AP World History Unit 1 and 2

Vocabulary flashcards based on Mrs. Osborn's APWH Cram Packet: Period 3 – Regional and Transregional Interactions, c. 600CE to 1450 CE.

Neo-Confucianism

A mixture of Confucianism with some Buddhism that spread in China.

Schism in Christianity

The split between the Eastern and Western churches, resulting in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Tang Dynasty

Chinese dynasty (618 – 906) known for its merit-based bureaucracy.

Caliphate System

Islamic political system where the religious and political leader are the same person.

Feudalism

Decentralized political system with a hierarchy of King, Lords, Knights, and Peasants.

Dar al-Islam

Refers to the unifying cultural and economic force of Islam in Eurasia and Africa.

Caliphate

Islamic theocracy with political and religious leader combined, governed by Sharia (Islamic Law).

Sultanate

Islamic monarchical system of rule.

Arabesque design

Geometric designs in Islamic art, avoiding human figures.

Trans-Sahara trade

Trade network across the Sahara connecting North Africa and Europe with West Africa.

Indian Ocean trade

Major trade route between East Africa and Asia facilitated by monsoons.

Silk Routes

Trade routes from China across Asia to the Middle East, facilitating cultural and technological exchange.

Pax Mongolica

Period of peace and stability under Mongol rule, facilitating trade and cultural exchange across Asia.

Genghis Khan

Mongol leader who unified the clans and began the Mongol conquests in the early 13th century.

Khanates

Political organizations of the Mongol empire, each ruled by a different relative of Genghis Khan.

Champa rice

Fast-ripening rice from Vietnam that allowed for two crops per year, increasing agricultural production in China.

Flying cash

Chinese letters of credit that allowed merchants to deposit money in one location and withdraw it in another.

Eastern Orthodox Church

The church in Eastern Europe, after the schism in 1054. The Byzantine emperor selected the patriarch.

Roman Catholic Church

The church in Western Europe, after the schism in 1054. The Pope was the head of the church and was selected only by the cardinals.

Ibn Battuta

A 14th-century Moroccan legal scholar and traveler who documented his extensive journeys throughout the Islamic world and beyond.

Marco Polo

A 13th-century traveler from Venice who journeyed to China and served Kublai Khan, later writing about his experiences.

Swahili

A mix of Arabic and Bantu languages.

Black Death

A devastating pandemic that decimated Europe’s population, political, and economic systems

Italian Renaissance

Began the dominance of Europe in culture.