World History Honors Terms

Final Exam - Buras

Sahara

The largest desert in the world

Savanna

grassy plains

Cataract

Waterfalls; hindered easy movement through Africa

Desertification

The process of land becoming parched

Bantu

A root language between many migrating groups in Africa; Gave a movement its name

Nubia

A wide band of fertile land that traded with Egypt; Also called Kush and is in present-day Sudan

Meore

New Nubian capital after it was moved from Napata

Abu Bakr

Muhammad’s father-in-law; Was the first caliph Used military campaigns to converts Arabs to Islam

Sunnis

Believe any good Muslim could lead the community; Majority (90%) of Muslims

Shiites

Believe that the true successors to Muhammad are the descendants of his son-in-law; Called Muhammad’s descendants Imams

Sufis

Muslim mystics who sought communication with God through mediation, fasting, and other rituals; Spread Islam by traveling and preaching

Umayyad

A dynasty of Sunni caliphs that ruled the Muslim empire until 750; Capital was Damascus, Spain

Abu Al-Abbas

Descended from Muhammad’s uncle (had strong Shiite support); Founded the Abbasid dynasty

Baghdad

City surrounded by walls; Exceeded Constantinople in size and wealth; Became the new capital of the Umayyad empire

Muhammad

The prophet of Islam; Born in Mecca; Was illiterate; Wife was Khadija

Mecca

An oasis town bustling with economic activity; Birthplace of Muhammad

Hijra

The journey from Yathrib to Medina

Medina

One of the most holy places on Earth for Muslims

Quran

The Muslim Bible; The spoken word of God as revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel; Guides people’s lives

The Five Pillars of Islam

Declaration of Faith, Daily Prayer, Alms for the Poor, Fast During Ramadan, Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)

Sharia

A system of law based on the Quran and Muhammad’s life

Poland

Missionaries bring in Roman Catholicism; Had to fight to survive (Had to deal with Germany and Russia)

Diet

An assembly where Polish people would vote on laws; Liberum Veto

Hungary

Founded by a group called the Magyars; Soon the Mongols take over, then abandon it so the Turks occupy it

Serbia

Establish a Balkan kingdom; Model their government and religion after the Byzantines

Russia’s Three Geographic Regions

Northern Forests, Ukraine, and Southern Steppes

Kiev

Russia’s first capital (was the center of the first Russian state); in present-day Ukraine

Vikings

Come from Scandinavia; Really good at attacking, stealing, and sailing ; Eventually settle down and assimilate into Russia

Mongols

Led by Genghis Khan; Rule Russia for 150 years; Wanted power and money; Also called the Golden Horde

Ivan the Great (Ivan III)

The first very powerful Russian leader; Takes the title Tsar

Tsar

Russian word for Caesar

Ivan the Terrible

Was Ivan the Great’s grandson; Had a secret police force (Oprichniki)

Constantinople

The “New Rome”; Used to be called Byzantium; Was a crossroads between Europe and Asia

Justinian

Tried to recreate the old Roman empire; Was an autocrat

Autocrat

Had absolute power because people thought God wanted him to rule

Justinian’s Code

A collection of laws and legal interpretations aimed at consolidating and organizing the legal system of the Byzantine Empire

The Great Schism

The split between the Eastern Orthodox (East) and Roman Catholic (West) Churches; Occurred in 1054

Diocletian

Emperor that divides the Roman empire, creating an Eastern and Western half

The Huns

A group that migrate in from Asia; Rattle Germanic tribes

Mercenaries

Hired killers; Had no/little loyalty

Punic Wars

Series of three fights between Rome and Carthage (Rome wins)

Augustus

Creates a civil service based on ability, new coin system, and postal system

Census

A survey to count people

Julius Caesar

Spends 10 years conquering France and becomes very popular and strong; Makes himself a king; Is assassinated by his best friend and Senate

Good Roman Emperors

Marcus Aurelius and Hadrian; Made transfer of power easy

Bad Roman Emperors

Caligula and Nero

The Pax Romona

Means “Roman Peace”; 200 year period of time in which Rome does not fight any major wars, allowing for trade and custom to flow freely