Unit II Study Guide: Persia, Greece, India, and China

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering Persia, ancient Greece, classical India, and imperial China from the Unit II study guide.

Archipelago

A group of islands close together.

Peninsula

Land with water on three sides.

Macedonia

Greek kingdom in the north of Greece; home of Philip II and Alexander the Great.

Hellenistic Age

Time when Greek culture spread and blended with Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures.

Cultural diffusion

Ideas and customs spreading through trade, war, and migration.

Caste system

Social classes you are born into, linked to Hinduism.

Nirvana

The Buddhist goal: enlightenment, freedom from suffering and the cycle of rebirth.

Golden Road

The spread of Buddhism along trade routes.

Five Relationships

Confucian idea of who has authority over whom (ruler/subject, father/son, husband/wife, older brother/younger brother, friend/friend).

Civil service exam

Test developed in Han China to make sure government workers are educated and capable, basing jobs on skill rather than family.

Cyrus the Great

Founder of the Persian Empire.

Darius

Persian ruler who built the Royal Road for communication and trade.

Royal Road

Road built by Darius across Persia with stations for messengers to facilitate trade and communication.

Peloponnesian War

War between Greek city-states that weakened both Athens and Sparta.

Siddhartha Gautama

The Buddha, who taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path in India.

Ashoka

Indian leader who helped spread Buddhism.

Silk Roads

Trade routes used by monks and merchants to carry Buddhism to China, Korea, and Japan.

Indian Ocean routes

Maritime trade routes along which Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

Legalism

Chinese philosophy emphasizing strict laws and harsh punishment.

Daoism

Chinese philosophy focused on living in harmony with nature.

Confucianism

Chinese philosophy centered on respect and the Five Relationships.

Qin Shi Huang

Leader who unified China with roads and canals, standard weights, one currency, and the Great Wall, without creating a single religion.

Han Dynasty

Chinese dynasty that developed the civil service exam and grew Silk Road trade, ending after the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Yellow Turban Rebellion

A peasant uprising that brought about the end of the Han Dynasty.

Athens

Greek city-state with a democratic government, education focused on reading, writing, and arts, and few rights for women.

Sparta

Greek military state where education centered on military training and women had more freedom than in Athens.

Warring States Period

Period of political unrest when several kingdoms fought for territory before Shi Huangdi unified China.