AP World Vocab

Buddhism

Religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama in India; teaches the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path to achieve enlightenment (nirvana) and escape suffering.

Christianity

Monotheistic religion based on teachings of Jesus Christ; emphasizes salvation, love, and forgiveness; spread widely through Europe.

Confucianism

Chinese philosophy created by Confucius; stresses social order, respect for authority, filial piety, and education.

Hinduism

Diverse polytheistic religion from India; includes beliefs in karma (actions), dharma (duty), and samsara (reincarnation cycle).

Islam

Monotheistic religion founded by Prophet Muhammad; followers worship Allah and follow the Five Pillars of Islam; holy book is the Quran.

Judaism

One of the oldest monotheistic religions; based on covenant between God and the Hebrews; sacred text is the Torah.

Abbasid Dynasty

 Islamic caliphate (750–1258) centered in Baghdad; known for cultural achievements and trade networks.

House of Wisdom

Intellectual center in Baghdad where scholars preserved and translated Greek, Roman, and Indian knowledge.

Mamluks

Military slaves who seized power in Egypt and successfully defended against Mongols and Crusaders.

Middle Ages

Period in Europe (c. 500–1500) marked by feudalism, decentralized power, and strong influence of the Catholic Church.

Feudalism

Political system where kings granted land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military service.

Nobles

Wealthy landowners in feudal society who provided protection and governance.

Manors

Agricultural estates that were self-sufficient; economic centers of feudal life.

Three-field system

Farming method rotating crops to increase productivity and reduce soil exhaustion.

Code of chivalry

Ethical code followed by knights emphasizing bravery, honor, and respect for women and the Church.

Serfs

Peasants legally bound to the land; worked for nobles in exchange for protection.

English Parliament

Representative assembly that gradually gained power to limit the monarchy in England.

Magna Carta

1215 document that limited the king’s power and established rule of law in England.

Joan of Arc

French peasant girl who led troops during the Hundred Years’ War; became a national hero.

Hundred Years’ War

 Long conflict (1337–1453) between England and France that strengthened national identities.

Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand

Catholic monarchs who unified Spain, completed the Reconquista, and funded Columbus.

Spanish Inquisition

Religious court that punished heresy and enforced Catholic orthodoxy in Spain.

Tatars

Mongol group that ruled over Russia and demanded tribute.

Ivan III

Russian ruler who overthrew Mongol control and centralized power in Moscow.

Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV)

First tsar of Russia; expanded territory but ruled with violence and oppression.

Foot binding

Chinese practice of tightly wrapping girls’ feet to make them small, symbolizing beauty and status.

Shogun

Military dictator who held real power in Japan.

Daimyo

Powerful feudal lords in Japan who controlled land and samurai armies.

Code of Bushido

Samurai code stressing loyalty, honor, discipline, and sacrifice.

Delhi Sultanate

Muslim state in northern India that introduced Islam and centralized rule.

Khmer Empire

Southeast Asian empire known for advanced engineering and monumental architecture.

Angkor Wat

Massive temple complex in Cambodia, originally Hindu and later Buddhist.

Hausa

West African city-states that thrived on trade (gold, salt, slaves).

Aztec Empire

Powerful Mesoamerican civilization centered in Tenochtitlán; known for tribute system and human sacrifice.

Inca Empire

Large Andean empire with advanced road systems and terrace farming; ruled by a centralized emperor.

Gothic architecture

European style featuring pointed arches, flying buttresses, and large stained-glass windows.

Crusades

Series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims over control of Jerusalem.

Inquisition

Church institutions used to identify and punish heresy.

Thomas Aquinas

Scholar who combined Christian theology with Aristotelian philosophy.

Genghis Khan

Founder of the Mongol Empire; united tribes and created a powerful military.

Mongol Empire

Largest contiguous land empire; promoted trade and cultural exchange (Pax Mongolica).

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis Khan; ruled China and established the Yuan Dynasty.

Mali

Wealthy West African empire built on gold and trans-Saharan trade.

Mansa Musa

Famous ruler of Mali; known for wealth and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Songhai

West African empire that succeeded Mali; controlled key trade routes.

Movable type

Printing innovation from China that allowed mass production of texts.

Bubonic Plague

Deadly disease spread by fleas; killed millions in Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

Indian Ocean Trade

Extensive maritime trade network connecting East Africa, the Middle East, India, and Asia.

Kashgar/Samarkand

Key Silk Road cities that facilitated trade between East and West.

Marco Polo

Venetian traveler who described his experiences in Yuan China.

Ibn Battuta

Muslim traveler who journeyed across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Humanism

Renaissance intellectual movement emphasizing human potential and classical learning.

Johannes Gutenberg

Invented the printing press, enabling spread of ideas.

Protestant Reformation

Religious movement challenging Catholic Church authority.

Indulgences

Payments to reduce punishment for sins.

Martin Luther

Monk who criticized Church practices; began Reformation with 95 Theses.

Pope Leo X

Pope who sold indulgences to fund projects like St. Peter’s Basilica.

Lutherans

Followers of Martin Luther’s teachings.

Calvinism

Protestant belief system emphasizing predestination.

King Henry VIII

English king who broke from Catholic Church to form Church of England.

Catholic Reformation

Church reforms to address corruption and stop Protestant spread.

Jesuits

Catholic missionary group focused on education and conversion.

Council of Trent

Meeting that clarified Catholic doctrine and reformed practices.

Nicolaus Copernicus

Proposed sun-centered solar system.

Galileo Galilei

Supported heliocentrism using telescope observations.

Francis Bacon

Developed scientific method based on experimentation.

Johannes Kepler

Discovered laws of planetary motion.

Isaac Newton

Formulated laws of motion and universal gravitation.

Deism

Enlightenment belief in a rational God who does not intervene in human affairs.

Act of Supremacy

Law making English monarch head of Church of England.

Glorious Revolution

Bloodless overthrow of James II; strengthened Parliament.

English Bill of Rights

Limited monarch power and protected rights of citizens.

Louis XIV

Absolute ruler of France; centralized power and built Versailles.

Thirty Years’ War

Devastating European religious conflict. Protestants vs Catholics (Holy Roman Empire) → No clear winner; Protestants gain rights

Peace of Westphalia

Ended war; established sovereignty of states.

Boyars

Russian nobility.

Cossacks

Independent warriors in Russian frontier regions.

Time of Troubles

Period of instability in Russia after Ivan IV.

Michael Romanov

First tsar of Romanov dynasty.

Peter the Great

Modernized Russia using Western ideas.

Catherine the Great

Expanded Russian territory and embraced Enlightenment ideas.

Janissaries

Elite Ottoman infantry loyal to the sultan.

Selim I / Suleiman I

Ottoman rulers; Suleiman expanded empire and legal system.

Babur

Founder of Mughal Empire in India.

Akbar

Promoted religious tolerance and strong administration.

Shah Jahan

Built Taj Mahal.

Aurangzeb

Expanded empire but enforced strict Islamic policies.

Asante

Powerful West African state controlling gold trade.

Kongo

Central African kingdom interacting with Portuguese.

Queen Nzinga

African ruler who resisted European colonization.

Zheng He

Chinese admiral who led voyages across Indian Ocean.

Manchus

Conquered China and established Qing Dynasty.

Tokugawa Shogunate

Japanese military government that maintained stability.

National Seclusion Policy

Japan’s isolation from foreign influence.

Prince Henry the Navigator

Sponsored Portuguese exploration.

Vasco da Gama

First European to reach India by sea.

Christopher Columbus

Opened Americas to European exploration.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Divided New World between Spain and Portugal.

Ferdinand Magellan

Led expedition that circumnavigated the globe.

Astrolabe

Navigation tool using stars.