APWH Unit 1-2-3 Vocab

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Abbasid Caliphate

Islamic dynasty; rules from 750 to 1258 AD. Founded by Abu al- Abbas al- Saffah. The empire stretched from Spain to Central Asia.

Byzantie Empire

Medieval state, centered in Constantinople, that arose after the division of the Roman Empire. It was a significant cultural and political power in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean from 330 to 1453 AD.

Mali Empire

A powerful West African empire from the 13th to 16th centuries, known for its wealth, trade in gold, and significant contributions to culture and education, particularly under the reign of Mansa Musa.

Mongol Empire

The largest contiguous empire in history, founded by Genghis Khan in the early 13th century, known for its military prowess and exceptional communication and trade networks across Eurasia.

Sultanate

A state or country ruled by a sultan, often characterized by Islamic governance and cultural influence.

Tributary System

A network of political and economic relationships where smaller states pay tribute to a dominant power in exchange for protection and legitimacy.

Feudalism

A social and economic system prevalent in medieval Europe, where land was held by lords in exchange for military service while peasants worked the land in return for protection and sustenance

Bureaucracy

Organizational system used to manage a government agency or institution.

Pax Mongolica

A period of peace characterized by stability, flourishing trade, and cultural exchange.

Ottoman Empire

A major Islamic empire, started 1299 and ended 1922. Founded by Osman 1, and stretched over Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Asia

Safavid Empire

Started in 1501, ended on 1736. Founded by Ismaill and stretched over all of Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, eastern Gerogia…

Mughal Empire

Started in 1526, ended 1857. Founded by Babur Muhammad and stretched over most of Indian and parts of Central Asia

Spanish Empire

Started in 1492 and ended in 1976. Founded by Queen Isabella 1 of Castle and King Ferdinand 2 of Aragon. It stretched over America, Europe, and the Pacific

Russian Empire

Started in 1721, ended in 1917. Founded by Peter the Great. It owned Eastern Europe, Northern Asia, and parts of North America

Gunpowder Empire

Started in 16th and 18th centuries. It refers to three powerful modern Muslim Empires, Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal.

Bureaucratic Empire

Government that rules over a large diverse territory using a system of appointed officials and administrators

Absolutism

Political system that lets a form of higher rank power that is unrestrained by all other institutions (Churches, legislatures, or social elites)

Silk Roads

Interconnected Network of trade routes aacross Eurasia. Things like Chinese Porcelain, paper, Indian spices, and Roman glassware were traded

Swahili Coast

East African coastline that connected that Indian Ocean to trade with other cities like Kilwa, Mombasa and Mogadishu

Indian Ocean Trade

Interconnected system of maritime trade routes and commerical connections of the Indian Ocean Trade linked Afria, ASia, and the Middle East

Trans- saharan Trade

Trade networks and commercial routes that crossed the Sahara Desert, connecting sub-Saharan African with North Africa and the mediterranean world.

Caravanserai

Roadside inn or fortified trading post that provided shelter and facilities for merchants and traders traveling along trade routes

Trade routes

A path or netork that facilitates the exchange of goods, services, and information between different regions or cultures

Disaporic Communities

Settlements of merchants living far from their homeland along trade routes where they kept their own cultural traditions while exchanging culture with locals (1200-1450)

Commercialization

Process of introducing a new product or production method, making it available on the market

Urbanization

Process in which the population of cities increase as people from rural areas relocate

Cultural Exchange

Process which societies in contact share ideass, beliefs, technologies, practices, and goods

Diffusion

Spread of cultual traditions, religion, technoogies, and knowledge from one society to another

Syncretism

Fusion of different cultural religious or philosophical traditions to create a new belief system

Confucianism

Chinese ethical and political philosophy based on Confucius teachings on hirearchy, filial piety, and merit

Neo- Confucianism

Song Dynasty Philosophy that continued Confucian ethics while using Buddhist and Daoist ideas about the self and the cosmos

Buddhism

Belief system founded by Siddhartha Gautama in South Asia that teachers a path to enlightment through ending attachment and suffering

Hinduism

Belief system centered on dharma (duty), Karma (consequences of action), and moksha (liberation from birth)

Shinto

Belief system revolving around worshipping Kami, Spirits, or Deities associated with natural elements, ancestors

Eastern Orthodox Christianity

Branch of Christianity that developed in the Eastern Roman Empire. Comprises of self-governing churches united by shared doctrine, liturgy, and history.

Roman Catholic Church

Branch of Christianity that dominated political social and religious life in Western Europe. (1200-1750)

Dar al-Islam

The Islamic world or the lands under Islamic rule and cultural influence

Caliph

Successors of Muhammad that were political and religious leaders of the Islamic community

Sunni

Largest branch of Islam, which holds that leadership after Muhammad could pass to any qualified successor

Shi’a

Branch of Islam that believes Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son in law, was the prophat’s rightful successor, with religious authority passing through lmams

Sikhism

Monotheistic religion of syncretic belief system that developed from the cultural interactions between Hinduism and Islam

Protestanism

One of the major branches of Christianity. Emphasizes the relationship between the indivual and god.

Protestant Reformation(16th century)

Religious movement formed by Martin Luther’s Ninety- Five Theses which created new Protestant denominations

Catholic Reformation (1500s-1600)

Roman Catholic Church’s internal reform movement that responded to the Protestant Reformation by ending corrupt practices, affirming doctrine at the Council of Trent, and launching missionary efforts that spread Christianity globally

Religious Toleration

Policy of allowing citizens or conquered peoples to practice miniority religions ithout persecution or forced conversion

Divine Right

Political- religious doctrine that a monarchs authority comes directly from god rather than from any earthly source, used by rulers of land-based empires

Lanteen Sail

Triangulary sail mounted at an angle to the mast that allows ship to sail against wind

Junk Ship

Large, highly durable Chinese sailing vessel developed during the Han and Song dynasties

Compass

Magnetic navigational instrument developed in Song China that let sailors find direction without landmarks or clear skies

Camel Saddle

Riding and cargo frames that let merchants travel and haul goods across the Sahara

Paper Money

Currency issued in paper form rather than precious metals

Flying Cash

System of paper-based credit developed during the Tang Dynasty in China

Monsoons Winds

Predictable seasonal winds over the indian Ocean that blow towards Asia in summer and away in winter

Gunpowder

Chemical explosive composed of Sulfur, Charcoal, and Saltpeter

Chiggis Khan

Founder of the Mongol Empire, united the Mongolian tribes in the early 13th century and built the world’s largest contiguous land empire

Khan

Supreme ruler or king in the Mongol and Turkic Empires

Marco Polo

Venetian Merchant who traveled the Silk Roads to Yuan China in the late 1200s

Ibn Battuta

14th century morroccan Muslim Scholar who traveled over 75,000 miles across Dar al- Islam and beyond

Zheng He

Ming Dyanasty admiral who led seven massive treasure fleets across the Indian Ocean to over 30 countries

Suleiman the Magnificent

Tenth Ottoman sultan who expanded the empire to its territorial peak and earned the title ‘ the lawgiver’ for sweeping elgal reforms

Shah Abbas

Safavid ruler who centralized Persia by replacing Qizilbash tribal warriors with loyal slave soldiers, promoting Twelver Shi'a Islam, building monumental Isfahan, and boosting the silk and carpet trade, the peak of Safavid power.

Akbar

Third Mughal emperor (r. 1556-1605) who expanded and consolidated Mughal rule over India by promoting religious tolerance, abolishing the jizya tax on non-Muslims, and incorporating Hindus into government, making him a model of imperial legitimization in AP World Unit 3.

Martin Luther

German thedogian. Published his Ninety- Five Thesis in 1517

Ivan the Terrible

Was the first ruler crowned Tsar of Russia (r. 1547-1584), who expanded Russian territory, crushed noble power through the oprichnina, and used Russian Orthodox Christianity to legitimize autocratic rule, making Russia a classic AP World land-based empire.

Peter the Great

The Russian tsar (r. 1682-1725) who forcibly westernized Russia by modernizing the military, building a service-based bureaucracy, and founding St. Petersburg, making him a classic AP World example of how land-based empire rulers consolidated and legitimized power (Topic 3.2).

Scholar Gentry

Educated elite in imperial China, especially under the Ming and Qing , who passed civil service exams and served as local leaders

Serfdom

Labor system where peasants are tied to a specific piece of land and can’t legally leave it

Samuri

Military nobility of feudal Japan. Served regional daimyo lords under a code of loyalty (bushido)

Merhcnat Class

Group of people whose money and status came from buying and selling, not from owning land or holding a noble title

Black Death

Outbreak of buboric plague that stretched across Afro Eurasia in the mid 1300s. Killed 25-30 million people