9th Grade World Final Exam Review

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the key terms and concepts for the 9th Grade World Final Exam as outlined in the review materials.

Mandate of Heaven

The Chinese belief that royal authority is granted by divine approval.

Dynastic Cycle

The historical pattern of the rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties in China.

Confucianism

A philosophy based on the ideas of Confucius, emphasizing social order, harmony, and respect for authority.

Daoism/Dao

A philosophy that emphasizes living in harmony with the Dao, often called "the way."

Laozi

The traditional founder of Daoism.

Yin & Yang

Two opposing powers that represent the natural rhythms of life in Chinese philosophy.

Shi Huangdi

The first emperor of a unified China and founder of the Qin Dynasty.

Legalism

A Chinese political philosophy that emphasizes strict laws and harsh punishments to maintain social order.

Civil Service Exam

A test used in China to select candidates for the state bureaucracy, often based on Confucian teachings.

Filial Piety

A virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors, central to Confucianism.

Silk Roads

A network of trade routes connecting China and the Mediterranean world.

Neo-Confucianism

A movement in religious philosophy derived from Confucianism in response to the ideas of Taoism and Buddhism.

Reincarnation

The religious or philosophical concept that the soul is reborn in a new body after death.

Karma

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

Moksha

The release from the cycle of rebirth in Hinduism.

Dharma

The religious and moral duties of an individual in Hinduism.

Brahman

The eternal essence of reality and the supreme spirit in Hindu belief.

The Vedas

The earliest sacred texts of Hinduism.

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism, originally an Indian prince who became the Buddha.

Four Noble Truths

The central teachings of Buddhism regarding the nature of suffering and how to overcome it.

Eightfold Path

The basic rules of behavior and belief leading to an end of suffering in Buddhism.

Nirvana

The state of enlightenment for Buddhists, which represents the end of all suffering and the cycle of rebirth.

Middle Way

The Buddhist path of moderation, avoiding extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification.

Ashoka

The Mauryan emperor who converted to Buddhism and helped spread the religion across Asia.

Caste system

A rigid social hierarchy in India that determined a person's occupation and social status.

Torah

The most sacred text of Judaism.

Exodus

The major event in Jewish history describing the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt.

Diaspora

The dispersion of the Jewish people beyond their original homeland.

Monotheism

The belief in only one god.

Paul of Taurus

An apostle who was instrumental in spreading Christianity throughout the Roman world.

Constantine

The Roman emperor who converted to Christianity and issued the Edict of Milan.

Hegira

Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Medina in 622, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

Qur’an

The holy book of Islam, believed to contain the word of God as revealed to Muhammad.

Five Pillars of Islam

The five basic acts in Islam, considered mandatory by believers, including the Hajj (pilgrimage).

Sahel

The semiarid region of Africa between the Sahara to the north and the savannas to the south.

Griots

West African oral storytellers and historians.

Animism

The belief that natural objects, natural phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls.

Swahili

A language and culture that developed on the East African coast as a result of cultural blending.

Mansa Musa

The famous ruler of the Kingdom of Mali who was known for his vast wealth and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Pax Mongolia

A period of relative stability and peace across Eurasia under the Mongol Empire that facilitated trade.

Ghengis Khan

The Mongol leader who successfully unified the Mongol tribes and built the largest contiguous empire in history.

Feudal system

A political and social system in the Middle Ages based on the granting of land in exchange for loyalty and service.

Manorial system

The economic system of the Middle Ages centered around self-sufficient estates called manors.

Magna Carta

A document signed in 1215 that limited the power of the English king and protected certain rights of the people.

Scholasticism

A medieval philosophical and theological system that tried to reconcile faith and reason.

Black Death

A devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s.

Humanism

An intellectual movement of the Renaissance that focused on human potential and achievements.

Secular

Having to do with worldly matters rather than religious ones.

Indulgences

Pardons issued by the Pope that people could buy to reduce a soul's time in purgatory.

Martin Luther

The German monk who triggered the Protestant Reformation by posting his Ninety-Five Theses.

Predestination

The belief that God has already determined who will receive salvation, a core concept of John Calvin's teachings.

Caravel

A light, fast sailing ship used by explorers during the Age of Exploration.

Astrolabe

An instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the position of the stars and planets.

Encomienda System

A system in Spanish America that gave settlers the right to tax local Indians or to demand their labor in exchange for protecting them.

Columbian Exchange

The global transfer of foods, plants, and animals during the colonization of the Americas.

Mercantilism

An economic system where nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought.