Period 3: Regional and Transregional Interactions, c. 600 C.E. to c. 1450

Flashcards cover key concepts from Period 3: Regional and Transregional Interactions (600–1450 C.E.), including the Byzantines, Kievan Rus, Islam’s origins and spread, Islamic governance and societies, major dynasties and invasions, major centers of learning, and the Americas.

What empire continued after the fall of Rome and had its capital in Constantinople?

The Byzantine Empire.

What city became the capital of Kievan Rus and linked Baltic Sea trade to the Black Sea?

Kiev.

What major world religion spread rapidly after Muhammad and established centers of learning in Baghdad and Córdoba?

Islam.

What is the sacred black stone in Mecca called?

The Kaaba (Ka’aba).

Who is regarded as the final prophet in Islam?

Muhammad.

What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

Belief in Allah, prayer five times daily, almsgiving, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).

What is Shariah?

Islamic law code developed by scholars that governs daily life and morality.

Who were the first four caliphs known as the Rightly Guided Caliphs?

Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali.

Which dynasty moved the capital to Damascus and built a vast empire across regions from Iberia to India?

Umayyad Dynasty.

Which dynasty established Baghdad as its capital and presided over a golden age of learning?

Abbasid Caliphate.

Where did the Umayyads establish their western capital in Iberia?

Córdoba, Spain (al-Andalus).

Which Turkic group seized parts of the Middle East and challenged Abbasid authority by taking the title sultan?

Seljuk Turks.

Which Christian European group organized campaigns to reopen access to Jerusalem?

Crusaders.

Who conquered Baghdad in 1258, ending the Abbasid Caliphate?

The Mongols.

What role did Baghdad play during the Abbasid era?

A center of learning and culture, with innovations like paper making; symbol of the Islamic Golden Age.

What battle in 732 halted Islamic expansion into Western Europe?

Battle of Tours.

What is the Hijra (Hegira) and why is it significant?

Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina in 622; marks the start of the Islamic calendar.

What are the two major American empires that arose in the Americas during the post-classical period?

Aztecs and Incas.

What term refers to the Islamic world and its cultural sphere?

Dar al-Islam.

What is Jihad?

The struggle in the way of Allah, which can be an inner spiritual effort or an external struggle.