AP Modern World History Terms

Key terms from every singe chapter of the AMSCO AP Edition World History: Modern [1200 - Present] textbook

patriarchy

place of power of household to males

agricultural revolution

8000 B.C.E., humans began to plant crops and raise animals for food, began in the Middle East

mesopotamia

world’s 1st civilization around Tigris and Euphrates rivers

egypt

near Nile river (prospered), centralized under pharaoh

sumer

city-state in southern Mesopotamia, invented cuneiform the 1st written language in history used to write the first recorded laws in history

hinduism

polytheistic OR monotheistic, caste system

judaism

one of the most influential monotheistic

champa rice

fast-growing, drought-resistant strain of rice that allowed China to grow rice in previously unfarmed lands such as lowlands, riverbanks, hills and sometimes allowed for farmers tog row two crops; summer and winter

proto-industrialization

set of economic changes in which people in rural areas make more good than they can sell

artisans

skilled craftworkers producing products in widely dispersed facilities under government supervision

scholar gentry

new social class outnumbering aristocracy, were educated in Confucian philosophy and became the most influential social class in China

Grand Canal

inexpensive and efficient internal waterway transportation system extending over 30,000 miles, enabled Chine to become the most populous trading area in the world

imperial bureaucracy

vast organization in which appointed officials carried out the empire’s policies

meritocracy

a bureaucratic system in which officials obtain their position by demonstrating their merit, in China on the Civil Service Test,

foot binding

common in aristocratic families during Song dynasty, at a young age, girls had their feet bound tightly forcing the bones to grow unnaturally. Although a desired sign for suitors due to social status, it restricted the women’s movements and participation in public sphere. Banned in 1912

woodblock printing

ancient Chinese printing technique, design in carved into a wooden block and stamped to prints

Theravada Buddhism

focuses on personal spiritual growth through silent meditation and self-discipline, strongest in Southeast Asia

Mahayana Buddhism

focused on spiritual growth for all beings and on service, strongest in China and Korea

Tibetan Buddhism

focused on chanting, strongest in Tibet

Chan/Zen Buddhism

emphasizes direct experience and meditation as opposed to formal learning based on studying scripture

filial piety

duty of family members to subordinate their desires to those of the male head of the family or the ruler

Song Dynasty

replaced Tang Dynasty in 960 and ruled for more than 3 centuries, though ruling a smaller region, China prospered and arts flourished

Heian period

794-1185, Japan emulated Chinese traditions in politics, art, and literature

nuclear families

just a wife, husband, and kids

polygyny

practice of having more than one wife at a time

Muhammad

Arab prophet who founded Islam and conformed with other monotheistic religious ideas, his death allowed Islam to spread rapidly outward from Arabia

House of Wisdom

founded in 8th century Baghdad, premier center of learning, translating, and research during the Islamic Golden Age

Mamluks

enslaved people bought by Arabs, who were frequently ethnically Turkic from Central Asia, to serve as soldiers and eventually bureaucrats, more opportunities than other slaves

Mamluk Sultanate

ruled Egypt and prospered by facilitating trade of cotton and sugar from Asia to Europe, but declined when sea routes for trade opened

Seljuk Turks

challenge to Abbasids, Muslim, conquered parts of Middle East and moved far as Western China, leader was called sultan

sultan

reduced role of highest-ranking Abbasid form caliph to chief Sunni religious authority

Mongols

Central Asian people, the largest contiguous land empire in history, 4th groups to attack the Abbasid Empire, one of the most famous conquering people in history

Baghdad

the 8th century marked the beginning of this city’s influence as the trade facilitator between Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Trade patterns started to shift north and Baghdad lost its place as center of trade and slowly declined

Abbasid Caliphate

third Islamic caliphate after overthrowing the Umayyads to rule the vast empire from Baghdad, fostered the Islamic Golden Age

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

one of the most celebrated Islamic scholars, contributing to astronomy, law, logic, ethics, mathematics, philosophy, and medicine. An observatory built under him was the most advanced in the world at the time and produced the most accurate results, groundwork of trig

A’ishah al-Ba’uniyyah

one of the most prolific female Muslim writers before the 20th century, best-known work praised Muhammad, “Clear Inspiration, on Praise of the Trusted One”, many of her works describe her journey towards mystical illumination

Crusaders

European Christian organized groups of soldiers created to reopen access to temples in Jerusalem when limited by the Seljuk Turks

Sufis

a religion emphasizing introspection to grasp truths that they believed they could find through learning, may have begun as a mystical response to the perceived love of luxury

Vijayanagara Empire

“the victorious city”, also Karnata Empire, late medieval Hindu empire in much of southern India, mis 1300s to mid 1500s by brothers Harihara and Bukka

Rujput kingdoms

northern India and present-day Pakistan, after Gupta Empire, leaders were of numerous warring clans, roughly 7th to 12th centuries

Delhi Sultanate

major Muslim empire in Indian subcontinent from Delhi, brought Islam to India and reigned for 300 years, 13-16th centuries, 1st Islamic state to dominate reign

proselytize

actively seeking converts

Qutub Minar

southern part of Delhi, built during the Delhi Sultanate, a towering leaning tower over an elaborate mosque that was built over a Hindu temple, tallest structure in India today, presence is a symbol of Islamic influence and it’s previous dominance of northern India

Bhakti Movement

Hindu movement focusing on the importance of emotion in spiritual life and developing a strong attachment to a particular deity as opposed to studying texts and rituals

Srivijaya Empire

670-1025, Hindu kingdom based in Sumatra, built up navy and prospered by charging ships for traveling between India and China

Majapahit Kingdom

1293-1520, based on Java, 98 tributaries at its height, sustained power by controlling sea routes like Srivijaya, Buddhist

Sinhala dynasties

Sri Lanka, roots in early 3rd century arrived immigrants, most likely merchants, from north India, became a center of Buddhist study, simple and contemplative life

Khmer Empire

802-1431, Angkor Kingdom near Mekong river, didn’t depend on maritime power, economically prosperous, one of the most prosperous kingdoms in SE Asia, capital was Angkor Thom, Buddhist but Hinduist works as well, Angkor Wat (temple)

Sukhothai Kingdom

1431, invaded area Khmer Empire, forcing them out

Urdu

developed among Muslims of South Asia, melded Hindu grammar and Arab vocab and some elements of Farsi, today is official language of Pakistan

Mississipian

1st large-scale American civilization, 700 or 800s in modern eastern US, started in Mississippi River Valley, built huge earthen mounds not buildings,

Cahokia

largest of the Mississippian earthen mounds, southern Illinois

matrilineal society

social standing was determined by the women’s side of the family

city-state

city forms with its surrounding territory its own independent state

human sacrifices

people used to sacrifice for religious ceremonies/events

Mexicas

Aztecs, originally hunter-gatherers who migrated to central Mexico from the north in the 1200s

theorcracy

government ruled by religious leaders

Pachacuti

a tribal leader who called himself this in 1438, “transformer” or “shaker” of the earth, military victories combined small tribe into a full-fledged state, Incan Empire

Incan Empire

formed in 1438 by a tribal leader who conquered tribes living near modern Cuzco, Peru, extended from present-day Ecuador to Chile

mit’a system

conquered people didn’t pay tribute, they gave mandatory public service

Temple of the Sun

core of Incan religion in Cuzco, for honoring the sun and royal ancestor veneration

animism

belief that elements of the physical world could have supernatural powers, huaca

Carpa Nan

massive roadway system in Incan Empire, used captive labor, 25,000 miles of roads mainly for government and military use

kin-based networks

communities in which familied governed themselves

chief

male head of kin-based network

Hausa Kingdoms

before 1000, in now Nigeria, from Hausa ethnic group forming seven states, loosely connected through kin-ship ties with no central authority, each city-state had specialties

trans-Saharan trade

network of trading routes across the Saharan desert, important to internal African states

Ghana

between Sahara and tropical rain forests of West Africa, founded during 5th century, peak of influence from 8-11th, sold gold and ivory to Muslim traders for salt, copper, cloth, and tools, centralized authority in king, land-based trade

Mali

one of the most powerful of the trading societies that replace Ghana after being weakened by surrounding conflicts, Sundiata, founding ruler, was Muslim who used connections with religion to establish trade, thriving gold trade, land-based trade

Zimbabwe

between Zambezi and Limpopo rivers in modern-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique, one of the most powerful East African kingdoms from 12-15th, prospered on agriculture, grazing, trade, mostly gold, taxed transport of gold across Sahara, costal trade, tied to Indian Ocean Trade

Indian Ocean Trade

connected East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia

Swahili

started in East Africa, traders blended Bantu and Arabic

Great Zimbabwe

capital city of Zimbabwe kingdom, end of 13th century a massive stone wall surrounded it, most buildings were made of stone, 15th century - nearly 20,000 people living in it, late 1400s, overgrazing lead to its decline

Ethiopia

kingdom of Axum, traded goods obtained from India, Arabia, the Roman Empire, and interior of Africa, 12th century, new Christian-led kingdom emerged and expressed power through architecture, 12-16th, island of Christianity

Zanj Rebellion

869-883, enslaved East Africans and Arabs mounted series of revolts, 15,000 people held city of Basra for 10 years, making it one of the most successful slave revolts in history

Indian Ocean slave trade

East Africa and Middle East, strong demand in Middle East for slaves, several centuries before Atlantic Ocean slave trade, some places lasted till 20th century

feudalism

decentralized system of political organization based on a system of exchanges of land for loyalty, mutual obligations

manors

large fiefs, granted tracts of land, or estates

manorial system

economic self-sufficiency and defense, manor provided everything people living on it needed, reduced contact/trade with outsiders

serfs

peasants, not slaves, that were tied to land of lords, had to ask permission for marriage, travel, but got protection, paid tribute in form of crops, labor, sometimes coins, children became serfs too

three-field system

one field planted with crops providing food, second planted with legumes making the soil more fertile by adding nitrogen, third was unused each year

Estates-General

body to advise the king including reps from each of three legal classes in France: clergy, nobility, and commoners, no taxes on clergy and nobility so EG had little power

Otto I

German king crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 962

lay investiture controversy

11-12 centuries, dispute over whether a secular leader, rather than pope, could invest bishops with an office, solved at Concordat of Worms 1122 when Church become autonomous form secular authorities

Magna Carta

1215, required King John to sign, to respect certain rights such as jury for trial before noble went to prison, consultation on issue of scutage (tax when soldier wanted to pay money instead of service)

English Parliament

1265, House of Lords represented nobles and Church, House of Commons made up elected representative of wealthy townspeople, the power of these two legislative bodies in England became stronger than any other similar ones in Europe

Great Schism

1054, Christian Church in Europe divided into tow branches; Roman Catholic Church dominated Europe for five more centuries, Orthodox Church was powerful farther east from Greece to Russia

primogeniture

the eldest son of a family inherits the entire estate, leaving the younger sons with little access to wealth and land

Crusades

series of European military campaigns in the Middle East between 1095 and 1200s

Marco Polo

Italian native from Venice, visited court of Kublai Khan in Dadu (Beijing) and his depictions of culture there were so stranger that it sparked curiosity about Asia and interest in cartography

bourgeoisie/burghers

middle class between elite nobles and peasants, included shopkeepers, merchants, craftspeople, and small landholders

Little Ice Age

a five-century cooling of the climate starting in 1300s, lowered agricultural productivity, trade, and slowed growth of cities, more disease and unemployment, social unrest

antisemitism

anti-Jewish sentiment, widespread among Christians

humanism

focus on individuals rather than God, prominent during Renaissance

estates

three legal classes in France; clergy, nobility, commoners

Renaissance

period characterized by a revival of interest in classical Greek and Roman literature, art, culture, and civic virtue

Mongol Empire

unification of several tribes to cover land from Europe to Asia, had significant impact on revival of Silk Road as the Silk Road was, for the first time, unified in a system under the control of an authority that respected merchants and enforced laws

magnetic compass

compass that showed direction based on magnetic pull of Earth with a magnetized needle, shows north, aided navigation

rudder

moveable surface in the back of the ship at the bottom, used for steering the ship, aided ship control

junk

Chinese boat developed during Han dynasty similar to Southwest Asian dhow, multiple sails and was as long as 400 ft, hull was divided into compartments, walls strengthened ship for voyages