History vocab quiz

proxy war

A conflict where larger power uses third parties to fight instead of engaging in direct military confrontation.

secular

not having to do with religion.

sectarian

groups that belong to the same religion but have different beliefs. 

non-partisan 

not biased towards any particular party, cause, or group. 

Muslims

A follower of the religion of Islam.

the Balkans

A region in Southeast Europe, that includes many different countries and is named after the Balkan Mountains.

pilgrimage

a journey to a sacred place for religious or spiritual reasons.

Ramadan

the ninth month of the year, when Muslims fast form sunrise to sunset. 

hierarchy

a system of ranking people or groups in a society according to status, authority, or power, with the most important at the top.

Islam

a Monotheistic faith centered on the belief of one God, Allah, and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad as reveled in the holy book, the Quran. 

Imam

a person who leads prayer in a mosque.

nomadic

moving from place to place rather than settling in one location.

the Hajj

the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and one of the five pillars of Islam. 

polytheism 

believing in more than one God. 

corruption

dishonest conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery. 

cultural blending 

the process where different cultures interact and influence one another, leading to the creation of new and shared cultural identities and practices. 

Jihad

a fight against the enemies of Islam and for the protection of the Islamic country. 

Monotheism 

believing in only one God. 

caste

a social hierarchy based on birth that dictates one’s social status, opportunities, an lifestyle. 

pagan

a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main or recognized religion.

caliph

the chief Islamic leaders after Muhammad.

Janissaries

the soldiers in the Ottoman Empire.

Arab

people who speak the Arabic language, or have relatives that spoke it as their native language.

schism

a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinions or beliefs.

Millet System

a system where religious groups could run their own community as long as they followed certain rules including paying taxes.

partisan 

a strong ,sometimes bias, supporter of a party, cause, or person. 

scheduled classes

groups that were historically excluded and discriminated against because of their low position in the caste system. 

missionary 

a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote a religion in a foreign country. 

cultural diffusion 

the process by which cultural elements, such as beliefs, practices, and technologies, spread from one society or group to another usually by trade, communication, or migration.

fief

an estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal service.

flagellants

a group of medieval penitents who whipped themselves publicly, believing the plague was God’s punishment for sins

serf

an agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on their lord’s estate.

noble

a wealthy person who owns land and has political and economical powers. they form the top tier of the feudal system

feudalism

a medieval European system where land was exchanged, from a lord to a vassal, for loyalty and military services

vassal

medieval tenant who gets land from a lord in exchange for loyalty, taxes, and military services.

crusades

a series of medieval religious wars, also known as “holy wars” between European Christians and Muslims

papacy

the office or authority of the pope

papal supremacy

the doctrine that the Pope has ultimate and supreme authority over the entire Christian church.

guilltine

a machine with a heavy blade sliding vertically that was used to behead people.

the enlightenment

a time when people started asking why instead of accepting what they were told

constitutional monarch

a system where a monarch serves as the symbolic head of state, but their powers are limited by a constitution

absolute monarch

a system where a single ruler, a monarch, holds total power over a state that is not limited by a constitution, laws, or any other governing body.

judaizer

a group of Jewish Christians who insisted that the people that converted to Christianity must also follow the Jewish law or their conversion is not “complete”

censorship

a removal of writing, artistic work, etc that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable or a threat to security.

conversos

jews in medieval Spain and Portugal who converted to Christianity.

clergy

a body of all people ordained for religious duties, especially in the Christian Church

nobility

a hereditary social class that is passed down from birth that holds titles, land and significant power

auto-de-fe

a public ceremony by the Spanish inquisition where sentences for heresy were announced and carried out.

geocentric theory

an ancient astronomical model placing earth at the universe’s center with the sun and other planets orbiting it.

heliocentric theory

the model placing the sun at the center of the universe with the earth and other planets orbiting it.

the inquisition

a period of prolonged and intensive questioning or investigation.

counter reformation

when the catholic church tried to fight back against the protestants and those in favor of the reformation.

reformation

a time when people challenged the catholic church and created new christan churches

martyr

a person who dies for their beliefs, usually religious beliefs.

scapegoat

a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others.

pneumonic plague

the most severe form of the plague, caused by Yersinis pestis bacteria infecting the lungs. this often results in death if not treated and is spread thought the air by coughing and sneezing.

buboes

painfully swollen lymph nodes, caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria.

anti-semitism

hostility towards or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group

gothic architecture

a style of medieval European architecture that is defined by it’s pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses.

penance

voluntary self-punishment as an expression of repentance for having done wrong.

flying buttress

an arched stone support on the outside of a building that helps hold up the walls.

convert

change one’s religious faith or other beliefs

renaissance

period of time, in European history, that was the transition from the middle ages to modernity.

humanist

follower of the principals of humanism

bureacracy

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives

classical

relating to ancient greek or Latin literature, art, or culture

excommunicate

offically exclude someone from participation in the sacraments and services of the Christian church

indulgence

a church certificate saying that the person that receives goes to heaven, not purgatory.

purgatory

a Catholic belief in a temporary state or place after death where souls are cleansed of their sins to become holy enough for heaven

heretic

a person who commits heresy.

heresy

holding beliefs or opinion that go against the official, established doctrines of a church or system.

salvation

deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.

protestant

a christian who follows churches that broke away from the Catholic church during the reformation

bubonic plague

a deadly disease that killed many people and was the disease that caused the Black Death, it spread by flea bites from rodents.

remission of sins

the forgiveness of sins, meaning they are “sent away” and no longer held against a person