World History Fall Semester Exam People Terms

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Abbasids

Islamic caliphate (750–1258 CE) that overthrew the Umayyads; moved capital to Baghdad; golden age of Islamic science, philosophy, and culture; House of Wisdom preserved Greek and Roman texts.

Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV)

Egyptian pharaoh (c. 1353–1336 BCE) who tried to make Egypt monotheistic by worshipping only the sun god Aten; changed his name, moved capital to Amarna; art became more naturalistic.

Alexander the Great

Macedonian king (336–323 BCE) who conquered the Persian Empire, Egypt, and reached India; spread Hellenism (Greek culture); died at 32; empire split among his generals (Diadochi).

Archimedes

Greek mathematician and inventor from Syracuse (c. 287–212 BCE); discovered buoyancy principle (“Eureka!”); invented war machines and the compound pulley.

Aristotle

Greek philosopher; student of Plato, teacher of Alexander the Great; wrote on logic, ethics, politics, biology; believed in the “Golden Mean” and natural hierarchy.

Asoka (Ashoka)

Mauryan emperor (r. 268–232 BCE); converted to Buddhism after the bloody Kalinga War; spread Buddhism via rock edicts, pillars, and missionaries; promoted non-violence and tolerance.

Augustus (Gaius Octavius / Octavian)

First Roman emperor (27 BCE–14 CE); ended civil wars, began Pax Romana (200 years of peace); reorganized army, built roads, reformed taxes; called himself “Princeps” (first citizen).

Babur

Founder of the Mughal Empire in India (1526); descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan; defeated Delhi Sultanate at Battle of Panipat using gunpowder and cannons.

Bantu

Bantu-speaking peoples of sub-Saharan Africa; famous for their migration (c. 1000 BCE–1000 CE) across central and southern Africa, spreading ironworking, farming, and languages.

Chandragupta Maurya

Founder of Mauryan Empire (c. 321–297 BCE); unified most of India; used large army and spies; later became Jain monk.

Charlemagne

King of the Franks (768–814); crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 CE by Pope Leo III; spread Christianity, revived learning (Carolingian Renaissance), standardized laws.

Charles Martel “The Hammer”

Frankish leader; defeated Muslim army at Battle of Tours (732 CE), stopping Islamic expansion into Western Europe.

Constantine

Roman emperor (306–337 CE); issued Edict of Milan (313) legalizing Christianity; founded Constantinople (new capital); converted on his deathbed.

Cyril and Methodius

Byzantine missionary brothers (“Apostles to the Slavs”); created Glagolitic (later Cyrillic) alphabet to translate Bible for Slavs; spread Orthodox Christianity.

Darius I

Persian king (522–486 BCE); organized the empire into satrapies (provinces); built Royal Road and Persepolis; fought Greeks in Persian Wars.

Eratosthenes

Greek scholar who accurately calculated Earth’s circumference (c. 240 BCE) using geometry and shadows in Alexandria and Syene.

Faxian (Fa-Hsien)

Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India (399–412 CE) to collect sacred texts; one of the earliest written accounts of India by a Chinese traveler.

Genghis Khan (Temüjin)

Founder of Mongol Empire (1206); united Mongol tribes; brilliant military strategist; created largest contiguous land empire ever.

Hadrian

Roman emperor (117–138 CE); built Hadrian’s Wall in Britain; traveled the empire; strengthened borders; loved Greek culture.

Hannibal Barca

Carthaginian general; crossed the Alps with elephants in Second Punic War; won battles at Trebia, Trasimene, Cannae; eventually defeated by Scipio at Zama.

Hatshepsut

Female Egyptian pharaoh (1479–1458 BCE); ruled as regent then declared herself pharaoh; famous for trade expedition to Punt and huge mortuary temple.

Herodotus

Greek historian called “Father of History”; wrote Histories about Greco-Persian Wars; mixed facts with stories.

Ibn Khaldun

14th-century Arab historian; wrote Muqaddimah – early work on sociology, economics, and history cycles (rise and fall of civilizations).

Ibn Sina (Avicenna)

Persian polymath; wrote Canon of Medicine, used in Europe for centuries; major philosopher and physician in Islamic Golden Age.

Ivan III (Ivan the Great)

Grand Prince of Moscow (1462–1505); ended Mongol rule (“threw off the Tatar yoke”); called himself “Tsar”; tripled territory; built Kremlin walls.

Joan of Arc

French peasant girl who led French army to victory in Hundred Years’ War (Orleans 1429); claimed divine visions; burned as heretic (1431), later saint.

Joan of Arc

French peasant girl who led French army to victory in Hundred Years’ War (Orleans 1429); claimed divine visions; burned as heretic (1431), later saint.

Justinian I

Byzantine emperor (527–565); reconquered parts of Western Roman Empire; codified Roman law (Corpus Juris Civilis / Justinian’s Code); built Hagia Sophia.

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis; founder of Yuan Dynasty in China (1271–1368); welcomed Marco Polo; moved capital to Beijing (Dadu).

Mansa Musa

Mali king (1312–1337); richest person in history (gold); pilgrimage to Mecca (1324) crashed gold prices; built mosques and Timbuktu universities.

Minamoto Yoritomo

First shogun of Japan (1192); established Kamakura Shogunate; samurai gained power over emperor.

Muhammad

Founder of Islam (570–632 CE); received revelations in Mecca and Medina; Quran is the holy book; Five Pillars of Islam.

Omar Khayyám

Persian poet, mathematician, astronomer; wrote Rubaiyat; helped reform the calendar.

Phoenicians

Ancient seafaring people from Lebanon; invented alphabet (basis of Greek and Latin); traded purple dye, glass, and cedar.

Plato

Greek philosopher; student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle; wrote The Republic (ideal state ruled by philosopher-kings); founded the Academy.

Pythagoras

Greek mathematician and philosopher; Pythagorean theorem (a² + b² = c²); believed everything is based on numbers.

Saladin (Salah al-Din)

Muslim leader; recaptured Jerusalem from Crusaders (1187); respected for chivalry; founder of Ayyubid dynasty.

Sargon of Akkad

First known empire builder (c. 2334–2279 BCE); created Akkadian Empire in Mesopotamia; first standing army.

Shi Huangdi (Qin Shi Huang)

First emperor of China (221 BCE); unified China, built early Great Wall, standardized weights/measures/writing; buried with Terracotta Army; Legalist ruler.

Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)

Founder of Buddhism (c. 563–483 BCE); born prince, achieved enlightenment under Bodhi tree; taught Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path.

Spartacus

Thracian gladiator who led massive slave revolt against Rome (73–71 BCE); Third Servile War; crucified on Appian Way.

Temüjin

Birth name of Genghis Khan.

Thucydides

Greek historian; wrote History of the Peloponnesian War; used eyewitness accounts; considered founder of scientific history.

Trajan

Roman emperor (98–117 CE); empire reached its largest size; built Trajan’s Column, roads, and public works; born in Spain (first non-Italian emperor).

Umayyads

First Muslim dynasty after the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs (661–750 CE); capital Damascus; expanded to Spain and India.

Vikings

Norse seafarers (800–1100 CE); raided, traded, and settled across Europe; reached North America (Vinland); known as Rus in east.

Wu Zhao (Empress Wu)

Only female emperor of China (690–705 CE); ruled during Tang Dynasty; expanded empire, promoted Buddhism, ruthless but effective ruler.

Zheng He

Ming Dynasty Muslim admiral; led seven massive treasure fleets (1405–1433) to India, Arabia, and East Africa; ships much larger than Columbus’s.