Key Concepts in Governance, Economy, Laws, and Religions

This set of flashcards covers terms and concepts related to governance, economic events, social laws, and the origins and spread of religions, designed to aid in exam preparation.

Shogun

A military leader in Japan who ruled in place of the emperor.

Absolute Monarch

A king or queen who has unlimited power and seeks to control all aspects of society.

Divine Right

The doctrine that kings derive their authority from God.

Mandate of Heaven

The ancient Chinese belief that emperors are granted the right to rule by heaven.

Dynastic Cycles

The pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties in China.

Caliphate

An Islamic state led by a caliph, considered a political and religious leader.

Feudalism

A political system where land is exchanged for military service.

Bushido

The code of honor and moral principles used by the samurai.

Pope

The Bishop of Rome and the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Chivalry

The medieval knightly system with its moral, social, and religious codes.

Sultanate/Sultan

A Muslim sovereign or ruler.

Caste System

A hierarchical social structure prevalent in India.

Confucianism

A system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius.

Patriarchy

A social system where men hold primary power.

Bureaucracy

A system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials.

Communism

A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society and collective ownership.

Socialism

An ideology advocating for social ownership and democratic control of the means of production.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private ownership and free market principles.

Fascism

A far-right authoritarian ultranationalist political ideology.

Tsar/Czar

An emperor of Russia before 1917.

Ulama

A body of Muslim scholars who are recognized as having specialist knowledge of Islamic sacred law.

City-States

Independent sovereign cities that have their own governments.

Parliament

A legislative body of government.

Republic

A form of government in which the country is considered a 'public matter'.

Theocracy

A system of government in which priests rule in the name of God.

Shogun/Shogunate

The historical military power structure in Japan.

Emergence of Mediterranean Sea Trading

A significant period of trade development in ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean.

Emergence of the Silk Roads

A network of trade routes connecting the East and West.

Emergence of Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

Trade routes connecting sub-Saharan Africa with North Africa.

Emergence of Trans Atlantic Trading

The establishment of trade across the Atlantic Ocean primarily for the slave trade.

Creation of the Chinese Grand Canal

The construction of a major waterway system in China.

Creation of the Suez Canal

A man-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

Creation of the Panama Canal

A waterway across the Isthmus of Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The African slave trade/migration

The transatlantic forced migration of Africans to the Americas.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread exchange of goods, ideas, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World after Columbus's voyages.

Great Depression

A severe worldwide economic depression in the 1930s.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

A fundamental document of the French Revolution that outlines individual and collective rights.

Declaration of Independence

The statement adopted by the Continental Congress declaring the independence of the colonies from Great Britain.

Haitian Constitution

The constitution that established Haiti as a sovereign nation following the Haitian Revolution.

Justinian's Code

The collection of fundamental works in jurisprudence issued during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

Bushido

The way of the warrior; a code emphasizing loyalty, honor, and personal courage.

Chivalry

The code of conduct associated with the medieval institution of knighthood.

Caste System

A traditional Hindu social hierarchy.

Sharia Law

Islamic law derived from the Quran and the Hadith.

Confucianism

An ethical and philosophical system based on the teachings of Confucius.

Black Death (Bubonic Plague)

A devastating global epidemic that struck Europe in the mid-14th century.

Smallpox

An infectious disease that was a significant cause of global mortality before its eradication.

Cholera

A waterborne disease that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.

Measles

A highly contagious viral infection that causes a distinctive skin rash.

Spanish Flu

An influenza pandemic that spread globally in 1918-1919.

European Colonists

Settlers or immigrants from Europe who established colonies in the Americas.

Bantu people

A diverse group of African ethnicities speaking Bantu languages, known for their migrations across Africa.

Aryan people

Indo-European-speaking peoples who invaded and settled in ancient India.

Jews

Members of the Jewish people, historically subjected to dispersion and persecution.

Enslaved Africans

Africans forced into slavery and transplantation to the Americas.

Indentured servants

Laborers under contract to work for a specific period in exchange for passage to the New World.

Mongols

Nomadic tribes from Central Asia that established one of the largest empires in history.

Origins of Judaism

The traditional historical account of the founding of Judaism, often attributed to Abraham.

Origins of Christianity

The history of the formation of Christianity, beginning with the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

Origins of Islam

The historical development of Islam, starting with the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century.

Origins of Buddhism

The emergence of Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th century BCE.

Origins of Hinduism

A major religious tradition originating in the Indian subcontinent.

Origins of Sikhism

A monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region of India in the 15th century.

Spread of Buddhism to East Asia & SE Asia

The dissemination of Buddhism from India to East and Southeast Asia.

Spread of Christianity to Africa

The introduction and establishment of Christianity in Africa.

Spread of Islam to Africa

The establishment of Islamic faith and culture across the African continent.

Spread of Christianity to Americas

The introduction of Christian teachings and practices throughout the Americas.