world History

topic 3

sultan

“holder of power”; the military and political head of state under the Seljuk Turks and the Ottomans

Golden Horn

an inlet and freshwater estuary of the Bosporus, a strait that connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, separating Asian Turkey from European Turkey

Bosporus

a strait that connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, separating Asian Turkey from European Turkey

gunpowder empire

an empire formed by outside conquerors who unified the regions they conquered through their mastery of firearms

Balkans

peninsula in southeastern Europe between the Adriatic and Ionian seas on the west and the Aegean and Black seas on the east

Anatolian Peninsula

the peninsula of land that is the Asian part of present-day Turkey; also called Asia Minor

caliph

the civil and religious leader of the Muslim people; a title created after the death of Muhammad

Khyber Pass

a mountain pass between present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan; the pass is one of only a few access points between the Indian subcontinent and the rest of Asia

janissary

a soldier in the elite guard of the Ottoman Turks

artillery

cannons

harem

“sacred place”; the private domain of an Ottoman sultan, where he and his wives resided

grand vizier

termcode-grand_vizier-3337-14969

pasha

an appointed official of the Ottoman Empire who collected taxes, maintained law and order, and was directly responsible to the sultan’s court

ulema

a group of religious scholars who served as advisers to the Ottoman sultan; this group administered the legal system and schools for educating Muslims

craft guild

an association of workers of the same occupation or trade for mutual benefit

manuscripts

handwritten books

anarchy

political disorder; lawlessness

shah,

king (used in Persia and Iran)

orthodoxy

traditional beliefs, especially in religion

constituent

the parts of a whole

saltpeter

a crystalline salt; potassium nitrate

susceptible

easily affected

corned

formed into grains

atmospheric

existing in the atmosphere

uniquely

in a special way

sourced

obtained from particular sources

put to the sack

plundered or destroyed

fabric

basic structure

dispensation

state or order of things

void

vacuum, empty space

imposing

very impressive

presence

something that exists or is present

hub

center of activity

emancipation

the state or act of being freed from the control or power of another

jettisoning

getting rid of something not needed

exploiting

using, taking full advantage of

mantle

responsibilities and duties

guardianship

the position of being responsible for the care and protection of someone or something

antiquity

things from the ancient past

imperial

related to an empire

reaped

gathered; obtained

servitude

the state of being a slave or under the control of someone else

consolation

comfort

Papacy

the office of the Pope

romanticists

people who are very sentimental