AP World Study Guide

For the AP World Unit 3 & 4 Unit test

Qing Dynasty of China

The last imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Ming Dynasty and succeeded by the People's Republic. Formed the territorial base for the modern Chinese state. Founded in 1644 by the Manchus and ruled China for more than 260 years, until 1912. Expanded China's borders to include Taiwan, Tibet, Chinese Central Asia, and Mongolia.

Manchus

Northeast Asian peoples who defeated the Ming Dynasty and founded the Qing Dynasty in 1644, which was the last of China's imperial dynasties.

Mughal Empire

Muslim state (1526-1857) exercising dominion over most of India in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Ottoman Empire

Islamic state founded by Osman in northwestern Anatolia. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire was based at Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) from 1453-1922. It encompassed lands in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and eastern Europe.

Safavids

A Shi'ite Muslim dynasty that ruled in Persia (Iran and parts of Iraq) from the 16th-18th centuries that had a mixed culture of the Persians, Ottomans and Arabs.

Songhai

a West African empire that conquered Mali and controlled trade from the into the 16th century; eventually defeated by the Moroccans who were broke after fighting with Portugal

Devshirme

'Selection' in Turkish. The system by which boys from Christian communities were taken by the Ottoman state to serve as Janissaries (elite military units utilized by the Ottomans)

Janissary

elite Ottoman guard (trained as foot soldiers or administrators) recruited from the Christian population through the devshirme system, that often converted to Islam

Samurai

Class of warriors in feudal Japan who pledged loyalty to a noble in return for land.

Divine Right

the idea that monarchs are God's representatives on earth and are therefore answerable only to God.

Absolute Monarchy

A system of government in which the head of state is a hereditary position and the king or queen has almost complete power

Versailles

Palace constructed by Louis XIV outside of Paris to glorify his rule and subdue the nobility.

Zamindars

Archaic tax system of the Mughal empire where decentralized lords collected tribute for the emperor.

Taj Mahal

beautiful mausoleum (tomb) at Agra (India) built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (completed in 1649) in memory of his favorite wife; illustrates syncretic blend between Indian and Arabic architectural styles

Tax farming

To generate money for territorial expansion Ottoman rulers used this tax-collection system. Under this system the government hires private individuals to go out and collect taxes for them.

Protestant Reformation

Religious reform movement begun by Catholic monk Martin Luther who began to question the practices of the Latin Christian Church beginning in 1519. It spit the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the 'protesters' forming several new Christian denominations, including the Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican Churches, among many others.

95 Theses

Arguments written by Martin Luther against the Catholic church. They were posted on October 31, 1517; ultimately led to Martin Luther's excommunication

Martin Luther

a German monk who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses, or statements of belief attacking the church practices. Began the Protestant Reformation

Counter or Catholic Reformation

the reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the Reformation reaffirming the veneration of saints and the authority of the Pope (to which Protestants objected), ended sale of indulgences and simony, created Jesuits, but also the Inquisition

Jesuits

Also known as the Society of Jesus; founded by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) as a teaching and missionary order to resist the spread of Protestantism (a result of the Counter Reformation); were often sent to China, Japan, and around the world to gain Catholic converts

Indulgence

A pardon given by the Roman Catholic Church in return for repentance for sins

Simony

the buying and selling of church offices

Inquisition

A Roman Catholic tribunal for investigating and prosecuting charges of heresy, a reaction to the Protestant Reformation

Thirty Years War

(1618-1648 CE) War within the Holy Roman Empire between German Protestants and their allies (Sweden, Denmark, France) and the emperor and his ally, Spain who supported Roman Catholicism; ended in 1648 after great destruction with Treaty of Westphalia; indicates the effects of the Protestant Reformation

John Calvin

1509-1564. French theologian. Developed the Christian theology known as Calvinism. Attracted Protestant followers with his teachings; believed in predestination

Sikhism

the doctrines of a monotheistic religion founded in northern India in the 16th century by Guru Nanak and combining elements of Hinduism and Islam; a result of the presence of the Mughal Empire in India

Shogunate

The Japanese system of government under a shogun (military warlord), who exercised actual power while the emperor was reduced to a figurehead.

Bazaar

a covered market in Islamic cities

Byzantine Empire

(330-1453) The eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived after the fall of the Western Empire at the end of the 5th century C.E. Its capital was Constantinople - Now named Istanbul

Persians

Ethnic group that settled in what is now Iran. They were rivals for control of Mesopotamia with the Greeks, and later the Arabs.

Shia Islam

The sect of Islam practiced primarily in Persia

Sunni Islam

Most Muslims are of this denomination of Islam

Taj Mahal

A beautiful tomb built by the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan to honor his wife.

Tenochtitlan

Capital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest. Mexico City was constructed on its ruins.

Hernan Cortes

Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico (1485-1547)

Smallpox

A highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, weakness, and skin eruption with pustules that form scabs; responsible for killing Native Americans.

Mita System

a tribute system to the Inca government in the form of labor, public service was required in community-driven projects such as the building of their extensive road network

Timbuktu

City on the Niger River in the modern country of Mali. It was founded by the Tuareg as a seasonal camp sometime after 1000. As part of the Mali empire, Timbuktu became a major major terminus of the trans-Saharan trade and a center of Islamic learning.

Berbers

A member of a North African, primarily Muslim people living in settled or nomadic tribes from Morocco to Egypt

Epic of Sundiata

An epic poem of the Malinke people and tells the story of the hero Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Mali Empire

African Religion

-Placed emphasis on a remote High God and more on ancestral or natural spirits

-Sacrifices

-Power of charms

-Diviners could access world of the supernatural

-"continual revelation" meant new messages still come from the world beyond

-No missionary impulse

Peter the Great

(1672-1725) Russian Tsar (r. 1689-1725). He enthusiastically introduced Western languages and technologies to the Russian elite, moving the capital from Moscow to the new city of St. Petersburg.

Eastern Orthodox Church

Christian followers in the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire); split from Roman Catholic Church and shaped life in eastern Europe and western Asia

Cossacks

Peoples of the Russian Empire who lived outside the farming villages, often as herders, mercenaries, or outlaws. Cossacks led the conquest of Siberia in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Boyars

Russian landholding aristocrats; possessed less political power than their western European counterparts

Hagia Sophia

Most famous example of Byzantine architecture, it was built under Justinian I and is considered one of the most perfect buildings in the world. Converted into a Mosque by the Ottomans.

Shari'ah

a law code drawn up by Muslim scholars after Muhammad's death; it provided believers with a set of practical laws to regulate their daily lives

Imam

(Islam) the man who leads prayers in a mosque

The Thousand and One Nights

A group of tales narrated by a fictional princess, many are set in Baghdad, include romances, fables, adventures, best known for Aladdin and the magic lamp

Forbidden City

Built in the Ming Dynasty, was a stunning monument in Bejing built for Yonglo. All commoners and foreigners were forbidden to enter without special permission.

Aztec Tribute System

Brought much-needed food and sacrificial victims into the empire.

Charters

Documents granting the right to organize settlements in an area

Mercantilism

An economic policy under which nations sought to increase by selling more goods than they bought and utilizing colonies

Prince Henry the Navigator

(1394-1460) Prince of Portugal who established an observatory and school of navigation at Sagres and directed voyages that spurred the growth of Portugal's colonial empire.

Portuguese Empire

took an early lead in European exploration (sponsored by Prince Henry); went East and established trading posts in West Africa, East Africa (Swahili City States) and India for spice trade

maritime

on or near the sea

Global Silver Trade

Trade between the Americas and Europe and onward to China from the 16th to 18th centuries. It had a profound effect on the world economy could also be considered the beginning of the global economy.

Spanish Empire

Made up of territories and colonies in Europe, Africa, and Asia controlled from Spain. At its strongest, it was one of the biggest empires in world history according to how much land they had, and one of the 1st global empires.

plantation agriculture

Production system based on a large estate owned by an individual, family, or corporation and organized to produce a cash crop.

cash crop

a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

The forced migration of between 12 - 15 million people from Africa to the Western Hemisphere from the middle of the 15th century to the end of the 19th century.

indigenous

native to a certain area

Encomienda System

It gave settlers the right to tax local Native Americans or to make them work and convert them to Christianity. It was a form of coercive labor.

syncretic religion

Combines two religious traditions into something distinctly new, while containing traits of both (ex: voodoo, santeria)

Dutch East India Company

Government-chartered joint-stock company that controlled the spice trade in the East Indies.

British East India Company

set up trading posts in India in the 1600s, beginning the British economic interest there

joint-stock company

A business, often backed by a government charter, that sold shares to individuals to raise money for its trading enterprises and to spread the risks (and profits) among many investors.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

Smallpox

A highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, weakness, and skin eruption with pustules that form scabs; responsible for killing Native Americans.

coercive labor

Any labor system that involves force (ex: slavery, serfdom, and encomienda)

Aztec Empire

Central American empire constructed by the Mexica and expanded greatly during the fifteenth century during the reigns of Itzcoatl and Motecuzoma I.

Inca Empire

Empire in Peru. conquered by Pizarro, who began an empire for the Spanish in 1535

Voodoo

syncretic belief system that combines traditional African religious beliefs with elements of Christianity.

Santeria

Cuban religion that combines Catholic and West African beliefs

Candomble

African religious ideas and practices in Brazil, particularly among the Yoruba people.

Maroon Societies

Communities formed by escaped slaves in the Caribbean, Latin American. and the United States.

Slave Rebellions

Slaves resisted by working slowly, damaging goods, or running away; one of the largest uprisngs in the US was the German Coast Rebellion of 1811 in Louisiana; Nat Turner led a revolt in Virginia in 1831; Southern slaveowners enforced strict slave codes severe punishments and made it illegal to help run-away slaves;

Caravel

A small, highly maneuverable three-masted ship used by the Portuguese and Spanish in the exploration of the Atlantic.

Kongo

Central African state that began trading with the Portuguese around 1500; although their kings, such as King Affonso I (r. 1506-1543), converted to Christianity, they nevertheless suffered from the slave trade.

Asante Kingdom

kingdom that emerged in the 1700s in present-day Ghana and was active in the slave trade

compass

an instrument containing a magnetized pointer that shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it.

Creoles

In colonial Spanish America, term used to describe someone of European descent born in the New World.

Mestizos

People with mixed races between European and indigenous descent

Mulattoes

People with mixed races between European and African descent

Song Dynasty

(960-1279 CE) The Chinese dynasty that placed much more emphasis on civil administration, industry, education, and arts other than military.

Confucianism

The system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct.

Filial Piety (Confucianism)

a virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors

Imperial Bureaucracy

Division of an empire into organized provinces to make it easier to control

Neo-Confucianism

A philosophy that emerged in Song-dynasty China; it revived Confucian thinking while adding in Buddhist and Daoist elements.

Buddhism in China

Spread by the Silk Roads, took form of Mahavana Buddhism. Blended with Daoism, formed 'Chan Buddhism' (aka Zen Buddhism).

Champarice

a quick-maturing, drought resistant rice that can allow two harvests, of sixty days each in one growing season

Grand Canal

Built in 7th century during reign of Yangdi during Sui dynasty; designed to link the original centers of Chinese civilization on the north China plain with the Yangtze river basin to the south; strengthened China's internal cohesion and economic development

Textile Industry

Industries primarily concerned with the design or manufacture of clothing as well as the distribution and use of textiles.

porcelain

a thin, beautiful pottery invented in China; one of China's 3 major exports

Steel and iron production

A key element during the Song Economic Revolution; helped popularize mass production and new production methods