AP World History Midterm Vocabulary

members of the family Hominidae that contains humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans

period during which humans used tools of stone, bone, and wood and obtained food by gathering and hunting

a style of life in which people gain food by gathering plant products, trapping or catching small animals and birds, and hunting larger prey

period beginning in 9000 BCE during which humans obtained food by raising crops and animals and continued to use tools primarily of stone, bone, and wood

group of Homo erectus with brains as large as those of modern humans that flourished in Europe and Western Asia between 150,000 and 30,000 years ago

die-off of large animals in many parts of the world about 15,000-10,000 BCE, caused by climate change and perhaps human hunting

differentiation of tasks by gender, age, training, status, or other social distinctions

idea that animals, plants, natural occurrences, and other parts of the physical world have spirits

spiritually adept men and women who communicated with the unseen world

dramatic transformation in human history resulting from the change from foraging to raising crops and animals

plants and animals modified by selective breeding so as to serve human needs; domesticated animals will behave in specific ways and breed in captivity

crop raising done with had tools and human power

an economic system based on herding flocks of goats, sheep, cattle, or other animals

divisions between the rich and poor, elites and common people that have been a central feature of human society since the Neolithic era

social system in which men have more power and access to resources than women and some men are dominant over other men

temple in the form of a step-pyramid built in the center of a Mesopotamian city to honor the gods

wedge shaped writing system that developed in Sumeria, the first writing system in the world

narrations of the achievements and sometimes the failures of heroes that embody a people's or a nation's conception of its own past; first developed in ancient Sumeria

leader of religious and political life in the Old Kingdom, commanded the wealth, resources, and the people of Egypt

belief in many dieties

book that preserved Egyptians' ideas about death and the afterlife

Egyptian letters, including both ideograms and phonetic signs, written with a brush on papyrus sheets or walls

large family of languages that includes English, most of the languages of modern Europe, Greek, Latin, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, and Sanskrit, the sacred tongue of ancient India

people of the prosperous city states in what is now Lebanon who dominated trade throughout the Mediterranean and spread the letter alphabet

all powerful god of the Hebrew people and the basis for the enduring religious traditions of Judaism

religion based on the teachings of Zoroaster, who emphasized the individual's responsibility to choose between good and evil

first Indian civilization; also known as the Indus Valley civilization

dominant people in north India after the decline of the Indus Valley civilization; spoke an early form of Sanskrit

earliest form of Indian hymns, ritual texts, and philosophical treatises, it is the central source of information on early Aryans

priests of the Aryans; supported the growth of royal power in return for royal confirmation of their own religious rights, power, and status

Indian system of dividing society into hereditary groups whose members interacted primarily within the group, and especially married within the group

transmigration of souls by a continual process of rebirth

tally of good and bad deeds that determines the status of an individual's next life

the unchanging ultimate reality, according to the Upanishads

Buddha's message that pain and suffering are inescapable parts of life; suffering and anxiety are caused by human desires and attachments; people can understand and triumph over these weaknesses; and the triumph is made possible by following a simple code of conduct

code of conduct set forth by the Buddha in his first sermon, beginning with "right conduct" and ending with "right contemplation"

state of blissful nothingness and freedom from reincarnation

written teachings of the Buddha, first transcribed in the second or first century BCE

the "Great Vehicle," tradition of Buddhism that aspires to be more inclusive

Buddhas-to-be who stayed in the world after enlightenment to help others on the path to salvation

Sanskrit word for moral law, central to both Buddhist and Hindu teachings

codification of early Indian law that lays down family, caste, and commercial law

soil deposited by wind; fertile and easy to work

one of the Shang dynasty capitals from which the Shang kings ruled for more than two centuries

stylized animal face commonly seen in Chinese bronzes

system of writing in which each word is represented by a single symbol, such as the Chinese script

theory that Heaven gives the kings a mandate to rule only as long as he rules in the interest of the people

lower ranks of Chinese aristocracy; these men could serve in either military or civil capacities

period of Chinese history between 403 and 221 BCE when states fought each other and one state after another was destroyed

powerful mechanical bow developed in the Warring States Period

reverent attitude of children to their parents extolled by Confucius

ultimate Confucian virtue; translated as perfect goodness, benevolence, humanity, human-heartedness, and nobility

The Way, the whole natural order in Daoist philosophy. In Confucianism, it means the moral way

political theorists who emphasized the need for rigorous laws and laid the basis for China's later bureaucratic government

concept of complementary poles, one which represents the feminine, dark, and receptive, and the other masculine, bright, and assertive

one of the earliest Chinese books, containing documents, speeches, and historical accounts about early Zhou rule

earliest collection of Chinese poetry; it provides glimpses of what life was like in the early Zhou Dynasty

translated as "city-state," basic political and institutional unit of ancient Greece

heavily armed citizens who served as infantrymen and fought to defend the polis

type of Greek government in which all citizens administered the workings of the government

a type of Greek government in which a small group of wealthy citizens, not necessarily of aristocratic birth, rules

rule by one man who took over an existing government, generally by using his wealth to gain a political following

grand naval alliance created by the Athenians aimed at liberating Ionia from Persian rule

religious systems in the Hellenistic world that incorporated aspects of both Greek and Eastern religions; were characterized by secret doctrines, rituals of initiation, and the promise of an afterlife

Greek system of philosophy founded on the teachings of Epicurus that viewed a life of contentment, free from fear and suffering, as the greatest good

most popular of Hellenistic philosophies, considered nature an expression of divine will and held that people can be happy only when living in accordance with nature

primary executives in the Roman republic, elected for one-year terms, who commanded the army in battle, administered state business, and supervised financial affairs; originally the office was limited to patricians

freeing of individual slaves by their masters

Roman aristocracy; wealthy landowners who held political power

period of Roman security, order, harmony, flourishing culture, and expanding economy during the first and second centuries CE

common people of Rome, who had few of the patrician's advantages

from a Latin term meaning "of the country," used to describe non-Christian followers of the Greco-Roman gods

assembly that was the main institution of government in the Roman republic. Grew out of an earlier council of advisers to the king

Christian church official with jurisdiction over a certain area and the power to determine the correct interpretation of Christian teachings

oldest dominant male of the family, who held nearly absolute power over the lives of family members as long as he lived

religious practice or belief judged unacceptable by church officials

rammed earth fortification built along the northern border of China during the reign of the First Emperor

ancient texts recovered during the Han Dynasty that Confucian scholars treated as sacred scriptures

comprehensive history of China written by Sima Qian

trade routes through which Chinese silk and other items were traded

system first established during the Han Dynasty to regulate contact with foreign powers; states and tribes beyond its borders sent envoys bearing gifts and received gifts in return

castrated males who played an important role as palace servants

period after the fall of the Han Dynasty, when China was politically divided

canal, built during the Sui dynasty, that connected the Yellow and Yangzi Rivers, notable for strengthening China's internal cohesion and economic development

school of Buddhism (known in Japan as Zen) that rejected the authority of the sutras and claimed superiority of mind-to-mind transmission of Buddhist truths

The Way of the Gods, it was the native religion espoused by the Yamato rulers of Japan

Japan's capital and first true city; it was established in 710 and modeled on the Tang capital of Chang'an

sacred book of Islam

collections of the sayings and anecdotes about Muhammad

Arabic term meaning "trodden path," term refers to the deeds and sayings of Muhammad, which constitute the obligatory example for Muslim life

basic tenets of the Islamic faith; incled reciting a profession of faith in God and in Muhammad as God's prophet, praying five times daily, fasting and praying during the month of Ramadan, making a pilgrimage to Mecca one in one's lifetime, and contributing alms to the poor

community of people who share a religious faith and commitment rather than a tribal tie

unit of government

leader in community prayer

Arabic term meaning "supporters of Alli;" they make up one of the two main divisions of Islam

members of the larger of the two main divisions of Islam; the division between Sunnis and Shi'a began in a dispute about succession to Muhammad, but over time, many differences in theology developed

religious scholars whom Sunnis trust to interpret the Qur'an and the Sunna, the deeds and sayings of Muhammad

Arab governors who were given overall responsibility for public order, maintenance of the armed forces, and tax collection

Muslim law, which covers social, criminal, political, commercial, and religious matters

caliph's chief assistant

term meaning "protected peoples," included Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians

school for the study of Muslim law and religious science

Christians who adopted some Arabic customs but did not convert

nineteenth-century concept, tied to scientific racism, that a subgroup of the Caucasian race, the Hamites, brought superior technology and knowledge to Africa in the ancient past, now completely discredited

speakers of a Bantu language living south and east of the Congo River

African region surrounded by the Sahara, the Gulf of Guinea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the mountains of Ethiopia

North African peoples who controlled the caravan trade between the Mediterranean and the Sudan

Muslim port city in East Africa founded between the eighth and tenth centuries; today it is the capital of Somalia

African societies bound together by ethnic or blood ties rather than being political states

from the word for ruler, the name of a large and influential African kingdom inhabited by the Soninke people

city in which the king of Ghana held his court

originally a campsite for desert nomads, it grew into a thriving city under Mansa Musa, king of Mali, and Africa's most famous ruler

kingdom in northwestern Ethiopia that was a sizable trading site and the center of Christian culture

the East African coastal culture, named after a Bantu language whose vocabulary and poetic forms exhibit strong Arabic influences

most powerful city on the east coast of Africa by the late thirteenth century

ruined South African city discovered by a German explorer in 1871; it is considered the most powerful monument south of the Nile Valley and Ethiopian highlands

thory that Chinese dynasties go through a predictable cycle of early vigor and growth to subsequent decline as administrators become lax and the well-off find ways to avoid taxes, cutting off state revenues

tool developed in Song times to aid in navigation at sea; consisted of a magnetic needle that would point north that was placed in a small protective case

Chinese educated elite that included both scholars and officials Officials had gained office through civil service examinations; scholars had studied for the examinations but failed repeatedly

system of selecting officials based on competitive writing examinations

system of printing in which one piece of type is used for each unique letter

revival of confucian thinking that began the the eleventh century, characterized by the goal of attaining the wisdom of the sages, not exam success

woman who is a recognized spouse but of lower status than a wife

practice of binding the feet of girls with long strips of cloth to keep them from growing large

system in which an emperor retired to a Buddhist monastery but continued to exercise power by controlling his young son to the throne

Japanese literary masterpiece about court life written by Lady Murasaki

sect of Buddhism that maintains that the secrets of enlightenment have been secretly transmitted from the Buddha and can be accessed only through initiation

Japanese general-in-chief, whose headquarters was the shogunate

literally "the way of the warrior" conde of conduct by which the samurai were expected to live

a school of Buddhism that emphasized mediation and truths that could not be conveyed in words

item of personal property; term used in reference to enslaved people that conveys the idea that they are subhuman, like animals, and can be treated like animals

among the Senegambia, groups of men and women whom the society initiated into adulthood at the same time

the title of the king of Benin

settlement in the Western Sahara, the site of the main salt-mining center

along with the Moors, warriors who controlled the north-south trans-Saharan trade in salt

imported from the Maldives, served as the medium of exchange in West Africa

orthodox form of Christianity from Egypt and practiced in Ethipoia

East aFrican coastal culture named after a Bantu language whose vocabulary and poetic forms exhibit strong Arabic influences

African slave's voyage across the atlantic to the Americas, a long and treacherous journey during which slaves endured appalling and often deadly conditions

a collection or batch of British goods that would be traded for a slave of for a quantity of gold, ivory, or dyewood

process for trading goods in which european ships sent boats ashore or invited African dealers to bring slaves and traders out to the ships

ruling house of the Turkish empire that lasted form 1299 to 1922

region of modern Turkey

Arabic word originally used by the Seljuk Turks to mean authority or dominion; used by the Ottomans to connote political and military supremacy

caliph's chief assistan

process whereby the sultan's agents swept the provinces for Christian youths to become slaves

Turkish for recruits, formed the elite army corps

persian word for "king"

dynasty that encompassed all of Persia and other regions; its state religion was Shi'ism

Nomadic Sufi tribesmen who were loyal and supportive of the early Safavid state

term meaning "Mongol" used to refer to the Muslim empire of India, although its founders were primarily Turks, Afghans, and Persians

a poll tax on non-Muslims

term first used by the British for their trading post at the Surat that was later applied to all European walled settlements in India

native Indian troops who were trained as infantrymen

Chinese dynasty that marked a period of agricultural reconstruction, foreign expeditions, commercial expansion, and a vibrant urban culture

highly competitive series of tests held at the prefecture, province, and capital levels to select men to become officials

dynasty founded by the Manchus

units of the Qing army, composed of the soldiers, their families, and slaves

a type of Japanese theater in which performers convey emotions and ideas as much through gestures, stances, and dress and through words

regional lords in Japan who built their power by seizing what they needed and promoting irrigation and trade to raise revenues

Japanese government founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu. also called the edo period because the shogunate was located at Edo

arrangement in which lords lived in Edo every other year and left their wives and sons there as hostages

popular form of Japanese drama that brings together dialogue, dance, and music to tell stories. actors would wear colorful costumes and dramatic makeup

ritual of kneeling on both knees and bowing one's head to the ground performed by children to their parents and by subjects to the Chinese ruler

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