Caliph
The chief Muslim political and religious leader.
Serf
an agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on their lord's estate.
Grand Canal
The 1,100-mile (1,700-kilometer) waterway linking the Yellow and the Yangzi Rivers. It was begun in the Han period and completed during the Sui Dynasty.
Dar al Islam
A term representing the political and religious unity of various Islamic groups.
Maya city-states
Classical culture in Southern Mexico and Central America; contemporary with Teotihuacan; extended over broad region; featured monumental architecture, written language, calendar system, mathematical system
Mita
A labor system used by Andean societies in which community members shared work owed to rulers and the religious community.
Manorialism
Economic system during the Middle Ages that revolved around self-sufficient farming estates where lords and peasants shared the land; the economic side of feudalism
Bantu Migration
The movement of the Bantu peoples southward in sub-Saharan Africa; spread language, iron metallurgy, and farming techniques
House of Wisdom
Large Islamic-based library and learning center in Baghdad. Focus of conversion of Greek and Roman classics and Indian learning into Arabic.
Bhakti Movement
An immensely popular development in Hinduism, advocating intense devotion toward a particular deity.
Monasticism
The practice of living the life of a monk; a similarity between Buddhism and Christianity
Daoism
religious tradition of Chinese origin which emphasizes living in harmony with the Dao ("the way"); prefers a minimal government.
Filial Piety
In Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.
Meritocracy
government or the holding of power by people selected on the basis of their ability; used in China via the Civil Service Exam
Vijayanagara Kingdom
Southern Indian kingdom based in Deccan Plateau region (1336-1565) that later fell to the Mughals. Resisted Islamic influence and used Hinduism as a unifying factor
Civil Service Examination System
Exams that Chinese bureaucrats passed to serve in state, based on Confucian concepts.
Scholar-gentry
Chinese class created by the marital linkage of the local land-holding aristocracy with the office-holding shi; superseded shi as governors of China.
Christianity
the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices.
Vassal
a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance
English Bill of Rights
King William and Queen Mary accepted this document in 1689. It guaranteed certain rights to English citizens and declared that elections for Parliament would happen frequently. By accepting this document, they supported a limited monarchy, a system in which they shared their power with Parliament and the people.
Castes
social groups into which people are born and cannot change
Serfdom
Peasants who could not pay debts and where attached to a piece of land to work until debt was paid off.
Henry VIII
English king who created the Church of England (Anglicanism) after the Pope refused to annul his marriage (divorce with Church approval) in order to marry Anne Boleyn.
Spanish Armada
The great fleet sent from Spain against England defeated by the terrible winds and fire ships.
Abbas I
Persian Shah who ruled over the Safavids at its height. Imported weaponry and European knowledge to advise his troops. Used Shia Islam as a unifying force.
Shari'ah
a law code drawn up by Muslim scholars after Muhammad's death; it provided believers with a set of practical laws to regulate their daily lives
Hagia Sophia
Most famous example of Byzantine architecture, it was built under Justinian I and is considered one of the most perfect buildings in the world. Converted into a Mosque by the Ottomans.
Shogunate
The Japanese system of government under a shogun (military warlord), who exercised actual power while the emperor was reduced to a figurehead.
Ming Dynasty
Succeeded Mongol Yuan dynasty in China in 1368; lasted until 1644; initially mounted huge trade expeditions to southern Asia and elsewhere, but later concentrated efforts on internal development within China.
Peter the Great
(1672-1725) Russian Tsar (r. 1689-1725). He enthusiastically introduced Western languages and technologies to the Russian elite, moving the capital from Moscow to the new city of St. Petersburg.
Safavids
A Shi'ite Muslim dynasty that ruled in Persia (Iran and parts of Iraq) from the 16th-18th centuries that had a mixed culture of the Persians, Ottomans and Arabs.
Qianlong Emperor
the fifth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty (r. 1736-1795), in what was considered China's "Golden Age". In the mid-18th century received pressure to allow for more trade with Europe. Visited by George Macartney, who refused to perform the kowtow and bow to the emperor.
Tenochtitlan
Capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest. Mexico City was constructed on its ruins.
John Calvin
1509-1564. French theologian. Developed the Christian theology known as Calvinism. Attracted Protestant followers with his teachings; believed in predestination
Inquisition
A Roman Catholic tribunal for investigating and prosecuting charges of heresy, a reaction to the Protestant Reformation
Suleiman
Great Ottoman leader, expanded land area of Ottomans, and restructured system of law.
Sikhism
the doctrines of a monotheistic religion founded in northern India in the 16th century by Guru Nanak and combining elements of Hinduism and Islam; a result of the presence of the Mughal Empire in India
Jesuits
Also known as the Society of Jesus; founded by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) as a teaching and missionary order to resist the spread of Protestantism (a result of the Counter Reformation); were often sent to China, Japan, and around the world to gain Catholic converts
Mehmed II
Ottoman sultan called the "Conqueror"; responsible for conquest of Constantinople in 1453; destroyed what remained of Byzantine Empire.
Volga River
The longest river in Europe and Russia's most important commercial river.
Absolutism
A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
simony
the buying and selling of church offices
Ming Dynasty of China
Chinese dynasty (1368-1644) that succeeded the Yuan dynasty of the Mongols; noted for its return to traditional Chinese ways and restoration of the land after the destructiveness of the Mongols.
Akbar
The most famous Muslim ruler of India during the period of Mughal rule. Famous for his religious tolerance, his investment in rich cultural feats, and the creation of a centralized governmental administration, which was not typical of ancient and post-classical India.
Council of Trent
Called by Pope Paul III to reform the church and secure reconciliation with the Protestants. Lutherans and Calvinists did not attend.
Tokugawa Shogunate
Japanese ruling dynasty that reorganized the government that removed power from the daimyo and transfer to the hands of the Shogun
Tax farming
The Ottoman's taxation system in which collectors were given a set amount to collect from conquered cities/towns however it did not stop them from pocketing extra cash
Edict of Nantes
1598 - Granted the Huguenots liberty of conscience and worship.
Taj Mahal
beautiful mausoleum at Agra built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (completed in 1649) in memory of his favorite wife
Suleymaniye Mosque
great mosque built in Constantinople during the 16th century under Ottoman ruler Suleyman the magnificent.
Louis XIV
(1638-1715) Known as the Sun King, he was an absolute monarch that completely controlled France. One of his greatest accomplishments was the building of the palace at Versailles.
Louis XIV
(1638-1715) Known as the Sun King, he was an absolute monarch that completely controlled France. One of his greatest accomplishments was the building of the palace at Versailles.
Shah
Persian word for king
Divine Right of Kings
Doctrine that states that the right of ruling comes from God and not people's consent
Gutenberg Press
this invention helped to promote the Reformation and increased European literacy
Ghazi ideal
a model for warrior life that blended the cooperative values of nomadic culture with the willingness to serve as a holy fighter for Islam
Shogunate
The Japanese system of government under a shogun (military warlord), who exercised actual power while the emperor was reduced to a figurehead.
Gutenberg Printing Press
used movable type to print, increased literacy and helped spread the Reformation
Yuan Dynasty
(1279-1368 CE) The dynasty with Mongol rule in China; ruled with pre-existing systems
Qing Empire
Dynasty that succeeded the Ming dynasty in 1644, ended in 1911. At various times they also controlled Manchuria, Mongolia, Turkestan, and Tibet.
Taj Mahal
a tomb built by Shah Jahan for his wife
Daimyo
A Japanese feudal lord who commanded a private army of samurai
Ming Dynasty
Succeeded Mongol Yuan dynasty in China in 1368; lasted until 1644; expanded past borders and fortified the Great Wall of China
Period of Great Peace
The Tokugawa Shogunate created this period in Japan known as the Edo Period by adopting a policy of isolation
Devshirme
The tribute of a christian male child that the Ottomans raised for service in the civil administration or in the elite Janissary infantry corps.
Suleiman the Magnificent
Ottoman emperor who conquered Hungary and a slew of other territories. Attempted to conquer parts of europe but failed.
Kangxi
Qing emperor (r. 1662-1722). He oversaw the greatest expansion of the Qing Empire.
Suleiman I
The leader of the Ottoman Turk Empire during the high Renaissance.
Tokugawa Shogunate
was a semi-feudal government of Japan in which one of the shoguns unified the country under his family's rule. They moved the capital to Edo, which now is called Tokyo. This family ruled from Edo 1868, when it was abolished during the Meiji Restoration.
Palace of Versailles
a palace built in the 17th century for Louis XIV southwest of Paris near the city of Versailles
Romanov Dynasty
Dynasty elected in 1613 at end of Time of Troubles; ruled Russia until 1917
Janissaries
Infantry, originally of slave origin, armed with firearms and constituting the elite of the Ottoman army from the fifteenth century until the corps was abolished in 1826.
Protestant Reformation
A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.
Isma'il
A great Safavid ruler who, at the age of 14, conquered much Persia and parts of Iraq. He was a religious tyrant who made Shia Islam the state religion.
John Calvin
1509-1564. French theologian. Developed the Christian theology known as Calvinism. Attracted Protestant followers with his teachings.
Civil Service Exam
a test given to qualify candidates for positions in the government
Daimyo
A Japanese feudal lord who commanded a private army of samurai
serfdom
A type of labor commonly used in feudal systems in which the laborers work the land in return for protection but they are bound to the land. This was common in early Medieval Europe as well as in Russia until the mid 19th century.
Empiricism
the view that knowledge originates in experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation
Janissary
elite Ottoman guard (trained as foot soldiers or administrators) recruited from the Christian population through the devshirme system, that often converted to Islam
Safavid Empire
Turkish-ruled Iranian kingdom (1502-1722) established by Ismail Safavi, who declared Iran a Shi'ite state.
Puritans
Protestant sect in England hoping to "purify" the Anglican church of Roman Catholic traces in practice and organization.
Sharia
Body of Islamic law that includes interpretation of the Quran and applies Islamic principles to everyday life
Ivan IV
Known as Ivan the Terrible, beat the Mongols, Tartars, and the Poles, forced nobles into service, first ruler to take the title tsar
Peter I (the Great)
Russian Tsar who modernized Russia. Built St. Petersburg and took away power from the Eastern Orthodox church.
Boyars
Russian nobles. Peter will try to "westernize" them.
Tudors
English royal family, dynasty founded by Henry VII; includes some of England's most influential monarchs; Elizabeth
Cossacks
Peoples of the Russian Empire who lived outside the farming villages, often as herders, mercenaries, or outlaws. Cossacks led the conquest of Siberia in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Mehemed II
Ottoman ruler who conquered Constantinople in 1453 and renamed it Istanbul
Ottoman Empire
Istanbul, North Africa, Middle East, South East Europe, 1300's-1919
caste
a rigid and hereditary social class
Shah Abbas I
Shah of Iran (r. 1587-1629). The most illustrious ruler of the Safavid Empire, he moved the imperial capital to Isfahan in 1598, where he erected many palaces, mosques, and public buildings.
English Bill of Rights
1689 laws protecting the rights of English subjects and Parliament
Martin Luther
a German monk who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses, or statements of belief attacking the church practices. Began the Protestant Reformation
Tamerlane
Mongol leader who conquered Persia and Mesopotamia
Songhai
a West African empire that conquered Mali and controlled trade from the into the 16th century; eventually defeated by the Moroccans who were broke after fighting with Portugal
Council of Trent
Group of Catholic leaders to Coordinate their attacks to effectively weaken the Protestantism momentum
Sunni Islam
Branch of Islam believing that the community should select its own leadership. The largest branch.
tribute system
A system in which defeated peoples were forced to pay a tax in the form of goods or labor.
Ivan IV
the Terrible, beat the Mongols, Tartars, and the Poles, forced nobles into service, first ruler to take the title tsar