kingdoms and empires

10/24/25

Centralized Government

All power is concentrated centrally, at the highest level, with one person

De-Centralized Government

A type of government that disperses power

Feudalism

System in which people were given land and protection by people of higher rank, and worked and fought for them in return

Crusades

A series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period by Pope Urban ll. The most commonly known Crusades were those to the Holy Land between the 11th and 13th centuries, aimed at recovering Jerusalem and surrounding areas from Islamic rule

Bubonic Plague

A plague that spread throughout the Silk Road, travelling via rats and biting people, infecting them. People developed boils and thought the sickness was because of sins they committed

Columbian Exchange

The goods that were traded with Columbus and Native Americans

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of cultural beliefs

Silk Road

A network of trade routes in east Asia to the Mediterranean 

Ibn Battuta

Travelled for ~30 yrs, wrote Rihla (about his journey) 

Marco Polo

Travelled silk road, wrote the travels of Marco Polo, brought interest to trade

Zeng He

He had fleets of ships and expanded trade networks until the government ended his journeys

Columbus

Sailed from Spain to find a new route to Asia, found the Americas instead. Called it the new world and brought colonization to the Americas.