AP World History Unit 1: The Global Tapestry Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms, concepts, empires, and architectural achievements across Unit 1 (c. 1200 to c. 1450).

Song Dynasty

An imperial dynasty in China (960–1279) known for its prosperity, political stability, artistic achievements, and technological innovation.

Imperial Bureaucracy

A vast organizational structure in China in which appointed officials carried out the empire's policies, serving as a key political continuity across dynasties.

Meritocracy

A system of government where officials obtain positions based on demonstrated merit through performance on civil service exams.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening and drought-resistant strain of rice from present-day Vietnam that greatly expanded Chinese agricultural production.

Proto-industrialization

A phase of development in rural areas where people made more goods than they could sell, relying on home- or community-based production with simple equipment.

Scholar Gentry

A prominent Chinese social class created by bureaucratic expansion, composed of individuals educated in Confucian philosophy.

Filial Piety

The duty of family members to subordinate their desires to those of the male head of the family and to the ruler, essential to Confucian social order.

Woodblock Printing

A Chinese printing technique using carved wooden blocks to produce multiple copies of texts or artwork.

Foot Binding

A practice among aristocratic Chinese families during the Song Dynasty involving tightly wrapping girls' feet to signify social status and constrain physical mobility.

Neo-Confucianism

A syncretic belief system evolving between 770 and 840 that combined rational thought with abstract ideas of Daoism and Buddhism while emphasizing ethics.

Mamluk Sultanate

An empire in Egypt (1250–1517) established by enslaved Turkic soldiers who seized control of the government and prospered through trade in cotton and sugar.

House of Wisdom

A famous center of learning established in Baghdad under the Abbasid Caliphate where scholars gathered to translate and study diverse academic subjects.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

A celebrated Islamic scholar (1201–1274) who made key contributions to astronomy, law, ethics, mathematics, and laid the groundwork for trigonometry.

Sufis

Practitioners of a mystical movement in Islam emphasizing introspection to grasp spiritual truths, playing an important role as missionaries across trade routes.

Vijayanagara Empire

A southern Indian Hindu kingdom (1336–1646) founded by brothers Harihara and Bukka after they returned to Hinduism from service to the Delhi Sultanate.

Delhi Sultanate

An Islamic state established in northern India in the 13th century that ruled for 300 years and imposed the jizya tax on non-Muslim subjects.

Qutub Minar

A tall leaning tower in Delhi constructed over a Hindu temple site, exemplifying architectural syncretism by combining Islamic structures with Hindu artistic details.

Bhakti Movement

A Hindu movement beginning in the 12th century in southern India that emphasized emotional devotion to a specific deity regardless of gender or social status.

Angkor Wat

An ornate Buddhist temple complex constructed near Angkor Thom in Southeast Asia, showcasing the interaction between Hindu and Buddhist cultural influences.

Mississippian Culture

The first large-scale North American civilization (emerging c. 700s–800s) recognized for constructing massive earthen mounds such as Cahokia.

Matrilineal Society

A social organization in which social standing, lineage, and titles are passed down through the female line.

Chichen Itza

A major Maya city-state featuring step pyramids designed for precise astronomical observations and religious ceremonies.

Chinampas

Floating gardens built on lakes by the Aztecs to increase arable land for food production.

Theocracy

A state ruled by religious leaders, exemplified by the Aztec Empire where the ruler, the Great Speaker, was viewed as a divine representative.

Mit'a System

A system of mandatory public service in the Incan Empire requiring men ages 15 to 50 to complete agricultural or infrastructure labor.

Carpa Nan

A massive Incan roadway system consisting of about 25,000 miles of roads, constructed by captive labor for government and military use.

Great Zimbabwe

The capital city of Zimbabwe enclosed by a massive stone wall constructed without mortar, housing nearly 20,000 residents at its peak.

Griots

Sub-Saharan African storytellers who served as conduits of history and culture through oral tradition, music, and song.

Feudalism

A decentralized European political and social system built on mutual obligations and reciprocal service between monarchs, lords, knights, and peasants.

Manorial System

An economic system centered on self-sufficient estates (manors) that provided local defense and agricultural production using tied labor.

Three-Field System

An agricultural practice introduced in medieval Europe that rotated crops across three fields to maximize yield and replenish soil nutrients.

Magna Carta

A charter signed by King John of England in 1215 that restricted monarchical authority by ensuring legal rights such as jury trials for nobles.

Bourgeoisie

The growing urban middle class in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages, including shopkeepers, merchants, craftspeople, and small landholders.

Humanism

A Renaissance intellectual movement focused on the capabilities and achievements of individuals rather than exclusively on religious theology.