East Asia, Dar al-Islam, and South Asia: Key Developments and Cultural Syncretism

Imperial Bureaucracy

A system of appointed officials implementing empire policies, ensuring efficient governance.

Meritocracy

Selection of officials based on education and exams rather than birth; strengthened during Tang & Song Dynasties.

Civil Service Examination

Rigorous tests on Confucian texts used to recruit scholar-gentry into government.

Scholar-Gentry

Educated elite who gained status through civil service exams, shaping politics and culture.

Grand Canal

Large waterway linking north and south China; boosted trade and integration.

Champa Rice

Fast-ripening, drought-resistant rice from Vietnam that increased food supply and population.

Proto-industrialization

Home-based production for trade during the Song Dynasty, early step toward industrialization.

Tribute System

Foreign states paid tribute to China in exchange for trade rights and protection.

Footbinding

Practice of tightly binding women's feet to signify beauty and status; limited mobility.

Filial Piety

Confucian value of respect for parents and elders, reinforcing social hierarchy.

Confucianism

Philosophy emphasizing order, hierarchy, and moral conduct in society and government.

Neo-Confucianism

Blended Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist ideas; dominant in Song China.

Syncretism

Blending of religious and cultural traditions (ex: Buddhism mixing with Confucian values).

Woodblock Printing

Allowed mass production of texts, boosting literacy and education.

Chan (Zen) Buddhism

Form of Buddhism focused on meditation; influential in China and Japan.

Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258)

Islamic dynasty with major cultural, scientific, and economic advancements; capital in Baghdad.

House of Wisdom

Center of learning in Baghdad where scholars translated and preserved texts.

Sufism

Mystical form of Islam emphasizing spirituality and missionary activity, aiding spread of Islam.

Mamluks

Turkic slaves who became soldiers and later ruled Egypt; stopped Mongols at Ain Jalut (1260).

Seljuk Turks

Nomadic Muslims who controlled Abbasid territory, weakened caliph's authority, and fought Byzantines.

Sultan

Title for Muslim rulers, especially in Seljuk and Ottoman Empires.

Crusades

Christian military campaigns to reclaim the Holy Land; increased trade and cultural contact.

Mongols

Conquered Abbasids in 1258, ending political authority in Baghdad but fostering Silk Road trade.

Al-Khwarizmi

Muslim mathematician known as the 'father of algebra.'

Ibn Khaldun

Historian and sociologist who studied rise and fall of states.

A'ishah al-Ba'uniyyah

Female Muslim poet and Sufi writer, highlighting women's contributions.

Dhimmi System

Allowed Jews, Christians, and others to live under Muslim rule with a tax (jizya).

Al-Andalus (Spain)

Muslim Spain; cultural and intellectual hub influencing Europe's Renaissance.

Battle of Tours (732)

Franks stopped Muslim advance into Europe; set limits on expansion.

Vijayanagara Empire

Hindu kingdom in southern India (1336-1646) known for wealth and trade.

Rajput Kingdoms

Hindu warrior states in northern India; politically fragmented.

Delhi Sultanate

Muslim kingdom in northern India (1206-1526); spread Islam in South Asia.

Bhakti Movement

Hindu devotional movement emphasizing personal connection to deities; challenged caste system.

Sufis in South Asia

Helped spread Islam by blending with local traditions and emphasizing spirituality.

Urdu

Syncretic language blending Arabic, Persian, and Hindi.

Srivijaya Empire

Buddhist maritime empire (670-1025) controlling trade routes in Southeast Asia.

Majapahit Kingdom

Hindu-Buddhist maritime empire in Java (1293-1520); promoted cultural tolerance.

Khmer Empire

Empire in Cambodia (802-1431); built Angkor Wat, blended Hinduism and Buddhism.

Sinhala Dynasties

Sri Lankan kingdoms with advanced irrigation and agriculture.

Cultural Syncretism in S. Asia

Blending of Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic traditions in art, architecture, and language.