Unit 1 test study guide lol

Song Dynasty Political Structure

Ruled through a Bureaucracy and Meritocracy, using the Civil Service Exam based on Confucian texts to select government officials.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening, drought-resistant strain of rice from Vietnam that allowed for double-cropping and led to a massive population boom in Song China.

Chinese Innovations (c. 1200–1450)

1. Grand Canal expansion
2. Gunpowder and early guns
3. Steel production
4. Magnetic compass
5. Paper and Woodblock printing

Proto-industrialization

A phase in China where people in rural areas made more goods (like porcelain and steel) than they could sell, focusing on home-based production.

Tributary System

An arrangement where other states (like Korea or Japan) had to pay money or provide goods to honor the Chinese Emperor to gain trading rights.

Neo-Confucianism

A syncretic belief system that combined the rational thought of Confucianism with the abstract ideas of Buddhism and Daoism.

Filial Piety

The Confucian virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors, which served as a foundation for social stability.

Foot Binding

A patriarchal practice in Song China where young girls' feet were tightly wrapped to signify social status; it severely limited women's mobility.

Feudal Japan Social Hierarchy

1. Shogun: Military ruler with real power
2. Daimyo: Landowning aristocrats
3. Samurai: Professional warriors
4. Peasants/Merchants

Comparison: Korea vs. China

Korea adopted Confucianism and Buddhism but maintained a more powerful aristocracy that rejected the Civil Service Exam for peasants.

Comparison: Vietnam vs. China

Vietnam rejected foot binding and polygyny; they preferred nuclear families and gave women more independence compared to Chinese women.

Abbasid Caliphate Fragmentation

As the Abbasids declined, new Islamic entities emerged, including the Mamluk Sultanate (Egypt), Seljuk Turks, and the Delhi Sultanate (India).

House of Wisdom

A renowned center of learning in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age where scholars preserved Greek/Latin texts and advanced math and medicine.

Al-Andalus

The Islamic state in modern-day Spain that became a global center of learning, specifically in Cordoba, which housed the world's largest library.

Jizya

A per-capita yearly tax levied by Islamic states on non-Muslim subjects, known as "People of the Book" (Dhimmi).

Bhakti Movement

A Hindu movement that emphasized emotional devotion to a single deity rather than ritual or caste studies; helped spread Hinduism in South Asia.

Srivijaya and Majapahit

Two sea-based Southeast Asian empires; Srivijaya was Hindu and Majapahit was Buddhist, both controlling vital sea trade routes.

Angkor Wat

A massive temple complex built by the Khmer Empire; it originally served as a Hindu temple but was later converted to a Buddhist site.

Mayan Innovations

1. Concept of zero (0)
2. Hieroglyphic writing (Glyphs)
3. Advanced astronomy and calendar systems

Chinampas

Floating gardens built by the Aztecs in Lake Texcoco to increase agricultural production for their capital, Tenochtitlan.

Mita System

The Incan labor system requiring mandatory public service (building roads, bridges, etc.) rather than a traditional tribute tax.

Quipu

A system of knotted strings used by the Inca to record numerical data and trade records in the absence of a written language.

Carpa Nan

A massive roadway system built by the Inca Empire, stretching over 25,000 miles to connect the government and military.

Mansa Musa

The Mali ruler whose pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 displayed West African wealth (gold) and established Timbuktu as an Islamic center.

Great Zimbabwe

A powerful East African city-state known for its massive stone walls built without mortar; dominated the gold trade.

Manorial System

The economic system of Medieval Europe based on self-sufficient estates where serfs worked the land for protection from lords.

Magna Carta

A document signed in 1215 that limited the power of the English King and established basic legal rights for nobles.

Caravanserai

Inns or rest stops located approximately 100 miles apart along the Silk Roads, allowing travelers and animals to rest safely.

Flying Cash

An early system of credit used in Song China that allowed merchants to deposit money in one location and withdraw it elsewhere.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal wind patterns in the Indian Ocean; understanding these was essential for maritime trade between Africa, India, and SE Asia.

Indian Ocean Maritime Tech

1. Lateen Sail: Triangular sail to catch wind from all directions
2. Stern Rudder: Improved ship maneuverability
3. Astrolabe: For determining latitude

Diasporic Communities

Settlements of merchants (like Arab or Indian traders) in foreign lands where they introduced their cultural traditions to indigenous people.

Trans-Saharan Trade Goods

The exchange of North African Salt for West African Gold, along with ivory and slaves.

Somali Saddle

A camel saddle innovation that allowed merchants to carry loads up to 440 pounds, revolutionizing Saharan trade.

Genghis Khan (Temujin)

The Mongol leader who unified the nomadic tribes and created the largest contiguous land empire in world history.

Pax Mongolica

The period of "Mongol Peace" (c. 1250–1350) that revitalized Silk Road trade and lowered the danger of traveling.

The Four Mongol Khanates

1. Golden Horde: Russia
2. Il-Khanate: Middle East/Persia
3. Chagatai: Central Asia
4. Yuan Dynasty: China

Mongol Governance Style

Characterized by religious tolerance, the use of local administrators, and cultural inclusion of those they conquered.

Black Death (Bubonic Plague)

A pandemic spread via Silk Road trade and Mongol conquest that killed roughly 1/3 of the European population.

Silk Road Luxury Goods

Primary exports from China including Silk, Porcelain, and tea; demanded by elites in Persia and Europe.