AP World History - Must Know Vocabulary

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from 'Must Know Vocabulary' for AP World History, including periods, systems of government, religions, and social structures.

Agricultural Revolution

A term that refers to the changeover from food gathering to food production that occurred between ca. $8000$ and $2000$ B.C.E. (Neolithic Revolution)

Neolithic Revolution

A term that refers to the changeover from food gathering to food production that occurred between ca. $8000$ and $2000$ B.C.E. (Agricultural Revolution)

Aristocracy

The highest class in certain societies, especially those holding hereditary titles or offices

Barbarian

A member of a community or tribe not belonging to one of the great civilizations (Greek, Roman, Christian) in ancient times

Brahmins

Refers to an individual belonging to the Hindu priest, artists, teachers, technicians class and also to an individual belonging to the Brahmin tribe/caste into which an individual is born

Bureaucracy

A system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives

City

A large, urbanized town usually characterized by many commercial buildings and residential dwellings

Village

A group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town, situated in a rural area, usually a self-contained district or community within a town or city

Civilization

A term that refers to mostly complex societies, but it can also mean a society that shares a set of cultural traits (advanced society)

Complex Institutions

Any structure used to govern the behavior of people around it; one that affects people in more than one way and may have various functions, such as government

Currency

A system of money in general use in a particular country

Deity

A god or goddess in a polytheistic religion, or a creator and supreme being in monotheistic religions like Christianity

Democracy

A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives

Dharma

The natural universal laws whose observance enables humans to be contented and happy, and to save himself from degradation and suffering (Hinduism)

Diffusion

The spreading of something more widely or more evenly

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another, increasing with advanced communication, transportation, and technology

Diversified Food Supply

Large selections of food available; a very diverse diet containing a large variety of food

Domesticated Animal

Any of various animals that have been tamed and made fit for a human environment (horses, pigs, cattle, dogs)

Dynastic Cycle

An important political theory in Chinese history where every dynasty goes through a culture cycle; also the rise and fall of dynasties

Egalitarian

Of, relating to, or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities

Ethical Codes

A system of principles governing morality and acceptable conduct

Legal Codes

A code of laws adopted by a state or nation, also called "a law code"

Frontier

A line or border separating two countries, or the extreme limit of settled land beyond which lies wilderness

Hunters and Gatherers

A forager society in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals; a type of nomad

Foraging

People who support themselves by hunting wild animals and gathering wild edible plants and insects

Nomadic

A very migratory, restless, mobile society that migrated according to seasons to get a sufficient food supply (foragers)

Ice Age

A glacial episode during a past geological period where the earth's temperature greatly dropped and killed

Intensive Cultivation

An agricultural production system characterized by a low fallow ratio and the high use of capital, labor, pesticides, or fertilizers relative to land area

Irrigation Systems

The artificial application of water to land or soil to assist in the growing of crops and maintenance of landscapes in dry areas

Karma

The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences (Hinduism and Buddhism)

Mandate of Heaven

The idea that heaven granted East Asian emperors the right to rule based on their ability to govern

Monogamy

The practice or state of being married to or having a sexual relationship with only one partner at a time

Pagan

A person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions, such as polytheistic people with animistic beliefs

Pastoralism

The branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock and animal husbandry of animals like camels, goats, and sheep

Patriarchy

A system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line

Polygamy

The practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time

Record Keeping

The process and system of maintaining business documents so they can be found quickly and easily

Secular

Activities, places, or things that have no religious or spiritual basis; not belonging to or living in a monastic order

Sericulture

The production of silk and the rearing of silkworms for this purpose

Settled Populations

Sedentary people who do not migrate and live in villages, usually having permanent dwellings

Slavery

A person with very limited freedom who must abide by all orders given by their masters or face harsh punishments

Specialization of Labor

The division of labor consisting of cooperating individuals who perform specific tasks and roles

Surplus

An amount of something leftover when requirements have been met; an excess of production or supply over demand

Syncretism

The amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought

Textiles

Type of cloth or woven fabric worn to provide warmth, protection, or privacy

Theocracy

A system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god

Ancestor Veneration

Worship or reverence of deceased ancestors based on the belief that the dead have a continued existence and can influence the living

Animism

The attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena; belief in a supernatural power that animates the universe

Bodhisattva

An enlightened individual who has achieved nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion to save other suffering beings

Caste System

A system of social stratification in India historically separating communities into endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis

City-State

A city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state

Classical

Relating to ancient Greek, Hellenistic, or Latin literature, art, or culture; representing an exemplary standard

Codification

The process of collecting and restating the law of a jurisdiction by subject, forming a legal code or book of law

Dao (Tao)

The absolute principle underlying the universe, combining yin and yang and signifying "the way" in harmony with the natural order

Diaspora

The dispersion or expulsion of Jews living outside of Israel

Diasporic Communities

Widely dispersed communities resulting from natural disaster, politics, or other reasons, beginning with the Jews of Babylon

Enlightenment

A period in Western thought ($17 ext{th}$ to $18 ext{th}$ century) characterized by dramatic revolutions in science, philosophy, and politics

Filial Piety

Confucian philosophy that is a virtue of respect for one's parents and ancestors

Hellenistic

The spread of Greek culture from the death of Alexander the Great to the defeat of Cleopatra and Mark Antony by Octavian in $31$ BC

Manifestation

An event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or abstract idea

Merchants

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially dealing with foreign countries

Missionaries

A person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country

Monarchy

A form of government ruled by a king or queen

Monastery

A building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows

Monastic life

The devotional practice of individuals (like missionaries or monks) who live ascetic, cloistered lives dedicated to worship

Monasticism

Living a life of inner liberation from materialism, not strictly defined by clothes or head garments

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal winds of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia, blowing from the southwest in summer and northeast in winter

Rajas

The element or mode of prakriti associated with passion, energy, and movement

Reincarnation

The rebirth of a soul in a new body

Republic

A state where supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, with an elected president rather than a monarch

Rituals

A religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order

Sanskrit Scriptures

Ancient Indic language in which Hindu scriptures and Indian epic poems are written

Scriptures

Sacred writings of a certain religion

Shamanism

A practice involving a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness to interact with the spirit world

Sinicization

The spread of Chinese culture, a process whereby non-Han societies come under the influence of Han Chinese state and society

Social Harmony

A state where everybody in society gets along without issues and with peace

Universal Truths

Something everybody accepts as the truth

Black Death

One of the most devastating pandemics in history, killing estimated $75$ to $200$ million people, peaking in Europe in $1348$

Bushido

The "Way of the Warrior" code of honor and conduct developed by Japanese samurai, centered on loyalty

Caliphate

An Islamic state led by a supreme religious and political leader known as a caliph

Chinampa

Mesoamerican "floating gardens" using small, rectangular areas of fertile land to grow crops on shallow lake beds

Chivalry

The medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code

Christendom

The worldwide body or society of Christians; the Christian world

Civil Service Exam

Tests implemented in China for government admission, intended to achieve administrative excellence based on Confucian belief

Crusades

Military campaigns sanctioned by the Latin Roman Catholic Church (beginning in $1095$) to restore Christian access to holy places in Jerusalem

Dar al-Islam

A term used by Muslim scholars to refer to countries where Muslims can practice their religion freely

Printing Press

A machine invented by Johannes Gutenberg made for the mass printing of texts

Gunpowder

One of the "Four Great Inventions" of China, used in explosives and weapons; invented perhaps as early as the Tang Dynasty ($9 ext{th}$ century)

Cotton

A soft white fibrous substance used as textile fiber and sewing thread

Sugar

A sweet crystalline substance obtained from plants like sugar cane and sugar beet, used as a sweetener

Citrus

A genus of trees native to Asia including lemon and orange, widely cultivated for juicy fruit and pulpy rind

Greek Philosophy

Ancient philosophy arising in the $6 ext{th}$ century BCE dealing with ethics, metaphysics, logic, and more

Entrepót

A port, city, or center to which goods are brought for import, export, collection, and distribution

Feudalism

A system where nobility held crown lands for military service, and peasants (serfs) lived on the land to provide labor and produce

Decentralized Government

A government where top-level decision-making processes are dispersed rather than concentrated in one person or place

Fiefs

An estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal service

Gentry

Class of people next below the nobility in position and birth

Grand Canal

The longest man-made waterway as well as the greatest in ancient China

Great Warming Period

Period from about $800$ to $1300$ with global temperatures warmer than preceding and following periods in Europe and North America

Griots

Traveling poets, musicians, and storytellers who maintain oral history tradition in parts of West Africa