History lecture 2

Rome (c. 202 BC-AD 476)

Adopted and spread Greek culture across empire

Constantine

Converted Rome to christianity

Feudalism

Society organized on the basis of mutual labor obligations between individuals

Lord

landowner who has servantsa

vassal

serves the lord

serf

unfree farmer tied to the land

scholasticism

medieval philosophy based on synchronizing Greek rationalism with christian doctrine

Bastard Feudalism

Feudal obligations being exchanged for fixed cash rents

Gentry

Wealthy landowners below lords

Bourgeoisie

urban elites who dominate cities through business

Caliph

Political and religious leaders of Muslims everywhere

Mamluks

Slave soldiers (mostly Turkish) who serve as caliphs main armies

Seljuk turks

Islamic steppe warriors who take over the Middle East in 11th century before splintering

Mongols

Conquer China, Central Asia, Middle East, Eastern europe

Ottoman Turks

Turkish trade that establishes itself in Asia Minor during 14th century

Byzantine empire

Last surviving section of Roman Empire

Vasco da Gama (1498)

First person to sail from Europe to India by sea

Spice Islands

Archipelago in eastern Indonesia which is only native source of nutmeg, mace, and cloves

Portuguese conquer sultanate of Malacca and make it their base for spice trade

1511

Middle Kingdom

China is the center of the world and civilization decline the further away it is

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

Native dynasty that drove out the Mongols

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)

Genoese explorer who believed he could sail west to Asia, accidentally discover the Americas

Conquistador

Private military adventurer with authorization from King of Spain

Encomienda

estate where conquistador has the right to command labor and collect tribute from the native population

Ferdinand Magellan (c. 1480-1521)

Portuguese explorer who leads the Spanish expedition to find a sea route west to Asia

Sails around the Straits of Magellan and reaches the Philippines

1519