Ancient History of World Civilizations

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, dynasties, legal systems, and cultural achievements of ancient civilizations (Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, and India) from the lecture notes.

Axial Age

A period from 800 to 200 BCE conceptualized by Karl Jaspers, characterized by a transition from mythological thinking to monotheistic religion, logos, and philosophy across China, India, Palestine, and Greece.

Axial Peoples

A term used by Karl Jaspers to describe the Chinese, Indian, Iranian, Judean, and Greek peoples who broke away from myth toward logos and spiritual foundations.

Traditional Society

A society defined by long-term socio-economic non-changeability, dominance of communal ties, sacred despotic ruler authority, and consciousness based on myth, magic, and religion.

Nomes

Small administrative regions in Ancient Egypt surrounding a city center, local temple, and leader's palace, forming the earliest state structures.

Pharaoh

The title of the ruler of Ancient Egypt, derived from the word 'Per-o-o' meaning 'great house', holding absolute political, military, judicial, and religious power.

Oriental Despotism

A form of government where state power is unlimited, concentrated in the ruler's hands through a bureaucratic apparatus, with no personal freedom.

Mentuhotep

The Theban king and founder of the 11th Dynasty who reunited Egypt and established the Middle Kingdom.

Hyksos

A tribal alliance of Semites and Hurrians that conquered and ruled Egypt for 130 years during the Second Intermediate Period.

Akhenaten

The New Kingdom Pharaoh who conducted religious reforms introducing the monotheistic worship of Aten and built the capital Akhetaten during the Amarna Period.

Ramesses II

New Kingdom Pharaoh who fought the Hittites for supremacy in the Near East and signed the world's first recorded international peace treaty in 1280 BCE.

Shoshenq I

The Libyan leader who conquered Egypt in 941 BCE and founded the Bubastite Dynasty.

Esarhaddon

The Assyrian king who conquered Egypt in 674 or 671 BCE and divided it into 20 nomes.

Psamtik I

Founder of the Saite Dynasty who expelled Assyrians from Egypt using Greek mercenaries and reoriented Egyptian foreign policy toward the Greek world.

Necho II

Egyptian Pharaoh who initiated the construction of a canal connecting the Nile River to the Red Sea.

Mesopotamia

An ancient region named by Greek geographers meaning 'Land between two rivers', located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Tamkars

Specialized merchants or traders within ancient Sumerian communities responsible for exchanging goods and food.

En

The title of the high priest or priestess who served as the leader of early Sumerian city-states.

Ensi

A title meaning 'priest-builder', representing the ruler of Sumerian city-states who oversaw irrigation, temple construction, and taxation.

Sargon of Akkad

Ruler who created the world's first standing army in 2316 BCE and united Sumer and Akkad into a centralized empire.

Epic of Gilgamesh

An ancient Mesopotamian epic poem containing the world's earliest written legend of a global flood.

Code of Hammurabi

A legal code compiled under King Hammurabi of Babylon (1792–1750 BCE) regulating state administration, criminal law, commerce, water rights, and daily life.

Kasites

Tribes from Mitanni that ruled Babylon after the Hittite destruction in 1595 BCE, introducing composite seed-drills, road networks, and horses to military affairs.

Nabopolassar

Chaldean leader who revolted against Assyria in 626 BCE and established the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Nabonidus

The last Neo-Babylonian king who declared Sin as the supreme deity instead of Marduk, weakening central authority prior to the Persian conquest in 539 BCE.

Xia Dynasty

The semi-legendary first Chinese dynasty, associated with constructing city walls, establishing an army, prisons, a criminal code, and a calendar.

Shang (Yin) Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (16th–11th centuries BCE) marked by advanced bronze casting, city development, and the emergence of Chinese writing.

Zhou Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (11th–3rd centuries BCE) during which war chariots, widespread iron tools, irrigation systems, and private land ownership emerged.

Shang Yang

A 4th-century BCE reformer in the state of Qin who abolished communal ties, permitted private land trading, and created merit-based military ranks.

Qin Shi Huang (Ying Zheng)

The ruler who unified China in 221 BCE, established the Qin Empire, adopted the title 'Huangdi', and divided the territory into 36 administrative provinces.

Wang Mang

Chinese official who seized power in 9 CE and attempted reforms banning the trade of land and slaves.

Red Eyebrows Rebellion

A peasant uprising led by Fan Chong against Wang Mang, where rebels painted their eyebrows red to distinguish themselves from imperial troops.

Yellow Turban Rebellion

A massive peasant rebellion in 184 CE caused by economic and political crisis that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty.

Shijing (Book of Songs)

A classic Chinese poetry anthology originating from folk poetry and deeply rooted in Confucian philosophy.

Harappan Civilization

An ancient urban civilization (23rd–18th centuries BCE) in the Indus River valley, represented by key urban centers like Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.

Mohenjo-Daro

A major Indus Valley city featuring grid-patterned streets, multi-story baked-brick buildings, hot and cold metalworking, public baths, and advanced drainage systems.

Vedas

Sacred ancient Indian collections of hymns, chants, prayers, and ritual formulas composed in an Indo-European language.

Aryans (Indo-Aryans)

Indo-European tribes whose name means 'noble', who migrated into Northern India during the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE.

Varna System

The social class structure of Ancient India dividing society into Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants/craftsmen), and Shudras (laborers).

Mauryan Empire

An empire established in the late 4th century BCE by Chandragupta that unified the Indian subcontinent into a single state.

Ashoka

Mauryan emperor under whose reign Buddhism expanded rapidly across Ancient India.

Decimal Positional System

A mathematical positional numeral system developed in Ancient India where the value of a digit depends on its position.