Comprehensive Study Guide: China, India, and the Middle East

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the revolutionary history of China, India's independence and partition, and the modernization of Southwest Asia (the Middle East).

Sun Yixian (Sun Yatsen)

Known as the "Father of the Republic," he led the 1911 Revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Kuomintang.

Three Principles of the People

The foundation of the Kuomintang consisting of Nationalism, People's Rights (democracy), and People's Livelihood (economic security).

Yuan Shikai

A general who took the presidency from Sun Yixian but betrayed the democratic cause by attempting to declare himself emperor, leading to the Warlord Era.

Chiang Jieshi (Jiang Jieshi)

The head of the Kuomintang after Sun's death who led the 1927 Shanghai Coup to purge Communists, sparking the Chinese Civil War.

Mao Zedong

A founder of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who revolutionized Marxist theory by identifying the peasantry as the revolutionary class.

May Fourth Movement (1919)

National protests in China sparked by the Treaty of Versailles giving German territories in China to Japan, signaling a shift toward radical ideologies.

The Long March (1934-1935)

A 6,000-mile tactical retreat by the CCP where only about 7,000 to 8,000 of the original 100,000 survived, solidifying Mao's leadership.

Hypo-colony

Sun Yatsen’s term for China, describing its exploitation by many nations via unequal treaties rather than just one.

1949

The year the CCP officially defeated the Nationalists and established the People's Republic of China.

Mohandas Gandhi

Leader of the Indian National Congress who developed Satyagraha and advocated for non-violent civil disobedience.

Satyagraha

A concept developed by Mohandas Gandhi meaning "truth-force" used as a method of non-violent resistance.

Civil disobedience

The deliberate, public refusal to obey an unjust law.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Leader of the Muslim League who promoted the "Two Nations Theory" regarding Hindus and Muslims.

Two Nations Theory

The argument that Hindus and Muslims were separate civilizations that could not coexist in one state without Muslims being oppressed.

Jawaharlal Nehru

India's first Prime Minister who favored a unified, secular India and argued the subcontinent was a "self-sufficient economic unit."

Amritsar Massacre (1919)

An event where British troops killed nearly 400 people at a peaceful gathering, serving as a primary catalyst for Indian nationalism.

Salt March (1930)

A 240-mile march led by Gandhi to protest the British salt tax, which gained international support for the independence movement.

Partition (1947)

The 73-day rushed process by the British to divide the region into India and Pakistan, resulting in the displacement of 15 million people.

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk)

Leader of Turkey who established a Republic, enforced secularism, replaced Arabic script with Latin, and granted women the right to vote.

Reza Shah Pahlavi

Leader who modernized infrastructure and industry in Persia, changing the country's name to Iran in 1935 while keeping power concentrated in his own hands.

Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud

Leader who unified the Arabian peninsula under the Saud family, governing strictly by Shari'a Law and Islamic traditions.

Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916)

A secret deal between Britain and France to divide Ottoman lands into "spheres of influence."

Balfour Declaration (1917)

A British statement supporting a "national home" for the Jewish people in Palestine.

The Mandate System

A League of Nations system where Britain and France managed territories like Iraq, Palestine, and Syria until they were deemed ready for independence.

1908

The year oil was discovered in Persia, transforming the region's economy and Western foreign policy.