AP World History 1.1-1.3 vocab

Song Dynasty

(960-1279 CE) The Chinese dynasty that placed much more emphasis on civil administration, industry, education, and arts other than military.

Confucianism

The system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct.

imperial bureaucracy

A vast organization in which appointed officials carried out the empire's policies.

meritocracy

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

grand canal

Man made waterway that linked northern and southern China; spurred economic development, overall prosperity and population growth

champa rice

Quick-maturing rice that can allow two harvests in one growing season. Originally introduced into Champa from India, it was later sent to China as a tribute gift as part of the tributary system

proto-industrialization

an early stage before industrialization in which a rural or agrarian economy is producing goods in large numbers to sell, but has not yet adopted factories or machinery.

artisan

a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.

tribute system

Chinese method of dealing with foreign lands and peoples that assumed the subordination of all non-Chinese authorities and required the payment of tribute—produce of value from their countries—to the Chinese emperor

scholar gentry

in China, a group of people who controlled much of the land and produced most of the candidates for civil service

foot binding

Chinese practice of tightly wrapping girls' feet to keep them small, begun in the Tang dynasty; an emphasis on small size and delicacy was central to views of female beauty.

Buddhism

Belief system that started in India in the 500s BC. Happiness can be achieved through removal of one's desires. Believers seek enlightenment and the overcoming of suffering.

theravada buddhism

the oldest of the two major branches of Buddhism. Practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia, its beliefs are relatively conservative, holding close to the original teachings of the Buddha

mahayana buddhism

"Great Vehicle" branch of Buddhism followed in China, Japan, and Central Asia. The focus is on reverence for Buddha and for bodhisattvas, enlightened persons who have postponed nirvana to help others attain enlightenment.

neo-confucianism

A philosophy that emerged in Song-dynasty China; it revived Confucian thinking while adding in Buddhist and Daoist elements.

japan

East Asian empire defined in 1200-1450 by its feudalism; island location allowed for more controlled, selective adaptation of Chinese influences

Korea

East Asian empire in 1200-1450 that maintained a close tributary relationship with China; the power of its elites prevented elements such as a merit-based system from developing

Vietnam

East Asia empire in 1200-1450 that had an adversarial relationship with China; scholar-officials often led revolts against governments perceived as too oppressive

people of the book

what Muslims called Christians and Jews which means that they too only believe in one god

dar al-islam

an Arabic term that means the "house of Islam" and that refers to lands under Islamic rule

muhammed

the Arab prophet who founded Islam (570-632)

islam

A religion based on the teachings of the prophet Mohammed which stresses belief in one god (Allah), and a body of law written in the Quran. Followers are called Muslims.

abbasid caliphate

third of the Islamic Caliphates of the Islamic Empire. The rulers who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphs. In started in 750 CE. It flourished for two centuries, but slowly went into decline with the rise to power of the Turkish army it had created, the Mamluks. In the 13th century the Mongols displaced them.

Mamluks

Muslim slave warriors; established a dynasty in Egypt; defeated the Mongols at Ain Jalut in 1260 and halted Mongol advance

Seljuk Turks

nomadic Turks from Asia who conquered Baghdad in 1055 and allowed the caliph to remain only as a religious leader. they governed strictly

House of wisdom

Combination library, academy, and translation center in Baghdad established in the 800s.

Nasir al-din al-tusi

Celebrated Islamic scholar during the "golden age" of Islam in Baghdad. He made contributions to astronomy (built the most advanced observatory in the world & accurate astronomical charts) law. ethics, mathematics, philosophy and medicine.

‘a’ishah al-ba’uniyyah

A Sufi master and poet. She is one of few medieval female Islamic mystics to have recorded their own views in writing, and she "probably composed more works in Arabic than any other woman prior to the twentieth century". She was born and died in Damascus in the 16th century.

sufis

Muslim mystics; spread Islam to many Afro-Asian regions

Rajput kingdoms

Hindu kingdoms that were created after the fall of the Gupta Empire. They were often at war with each other, so a new centralized government didn't form.

Delhi Sultanate

The first Islamic government established within India from 1206-1520. Controlled a small area of northern India and was centered in Delhi.

Hinduism

A religion and philosophy developed in ancient India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being who takes many forms

Bhakti movement

An immensely popular development in Hinduism, advocating intense devotion toward a particular deity.

srivijaya kingdom

Dominated Southeast Asian trade from its base on the island of Sumatra during the period from 670 to 1025 C.E.

Khmer Empire

The most powerful and longest-lasting kingdom on the mainland of southwest Asia, centering in what is today Cambodia.

Angkor Wat

A temple complex built in the Khmer Empire and dedicated to the Hindu God, Vishnu.