Ap World History Unit 1.1-1.2 Vocabulary

1.1 - East Asia; 1.2 - Dar-Islam

State building

process of creating and developing a political entity that is recognized as a sovereign state

Bureaucracy

The administration portion of the government composed of appointed officials

Meritocracy

a system in which promotion is based on individual ability or achievement

Woodblock printing

a type of printing in which text is carved into a block of wood and the block is then coated with ink and pressed on the page

Proto-industrialization

a set of economic changes in which people in rural areas made more goods than they could sell; precursor to industrialization

South China Sea

a tropical arm of the western Pacific Ocean near southeastern Asia subject to frequent typhoons

Textile

A fabric made by weaving, used in making clothing

Porcelain

A hard, fine ceramic material used to make a variety of products

Tribute/Tributary System

Arrangement primarily used during Imperial China where other states had to pay money or provide goods to honor the Chinese emperor

Canal networks

Human-made waterway networks that are used for transportation and trade; the Grand Canal is a large canal network in China constructed during the Sui Dynasty

Scholar gentry

a highly-ranked social class of individuals who were educated in Confucian philosophy and proved their role through the civil service examinations

Artisans

Individuals who were skilled in creating various goods; they were third in the "four categories of the people," a job classification system used during Imperial China

Merchants

Individuals who bought and sold goods; they were fourth in the "four categories of the people," a job classification system used during Imperial China

Peasants/urban poor

Individuals are part of the lowest tiers of Chinese society

Patriarchy

A social system where men held primary power and dominance in the family, government, and economics

Foot binding

Practice among women in aristocratic families where girls wrapped their feet so tightly to where the bones grew unnaturally to signify social status, common during the Song Dynasty

Filial piety

A concept in Confucianism in which people had a duty to respect their ancestors and elders

Buddhism

a religion/philosophy that was founded in northern India by Siddhartha Gautama; it preached the path to reaching enlightenment and nirvana, which ended the cycle of suffering that is reincarnation

Daoism

a Chinese philosophy founded by Lao Tzu where it preaches being in harmony with the way of nature, representing an ideal way to how life should be lived

Syncretism

the mixing of two culture to create a new hybrid culture that has characteristics of both

Chan Buddhism

aka Zen Buddhism, its a result of the syncretism between Buddhism and elements of Daoism where meditation and experience are emphasized rather than formal learning by the scripture

Neo-Confucianism

Philosophical movement that is the result of syncretism between core Confucian beliefs with elements of Daoism and Buddhism; emerged during the Song Dynasty

Heian Period

(794-1185) period in Japan where there was a flourishing in art, culture, and politics; they were heavily influenced by Chinese culture during the Tang Dynasty

House of Wisdom

scholars traveled from far away to Baghdad to study at a renowned center of learning during the Abbasid Caliphate

Cordoba

the designated capital city of the Islamic Iberia (Al-Andalus) established by the Umayyad Caliphate

Trans-Sahara Trade Route

a network of trade routes that connected Sub-Saharan and North Africa across the Sahara where various goods and religions were spread

Indian Ocean Network

a network of maritime trade routes that crossed between regions around the Indian Ocean including Africa, the Arabian peninsula, the Indian subcontinent, and parts of Asia

Shia (Shiite)

a branch of Islam where they believe the fourth caliph, Ali, was the rightful leader that succeeded Muhammad because he was blood-related, disregarding the first three caliphs of the Rashidun Caliphate; believes in rightful successors by familial relations

Sunni

a branch of Islam where they believe the first four caliphs of the Rashidun Caliphate were rightful leaders despite not being blood-related, believes in rightful successors by electoral vote

Sufi

a branch of Islam where Islamic teachings are performed by experience rather than learning through the Qu'ran, perceived as a mystical experience but won many converts through adapting with local cultures

Afro-Eurasia

landmass that combines Africa, Europe, and Asia

Baghdad

capital of modern-day Iraq and held intellectual and cultural significance as a center of learning during the Abbasid Caliphate

5 Pillars of Islam

the code of behavior for Islamic followers which includes charity, daily prayer, profession of faith, Ramadan fasting, and the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca

Silk Road

a major trade network that connected China to the Middle East and Mediterranean

Mamluks

enslaved people, usually of Turkish descent, who eventually seized control of the Ayyubid Sultanate government, establishing the Mamluk Sultanate

Sultanate

a state ruled by a sultan, an Islamic monarch; an empire/kingdom

Turks/Seljuk Turks

an ethnic group that came from Central Asia that controlled Turkey during the 11th-12th centuries; they were Muslim and were partly responsible for the decline of the Abbasid Caliphate

Persians

an ethnic group that originated in Persia, they were people of the Achaemenid/Persian Empire which was expanded from the Aegean Sea to the eastern border of India

Arabs

a group of people who came from the Arabian peninsula and are associated with Arabic culture and language

Mongols

a group of people that came from Central Asia who established an empire conquered the remaining Abbasid Empire in 1258 and took most of the Asian continent at its peak

Crusades

European Christian military expeditions between the 11th and 13th centuries to retake the Middle Eastern Holy Lands occupied by the Muslims