AP World History Modern Prologue Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering major human developments, early civilizations, belief systems, classical empires, and key historical terms from pre-1200 C.E.

Animism

A system of religious beliefs centered on a reverence for deities associated with features of nature, such as animals or specific mountains or rivers.

Patriarchy

A social system characterized by domination by males.

Agricultural Revolution

A major historical change around 10,000 years ago (c. 8000 B.C.E.) originating in the Middle East, where humans began planting crops and raising animals, producing a food surplus and allowing job specialization.

City-state

An independent state made up of a city and its surrounding territory.

Ziggurats

Monumental religious temples constructed by city-states in ancient Mesopotamia.

Cuneiform

The first written language in history, created by the Sumerians in southernmost Mesopotamia to keep records of trade, taxes, and laws.

Hieroglyphics

The system of writing developed by the ancient Egyptians in the Nile River valley.

Olmec

An early complex society in Mesoamerica that did not develop in a river valley but participated in extensive trade.

Chavin

An early complex society in the Andes that did not develop in a river valley but participated in extensive trade.

Monotheism

A system of belief focused on just one supreme deity.

Vedas

Ancient scriptures brought to South Asia by the Aryans that taught reincarnation and the organization of society into castes.

Caste system

A stratified social structure taught by the Vedas that divided society into sharply defined classes and prohibited social mobility.

Zoroastrianism

An early form of monotheism developed in Persia that focuses on human free will and the eternal battle between good and evil.

Covenant

In Judaism, a mutual promise between Yahweh and his chosen people, where God grants favor in return for their devotion.

Four Noble Truths

The core doctrines of Buddhism that describe how to eliminate desire and suffering by following the Eightfold Path.

Eightfold Path

The Buddhist path of meditation, reflection, and refraining from excessive earthly pleasures to achieve enlightenment.

Nirvana

A state of peaceful bliss and enlightenment in Buddhism that ends the cycle of reincarnation.

Universalizing religion

A faith, such as Buddhism or Christianity, that actively seeks converts among all people.

Gupta Empire

A South Asian empire (c. 320 C.E. to c. 550 C.E.) known as the Golden Age of India, marked by medical advancements like inoculations and a numbering system using symbols $0$ through $9$.

Mandate of Heaven

The Zhou Dynasty concept that a universal force provides the justification for an emperor to rule China, which can be lost if the ruler becomes corrupt or ineffective.

Confucianism

A philosophy founded by Confucius focused on education, benevolence, virtue, respect for authority, filial piety, and a patriarchal social structure.

Filial piety

The Confucian duty of people to honor their ancestors.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophy centered on internal reflection and living in harmony with nature.

Civil service exam

A Han Dynasty test requiring students to analyze Confucian teachings, creating a merit-based bureaucracy and allowing social mobility.

Hellenistic world

The region across Egypt, Persia, and east to India where Greek culture was spread by Alexander the Great's army.

Twelve Tables

Publicly displayed written laws in Rome designed to protect individual rights and check abuses of government power.

Diaspora

The spreading of Jews to lands throughout northern Africa and Europe as a result of Roman persecution.

Entrepôt

A coastal trading center, such as Constantinople, where raw and finished goods from various regions arrive to be traded.

Justinian Code

A consolidation of Roman law created under Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great that served as the foundation of European legal knowledge into the 19th century.

Teotihuacan

A multicultural urban center in Mesoamerica near modern-day Mexico City that reached a population of 125,000 by the 6th century C.E. and featured grid layouts and monumental sun and moon temples.