Prologue: History Before 1200 C.E.

These flashcards cover key terms, civilizations, and religious developments from the prologue of the lecture notes, spanning human history from the first migrations through the postclassical era.

Animism

A system of religious beliefs involving a reverence for deities associated with features of nature, such as animals or specific mountains and rivers.

Patriarchy

A social system characterized by domination by males, which showed early signs in foraging societies and intensified after the Agricultural Revolution.

Agricultural Revolution

Occurred around $8000\,B.C.E.$ in the Middle East when humans began to plant crops and raise animals, leading to food surpluses and job specialization.

Mesopotamia

The site of the world's first civilization, located in a region around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Iraq.

Cuneiform

The first written language in history, invented by the Sumerians to record taxes, trade, and eventually the first written laws.

Pharaoh

The title of the ruler in ancient Egypt, who held highly centralized power over the prospering Nile River valley.

Hinduism

A belief system dating back at least $3,500$ years with origins in the Vedic scriptures, teaching concepts like reincarnation and the expression of one supreme deity.

Caste System

A social organization in India based on the Vedas that organized society into sharply defined classes and prohibited social mobility.

Zoroastrianism

An early form of monotheism developed in Persia that focuses on human free will and the eternal battle between the forces of good and evil.

Judaism

A monotheistic religion tracing its history to the teachings of Abraham and the covenant between the Jewish people and their God, Yahweh.

Buddhism

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama approximately $530\,B.C.E.$, this universalizing religion seeks to eliminate suffering by following the Eightfold Path to achieve nirvana.

Ashoka

A Mauryan ruler ($322\,B.C.E.-187\,B.C.E.$) who converted to Buddhism and promoted prosperity through an efficient tax system and road building.

Golden Age of India

A period under the Gupta Empire ($c.\,320\,C.E.\text{ to }c.\,550\,C.E.$) marked by advances in medicine, such as inoculations, and the development of the numbering system $0$ through $9$.

Mandate of Heaven

The Chinese concept that a universal force provided justification for an emperor to rule, provided they were not corrupt or ineffective.

Filial Piety

A central tenet of Confucianism emphasizing the duty of people to honor their ancestors and respect those in authority.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophy focused on internal reflection and living in harmony with nature rather than social behavior.

Civil Service Exam

A system created by the Han Dynasty that required students to analyze Confucian teachings to earn prestigious jobs in the government bureaucracy.

Hellenistic World

The region influenced by the spread of Greek culture across Egypt, Persia, and east to India following the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Twelve Tables

Rome's publicly displayed written laws intended to protect individual rights and provide a check on government power.

Constantine

The Roman emperor who legalized Christianity in the $4th$ century and moved the imperial capital to Byzantium (Constantinople).

Justinian Code

A consolidation of Roman law created by Justinian the Great that served as the foundation of legal knowledge in Europe into the $19th$ century.

Teotihuacan

One of the largest cities in the world by the $6th$ century $C.E.$, located near modern-day Mexico City, featuring grid-laid streets and monumental temples.

Five Pillars of Islam

The core principles of the Qur'an: belief in Allah, ritual prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Sharia

The Islamic law code based on the Qur'an that regulates religious and civic behavior, making no distinction between the two.

Sunni and Shi'a

The two major branches of Islam; Sunnis believe caliphs can be selected from any leader, while Shi'as believe the leader must be a blood relative of Muhammad.

Dar al-Islam

A term meaning 'House of Islam,' referring to the unified cultural and religious area spanning southern Spain, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of India.

Abbasid Caliphate

The most influential rulers in Dar al-Islam ($750-1258$) who oversaw a golden age of trade and learning in the capital of Baghdad.

Grand Canal

A waterway stretching over $1,000$ miles built during the Sui Dynasty to connect the agricultural south of China to the population centers in the north.

Tributary System

The Chinese viewpoint that surrounding kingdoms should pay tribute and submit to rule in exchange for trading privileges.

Shogun

A military general who held the top position in Japan's political and social hierarchy during its period of decentralized government.

Bantu Migrations

The movement of people out of west central Africa ($1000\,B.C.E.\text{ to }1500\,C.E.$) that spread language, farming techniques, and iron-working knowledge.

Ghana

A wealthy West African kingdom ($c.\,700-c.\,1240$) that profited by taxing the gold and salt trade across the Sahara.

Great Zimbabwe

A large kingdom in southeast Africa that dominated the region between the $12th$ and $15th$ centuries.