Late Post-Classical Vocab

Aborigines

Indigenous peoples of Australia; they continued a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and did not adopt agriculture.

Cahokia

Major regional trade hub in the Eastern Woodlands region of North America; it was located at a critical juncture between the Mississippi River and Missouri River

Chaco Canyon

Major center of ancestral Pueblo culture located in present-day New Mexico

Mesa Verde

Major Pueblo site located in present-day southern Colorado; this featured villages constructed on the sides of cliffs

siege warfare

Type of combat characterized by a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering through use of technologies like catapults and battering rams

tribute

Something of value that is required of a subordinate party by a more powerful party; this could take many forms, such as crops, taxes, luxury goods, etc.

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Chinggis Khan; this man completed the Mongol conquest of China, ending the Song Dynasty and becoming the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

Term for the Chinese dynasty when Mongols ruled China as part of the Khanate of the Great Khan (lasting from 1279-1368 CE)

stirrups

Pair of light frames hung from a saddle attached to the back of an animal to support a rider's feet in riding, as well as an aid to mounting the animal

yokes

A wooden beam or similar structure used between a pair of oxen or other domesticated animals to enable them to pull together or haul cargoes together

state building

Term that refers to the growth of states/ empires over time, resulting in more powerful and wealthier societies

Inca Empire

Massive empire that formed in the Andes Mountains from the 13th-early 16th centuries CE

Mexica

Group originating in northern Mexico that migrated southward into the Valley of Mexico, forming a Triple Alliance and state building there, forming the Aztec Empire.

quipu

Series of knotted cords used in Andean civilizations for accounting purposes in the absence of writing.

Polynesian migrations

"Final wave" of the broader Austronesian migrations; this series of gradual migrations brought Austronesian-speaking peoples into the islands of the South Pacific, where they diffused their languages, crops, and animals

Pueblo

Cultural term for indigenous societies located in the southwestern portion of North America; these societies were agrarian, had extensive irrigation, and were loosely organized together

Mississippian Mound Builders

Cultural term for mound-building societies of the Eastern Woodlands of North America; these societies were agrarian, animistic, and engaged in river-based regional trade

Genghis Khan

The man who unified the divided tribes of Mongolia and went on to create a massive empire with his powerful military

Mongol Empire

Enormous empire started by Genghis Khan that eventually expanded across much of Eurasia, including China, Persia, Central Asia, and Russia

khanate

A portion of the Mongol Empire (there were 4 total)- each was led by a descendant of Genghis Khan

Yam System

Network of communication used throughout the Mongol Empire; this featured messengers on horseback riding from one rest stop (yam) to another until they reached their destination

Ibn Battuta

Moroccan jurist who extensively traveled throughout Afro-Eurasia, focusing especially on Islamic practices in different societies

saddle

Supportive structure for the rider of a domesticated animal

Margery Kempe

English Christian mystic who traveled to the Holy Land, including the holy city of Jerusalem.

epidemic diseases

Diseases that spread widely across an area, infecting many people within a rapid period of time

Bubonic Plague

Disease originating in China but spread extensively across Eurasia, largely through trade and military expansion, killing millions of people as it diffused toward Europe (where it was referred to as the Black Death)

regional trade

Trade occurring within societies in one broader region (such as throughout the Mediterranean or throughout Mesoamerica)

flying money

Paper money first invented in China during the Tang and Song dynasties

diffusion

The spread of something (goods, culture, ideas, germs, etc)

urbanization

The growth of cities (in terms of size, scope, sophistication, population, and economy)

Marco Polo

Venetian merchant that famously traversed the entire length of the Silk Roads to arrive in Mongol-controlled China, where he was employed by Kublai Khan in his court

Pax Mongolica

Period of peace within the massive Mongol Empire marked by trade flourishing along the Silk Roads and extensive exchange occurring between different societies in Eurasia

meritocracy

An organization or society characterized by the emphasis on merit (one's skill, ability, and knowledge) as a basis for consideration of promotion into various positions

interregional trade

Trade occurring between societies located in different regions (also called transregional trade)

compass

Navigational instrument first developed in China that determines the direction one is traveling in (also called the north pointing needle)

astrolabe

Navigational instrument first developed in the Hellenistic world but later advanced by Arab sailors to determine one's distance from the equator (latitude) by approximating one's position relative to the sun or stars

The Silk Roads

Major overland trade network spanning much of Eurasia, connecting the Mediterranean World to China

caravan

A group of traveling merchants, typically with domesticated animals

Inner Eurasia

The central part of Eurasia, largely characterized by the steppes (grasslands) where pastoralists lived

Outer Eurasia

The outer perimeter (external) part of Eurasia characterized by large agrarian sedentary civilizations.

sternpost rudders and keels

Stabilizing technologies located near the back of a ship, as well as under a ship, to keep the ship from swaying or capsizing

monopoly

Term for the exclusive ability to produce or provide a certain good or service

commission

To authorize or give approval to do something; to support or grant authority to perform a task (such as paying someone to produce a work of art or sponsor an expedition)

Indian Ocean Trading Network

Extensive maritime (sea-based) trading network extending throughout the Indian Ocean basin from East Africa to SE Asia

monsoon winds

Seasonal winds that blow in one direction and reverse course at different points in the year

diasporic community

A group of people that shares a broader cultural tradition but located in a place geographically distant from their cultural hearth (homeland)

junks

Massive ships used by Chinese merchants to haul large cargoes

lanteen sail

Triangular sail developed by Malay sailors and later advanced by Arab sailors that tacks against the wind and contributing to more efficient maritime navigation

dhow

Boat design used extensively by Indian and Arab merchants that were nimble but also capable of hauling cargoes

oasis towns

Towns that emerged along the Silk Roads due to their supply of fresh water in an otherwise harsh physical environment; these became major centers of commerce along the Silk Roads

caravanserai

Inns (rest stops) located in oasis towns along the Silk Roads

"choke points"

A strategic location essential for trade that contributed to increased power of a state if a state could exercise authority or control over it (thereby regulating the flow of commerce)

Trans-Saharan Trading Network

Major overland trading network spanning the Sahara Desert, connecting the Islamic caliphates in North Africa to Sudanic African kingdoms in West Africa

Money economy

An economy where goods or services are paid for with the exchange of a currency with a set value

credit

Financial instrument (innovation) that enabled people to purchase goods on borrowed money; this money would later have to be repaid with interest.

banking houses

Financial institution in Afro-Eurasia that stores deposits of money, exchanges currency and also issues loans (such as lines of credit), thereby facilitating economic exchange

corvee labor

Forced labor that is temporary in nature; often viewed as a "labor tax" to the state, this is a defined period of time in which one is forced to provide labor on some kind of state-sponsored project.

coerced labor

Labor (work) that is forced- workers do not get a choice and do not get paid for their work.

Grand Canal

Manmade waterway in China that connected cities in the north to agricultural fields in the south

Shintoism (Shinto)

Native Japanese animistic religion which focuses on spirits in nature (known as kami)

Jurchen (Jin Empire)

Pastoralists from lands northeast of China (Manchuria) who invaded the northern Song Dynasty, establishing their own state and forcing the Song Dynasty to move south.

vassal state

Term for a state with less power/influence under the control and/or influence of a more powerful, more established state

champa rice

Fast-ripening strain of rice from Vietnam which diffused into China during the Song Dynasty, resulting in rapid population growth

artisanal labor

Term for specialized workers who produced some kind of handcrafted good for market (to be exported)- this could include blacksmiths and other artisans.

Golden Age of China

A cultural height in Chinese history spanning the Tang and Song dynasties; this featured a growing population, a flourishing economy, several important technological advances, and a large focus on art and literature.

bureaucracy

Term for the people that carry out the work of the state, including collecting taxes, administering licenses, etc.

foot binding

Practice emerging in the Song Dynasty which physically transformed young girls' feet to make them appear smaller; this painful process represented a tightened patriarchy in China.

scholar-gentry

Term for the bureaucracy that carried out the work of China's government; these were wealthy landowning men who had extensive knowledge of Confucianism.

terracing (terrace farming)

Agricultural practice where a series of platforms (steps) are established along the slopes of hills or mountains to make the land conducive to farming and to avoid the loss of crops and nutrients from runoff.

kowtow

Ceremonial bowing that outsiders were expected to perform when presented in front of the Chinese state; this reinforced the inferior position of outsiders and the dominant position of China.

export economy

An economy focused on mass producing goods for market to be sold to distant societies

Chinese Tributary System

The format of conducting diplomatic and trade relations with China, where outsiders were expected to provide tribute (something of value or interest) and perform the kowtow; this reinforced China's dominant position.

commercialization

Term for the expansion of an economy to focus more on business and trade (also refers to the growth of business and the growth of trade volume)

Civil Service Examination System

Rigorous test used by the Chinese state which assessed young mens' knowledge of the teachings of Confucius to determine who was fit to work for the prestigious Chinese bureaucracy

Neoconfucianism

Movement within Confucian ideology originating during the Song Dynasty which centered on the teachings of Kong Fuzi but also incorporated some more spiritual aspects of Daoism and Buddhism.

filial piety

In Confucianism, the expectation that young people demonstrate respect for their elders.

Confucianism

Chinese philosophy centered on the teachings of Kong Fuzi, which emphasized relationships based on respect as well as good morals and education.

free peasant labor

Economic arrangement in which small farmers work their land and sell their own produce/goods to make a living. Peasants are free to decide what they produce, who they sell to, and for how much they sell it.

Song Dynasty

Post-Classical Chinese dynasty ruling from 960-1279 CE; this dynasty presided over the Golden Age of China and witnessed many technological innovations as well as a flourishing economy.

samurai

Japanese warriors who would protect the lands of the daimyo whom they served

monastery

A religious building (typically located in more remote locations) where monks and nuns reside

Bushido

The strict honor code followed by samurai in Japan

syncretism

term for the blending of things, typically cultural influences

daimyo

Wealthy, influential local lords in Japan who had significant local influence and clout, especially during times of decentralization (feudalism)

shogun

A military leader in Japan who would lead the central Japanese state (shogunate) during times of unification from 1185 CE-1868 CE

Pure Land Buddhism

Tradition within the Mahayana Branch of Buddhism that focuses on worship of the Amitabha Buddha, which may bring one to a "pure land" resembling salvation known as sukhavati (from which nirvana is more easily attained)

monastic life

An alternative lifestyle practiced by monks and nuns where they take strict vows of poverty and chastity to live in accordance with the teachings of their faith

Heian Period

A period of cultural flourishing in Japan from 794 CE-1185 CE featuring a flourishing of Japanese art, literature, and poetry

nuns

Women who practice a monastic lifestyle, where they take strict vows to live lives of poverty and chastity and focus on their faith in a communal arrangement

Chan Buddhism (Zen Buddhism)

Popular tradition within the Mahayana Branch of Buddhism emerging in China but spreading to Japan; this focuses largely on deep meditation

Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism

Branch of Buddhism popular in Tibet (also called Tibetan Buddhism); meaning "Thunderbolt Vehicle," this promotes the possibility of a "fast track" to enlightenment and also features spiritual leaders called lamas

Mahayana Buddhism

Branch of Buddhism popular in East Asia; meaning "Great Vehicle," this interpretation of Buddhism features more popular (group-oriented) practices and rituals, more divine notions (including heaven/hell, deities, etc)

monks

Men who practice a monastic lifestyle, where they take strict vows to live lives of poverty and chastity and focus on their faith in a communal arrangement

Bodhisattvas

Semi-enlightened beings who postpone their own nirvana to help others on the path to enlightenment; these are acknowledged in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism

Umma

Term for "the community of believers" in Islam (the Islamic community)

Islam

Major monotheistic religion emerging in the 7th century CE in Arabia with the revelation of the Prophet Muhammad; this religion spread rapidly across North Africa, Southwest Asia, and beyond.

Muhammad

The prophet (messenger) of the Islamic faith; his revelation in the 7th century CE began the Islamic religion

Hajj

Spiritual pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims are expected to take at least once in their lives if they are able to do so

Five Pillars of Faith

The core beliefs and practices of the Islamic faith

Quran

The holy text of Islam (written in Arabic)