AP World Vocab Units 1-4

Banking House

Issued bills of exchange; model for modern banks

Bubonic Plague

A massive pandemic that swept through Eurasia in the early 14th century, spreading along the trade routes within and beyond the Mongol Empire and reaching the Middle East and Western Europe by 1347

Caravanserai

Inns that popped up about 100 miles apart (The distance camels could go before they needed water) along the routes of the Silk Roads

The Crusades

A series of holy Christian holy wars conducted against nonbelievers

Flying Cash

A system of credit developed in China that allowed a person to deposit money at a location and withdraw it at another

Genghis Khan

Name meaning “ruler of all” given to Temujin when he was elected khan of Mongolian Kingdom; also spelled Chinggis Khan

Gujarat

A region of western India famous for trade and manufacturing; the inhabitants are called Gujarati

Indian Ocean Basin

Largest sea-based trade network at the time

Junk Ship

Chinese sailing ship that developed during the Song Dynasty

Kashgar

Trading city located at the western edge of China where northern and southern routes of the Silk Roads crossed

Khanates

The four regional Mongol kingdoms that arose after the death of Genghis Khan

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis Khan that sought to conquer China and finally achieved it in 1271 and established the Yuan Dynasty

Lateen Sail

Triangular shaped sail that could catch wind from many different directions

Malacca

A Muslim city-state that became wealthy by building a navy and collecting fees from ships that passed through the Strait of Malacca

Mansa Musa

Brought Mali to its peak of power and wealth from 1312 to 1337; displayed Mali’s wealth during an extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca

Marco Polo

An Italian native who traveled to China in the late 13th century and wrote about travels

Money Economy

Using money rather than bartering with commodities like cowrie shells or salt

Mongol Empire

The largest continuous land empire in history, established by Genghis Khan in the early 13th century after uniting nomadic clans, which ultimately grew to span across Eurasia from the pacific to Black sea

Monsoon

Heavy winds that affected trade routes in the Indian Ocean

Pax Mongolica

The period of Mongolian peace between the 13th century and 14th centuries

Land-based trade routes that linked many regions of Eurasia. They were named after the most famous product traveled along these routes

Silk Roads

Songhai Empire

An Islamic empire established in the 1400’s after the decline of the Mali Empire in West Africa

Spice Islands

Term for the islands of modern day Malaysia and Indonesia that exported spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamon

Swahili City States

Thriving city states along the East coast of Africa created by India Ocean trade

Timbuktu

A very wealthy and world-renowned center for Islamic learning

Yuan Dynasty

Established by Kublai Khan in 1271 and was tolerant towards various religious groups in China

Absolutism

Type of government stressing divine right and total control by a king

Clergy

Ordained individuals , such as priests or ministers, who are official leaders within a religion and are responsible for performing religious services, teaching the faith, and providing spiritual guidance to a community of believers

Conciliarism

A movement to reform the church by stating power resided in a universal council of bishops and other church authorities which eroded the power of the pope

Consolidate

Authority and power brought under a single ruler or governing body

Counter Reformation

The Catholic Church's reform and revival moment in the 16th and 17th centuries, enacted in response to the Protestant Reformation

Daimyo

A powerful noble in early modern Japan

Devshirme

The Ottoman Empire's practice from the 14th to the 18th century of conscripting Christian boys, primarily from the Balkans, to convert to Islam and serve the state as elite soldiers (like the Janissaries) or administrators

Divine Right

The idea pushing Absolutism, which says God chose a specific king to rule

Gunpowder Empires

The Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Empires which relied heavily on gunpowder and firearms

Printing Press

Allowed books to be printed instead of hand written and increased literacy

Henry VIII

King of England who created the Anglican Church so he could get a divorce from his wife and find another women who could provide him with an heir

Humanism

An intellectual and cultural movement that emphasized the study of classical literature, art, and philosophy, as well as focus on individual human potential, critical thinking, and revival of classical ideals

Indulgences

A remission or reduction of the temporal(worldly or in life rather than death) punishment that a person might face for their sins

Istanbul

The new name given to Constantinople when the Ottoman Empire conquered it

Janissaries

An elite core of eight thousand troops personally loyal to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Jizya

Tax levied by Islamic states on certain non-Muslim subjects (dhimmis) who were permanently residing in Muslim lands under Islamic law

Land Based Empire

A vast, territorial political entity that expands and maintains power through land conquests and the administration of mainland territories, rather than through maritime economy

Legitimize

To establish the perception that ones authority is right, acceptable, and valid in the eyes of others, thereby making it seem rightful to rule or exercise control

Manchus

Ethnic minority in China and people whom Manchuria derives its name

Martin Luther

German monk who began Protestant Reformation with his written wok, 95 Theses

Mehmed II

Ruler of the Ottoman Empire from 1451 who wanted to capture Constantinople and topple the Byzantine Empire

Monumental Architecture

Refers to the building of monuments which are usually public spaces and are so grand and elaborate that they far exceed any practical purpose. These types of grand architectural feats showcase the power and wealth of a ruler

Mughal Empire

Muslim empire ruling India from the 16th to the 18th centuries

Ninety-five Theses

The list of grievances written by Martin Luther, which began the Reformation

Ottoman Empire

Turkish empire in the Middle East and North Africa from 1453-1918

Protestant Reformation

Religious movement when people broke away from the Catholic Church

Qing Empire

Chinese dynasty lasting from 1501-1722

Safavid Empire

Muslim empire in Persia from 1501-1722

Shia

One of the two major Muslim sects; believe that descendants of Muhammad’s daughter and son-in law, Ali, are the true Muslim leaders

Sikhism

Developed from Hinduism and may have been influenced by the Islamic mysticism known as Sufism

Simony

The ability to purchase positions or privileges within the church

Suleiman the Magnificent

Tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire

Sunni

One of the two major branches of Islam; representing the majority of Muslim’s worldwide, and signifies followers who believe in the leadership succesion following the prophet Muhammad’s death through Abu Bakr, upholding the “Sunnah” or traditional practices based on the prophets teachings and actions as the primary source of Islamic law

Tamerlane

Timur the lame, a Mongol Turkic ruler who invaded Central Asia and the Middle East setting the stage for the rise of the Turkic Empires

African Diaspora

Africans living outside of Africa (usually as slaves) who retained some aspects of their culture

Asante Empire

African kingdom on the Gold Coast that expanded rapidly after 1680

Capitalism

The economic system of large financial institutions- banks, stock exchanges, investment companies- that first developed in early modern Europe. Commercial capitalism, the trading system of the early modern economy, it is often distinguished from industrial capitalism, the system based on machine production

Cartography 

The practice of mapmaking

Cash Crop

Sellable crop that is grown and gathered for the market such as sugar and tobacco

Charter Companies

Groups of private investors who paid an annual fee to France and England in exchange for a monopoly over trade to the West Indies colonies

Chattel Slavery

A system where individuals were considered property to be bought and sold

City of Potosi

Located in Bolivia it was one of the richest silver mining centers and most populous cities in colonial Spanish America

Christopher Columbus

Navigator who explored the Americas under the flag of Spain

Colony

A territory that is controlled by a foreign power, established for the economic benefit and expansion of the colonizing nation

Columbian Exchange

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

Commerical Economy

An economic system focused on the exchange of goods and services, driven by trade and markets rather than subsistence

Commercial Revolution

Transformation to a trade-based economy using gold and silver

Conquistadors

Spanish soldiers who conquered parts of the Americas in the 16th century

Creole

West African language mixed with European languages

Dutch East India Company

(1602) A mercantile company chartered by the Dutch to conduct trade missions throughtout the East Indies

Dutch West India Company

(1621-1794) Trading company chartered by the Dutch government to conduct its merchants’ trade in the Americas and Africa

Encomienda

A grant of authority over a population of Amerindians in the Spanish colonies that provided the grant holder with a supply of cheap labor and periodic payments of goods by the Amerindians. It obligated the grant holder to Christianize the Amerindians

Engenhos

Portuguese sugar plantations called “engines” because of the amount of sugar they processed. The working conditions were horrible, and the labor force suffered greatly

Ferdinand Magellan

Portuguese navigator who led the Spanish expedition of 1519-1522 that was the first to sail around the world

Francisco Pizarro

Spanish explorer who conquered the Incas in what is now Peru and founded the city of Lima

Galleons

Spanish trading ships that made round-trip sailing voyages once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean

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

Hispaniola

Name Columbus gave to the island that is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic

Indentured Servant

A migrant to British colonies in the Americas who paid for passage by agreeing to work for a set term ranging from four to seven years

Jamestown

English colony in Virginia that was England’s first successful colony in the Americas

Joint-Stock Companies

Businesses that sold shares to individuals to raise money for its trading enterprises and to spread the risks and profits among many investors

Limited Liability Company

A type of business structure that protects owners’ personal assets from company debts

Maratha Empire

Indian power that existed from 1674-1818 and ruled over a large area of the Indian subcontinent; credited with ending Mughal reign in India

Maritime Empires

Empires such as Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, France, and Holland that were based upon sea travel

Maroon Wars

Slaves in the Caribbean and former Spanish territories in the Americas fought to gain freedom

Mercantilism

European government policies of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries designed to promote overseas trade between a country and its colonies and accumulate precious metals by requiring colonies to trade only with their motherland country

Mestizos

The term used by Spanish authorities to describe someone of mixed Amerindian and European descent

Middle Passage

The part of the Atlantic Circuit involving the transportation of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas

Ming Dynasty

(1368-1644) Empire based in China that Zhu Yuanzhang established after the overthrow of the Yuan Empire. The Ming emperor Yongle sponsored the building of the Forbidden City and the voyages of Zheng He. The later years of the Ming saw a slowdown in technological development and economic decline

Mit’a System

Labor obligation in Peru that required a percentage of the adult male Amerindians to work for two to four months each year in mines, farms, or textile factories

Monopolies

Granted certain merchants or the government itself the exclusive right to trade

Mulatto

Term used in Spanish and Portuguese colonies to describe someone of mixed African and European descent

New Spain

Colony established by Cortes after overthrowing the Aztecs in Mexico

Northwest Passage

A route through or around North America that would lead to East Asia and the trade there