Chapter 2 & 3: World Civilizations and the Mongol Empire

Vocabulary and key concepts from the study of Islamic Civilization, Song China, Medieval Europe, the Byzantine Empire, African Trade, Pre-Columbian Americas, and the Mongol Empire.

Abbasid Caliphate

The ultimate authority for the Islamic faith that ruled during the Islamic Golden Age and became very prosperous.

Sufis

Muslim holy men who, along with merchants, spread the message of the Prophet Muhammad into Africa and Southeast Asia.

People of the Book

A term for Christians and Jews, referring to their shared connection to the Bible or the Torah.

Hindu-Arabic numbering system

A mathematical system revolutionary for commerce and science that became a global standard due to its simplicity.

Confucianism

A philosophy that influenced virtually all aspects of Chinese human behavior, including government, daily obligations, and social hierarchy.

Civil service exams

Very difficult tests that were a requirement to become a scholar-official in Song China.

Scholar-gentry class

Well-educated people from well-educated families in China who rose through merit rather than birth.

Feudal system

The military and social organization of medieval Europe structured as: King $\rightarrow$ Lords $\rightarrow$ Knights $\rightarrow$ Serfs.

Chivalry

The codes of conduct followed by knights in medieval Europe.

Three-field agricultural system

An efficient farming method in medieval Europe that required less labor.

Latin Church

The church based in Rome that required priests to remain unmarried.

Orthodox Church

The church based in Constantinople that allowed its priests to marry.

Great Schism of $1054$

A major disagreement between the Latin Church and the Orthodox Church.

Mali and Ghana

The most prosperous West African kingdoms that dominated trade and built wealth through a blend of Islam and local culture.

Swahili Coast

A chain of wealthy East African port cities along the Indian Ocean that connected regional and international trade.

Bantu Migration

A significant movement that spread iron-working technology, farming, and Bantu languages across Africa.

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Aztec Empire.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim Moroccan traveler and scholar who documented daily life and customs in the foreign places he visited.

Genghis Khan

Born as Temüjin, he united the Mongol tribes and became the universal ruler in $1206$.

Yassa

A legal code created by Genghis Khan to maintain order, reduce internal conflict, and establish consistent rules.

Batu Khan

A grandson of Genghis Khan who led the invasion of Russia and Eastern Europe and established the Golden Horde.

Pax Mongolica

A period of relative peace and stability across Mongol-controlled territories that allowed trade and travel to flourish.

Yam system

A Mongol network of secure roads and relay stations that made travel easier across the empire.

Marco Polo

A Venetian merchant who journeyed to Mongol-ruled China and whose written accounts influenced European exploration.

Black Death

A devastating bubonic plague pandemic in the $14^{th}$ century that killed roughly a third of Europe's population.

Yuan Dynasty

The dynasty established by the Mongols in China, which integrated the region into the Eurasian trade network.

Kublai Khan

A Mongol leader who adopted Chinese administrative practices and ruled more as a traditional emperor than a nomadic conqueror.