverty and the cultural preference for sons (reinforcing patrilineal groups).

Jesuits

Members of the Society of Jesus, a Catholic order who led missionary efforts in China and Japan, attempting to integrate Christian theology with Confucian traditions (Mateo Ricci).

Kabuki

A highly stylized form of traditional Japanese dance-drama, known for its elaborate costumes and intense makeup, popular among commoners.

Kangxi

A highly successful and long-reigning emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1661-1722), known for his scholarship, military campaigns, and intellectual curiosity.

Kyoto

The historical and cultural capital of Japan where the Emperor resided, though the political power shifted to Edo under the Tokugawa.

Macau (1450-1750)

A small Portuguese trading post on the coast of China, established as the primary site for European trade and missionary activity before the Qing restricted access.

Manchu

A nomadic people from Manchuria who conquered China and established the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Nagasaki (1450-1750)

The Japanese port city where a small number of Dutch traders were permitted to remain after the Tokugawa government expelled all other Europeans and suppressed Christianity; the source of Dutch Learning.

Native Learning

A Japanese intellectual movement that emphasized Japanese traditions and the supremacy of the Emperor, often criticizing foreign influences (Neo-Confucianism and Buddhism).

Nurhaci

The Manchu chieftain who unified the Manchu tribes and laid the foundation for the Qing Dynasty.

Mandarins

The class of civil servant officials in China who governed the empire, selected through the Civil Service Examinations.

Mateo Ricci

An Italian Jesuit missionary who gained favor at the Ming court through his scientific knowledge, introducing Western learning while attempting to bridge Christianity and Confucianism.

Ming Dynasty

The dynasty that ruled China from 1368 to 1644, known for rebuilding the Great Wall, massive naval expeditions (Zheng He), and the Forbidden City.

Neo-Confucianism

A syncretic philosophical system (championed by Zhu Xi) that blended Confucian ethics with Buddhist and Daoist metaphysics, becoming the official ideology of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Patrilineal Groups

Social organizations in China (e.g., clans) based on descent traced through the father's line, central to the practice of filial piety and ancestor veneration.

Qianlong

The grandson of Kangxi and one of the last great emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1736-1795), under whose rule the empire reached its territorial and wealth peak.

Qing Dynasty

The last imperial dynasty of China (1644-1912), established by the Manchu people.

Scholar Gentry

The social class in China composed of civil servants (mandarins) and their families; they passed the Civil Service Examinations and governed society.

Samurai

The warrior class of feudal Japan, who served the Daimyo and upheld a strict code of ethics; they became bureaucrats under the Tokugawa Bakufu.

Sengoku

"Warring States Period" (c. 1467-1615) in Japan, marked by near-constant civil war and conflict between the Daimyo before unification under the Tokugawa.

Shinto

The indigenous religion of Japan, focused on nature, ancestor worship, and the divine status of the Emperor.

Shogun

The military dictator of Japan who held actual political power under the Bakufu, while the Emperor remained a symbolic figurehead.

Son of Heaven

The title for the Chinese Emperor, reflecting his role as the mediator between heaven and earth, ruling by the Mandate of Heaven.

Tokugawa

The dynasty that ruled Japan as Shoguns from 1603 to 1868, establishing a long period of peace, stability, and controlled isolation.

True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven

A book written by Mateo Ricci that attempted to explain Christianity to Chinese audiences using Confucian terminology and concepts.

Ukiyo

"Floating world"; the urban culture of entertainment, theaters (Kabuki), pleasure houses, and tea houses that thrived in Edo and other cities during the Tokugawa period.

Yongle

The third emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1402-1424), who commissioned the Forbidden City, restored the Grand Canal, and sponsored the voyages of Zheng He.

Yongle Encyclopedia

A massive compilation of Chinese knowledge commissioned by Emperor Yongle; the world's largest paper encyclopedia.

Zheng He

A Muslim eunuch admiral under Emperor Yongle who commanded massive Chinese treasure fleets on seven voyages throughout the Indian Ocean (1405-1433).

Zhu Xi

A prominent scholar who systematized Neo-Confucianism during the Song Dynasty, making it the dominant orthodox philosophy that governed the Ming and Qing systems.

Akbar

The most famous emperor of the Mughal Empire (1556-1605), known for his military conquests, religious tolerance, and administrative skill.

Aurangzeb

The last significant emperor of the Mughal Empire (1658-1707), known for his vast territorial expansion but strict Islamic policies, which led to internal resentment.

Babur

The founder of the Mughal Empire (literally 'Mogul') in India (1526), claiming descent from Chinggis Khan and Tamerlane.

Chaldiran

The decisive battle in 1514 where the Ottoman army (led by Selim the Grim, with superior gunpowder artillery) defeated the Safavid Qizilbash, marking the beginning of centuries of Ottoman-Safavid conflict.

Devshirme

The Ottoman practice of levying Christian boys from the Balkans, converting them to Islam, and training them for elite service in the bureaucracy or the Janissary military corps.

Dhimmi

"Protected people"; the status granted under Islamic law to Ahl al-kitab (Jews and Christians) and sometimes Hindus/Sikhs, allowing them to practice their faith in exchange for loyalty and the Jizya tax.

Divine Faith

A syncretic religion promoted by Akbar that blended Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity, emphasizing the emperor as a spiritual leader; it died with him.

Fatehpur Sikri

The massive, beautiful capital city built by Akbar near Agra, later abandoned due to water issues; a testament to Mughal architectural fusion.

Ghazi

A Muslim religious warrior; the early Ottoman Empire was built on the ethos of ghazi fighting against non-Muslims.

Imam

A religious leader in Islam, particularly important in Shiism as a spiritual successor to the Prophet Muhammad.

Isfahan

The stunning capital city of the Safavid Empire in Persia, known for its magnificent royal plaza and Shiite mosques.

Ismail

The founder of the Safavid Empire (1501) who imposed Twelver Shiism as the official religion, leading to conflict with the Sunni Ottomans.

Istanbul

The capital city of the Ottoman Empire, conquered by Mehmed the Conqueror (as Constantinople) in 1453; a key geopolitical and commercial center.

Jahangir

The Mughal emperor who succeeded Akbar; known for political stability and allowing his wife, Nur Jahan, to wield significant influence.

Janissaries

Elite infantry troops of the Ottoman Empire, originally composed of Christian boys taken through the Devshirme; they were fiercely loyal and used gunpowder weapons.

Jizya

A tax levied by Islamic rulers on adult male non-Muslim subjects (Dhimmi) in exchange for military exemption and protection.

Kanun

Highly detailed legal edicts and laws issued by Ottoman Sultans, often supplementing or clarifying Sharia law.

Mehmed the Conqueror

The Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453, renaming it Istanbul and making it the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

Millet

A system in the Ottoman Empire where non-Muslim religious communities (Dhimmi) were organized into self-governing administrative units, each reporting to the Sultan.

Mughal Empire

A large Islamic empire established by Babur in India (1526-1857), known for its cultural synthesis, wealth, and sophisticated administration.

Osman Bey

The founder of the Ottoman Empire (c. 1289), starting as a small principality of Ghazi warriors in Anatolia.

Ottoman Empire

A massive, long-lasting Sunni Islamic empire (1299-1922) that spanned Southeast Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, centered in Istanbul.

Piri Reis

An Ottoman admiral and cartographer known for his detailed maps and Book of the Sea (1521).

Printing Press

The European invention that revolutionized the spread of information; though available, the Ottoman and Safavid empires initially resisted its use for religious texts.

Qizilbash

"Red Heads"; Turkish followers of Ismail who wore distinctive red hats and played a key military role in establishing the Safavid Empire.

Safavid Empire

A major Shiite Islamic empire (1501-1736) centered in Persia (Iran), known for its cultural patronage in Isfahan and its ideological rivalry with the Sunni Ottomans.

Shah Abbas the Great

The most powerful Safavid ruler (1588-1629), who modernized the military, promoted trade, and rebuilt the capital at Isfahan.

Shiism

One of the two main branches of Islam, dominant in the Safavid Empire, which holds that the legitimate successor to Muhammad is an Imam descended from him.

Sikhs

A syncretic religion founded in the Punjab region of India, blending elements of Islam and Hinduism; they clashed violently with the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb.

Sinan Pasha

The greatest Ottoman architect, chief architect to Suleyman the Magnificent, responsible for the Suleymaniye Mosque and many other masterpieces.

Sufis

Adherents of Islamic mysticism, who focused on a personal, ecstatic union with God; their orders were key to the spread of Islam and were influential in all three Islamic empires.

Suleyman the Magnificent

The greatest Ottoman Sultan (1520-1566), who presided over the empire's golden age of military expansion, art, and law (Kanun).

Suleymaniya

The magnificent mosque complex in Istanbul built by Sinan Pasha for Suleyman the Magnificent.

Sunni

The largest branch of Islam, dominant in the Ottoman and Mughal Empires, which holds that the Caliph should be chosen by consensus.

Taj Mahal

The famous white marble mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife; the pinnacle of Mughal architecture.

Timar

A system of land grants in the Ottoman Empire where the grantee was given control over the land and its revenues in exchange for military service (similar to European feudalism).

Topkapi Palace

The sprawling official residence and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans in Istanbul.

Twelver Shiism

The official religion of the Safavid Empire, believing that the 12th Imam went into hiding and will return as the Mahdi.

Wahhabi Movement

An early 18th-century fundamentalist Sunni Islamic revival movement in Arabia that sought to purify Islam by strictly adhering to the Quran and Hadith.

Zamindar

Local aristocratic and semi-feudal landowners in the Mughal Empire who acted as tax collectors for the central government.

Absolutism

A political theory where the monarch has total, unchecked power over the state and its people, exemplified by Louis XIV of France.

Anglicans

Followers of the Church of England, established by Henry VIII after he broke with the Catholic Church.

Balance of Power

A policy aimed at preventing any single European state (like the Habsburgs) from dominating the continent, leading to shifting alliances and frequent warfare.

Calvinists

Followers of John Calvin, a major figure in the Protestant Reformation who stressed the doctrine of predestination and austere living.

Capitalism

An economic system where private parties own the factors of production, motivated by profit in a free market.

Catherine the Great

An enlightened Romanov Empress of Russia (1762-1796), who expanded the empire and promoted the arts and sciences, despite maintaining serfdom.

Catholic Reformation

The period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent, aimed at reforming the Church, combating the Protestant Reformation, and promoting missions (Society of Jesus).

Charles V

The Holy Roman Emperor (1519-1556) who presided over the vast Habsburg empire and unsuccessfully attempted to suppress Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.

Constitutional States

States (like England and the Netherlands) where power is shared between the monarch and a representative body (Parliament), leading to a limited government.

Council of Trent

An ecumenical council (1545-1563) that defined official Catholic doctrine, reaffirmed traditional teachings, and initiated reforms in response to the Protestant Reformation.

State Building

The process of creating and consolidating a centralized, sovereign government over a defined territory, often through war and bureaucratic expansion.

Émilie du Châtelet

A French scientist and intellectual who translated Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica into French, making his ideas accessible to the Continental audience.

English Civil War

A series of armed conflicts and political machinations (1642-1651) between Parliamentarians (Puritans led by Oliver Cromwell) and Royalists (Charles I), leading to the execution of the King.

Galileo Galilei

An Italian astronomer and physicist who significantly improved the telescope and provided observational evidence supporting the Copernican heliocentric model, leading to conflict with the Church.

Glorious Revolution

The bloodless coup in England (1688-1689) that overthrew James II and established a permanent constitutional state, enshrining the supremacy of Parliament.