AP World History Unit 1 Vocabulary: 1200–1450

Vocabulary flashcards covering major historical political entities, cultural developments, figures, and systems across global regions between 1200 and 1450.

Dar al-Islam

An Arabic phrase meaning 'The House of Islam,' referring to regions where Muslims are in the majority and rulers practice Islam.

Song Dynasty

The imperial dynasty (960–1279 CE) centered in southern China known for a broad scholar-official class, paper money, and significant population and economic growth.

Zhu Xi

A Song Dynasty scholar (1130–1200 CE) who synthesized Confucian writings into the official version that formed the basis of imperial civil service examinations.

Yuan Dynasty

The Mongol-led dynasty in China (1279–1368 CE) established after the conquest of the Song Dynasty by Kublai Khan and his predecessors.

Ming Dynasty

The Chinese dynasty (1368–1644 CE) established by general Taizu after defeating Mongol rule and ending the Yuan Dynasty.

Hangzhou

A major Chinese port and capital of the Song state starting in 1132 CE, which grew into a vibrant cosmopolitan center with a population reaching up to one million.

Shogun

The top military general heading feudal military governments in medieval Japan who advised the emperor and appointed major government officials.

Samurai

Bands of skilled warriors employed by landowning aristocrats in feudal Japan to defend territories and fight military conflicts.

Sultanate of Delhi

An independent Islamic kingdom established in 1206 in northern India by Muslim Turkic forces that successfully repelled multiple Mongol invasions.

Bhakti

A Hindu devotional movement that emphasized individual love of God in a specific incarnation while downplaying social hierarchies.

Theravada Buddhism

A prominent branch of Buddhism originating in Sri Lanka that became dominant in Southeast Asia by teaching that small acts of devotion could improve one's rebirth.

Purdah

The social practice of the seclusion of women, favored by Islam and stricter Hinduism in South Asia, particularly among wealthy urban households.

House of Wisdom

A renowned center of education, research, and translation built by Abbasid caliphs in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

A Persian scholar who made significant contributions to biology, astronomy, and mathematics, and is credited as the inventor of trigonometry.

Ibn Sina

An Islamic scholar who published the 'Canon of Medicine' in 1025, a foundational medical text taught in European universities for over six hundred years.

Genghis Khan

Born Temujin, the military leader who united the pastoral tribes of the Eurasian steppes in 1206 to become 'universal emperor' and launch the Mongol Empire.

Pax Mongolica

A century-long period of peace and stability under Mongol rule that facilitated rapid overland trade, communication, and cultural exchange across Eurasia.

Swahili City-States

East African coastal port cities that blended Bantu culture with Islam and generated wealth by trading interior resources like gold, ivory, and quartz with Indian Ocean merchants.

Great Zimbabwe

A monumental southern African state founded by cattle-herding Shona ancestors that dominated gold exports to the coastal port of Sofala.

Manorial System

An economic and social pattern in medieval Europe where rural villages and agricultural labor were controlled by local lords operating from large estates called manors.

Feudalism

A political system of devolved powers in medieval Europe based on hierarchical agreements between kings, lords, and knights regarding land control and military obligations.

Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA)

A period of warm, stable weather from roughly the 9th to early 14th centuries that fostered agricultural expansion and population growth across the northern hemisphere.

Little Ice Age (LIA)

A long-term period of cold, wet, and unstable weather beginning in the 14th and 15th centuries that contributed to agricultural failures and social turmoil in Europe.

Black Death

A devastating mid-14th century pandemic of bubonic plague caused by Yersinia pestis that killed one-third to one-half of the European population.

Haudenosaunee

The Iroquois Confederacy ('People of the Longhouse') formed around 1200 CE as a peaceful alliance among the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk nations.

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Aztec Empire founded in 1325 CE on an island in Lake Texcoco following a prophecy of an eagle perched on a cactus.

Sapa Inca

The supreme ruler of the Inca Empire who served as the earthly representative of the Sun god Inti.

Chasqui

Incan imperial messengers who traveled along an extensive paved road system, carrying news and instructions up to 250 kilometers in a single day.

Quipu

A record-keeping system of knotted strings developed and utilized by the Inca Empire.