AP World History Vocab Units 3-5

Gunpowder Empires

Large Muslim states that used gunpowder weapons to consolidate power

Janissaries

Elite infantry units of the Ottoman Empire made up of enslaved Christian boys converted to Islam

Devshirme

Ottoman system of collecting Christian boys for training in administration or Janissary corps

Shi’a Islam

Branch of Islam adopted by the Safavid Empire as its state religion

Sikhism

Syncretic religion blending Hindu and Islamic principles emerging in South Asia

Manchu

Ethnic group from northeast Asia who established the Qing Dynasty in China

Qing Dynasty

Last imperial dynasty of China known for expansion and ethnic hierarchy

Samurai

Warrior class in Japan under feudal rule

Daimyo

Feudal lords in Japan controlling land and samurai retainers

Tokugawa Shogunate

Military government ruling Japan from 1603-1868 characterized by centralization and isolation

Sakoku

Japanese isolationist policy restricting trade and foreign influence

Russian Serfdom

System tying peasants to land under nobles in tsarist Russia

Cossacks

Semi-nomadic warrior groups in Russia who aided expansion

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system granting colonists authority over Indigenous labor

Hacienda System

Large estates in Spanish colonies staffed by Indigenous or mixed race laborers

Mercantilism

Economic theory prioritizing state control of trade to increase wealth

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses owned by shareholders that funded overseas exploration

Colombian Exchange

Exchange of plants, animals, people, and diseases between hemispheres

Triangular Trade

Trade system linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas

Middle Passage

Forced voyage of enslaved Africans to the Americas

Chattel Slavery

System where enslaved people are considered property

Indentured Servitude

Labor system of contracted work in exchange for passage to colonies

Maroon Societies

Communities of escaped enslaved people in the Americas

Creole Elites

Descendants of Europeans born in the Americas who led independence movements

Scientific Revolution

Era of major advancements in science and rational thought

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement emphasizing reason, rights, and government reform

Social Contract

Theory that governments gain authority from the consent of the governed

Absolutism

Political system where rulers hold total authority

Constitutionalism

System limiting government power through laws or constitutions

Ottoman Tax Farming

Tax collection outsourced to elite individuals who kept surplus revenue

Mughal Zamindars

Local tax collectors in Mughal, India, often gaining power over time

Maritime Empires

Empires based on overseas territories gained through naval power

Caravel

Portuguese sailing ship ideal for long voyages

Astrolabe

Navigational instrument used to determine latitude

Cash Crops

Crops grown for sale, not subsistence

Syncretism

Blending of cultural or religious beliefs

Gunpowder

Explosive powder revolutionizing warfare in early modern empires

Peter the Great

Russian tsar who modernized and westernized Russia

Printing Press

Technology improving knowledge circulation in Europe

Protestant Reformation

Religious movement challenging the Catholic Church

Commercial Revolution

Period of increased global trade and capitalism (16th-18th centuries)

Indentured Labor Migration

Large scale movement of contracted laborers for plantation work

Mestizo

Mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the Americas

Manila Galleons

Spanish ships transporting silver from the Americas to Asia

Silver Trade

Global circulation of silver linking the Americas, Europe, and Asia