9th Grade History Midterm

Buddhism

A religion/philosophy that is about 2500 years old

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism; often referred to as the Buddha

Four Noble Truths

The first teachings of the Buddha: (1) All life is suffering, (2) All suffering stems from desire, (3) Only when desire ends will suffering, and (4) The Eightfold Path helps end desire

Eightfold Path

Guidelines for how to end desire and reach Nirvana: Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration

Nirvana

A state of being after one has been released from the cycle of reincarnation

Hinduism

A polytheistic religion

Caste

Levels in society that dictate a person's job and who they can associate with; the way Hindu society is organized

Brahmin

The highest level in the Hindu caste system; originally the word only priests, but now incorporates modern professions

Reincarnation

The belief in Hinduism that one is reborn into another life

Vedas

The sacred literature of Hinduism; contains teachings and beliefs

Karma

Hindu belief that actions in one's current life determine what they will be reborn as in the future

Moksha

Enlightenment; when a soul reaches this they cease to go through the cycle of reincarnation

Brahma

The creator God in Hinduism

Dharma

The strict guidelines which determine the caste a person will become a part of

Polytheistic

A religion with more than one god

Islam

A monotheistic religion; people that follow this religion are called Muslims; like Jews, Muslims trace their origins to Islam.

Five Pillars

The five basic rules for Muslims (belief, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage).

Muhammad

The founder of Islam; is considered a messenger and prophet of God.

Hajj

A pilgrimage to Mecca; one of the five pillars.

Koran/ Quran

The holy book in Islam.

Mosque

A place of worship for followers of Islam.

Mecca

A city in Saudi Arabia; is considered the holiest place by Muslims.

Sects within Islam

Shi'a & Sunni.

Christianity

A monotheistic religion that started as a sect of Judaism

Jesus

A figure that Christians believe is their savior or messiah

Old and New Testaments (Bible)

The holy book in Christianity; the Old Testament is in part taken from the Jewish Torah

Catholicism

One of the major divisions in Christianity; led by the Pope

Protestantism

One of the major divisions in Christianity; began with Martin Luther as a protest against the Catholic Church

Church

A place of worship for Christians

Judaism

A monotheistic religion founded by Abraham

Monotheistic

A religion with only one god (examples are Judaism, Christianity and Islam)

Covenant

An agreement; Jews believe that they have this with god (they follow his rules and he will watch over them)

Torah

The holy book of Judaism; is the same as the Old Testament of the Christian Bible

Ten Commandments

10 rules passed from God to Moses; they are followed by Jews, Christians and Muslims

Diaspora

Refers to the spread of Jews around the world

Temple

A place of worship for Jews

The Alps

Mountain range near the northern border of modern day Italy

Carthage

Located in northern Africa; fought Rome during the Punic Wars

Etruscans

Comprised a civilization on portions of what is now Italy; much of their culture was adopted by the Romans

Plebeian

A commoner in Ancient Rome

Patrician

An aristocrat or nobleman

Republic

A form of government in which power is in the hands of representatives and leaders who are elected by citizens who have the right to vote

Consul

Executive in Rome during the Republic; two men were elected by the assembly for one year terms; they were in charge of the army and government

The Forum

A public meeting place (for government and business); was a drained swamp

The Twelve Tables

A list of rules that were the basis of the Roman legal system

Senate

Made laws; members were in the aristocracy and were members for life

Emergency Dictator

Could be called in during times of crisis for 6 months

Punic Wars

A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage; Rome was victorious and these cemented Rome's role as a major power

Julius Caesar

A Roman general and statesman; ruled the Roman Republic as a dictator until his assassination

Professional Army

An army made of people who were paid to fight

Augustus Caesar

The first emperor of Rome; his rule marks the beginning of the Roman Empire

Pax Romana

A Roman golden age that lasted from 27 BC to 180 CE

Roman contributions

In addition to government, Romans made contributions to philosophy and technologies such as roads, aqueducts and domes

The Mediterranean Sea

Body of water between Africa and Europe; Greek city states and the Roman empire both had territory near this body of water.

City-states

A city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit.

Athens

A Greek city-state characterized by the value it had for the arts.

Sparta

A Greek city-state characterized by the value it had for the military.

Delian League

An alliance of about 150 Greek city-states led by Athens with the purpose of fighting the Persians.

Pericles

Leader of Athens who gave the famous Funeral Oration during the Peloponnesian War.

The Peloponnesian War

A war fought between Athens and Sparta.

Direct Democracy

A government in which citizens rule directly rather than through representatives.

Olympic Games

Sporting competitions first held in ancient Greece.

Mythology

Traditional stories told about the gods; they attempted to explain the natural world, customs and beliefs of society.

Athena

Goddess of wisdom; the patron goddess of Athens.

Socrates

A Greek philosopher.

Plato

A Greek philosopher and mathematician.

Aristotle

A Greek philosopher; the teacher of Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great

An ancient Greek who defeated the Persians and created one of the largest empires of the ancient world.

Phalanx

A military formation of foot soldiers with spears and shields.

Hellenistic Age

A 300 year period after the death of Alexander the Great, which is characterized by Greek culture dominating the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Himalayan Mountains

Physical features that contributed to the isolation of China

Gobi Desert

Physical features that contributed to the isolation of China

Taklimakan Desert

Physical features that contributed to the isolation of China

Dynastic cycle

The pattern of the rise, decline and fall of dynasties

Mandate of Heaven

The divine approval (i.e. from God) which was thought to be the basis of royal authority

Confucianism

The system of political and ethical ideals formulated by the philosopher Confucius toward the end of the Zhou Dynasty; it was intended to bring order to society

Filial Piety

Respect for elders

Legalism

A philosophy that believes that strict rules and punishments are the key to social order

Daoism

Philosophy that emphasizes nature and harmony

Qin Dynasty

A short lived Dynasty that was in power when China was unified; the Dynasty was marked by strict/legalist rule

Shi Huangdi

The man that united China; was part of the Qin Dynasty

Great Wall

A wall built during the Qin Dynasty to help protect against nomads north of China

Han Dynasty

Lasted for almost 500 years, and is known for its extensive technology; Wudi and Liu Bang are two of this dynasty's most famous emperors

Civil Service

A system started during the Han dynasty in which tests would be given to determine who was most qualified for government jobs

Silk Road

A trade route which spanned from China to Europe

Tang/Song Dynasty

These dynasties are considered important golden ages in Chinese history

Yuan Dynasty

The dynasty founded by Kublai Khan

Genghis Khan

A strong Mongolian leader who united the Mongols

Kublai Khan

The grandson of Genghis Khan; finished conquering China and began the Yuan Dynasty

Marco Polo

European traveler who took the Silk Road to China; he served in Kublai Khan's government for 17 years and then returned to Europe—telling stories of China when he returned

Climate

Environmental conditions of an area usually characterized by temperature, rainfall, and wind.

Migration

The act of moving from one place to settle in another.

Natural Resource

Naturally occurring materials used as a source of wealth.

Hominid

Any type of early man.

Nomad

A member of a group with no permanent home who wanders in search of food and water.

Hunter-gatherer

A person that hunts animals and collects plants to meet their food needs.

Neolithic Revolution

8000 BCE: Farming developed and animals domesticated.

City-State

A city and its surrounding lands functioning as an independent political unit.

Cultural Diffusion

The spreading of ideas or products from one culture to another.

Ziggurat

A tiered, pyramid-shaped structure that formed part of a Sumerian temple.