Prologue

patriarchy

societies dominated by males

city state

independent state made up of a city and its surrounding territory

entrepot

coastal trading center

Dar al-Islam

area united by Islam (southern Spain, North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of India) early on

shogun

Japanese military general

daimyos

powerful landlords

daoism

an indigenous Chinese philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with the Dao

roman catholic

the Pope-led branch of Christianity that acted as the primary unifying, political, and cultural institution in Western Europe during the medieval era, and later faced major challenges during the early modern period

orthodox church

a major branch of Christianity that grew out of the eastern half of the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire

civil service exam

imperial China's rigorous, standardized testing system used to select government officials based on merit rather than aristocratic birth or family connections

steppe

large flat dry area of grassland covered in grass with almost no trees

sinicization

is the process by which non-Chinese societies or groups are acculturated or assimilated into Chinese culture

caravanserais

wayside inns for travelers and their animals

patrician

a member of one of the original citizen families of ancient Rome

latifundia

great landed estate specialising in agriculture destined for sale: grain, olive oil, or wine

monasticism

a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities.

qanat

an underground aqueduct used (as in the Middle East) to convey water from a source (such as an aquifer) through the force of gravity especially for the purpose of irrigation