Flashcards from Lecture Notes (1200 to the Present)

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes from 1200 to the present.

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty from 1200 to 1450, rule justified under Confucianism. Characterized by an imperial bureaucracy that outranked the landed gentry.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that became widespread in East Asia, eventually syncretizing with Daoist and Confucian ideals to form Zen Buddhism.

Champa rice

A type of rice grown around modern-day Nanjing contributing to China's population growth and increased artisan production.

Yuan Dynasty

The dynasty established by Kublai Khan after the Mongols collapsed the Song Dynasty, which facilitated trade and cultural transfers.

Silk Roads

A network of trade routes that moved luxury goods west and facilitated the transfer of gunpowder and paper from China to the West.

Dar al-Islam

The Islamic world, characterized by Islam, Judaism, and Christianity as main religions and a grounds for intellectual innovation.

The Mayas

Civilization in the Yucatán Peninsula consisting of city-states with a ruler-priest dominated hierarchy, known for maize cultivation and a calendar system.

The Incas

Civilization in the Andes Mountains, characterized by a centralized empire, terrace farming, an extensive road system, and quipu for record keeping.

The Aztecs

Civilization in Central Mexico, known for a hierarchical society, a strong military, the chinampa system, and an advanced calendar system.

Mali Empire

West African empire that controlled gold and salt trade routes.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade route across the Sahara Desert, empires expanded with profits from this route (Mali) and gold and salt were the main goods traded.

Indian Ocean Trade

Trade network relying on monsoon winds, facilitated by the compass, astrolabe, and better ships, leading to the formation of merchant diaspora communities.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty that collected taxes in hard currency and had isolationist policies.

Ottoman Empire

Islamic empire that followed Sunni Islam, used the devshirme system and tax farming, and gave timars to military officers.

Safavid Empire

Islamic empire that followed Shi’a Islam and had a rivalry with the Mughals.

Mughal Empire

Islamic empire that established mausolea and mosques in South Asia, where zamindars collected taxes, and Sikhism emerged as a syncretic religion.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western hemispheres after European contact.

Mercantilism

Economic policies that focused on maximizing foreign exports and minimizing foreign imports, often supported by the acquisition of silver.

Casta System

A social hierarchy in colonial Americas based on race.

The Enlightenment

A period fueled by urbanization and the development of the middle-class, decentered religion.

The Industrial Revolution

A period of significant technological and economic advancements, initially in Europe, driven by political, geographical, and economic factors.

Social Darwinism

Ideology used to justify imperialist policies, based on the concept of survival of the fittest.

Ottomanism

An ideology adopted by the weakening Ottoman Empire that advocated for industrialization and sought reform.

The Scramble for Africa

The rapid colonization of Africa by European powers to secure resources for industrializing countries.

The Meiji Reformation

A period of reform in Japan that transformed the country into a modern, industrialized nation.

World War I

Global conflict caused by MANIA (militarism, alliances, nationalism, imperialism, assassination), employing new technologies and resulting in the Treaty of Versailles.

World War II

Global conflict caused by HALT (Hitler's rise, appeasement, League of Nations, Treaty of Versailles), characterized by propaganda, totalitarianism, new technologies like atomic bombing, and the Holocaust.

The Cold War

A period of geopolitical tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, fought through proxy wars and characterized by a weapons race and space race.

Globalism

The increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of countries through technology, communication, and economic integration.

Green Revolution

Crossbreeding and genetic modification, helps countries with rapidly growing populations (e.g. India)

Sandinista-Contras War

A proxy war conflict in Nicaragua during the 1980s that extended the Cold War

Mexican Revolution

A major armed struggle from 1910 to 1920 in Mexico aimed at social reform and the overthrow of the Porfirio Diaz dictatorship.

Apartheid

Occurred South Africa; the systematic oppression of majority Black individuals by a minority White government. Resolved through resistance by leaders such as Nelson Mandela

Encomienda

Primarily focusing on forced labor extracted from indigenous populations

Hacienda

Centering on large land estates producing cash crops.

Chattel Slavery

A form of slavery in which enslaved people are treated as property, meaning they can be bought, sold, and owned.

Mit’a System

A labor system used by the Spanish in Peru. It forced natives to work on state projects in return for a small salary. It was based on a system originally used by the Incas.

Partition

British India separated Muslim and Hindu nations. This partition led to significant political, social, and religious conflicts, resulting in mass migrations and violence.