HIST 1110: World History I Exam Review Terms

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture study guide notes for HIST 1110 World History I.

Brahmanism

An ancient Indian Vedic religious tradition (c. 1500–500 BCE) led by priests (Brahmins) who established social structure via the Varna system. It laid the foundation for Hinduism and spurred reform movements like Buddhism and Jainism, which rejected its ritualism.

Varna

The four-tiered social hierarchy in ancient Vedic India created under Brahmanism to structure society and assign moral and social duties, placing priests (Brahmins) at the top to justify spiritual and political authority.

Brahmin

The highest social class in the Varna system, responsible for performing rituals and preserving Vedic texts; their socio-religious dominance prompted non-Brahmanical movements like Buddhism and Jainism.

Karma

The principle of moral cause and effect that explains why individuals experience specific circumstances in Samsara (rebirth), serving as a core mechanism connecting actions to spiritual evolution in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Samsara

The continuous cycle of death and rebirth driven by Karma; escaping this cycle (achieving liberation) served as the primary spiritual motivation across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Jainism

An ancient Indian religion (6th–5th century BCE) founded as a reaction against Brahmanical rituals and animal sacrifices, emphasizing extreme non-violence (ahimsa) and asceticism to free the soul from Samsara.

Buddhism

A world religion founded in the 6th–5th century BCE in reaction to Brahmanical hierarchy and sacrificial rituals, offering a 'Middle Way' open to all Varnas to attain enlightenment and end Samsara.

Hinduism

A major world religion that evolved from earlier Brahmanism (c. 500 BCE–300 CE) by integrating popular devotional practices (bhakti) alongside core concepts like Karma and Samsara to unify diverse Indian traditions.

Mauryan Empire

Ancient India's first unified empire (c. 322–185 BCE), which rose in the political vacuum left after Alexander the Great's conquest and famously adopted and spread Buddhism across Asia under Emperor Ashoka.

Shang writing

The earliest Chinese script, preserved on oracle bones (c. 1600–1046 BCE), developed to connect royal rulers with divine ancestors through divination and serving as the direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters.

Seleucid Empire

A Hellenistic empire (312–63 BCE) established by Alexander the Great's general Seleucus I, acting as a crucial cultural and trade bridge connecting the Mediterranean world with the Mauryan Empire in India.

Zhou Dynasty

China's longest dynasty (c. 1046–256 BCE) that justified replacing the Shang via the Mandate of Heaven; its eventual political collapse caused the Warring States Period and inspired the Hundred Schools of Thought.

Book of Documents

A foundational text compiled during the Zhou Dynasty containing speeches and decrees; it was used by Zhou rulers and later Confucians to justify political legitimacy and promote moral governance based on the Mandate of Heaven.

Mandate of Heaven

The ancient Chinese political doctrine created by the Zhou Dynasty to explain why they overthrew the Shang, asserting that divine favor is granted to moral rulers and withdrawn from corrupt ones.

Warring States Period

An era of intense military chaos and political fragmentation (c. 475–221 BCE) following the decline of Zhou authority, which created a crisis of order that motivated philosophers to propose rival solutions.

Hundred Schools of Thought

An era of vibrant philosophical debate (c. 700–200 BCE) spurred by the disorder of the Warring States Period, giving rise to systems like Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism to resolve societal instability.

Confucianism

A philosophical system created around 500 BCE during the social decline of the Zhou Dynasty, proposing that order is restored when people practice filial piety, moral self-cultivation, and respect for social roles.

Filial piety

The Confucian virtue of respect and devotion toward parents and elders, designed as the fundamental building block of social stability because familial respect promotes obedience to the state.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophy (6th–4th century BCE) that developed in opposition to Confucianism's rigid rules, advocating that peace is achieved by abandoning artificial social constraints and aligning naturally with the Dao.

Legalism

A political philosophy developed during the Warring States Period that rejected Confucian morality and Daoist inaction, arguing that social order requires absolute central authority and strictly enforced laws.