Untitled Flashcards Set

Muhammad

A merchant-turned-prophet who received revelations recorded in the Qur’an.

The Hegira

Muhammad and his followers fled Mecca for Medina.

Five Pillars of Islam

Core Muslim practices: faith, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage.

Qur’an

Islam’s sacred text.

Allah

The Muslim god.

Expansion of Islam

Conquered Syria, Egypt, and North Africa; the Umayyads established the capital in Damascus.

Sunnis vs. Shi’ites

Sunnis are traditionalists, while Shi’ites are a minority group.

Al-Andalus

Muslim-controlled Spain.

Clovis

First Merovingian king; divided his kingdom, leading to wars.

Merovingian Dukes

Regional military leaders in the Frankish Kingdom.

Mayor

The most important secular official in the Merovingian kingdom.

Anointment

Alliance between the papacy and Frankish monarchs, starting with Pippin’s gift to the Pope.

Charlemagne

A Carolingian ruler who expanded territory and promoted learning; crowned emperor in 800 by Pope Leo III.

Louis the Pious

Charlemagne’s son; his three sons split the empire via the Treaty of Verdun (843), shaping European boundaries.

Carolingian Government

A system held together by personal loyalty and aristocratic power.

Missi Dominici

Officials who connected local rulers with the central government.

Carolingian Intellectual Revival

A focus on scholarship, religion, and the creation of double monasteries (housing men and women under an abbess).

Miniscule

A new writing style with upper and lowercase letters for better readability.

Civitas

City and surrounding area as an administrative unit.

Comites

Officials overseeing the civitas (later called counts).

Capitularies

Administrative and legal orders issued by the king.

Feudalism

A system where vassals (warriors) received land from nobles in exchange for loyalty.

Manorialism

A system where peasants (often serfs) worked for lords in exchange for protection.

Kievan Rus

A confederation of Slavic territories ruled by Viking descendants, adopting Orthodox Christianity.

Boyars

High-ranking Russian nobles descended from Viking warriors.

Vikings (Normans)

Scandinavian raiders who settled in Europe, influenced Slavic culture, and ruled from Kiev.

Beowulf

An epic poem written by a monk.

Venerable Bede

Wrote an early history of the English people.

Medical Care

Relied on folk medicine; many suffered from poor diets, infections, and complications in childbirth.