AP World History Unit 1 Review

Nomads

people with no permanent home; move from place to place in search of food,

Pastoral Society

a society in which food is obtained primarily by raising and taking care of animals

foraging society

Any human culture or society that depends on a combination of hunting, fishing, and gathering wild foods for subsistence.

domestication

the taming of animals for human use, such as work or as food

food surplus

extra food creation that allows people to engage in activities besides farming

job specialization

a job composed of a small part of a larger task or process

barter

exchange goods without involving money

civilization

a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)

polytheism

belief in multiple Gods

ziggurat

a rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians

code of hammurabi

A collection of 282 laws. One of the first (but not THE first) examples of written law in the ancient world.

cuneiform

an ancient wedge-shaped script used in Mesopotamia and Persia

the epic of gilgamesh

first written document/story taking place in Mesopotamia and tells about the quest for immortality and the inevitability of death, and which includes a flood story similar to that of Noah's Ark. This epic is important because it illustrates the Israelites' same fear of death and desire for immortality...

pharaoh

a king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader

heiroglyphics

ancient Egyptian writing system using picture symbols for ideas or sounds

monotheism

belief in a single God

akhenaten

Egyptian pharaoh (r. 1353-1335 B.C.E.). He built a new capital at Amarna, fostered a new style of naturalistic art, and created a religious revolution by imposing worship of the sun-disk.

harrapa and Mohenjo-daro

the largest Indus River civilizations, 3,500-4,000 people, organized, sewage systems, public wells

aryans

nomads from Europe and Asia who migrated to India and finally settled; vedas in this time period suggest beginning of caste system

dravidians

one of the main groups of people in India; probably descended from the Indus River culture that flourished at the dawn of Indian civilization over 4,000 yrs. ago

dharma

In Hinduism, the duties and obligations of each caste

vedas

Ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism.

chandragupta maurya

founder of Maurya dynasty; established first empire in Indian subcontinent; first centralized government since Harappan civilization

caste system

a social structure in which classes are determined by heredity

brahmins

Priests, at the top of the caste system which the Aryans made

untouchables

lowest class of people in the caste system of Hinduism, do all the dirty work of society

varnas

The social divisions of the Aryan Society that included from top to bottom: 1)priests (Brahmins), 2) rulers or warriors; 3) farmers, craftspeople, traders; 4) workers and servants (Sudras)

karma

(Hinduism and Buddhism) the effects of a person's actions that determine his destiny in his next incarnation

Reincarnation

the Hindu or Buddhist doctrine that person may be reborn successively into one of five classes of living beings (god or human or animal or hungry ghost or denizen of hell) depending on the person's own actions

moksha

The Hindu concept of the spirit's 'liberation' from the endless cycle of rebirths.

nirvana

(Hinduism and Buddhism) the beatitude that transcends the cycle of reincarnation

siddhartha gautama

founder of Buddism; born a prince; left his father's wealth to find the cause of human suffering; also know as Buddha

four noble truths

1) All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. 2) The cause of suffering is nonvirtue, or negative deeds and mindsets such as hated and desire. 3) The only cure for suffering is to overcome nonvirture. 4) The way to overcome nonvirtue is to follow the Eightfold Path

asoka

grandson of Chandragupta; most honored emperor for his commitment to spreading peace and prosperity to all; was buddhist but accepted other religions; decline came after his death

missionaries

people who work to spread their religious beliefs

oracle bones

animal bones carved with written characters which were used for telling the future

bronze metallurgy

copper and tin combined to make Bronze, Shang completely controlled bronze production.

mandate of heaven

a political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source

dynastic cycle

the historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties

era of warring states

The period of Chinese history between c. 500 and 220 B.C.E. characterized by the breakdown of the central government and feudal war.

Confucius

chinese philospher and teacher; his beliefs,known as confusoinism greatly influenced chinese life

main ideas of confucianism

-people are essentially good but need good leadership examples

-filial piety

-ability to rise above one's station in life through education

-confucius sought to work for rulers and advise them on good governance

-five relationships:

1) ruler to ruled 2) father to son 3) husband to wife 4) older brother to younger brother 5) friend to friend

filial piety

in Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors

dao

The proper way Chinese kings were expected to rule under the mandate of heaven.

legalism

Chinese philosophy developed by Hanfeizi; taught that humans are naturally evil and therefore need to be ruled by harsh laws