APWH Unit 1 Packet Notes

Flashcards covering key terms related to governments, economies, social structures, and cultural developments across various empires and regions from 1200-1450 CE, based on lecture notes.

Song Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty that lasted from 960-1274, encompassing North and South Song periods, known for imperial bureaucracy and cultural developments.

Imperial Bureaucracy

A system where appointed officials carry out the policies of an empire, expanded significantly during the Song Dynasty.

Meritocracy

A system in which promotion and leadership are based on individual ability or merit, notably seen in the Song Dynasty's civil service exams.

Grand Canal

A colossal waterway project started under the Sui and expanded by the Yong/Song dynasties, extending over 30,000 miles and linking northern and southern China for trade.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening and drought-resistant strain of rice from Vietnam, which led to significant population growth in China by allowing cultivation in previously unsuitable areas.

Proto-Industrialization

An economic phase where people in rural areas produce more goods than they can sell, relying on home or community-based production with simple equipment.

Tributary System

A system where other states pay money or goods to honor the Chinese Emperor, acknowledging China's superiority.

Kowtow Ritual

A ritual involving bowing to the Chinese emperor, part of the tributary system.

Zheng He

A Chinese admiral who led large fleets to spread the empire's power and influence during the Ming Dynasty (notes incorrectly attribute to Song, but describes its power spreading).

Scholar Gentry

The most influential social class in China, outnumbering the aristocracy, educated in Confucian philosophy.

Foot Binding

A patriarchal practice common in the Song Dynasty where young girls' feet were tightly bound to prevent their growth, symbolizing female beauty and restricting mobility.

Chan Buddhism

A form of Buddhism that synced with Daoism in China, emphasizing meditation and direct experience of enlightenment.

Filial Piety

In Confucianism, the duty of family members to subordinate their desires to those of the head of the family or ancestors.

Neo-Confucianism

A syncretic belief system from 770-840 that combined rational thought with abstract ideas from Daoist and Buddhist philosophies.

Prince Shotoku Taishi

A Japanese prince who promoted Confucianism and Buddhism as supplements to Shinto.

Heian Period

A period in Japanese history (794-1185) when Japan emulated Chinese traditions in politics, art, and literature, and developed the world's first novel, 'The Tale of Genji'.

Shogun

The leader of the military in Japan, holding the real power in a feudal system.

The Tale of Genji

Considered the world's first novel, written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu during Japan's Heian Period.

Polygyny

The act of a man having more than one wife, noted in Vietnamese society.

Mamluk Sultanate

An empire established in Egypt by recruited Egyptian slaves (ethnically Turkish) during political unrest.

Seljuk Turks

A group of Muslims from Central Asia/Middle East who captured Baghdad, with their leader (the sultan) wielding religious authority.

The Crusades

A series of religious wars initiated by European Christians to regain access to Jerusalem's Holy Sites after the Seljuk Turks denied access.

Mongols (Abbasid Empire)

Invaders who captured the remainder of the Abbasid Empire in 1258, expelling the Seljuks from Baghdad.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

One of the most celebrated Islamic scholars (1201-1274), who contributed significantly to astronomy, logic, ethics, mathematics, philosophy, and medicine.

Ibn Khaldun

A renowned Muslim historian, considered a founder of historiography and sociology.

Aisha al-Ba'uniyyah

A prolific female Muslim writer before the 20th century, best known for 'Clear Inspiration, on the Plane of the Trundee, honoring Muhammad'.

Sufis

Muslim mystics who emphasized introspection and direct spiritual experience to grasp truths, playing a role in the conversion to Islam by adopting local practices.

Hijab

The practice of dressing modestly or wearing a specific head-covering, observed by women in Islamic cultures.

Umayyad Caliphate (Spain)

An Islamic empire that formed in Spain (711 CE) after Muslim forces departed from North Africa, with its capital in Cordoba.

Cordoba

The capital of the Umayyad Caliphate in Spain, a center of learning and peaceful coexistence between Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

Dhoni

Specially designed ships used by Indian Ocean sailors for trade.

Lal Ded (Mother Lall)

A female mystic/poet from Kashmir who adapted to conflict, contributing to developments in religion, art, politics, and architecture.

Vijayanagar Empire

A Hindu kingdom (1336-1646) in South India, founded by two brothers (Harihara and Bukka) who initially converted to Islam and then back to Hinduism.

Delhi Sultanate

An Islamic empire in India (c. 1206-1526) that taxed non-Muslims (jizya) and maintained an efficient bureaucracy, protecting itself from Mongols before falling to the Mughals.

Qutub Minar

A famous example of Delhi Sultanate architecture in South Delhi, a tall, leaning minaret.

Urdu

A language developed under the Delhi Sultanate, combining Hindi grammar with Arabic vocabulary, now an official language in Pakistan.

Bhakti Movement

A devotional movement within Hinduism emphasizing individual attachment and devotion to a single deity, appealing to women and lower-caste individuals.

Srivijaya Empire

A Hindu kingdom (670-1025) in Southeast Asia (Sumatra), known for its strong navy and control over trade routes.

Majapahit Kingdom

A Buddhist maritime kingdom (1293-1520) based on Java, which controlled a vast network of 98 tributaries at its peak.

Khmer Empire

An empire (802-1431) located in Southeast Asia (Cambodia), known for extensive irrigation and drainage systems that allowed for impressive rice production.

Angkor Thom

The capital city of the Khmer Empire.

Angkor Wat

A grand Buddhist temple within the Khmer Empire, reflecting the syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist architectural and religious influences.

Mississippian Culture

The first large-scale civilization in North America (c. 700s-1500s), famous for building massive earthen mounds.

Cahokia

The largest Mississippian mound settlement, located in southern Illinois.

Great Sun

The chief who governed each town in the rigid class structure of the Mississippian Culture.

Matrilineal Society

A social system where social standing is determined by the woman's side of the family, as seen in the Mississippian Culture.

Chaco Canyon

A site in the southwestern United States where Ancestral Puebloans built multi-story cliff dwellings using sandstone bricks.

Mesa Verde

A site in the southwestern United States where Ancestral Puebloans built cliff dwellings using stones and clay, some containing hundreds of rooms.

Maya City-States

The main form of Mayan government, where independent city-states led by men (occasionally women) primarily fought for captives for human sacrifice rather than territory.

Chinampas

Floating gardens developed by the Aztecs to increase agricultural space and food production.

Tribute System (Aztec)

A system where conquered peoples surrendered land and practical goods to the Aztecs; used to administer control by grouping city-states into provinces.

The Great Speaker

The paramount leader of the Aztec government, which was fundamentally a theocracy ruled by religious leaders.

Pachacuti

A strong Incan leader who began the conquest of lands in present-day Peru around Cuzco in 1438, laying the foundation for the Inca Empire.

Inca Empire

A vast empire in the Andes Mountains, notable for its strong centralized government and mandatory public service system, the Mita System.

Mita System

The Incan mandatory public service system where men between 15-50 contributed labor to agrarian and public works projects.

Temple of the Sun

An extremely important temple in Inca religion, dedicated to Inti, the sun god.

Quipu

A numerical system of knotted strings developed by the Inca to record messages and numbers.

Francisco Pizarro

The Spanish conquistador who arrived in 1532 and conquered the Inca Empire by 1572.

Olmec Civilization

An early Mesoamerican civilization whose religion, culture, and architecture are believed by scholars to be the basis for later Mesoamerican civilizations.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim scholar from Morocco in the 1300s, well-versed in Shariah law, whose travel accounts provide valuable insights into Islamic societies.

Kin-based Networks

Political structures in Inland Africa where families governed themselves, often led by a chief, before the rise of larger kingdoms.

Hausa Kingdoms

Seven states created by the Hausa people in Nigeria before 1000 CE, benefiting from trans-Saharan trade routes.

Ghana (Kingdom)

A West African kingdom (5th-11th century) located between the Sahara Desert and tropical rainforests, thriving on gold and ivory trade with Muslim merchants.

Koumbi Saleh

The capital city of the Kingdom of Ghana, which featured a centralized government with a king and noble court.

Mali (Kingdom)

A West African Muslim trading kingdom that emerged after Ghana's decline, notable for its leaders leveraging trade connections and a thriving gold trade.

Zimbabwe (Kingdom)

The most powerful East African kingdom (12th-15th century), whose economy was based on agriculture, trade, grazing, and gold, connecting to Indian Ocean trade.

Great Zimbabwe

A massive stone wall (30 feet high, 15 feet thick) surrounding the capital city of Zimbabwe, built without mortar, housing up to 20,000 people.

Indian Ocean Trade

A vast maritime trade network that connected East Africa, the Middle East, and South and East Asia, facilitating the exchange of goods and ideas.

Ethiopia (Kingdom)

An East African Christian civilization whose faith spread from Egypt during the 1st century, notable for its rock-carved churches.

Axum

A great kingdom in Ethiopia (12th century) whose leaders embraced Christianity and built distinctive carved rock churches.

Zanj Rebellion

A major revolt (869-893) of enslaved East Africans (Zanj) led by Ali bin Muhammad against the Abbasid Caliphate, eventually suppressed.

Griots/Griottes

West African storytellers (male/female) who preserved and transmitted oral literature, history, and social advice, often accompanied by music.

Byzantine Empire

The Eastern Roman Empire, located in Anatolia, SW Asia, and SE Europe, known for its maritime significance and the unique Caesaropapist system.

Constantinople

The capital of the Byzantine Empire, envisioned as a new imperial capital by a Roman emperor, renowned for its churches, libraries, museums, and palaces.

Caesaropapism

A system in the Byzantine Empire where the emperor served as both a secular lord and the head of the church.

Justinian I

A Byzantine emperor known for lavishing resources on construction projects like the Hagia Sophia and codifying Roman law (Justinian's Code).

Hagia Sophia

A monumental church constructed under Emperor Justinian, showcasing Byzantine architectural brilliance.

Feudalism

The basic governmental organization of Medieval Europe, structured around a system of monarchs granting land to lords, who in turn granted land to peasants in exchange for loyalty and service.

Manorial System

The basic economic system of Medieval Europe, centered around large fiefs or estates (manors) that were self-sufficient agricultural communities.

Serfs

Peasants living on manors in Medieval Europe, who were tied to the land and required permission from lords to travel or marry.

Three-Field System

An agricultural practice used in Medieval Europe where one field was used for food crops, another for legumes (to enrich soil), and one was left fallow each year.

Estates-General

A body established in France to advise the king, comprising representatives from the three social classes: the clergy, nobility, and commoners.

Holy Roman Empire

A complex of territories in Central Europe that arose from Otto I's crowning in 962 CE, enduring until its destruction during the 30 Years' War (1618-1648).

Lay Investiture Controversy

A significant dispute over whether a secular leader could appoint (invest) bishops, challenging the Pope's authority.

Normans

Descendants of Vikings who settled in NW France (Normandy) and invaded England in 1066 under William the Conqueror.

William the Conqueror

The Duke of Normandy who led the Norman invasion of England in 1066 and became King of England.

Magna Carta

A document signed by King John in 1215, which legally required the king to respect certain rights and limit monarchical power.

English Parliament

A legislative body that formed in 1265, initially composed of lords and church hierarchy, later expanding to include elected wealthy townspeople, eventually forming two houses.

Great Schism (1054)

The formal split of the Christian Church in 1054 into the Roman Catholic Church (Western Europe) and the Orthodox Church (Eastern Europe).

Primogeniture

A system of inheritance where the eldest son inherits the entire estate, which contributed to social and economic pressures that led to the Crusades.

First Crusade

The first major military expedition of the Crusades, in which European Christians captured Jerusalem in 1099 but lost control by 1187.

Fourth Crusade

A Crusade (1202-1204) that was originally intended to retake Jerusalem but was diverted by Venetian interests, ultimately resulting in the sack of Constantinople.

Marco Polo

An Italian explorer whose accounts of his travels to Asia stimulated European curiosity and interest in trade with the East.

Little Ice Age

A five-century cooling period (c. 1300-1800) in the Northern Hemisphere that led to decreased agricultural productivity, fostering famine and disease.

Universalizing Religion

A religion that actively seeks converts and aims to appeal to all people, such as Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity, which spread along trade routes.