AP World vocab

Hunter-gatherer

A person who obtains food by hunting and gathering wild plants and animals.

Nomadic

A way of life in which groups of people move from place to place, often following food sources or water.

Matrilineal

A social system in which descent and inheritance are traced through the mother's side of the family.

Neolithic Revolution

A period of significant technological innovation, including the development of agriculture and domestication of animals, leading to the transition from hunting and gathering to farming.

Agriculture

The practice of cultivating plants and domesticating animals for food production.

Domestication

The process of taming wild plants and animals for human use.

Sedentary

A way of life in which people live in permanent settlements, often near agricultural land.

Judaism

A religion with a belief in one God and a covenant with the Jewish people.

Abrahamic

Referring to religions (such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that trace their origins to Abraham.

Monotheism

The belief in one God.

Polytheism

The belief in multiple gods.

Patriarchal society

A society dominated by men, with men holding the primary power and predominant roles.

City-state

A city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.

Indo-European

A language family that includes most of the languages of Europe and parts of Asia.

Vedas

A collection of ancient Indian texts considered to be sacred in Hinduism.

Hinduism

A major religion of India that emphasizes dharma (righteousness), karma (action and reaction), and reincarnation.

Reincarnation

The belief that souls are reborn into new bodies after death.

Caste system

A rigid social hierarchy in India, based on occupation and family lineage.

Karma

The law of cause and effect, which determines a person's future lives.

Dharma

Moral duty or the power that upholds the universe.

Buddhism

A religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama, emphasizing the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to achieve Nirvana.

Siddhartha Gautama/Buddha

The founder of Buddhism.

Nirvana

A state of perfect peace and enlightenment.

Stupas

Buddhist religious monuments typically containing relics of the Buddha.

Rock and Pillar Edicts

A series of inscriptions on rocks and pillars erected throughout the Mauryan Empire by Emperor Ashoka, promoting Buddhist principles and laws.

Shintoism

A Japanese religion that emphasizes reverence for nature and ancestors.

Daoism/Taoism

A Chinese philosophy emphasizing harmony with nature, simplicity, and spontaneity.

Confucius

A Chinese philosopher and teacher whose ideas have had a profound impact on Chinese culture and society.

Filial piety

A Confucian value emphasizing respect for one's elders, particularly parents.

Dynasty

A sequence of rulers from the same family.

Mandate of Heaven

A Chinese political and religious doctrine stating that the Heaven grants a ruler a mandate to rule, and can withdraw it if the ruler fails to govern morally.

Scholar-gentry

A class of well-educated government officials in imperial China.

Constantine

Roman Emperor who legalized Christianity and moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople.

Hellenistic Period

A period of Greek cultural influence and expansion, following the conquests of Alexander the Great.

Pope

The Bishop of Rome, considered the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Jesus of Nazareth

A religious leader whose teachings form the basis of Christianity.

Bedouin

Nomadic Arab people of the desert.

Umayyad

A Muslim dynasty that ruled the Islamic Caliphate from 661 to 750 CE.

Muhammad

The founder of Islam.

Qur'an/Koran

The holy book of Islam.

Five Pillars

The five basic acts of worship in Islam: Shahada (faith), Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity), Sawm (fasting), and Hajj (pilgrimage).

Caliph

The political and religious leader of the Islamic community.

Sunni(s)

The largest branch of Islam, believing that the first four caliphs were rightly guided.

Shi’a/Shi’ite

A branch of Islam believing that leadership in the Muslim community should have passed to the descendants of Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law.

Mawali

Non-Arab converts to Islam.

Dhimmi

Non-Muslim citizens of the Islamic state who were granted protection and religious tolerance in exchange for a special tax.

Abbasid

A Muslim dynasty that ruled the Islamic Caliphate from 750 to 1258 CE.

Ministry of Rites

A government department in imperial China responsible for rituals, ceremonies, and cultural matters.

jinshi

A successful candidate in the imperial examination system of China.

Pure Land or Mahayana Buddhism

A major branch of Buddhism that emphasizes the practice of devotion to a Buddha, often Amitabha Buddha, to be reborn in the Pure Land.

Zen or Chan Buddhism

A school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes meditation and insight into one's true nature.

Grand Canal (China)

A system of canals linking northern and southern China, facilitating trade and transportation.

Empress Wu

The only female emperor in Chinese history.

Wuzong

A Tang Dynasty emperor who persecuted Buddhism and confiscated Buddhist lands and property.

neo-Confucians

A group of philosophers who revitalized Confucian thought during the Song and Ming dynasties.

junks

Large Chinese sailing ships with multiple masts and sails.

flying money

Early forms of paper money or credit instruments used in China.

footbinding

A Chinese custom involving the tight binding of young girls' feet to prevent them from growing.

The Tale of Genji

A classic work of Japanese literature, considered the world's first novel.

Minamoto

A powerful Japanese clan that established the shogunate and ushered in the samurai era.

Shoguns/Shogunate

A military dictatorship in Japan.

Sinification

The process of adopting Chinese culture and customs.

Paekche

One of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

Trung Sisters

Vietnamese sisters who led a rebellion against Chinese rule.

proto-Industrialization

A period of technological and economic change prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Mamluks

A group of Turkic slave soldiers who established a powerful sultanate in Egypt and Syria.

Seljuk Turks

A Turkic dynasty that conquered much of the Middle East and Central Asia.

Sultan

A Muslim ruler.

Sufis

Muslim mystics who seek a personal connection with God through spiritual practices.

Theocracy

A government ruled by religious leaders.

Rajput

A warrior caste in India.

Bhakti Movement

A devotional movement in Hinduism that emphasized personal connection with a deity.

Shrivijaya Empire

A powerful maritime empire based in Southeast Asia.

Khmer Empire

A powerful empire centered in present-day Cambodia.

Delhi Sultanate

A series of Muslim dynasties that ruled parts of India.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

A Persian polymath who made significant contributions to astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy.

Vijayanagara Empire

A powerful Hindu empire in South India.

Sea-Based Kingdoms

Maritime empires and kingdoms that relied on sea trade and naval power.

Sinhala Dynasties

A series of dynasties that ruled Sri Lanka.

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Aztec Empire.

chinampas

Artificial islands created by the Aztecs for agriculture in Lake Texcoco.

“Flowery Death”

A ritual sacrifice practiced by the Aztecs.

split inheritance

An Aztec practice where the eldest son inherited political power, while other sons received land and wealth.

Inca socialism

A term used to describe the Inca economic system, which involved state control of resources and labor.

mita

A labor tribute system used by the Inca Empire.

quipu

A system of knotted cords used by the Inca for record-keeping.

Mississippian

A major Native American culture that flourished in the Mississippi River Valley.

Anasazi

An ancient Native American culture that inhabited the American Southwest.

stateless societies

Societies without a centralized government.

Mali

A powerful West African empire.

Mansa Musa

A wealthy and powerful ruler of the Mali Empire.

Songhay

A West African empire that succeeded Mali.

griots

West African historians, genealogists, musicians, and praise singers.

Ibn Batuta

A Moroccan explorer who traveled extensively throughout the Islamic world.

Timbuktu

A major trading city and center of Islamic learning in West Africa.

Great Zimbabwe

A powerful African civilization that flourished in southern Africa.

Zanj

East African slaves who revolted against their Arab masters.

Benin

A powerful West African kingdom known for its art and bronze sculptures.

Justinian

A Byzantine Emperor who ruled from 527 to 565 CE, known for his ambitious legal, military, and building projects.

Hagia Sophia

A magnificent church built by Justinian in Constantinople, later converted into a mosque and now a museum.