AP World History Unit 1

filial piety

a Confucian principle emphasizing respect for one's elders and ancestors, central to Chinese family structure and social order.

Confucianism

A philosophical and ethical system based on the teachings of Confucius, focusing on morality, proper social relationships, and justice.

Neo- Confucianism

A revival of Confucian thought during the Song dynasty that incorporated Buddhist and Daoist elements, emphasizing metaphysics and the integration of moral philosophy. (Backlash against Buddhism)

Patriarchal Society

A social system in which men hold primary power, dominating roles in political leadership, moral authority, social privilege, and control of property.

Champa rice

A fast-maturing, drought resistant rice variety from the Champa region in Vietnam, which allowed for two harvests per year and significantly increased agricultural productivity. Caused massive population growth. This rice variety contributed to food security and supported the economic expansion of various East Asian societies.

The Grand Canal

A vast waterway system in China that was expanded during the Sui dynasty, connecting major rivers and facilitating trade, transportation, and agricultural productivity across the empire. The Grand Canal is the longest artificial river in the world, enhancing connectivity and cultural exchange between northern and southern China.

Porcelain

a highly durable, translucent ceramic, originating in China (Tang/Song Dynasties) and becoming a major global luxury export. It symbolized wealth, technological superiority, and facilitated cross-cultural exchange, driving trade networks (Silk Road, Indian Ocean) and influencing European ceramic techniques.

Abbasid Caliphate

The third Islamic caliphate, succeeding the Umayyads and shifting the center of power to Baghdad. As a key unit in AP World History (Dar al-Islam), it is defined by the “Islamic Golden Age” featuring a currant from government, cultural flourishing, trade expansion, and the synthesis of Arab and Persian traditions.

Seljuk Turks

(11th–13th centuries) were a nomadic, Sunni Muslim, Oghuz Turkic dynasty that conquered Persia and the Abbasid Caliphate, establishing a massive empire across the Middle East. They brought Turkish military strength into the Islamic world, defeated the Byzantine Empire (Manzikert, 1071), and triggered the Crusades, acting as a pivotal force in bridging Central Asia, Persia, and Anatolia.

Greek Rationalism

(c. 600–300 BC) was a transformative intellectual shift in Ancient Greece that prioritized logic, reason, and imputable observation over mythology and religious dogma to understand the natural world. Key thinkers like Thales, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle sought, using logical deduction, to explain the universe through universal principles.

Dar al- Islam

the regions where Islam is the dominant faith and where Islamic law prevails. It encompasses a vast area historically characterized by cultural and religious flourishing, including the advancements seen during the Islamic Golden Age under caliphates such as the Abbasids.

Sufism

a mystical Islamic belief system that emphasizes the inward search for God and the spiritual journey towards divine love and knowledge. Sufis seek to achieve a personal and intimate connection with the divine through practices such as meditation, chanting (dhikr), and poetry. It has played a significant role in the spread of Islam and has influenced various cultural and artistic expressions within the Islamic world.

Monasticism

A religious way of life characterized by the renunciation of worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work, often involving a communal life in a monastery, strict adherence to vows, and dedicated practices such as prayer, meditation, and asceticism.

Srivijaya Empire

A powerful maritime and commercial kingdom that flourished between the 7th and 13th centuries in Southeast Asia, centered on the island of Sumatra. It played a crucial role in trade, cultural exchange, and the spread of Buddhism in the region, acting as a hub for maritime trade routes between China and India.

The Aztecs

a Mesoamerican culture that emerged in the 14th century in present-day Mexico. They established a powerful empire characterized by a complex social structure, advanced agricultural practices, and impressive architectural achievements, including the construction of the capital city, Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs are known for their rich mythology, religious practices that included human sacrifice, and their influence on subsequent cultures in the region. (***Chinampas)

Chinampas

highly productive "floating gardens" or artificial islands created by the Aztecs in the shallow lakebeds of the Valley of Mexico (specifically Lake Texcoco) to maximize agriculture. These raised beds, built from mud and aquatic vegetation, enabled year-round, intensive farming, supporting large populations like Tenochtitlan.

Inca

a powerful civilization that thrived in the Andes Mountains of South America from the early 15th century until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. They are known for their advanced engineering, agricultural practices, and vast empire, which connected various regions across modern-day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile.

Swahili City States

independent, prosperous trading centers along the East African coast that thrived by acting as middlemen in the Indian Ocean trade network. They merged Bantu-speaking cultures with Islam and Arabic influences, connecting African interior resources—like gold, ivory, and slaves—to markets in Arabia, Persia, and India.

Feudalism

a decentralized political and social system prevalent in Western Europe (and Japan) from 1200- 1450, characterized by a, rigid hierarchy where lords granted land (fiefs) to vassals in exchange for loyalty, military service, and labor.

Manorialism

the economic and social backbone of medieval Europe (1200-1450) characterized by self sufficient agricultural estates (manors) managed by a lord and worked by land-bound serfs. Serfs traded labor and crops for protection and the right to farm small plots, creating a, reciprocal, local, and, largely non-monetary, closed economy. 

Serfdom

a labor system in medieval Europe and Russia where peasants (serfs) were legally bound to a lord's land, or manor, providing mandatory labor in exchange for protection and a small plot of land. Unlike slaves, serfs were not chattel property, but they could not leave, marry, or sell land without the lord's permission. 

Ming Dynasty

(1368–1644) was the ruling Han Chinese dynasty that followed the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty, known for restoring traditional Chinese culture, strengthening centralized bureaucratic rule, and establishing massive economic expansion. It is defined by its Confucian-based civil service exam, construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the voyages of Zheng He. 

Heian Japan

(794–1185) A period characterized by a flourishing of Japanese culture (literature like The Tale of Genji) and a highly refined court society. Politically, it saw the decline of central imperial power as local noble families and samurai began to rise, leading to feudalism.

Scholar Official

Highly educated government administrators in China who earned their positions by passing the Civil Service Exam. This system, rooted in Confucianism, ensured a meritocratic bureaucracy and provided social mobility during the Song Dynasty.

Theravada Buddhism

The "Way of the Elders"; the oldest surviving branch of Buddhism. It focuses on personal spiritual growth through silent meditation and self-discipline. It remained strongest in Southeast Asia (Sri Lanka, Thailand).

Mahayana Buddhism

A more "accessible" version of Buddhism that incorporates deities and Bodhisattvas (enlightened beings who stay to help others). It spread widely into East Asia (China, Korea, Japan) because it could adapt to local customs.

Tibetan Buddhism

A branch of Mahayana that incorporates local spiritual traditions and emphasizes rituals, mantras, and the guidance of Lamas. It is distinct for its focus on the "Vajrayana" or Diamond Vehicle path to enlightenment.

Chinese Blast Furnace

A technological innovation during the Song Dynasty that allowed for the mass production of high-quality iron and steel. This fueled the "proto-industrial" revolution, aiding in the creation of better farm tools and weapons.

Debt Slavery

A labor system in Song China where individuals were forced into servitude to pay off financial obligations. It highlights the economic complexities and social stratification of the highly commercialized Song economy.

Delhi Sultanate

(1206–1526) A series of Muslim dynasties that ruled Northern India. It introduced Islam to the region, creating a period of cultural blending (and conflict) between Islamic law and Hindu traditions.

Mamluk Sultanate

A political state in Egypt established by Mamluks ( Turkic military slaves). They defeated the Mongols and maintained a powerful presence in the Mediterranean until the Ottoman conquest, showcasing the power of "slave soldiers."

House of Wisdom

A major intellectual center in Abbasid Baghdad. It served as a library and translation institute where Greek, Indian, and Persian texts were translated into Arabic, preserving global knowledge during the Islamic Golden Age.

Nasir al-Din al-Tusi

A Persian polymath and one of the greatest scholars of the Islamic Golden Age. He made massive advancements in trigonometry and astronomy, providing models that later influenced Copernicus.

‘Aishah al-Ba’uniyyah

A female Sufi poet and mystic. Her works represent the importance of Sufism (the mystical path of Islam) and demonstrate that women could achieve high levels of intellectual and spiritual recognition.

Christendom

The collective term for the parts of the world where Christianity was the dominant cultural and political force (primarily Europe). It reflects the unifying power of the Church during the Middle Ages.

Bhakti Movement

A Hindu devotional movement that emphasized a personal, emotional bond with a specific deity. Like Sufism in Islam, it challenged traditional caste hierarchies by preaching that anyone could achieve salvation through love.

Khmer Empire

(802–1431) A powerful Hindu-Buddhist state in Southeast Asia (modern Cambodia). Known for its architectural mastery (e.g., Angkor Wat) and its sophisticated irrigation systems that supported a massive population.

Mayan Empire

(Classic Period: 250–900 CE) A civilization in Mesoamerica known for its advanced writing system, mathematics (concept of zero), and city-states. Note: They were not a single unified empire but a collection of competing kingdoms.

Cahokia

The largest city of the Mississippian culture (modern-day Illinois). It was a major trading hub known for its massive man-made earthen mounds, proving the existence of complex social structures in pre-contact North America.

Mesa Verde

Located in the American Southwest, this site features multi-story "cliff dwellings" built by the Ancestral Puebloans. It reflects adaptation to an arid environment through masonry and dry farming.

Mexica

The indigenous people (often called Aztecs) who founded Tenochtitlan. They built a massive empire in central Mexico based on a tribute system, advanced agriculture (chinampas), and military conquest.

Teotihuacan

A massive pre-Aztec city in the Valley of Mexico (peaked c. 450 CE). Known for the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, its urban planning and religious influence laid the groundwork for later civilizations like the Toltecs and Mexica.

Moctezuma II

The last fully independent ruler of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire. His reign saw the first contact with Europeans, and his eventual capture by Hernán Cortés led to the collapse of the empire.

Hausa Kingdoms

A collection of city-states in West Africa (modern Nigeria) that became wealthy through the Trans-Saharan trade. They eventually converted to Islam, which connected them to the wider Mediterranean world.

Great Zimbabwe

A powerful state in Southern Africa known for its massive stone walls and towers. It served as a hub for the gold trade, connecting the African interior to the Indian Ocean trade network.

Ethiopian Empires

A unique Christian kingdom in East Africa. Because of its mountainous geography and religious identity, it remained a "Christian island" in a largely Islamic region.

Vijayanagara Empire

(1336–1646) A powerful Hindu empire in Southern India established by two brothers (Harihara and Bukka) who converted from Islam back to Hinduism. It served as a major barrier against Muslim conquests from the north and is a key example of Hindu state-building.

Rajput Kingdoms

A collection of Hindu clans in Northern India that maintained regional localized power. Because they were often led by a warrior class and lacked a centralized imperial structure, they were frequently at odds with one another, making them vulnerable to the Delhi Sultanate.

Majapahit

(1293–1527) A vast Buddhist kingdom based on the island of Java (modern Indonesia). It was a thalassocracy (maritime empire) that controlled vital sea lanes in the Indian Ocean trade network and grew wealthy by taxing trade passing through the region.

Sukhothai Kingdom

(1238–1438) An early kingdom in north-central Thailand that helped liberate the region from Khmer rule. It is significant for establishing Theravada Buddhism as the state religion and for creating the foundations of modern Thai culture and writing.

Sinhala Dynasties

The various Buddhist kingdoms on the island of Sri Lanka (such as Anuradhapura). These dynasties were centers of Buddhist study and are notable for their advanced hydraulic engineering (reservoirs and canals) used to support large-scale agriculture.