AP World History Unit 1-2 Flashcards

Created using the list Cotton gave

Islam

Monotheistic faith founded by Muhammad (7th c.) based on submission (Islam) to Allah; spread rapidly across Afro-Eurasia.

Five Pillars of Islam

Core duties of Muslims: faith (shahada), prayer (salat), alms (zakat), fasting (sawm), and pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).

Abbasid Caliphate

Islamic dynasty (750–1258) with its capital at Baghdad; Golden Age of science, translation, and trade

Baghdad

Capital of the Abbasid Caliphate; cosmopolitan center for learning, trade, and innovation.

Translation Movement

Abbasid-era effort in Baghdad’s House of Wisdom translating Greek, Persian, and Indian works into Arabic.

Dar al-Islam

“House of Islam” — regions unified by Islamic culture, law (sharia), and commerce.

Ulama

Islamic scholars who interpreted sharia law

Qadi

Islamic judge

Delhi Sultanate

Muslim government in northern India (1206–1526) blending Islamic and Hindu traditions.

Sufism

Islam branch emphasizing spiritual union with God through devotion and meditation.

Bhakti Movement

Hindu devotional reform emphasizing personal connection to deities, often in dialogue with Sufism.

Mansa Musa

Ruler of Mali (r. 1312–1337); famed for hajj to Mecca and spreading Islam and wealth across Africa.

Ibn Battuta

Moroccan scholar and traveler (1304–1369) who recorded extensive observations of the Islamic world.

Tang and Song Dynasties

Periods of prosperity and innovation in China (618–1279 CE); advances in gunpowder, printing, compass, and trade.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (1368–1644) restoring native rule after the Mongols

Mandate of Heaven

Chinese belief that the ruler’s authority was divinely approved and could be lost through misrule.

Dynastic Cycle

Repeating pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties in China.

Ancestor Worship

Honoring deceased family members as spiritual guardians; major Chinese tradition.

Confucianism

Ethical and philosophical system stressing social order, hierarchy, and filial piety.

Neo-Confucianism

Song-era revival of Confucian thought combining elements of Buddhism and Daoism.

Daoism (Taoism)

Philosophy emphasizing harmony with nature and the Dao (“way”).

Grand Canal

Waterway linking northern and southern China; boosted agriculture and trade.

Great Wall of China

Fortifications built and expanded to defend against northern nomads.

Movable Type Printing

Song-era innovation using reusable characters to print texts; revolutionized literacy.

Foot Binding

Chinese practice of tightly binding girls’ feet to signify beauty and status; reflected patriarchal values.

Trade Surplus

When exports exceed imports; characterized China’s role in global commerce.

Trade Deficit

When imports exceed exports; often experienced by European states trading with Asia.

Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

Caravans exchanging gold, salt, and enslaved people between West Africa and North Africa.

Mali Empire

West African empire built on gold and trade; Islamic scholarly center at Timbuktu.

Great Zimbabwe

Southern African kingdom (11th–15th c.) famous for stone architecture and gold trade.

Swahili Coast City-States

trading ports blending Bantu and Arab cultures through Indian Ocean

Feudalism (Europe)

Political system of mutual obligations between lords and vassals based on land (fiefs) and loyalty.

Manor System

Economic arrangement of self-sufficient estates worked by serfs in exchange for protection.

Byzantine Empire

Eastern Roman Empire centered in Constantinople; preserved Greco-Roman culture and Orthodox Christianity.

Crusades

Religious wars (11th–13th c.) to reclaim the Holy Land; stimulated trade and cultural exchange.

Black Plague (Bubonic Plague)

Pandemic (14th c.) carried via trade routes from Asia to Europe; killed millions and reshaped societies.

Silk Roads

Overland routes linking China and the Mediterranean; traded luxury goods and spread religions.

Indian Ocean Trade

Maritime routes connecting East Africa, Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia; monsoon-driven.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean that determined trade patterns.

Caravanserai

Roadside inns that supported merchants and animals along the Silk Road.

Kashgar & Samarkand

Central Asian trade cities known for commerce and cultural exchange under the Mongols.

Credit / Bills of Exchange

Early financial instruments allowing safer long-distance trade.

Paper Money

Chinese innovation making commerce more efficient.

Luxury Goods

High-value items (silk, porcelain, spices, gold) that dominated interregional trade.

Cultural Exchange

Diffusion of ideas, beliefs, and technologies through trade and interaction.

Forced Cross-Cultural Exchange

Cultural blending resulting from conquest, slavery, and migration (e.g., Mongol or Atlantic exchanges).

4 M’s of Islam Spread

Merchants, Missionaries, Marriage, Military

Genghis Khan (Chinggis Khan)

Founder of the Mongol Empire; unified steppe tribes and created largest contiguous empire in history.

Khanates

Four regional divisions of the Mongol Empire (Yuan, China; Ilkhanate, Persia; Golden Horde, Russia; Chagatai, Central Asia).

Pax Mongolica

100 year period of peace through Mongol influence and protection

Forced Migration / Cross-Cultural Exchange

Movement of people and ideas under Mongol rule that accelerated technological and cultural diffusion.

Yuan Dynasty

Mongol-ruled China (1271–1368); integrated Chinese and Mongol governance.

Aztec (Mexica) Empire

Mesoamerican empire (1345–1521) based in Tenochtitlán; used tribute and warfare to control territories.

Montezuma (Moctezuma II)

Aztec emperor at time of Spanish arrival (early 1500s).

Chinampas

floating gardens; rectangular plots built on lakes

Inca Empire

Andean empire (1438–1533) with vast road network and mita labor system.

Machu Picchu

Incan mountain city with engineering and religious architecture.

Terrace Farming

stair-like fields cut into mountains to control erosion.

Human Sacrifice

Religious practice for deities, especially in Aztec and Mayan societies.

Quipu (Khipu)

Incan record-keeping system of knotted strings for data.

Islamic Reasons to Convert

simple, connection, egalitarian, flexible