AP World History Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on AP World History cheat sheet to help students review for their exams.

Terracing

An agricultural technique that intensifies farming by creating level platforms in sloped areas.

Deforestation

The clearing of forests, often for farming, shipbuilding, or urban development.

Monsoons

Seasonal winds that influenced trade in the Indian Ocean.

Confucianism

A philosophical and ethical system that provided imperial legitimacy in China.

Imperial Legitimacy

Belief that someone is the rightful ruler.

Islamic Intellectual Traditions

Scholarly and cultural practices originating in the Islamic world.

Religious Architecture

Structures such as mosques and temples that reflect religious beliefs.

Greco-Roman Ideas

Ancient Greek and Roman knowledge preserved and transmitted through various cultures.

Imperial Exam System

A merit-based system in China for selecting government officials.

Feudalism

A decentralized political system in Europe with weak monarchies.

Coerced Labor

Forms of labor that are not freely chosen, such as slavery or serfdom.

Luxury Trade Networks

Trade routes focused on high-value goods over long distances.

Commercial Tools

Innovations like credit and banking that facilitated trade.

Regional Trade Organizations

Groups such as the Hanseatic League that promoted trade within specific regions.

Rigid Social Hierarchies

Structured social systems with limited mobility between classes.

Patriarchal Systems

Societies in which men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property.

Champa Rice

A drought-resistant rice variety that led to population growth.

Naval Technology

Innovations such as the compass, astrolabe, and improved ships that enhanced maritime travel.

Gunpowder Weapons

Early forms of guns and explosives that impacted warfare.

Mongol Pastoral Land Management

Practices used by the Mongols to oversee and utilize grazing lands.

Disease Spread via Trade

The Black Death and other diseases that disseminated along trade routes.

Diaspora Communities

Groups of people who have spread from their original homeland to other regions.

Religious Syncretism

The blending of different religious beliefs and practices.

Pax Mongolica

A period of relative peace and stability under Mongol rule that facilitated trade.

Tributary Relationships

Relationships in which states paid tribute to a more powerful empire.

Vassal Relationships

A system of obligations binding vassals to lords.

Maritime Port-City Networks

Interconnected port cities that facilitated maritime trade.

Postal Systems

Networks for delivering messages and goods across territories.

Commercial Innovations

New financial tools such as paper money and banking systems.

Specialized Export Production

The production of specific goods for trade.

State Trade Involvement

Government participation in trade through taxation and infrastructure development.

Cosmopolitan Ports

Multicultural cities like Malacca and Venice that thrived on trade.

Labor Specialization

The division of labor into specific tasks, often organized through guilds.

Caravanserai

Roadside inn or hostelry to support caravans.

Silver Trade Networks

Trade routes centered on the exchange of silver.

Mercantilist Policies

Economic policies designed to maximize exports and minimize imports.

Joint-Stock Companies

Companies owned by shareholders that invested in trade and exploration.

Tax Farming

A system of the assigning the responsibility for tax revenue collection to private individuals or groups.

Casta System

A hierarchical system in Spanish colonies based on race.

Columbian Exchange

The transfer of plants, animals, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World.