Paleolithic
-period of the Stone Age associated with the evolution of humans
-1st
Neolithic
-period of the Stone Age associated with the ancient Agricultural Revolution(s)
-2nd
Agricultural (Neolithic) Revolution(s)
-the change from food fathering to food production -(8000-2000 BCE)
megalith
-structures and complexes of very large stones
-constructed for ceremonial and religious purposes
-Neolithic times
city-state
-a small independent state consisting of an urban center and the surrounding agricultural territory
-(Characteristic political form in early Mesopotamia, Archaic and Classical Greece, Phoenicia, and early Italy.)
Hammurabi
-Amorite ruler of Babylon (r. 1792-1750 BCE)
-conquered many city-states in S and N Mesopotamia
-best known for a code of laws, inscribed on a black stone pillar, illustrating the principles to be used in legal cases.
ziggurat
-a massive pyramidal stepped tower made of mudbricks
-associated with religious complexes in ancient Mesopotamian cities
-function unknown
cuneiform
-system of writing
-wedge-shaped symbols represent words or syllables
-originated in Mesopotamia
-used for Sumerian and Akkadian
-later adapted to represent other languages of W Asia
-literacy of this confined to small group of admins
papyrus
-reed that grows along banks of Nile
-from it produced a coarse paper-like writing medium
-for Egyptians and surrounding areas
hieroglyphics
-system of writing where picture symbols represent sounds, syllables, or concepts
-used for official and monumental inscriptions in ancient Egypt
-confined to small group of admins
loess
-light silt deposited by wind and water
-fertile soil of Yellow River Valley
-not compact, gives Yellow River color
divination
-techniques for ascertaining the future or the will of gods by interpreting natural phenomena
-China use cracks of oracle bones
-Greece use flight of birds through sky
Mandate of Heaven
-Chinese religious and political ideology
-developed by the Zhou
-chief deity grant power to ruler of China
-if ruler fail to do what best for people can be replaced
Legalism
-Chinese
-political philosophy that emphasize unruliness of human nature
-justified state state control
-Qin used to validate authoritative nature of regime
Confucius
-Kongzi
-doctrine of duty and public service influence Chinese thought and code of conduct for gov officials
-hierarchy and duty
Dao
-PATH OF NATURE
-Chinese school of thought by Laozi
-alternative to Confucian emphasis of hierarchy and duty
-world always changing
-accept world as they find it
yin/yang
-complementary factors help maintain equilibrium of world
-1st with female--dark passive qualities
-2nd with male--light active qualities
Akhenaten
-Egyptian pharaoh
-earliest instance of monotheism
-built new capital of Amarna
-impose worship of sun-disk (Aten- supress traditional gods)
-letters from under his rain preserve official correspondences
Minoan
-civilization of Aegean island of Crete
-people engaged in far-flung commerce in Med
-cultural influence on early Greeks
Israelites
-people of Israel
-freed from Egyptians by Moses
-40 years in desert
monotheism
-belief in existence of single divine entity
-Akhenaten and Yahweh
diaspora
-communities of given ethnic groups living outside their homeland
-means dispersal
-eg. Jews
Carthage
-city founded by Phoenicians about 800 BCE
-major commercial center and naval power in Med
-defeated by Rome
satrap
-governor of province in Persian Empire
-responsible for protection of province and forwarding tribute to central admin
-farther out = more freedom
Cyrus
-founder of Persian Empire
-conqueror
-Iran and subject people traditions
-Persians and Medes in admin
-respected institutions and beliefs of subject peoples
Zoroastrianism
-Iran religion with prophet Zoroaster
-single deity-- Ahuramazda
-ideas of heaven and hell, etc.
-influence Judaism, Christianity, more
polis
-Greek term for city0state
-urban center and agricultural territory under its control
-characteristic of Greek political organization
-some oligarchic and some democratic
hoplites
-heavily armed Greek infantry
-fight in close-packed formation
-middle and upper class, own equipment
-superior force
tyrant
-someone who seize and hold power in violation of normal procedure and tradition of community
-Greek
-take advantage of disaffection of middle class
-contribute advancement of democracy
Pericles
-aristocratic leader who guide Athens state from transformation to democracy for male citizens
-construct Acropolis
-expansions led to Peloponnesian War
trireme
-Greek and Phoenician warship
-sleek, light
-170 oars in 3 vertical tiers
-manned by skilled sailors
-short bursts of speed and complex maneuvers
Hellenistic Age
-time when Greek culture spread across W Asia and NE Africa
-conquests of Alexander the Great
Alexander
-king of Macedonia in N Greece
-conquer Persian Empire
-found many Greek-style cities
-spread Greek culture across Mid East
Roman Republic
-Period when Rome ruled by Roman Senate
-A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president
paterfamilias
-male head of houshold
latifundia
-large estates in ancient Rome
-purchase farmers who are in army's land and run it by slaves
-cash crops
-make Italy dependent on foreign grain
princeps
-term used for 'emperor' of Rome
-after Republic
-really an empire
-'first among equals'
Augustus
-name for Octavian
-found Roman Principate, military dictatorship
-defeat all rivals
-time of stability and prosperity
pax romana
-'Roman peace'
-refer to stability and prosperity of Roman Empire
-spread of culture, technology, and religion
aqueducts
-water carrying elevated or underground
-use gravity to carry water from source to location-- usually to city
-Romans use
Jesus
-Jew, reform Jewish beliefs and practices
-Executed as a revolutionary by Romans
-hailed as Messiah and son of God by followers
-central figure in Christianity-- developed after death
Constantine
-Roman emperor
-reunite Roman Empire, move capital to Constantinople and Christianity favored religion
Shi Huangdi
-founder of Qin dynasty and Chinese Empire
-ruthless conquests
-standardization of practices
-forcible organization of labor for military and engineering tasks
-terracotta warriors
gentry
-Chinese class of prosperous families
-next in wealth below rural aristocrats
-admin personnel
-privileged group and made gov more efficient and responsive
atman
-breath
-immortal essence separated from body at death
-reborn in another body
-Vedic belief
karma
-residue of deeds performed in past and present lives that adheres to a spirit and determines form it will assume in next life cycle
-India elite use to encourage acceptance of social position and duty
Vedas
-early Indian sacred knowledge
-religious texts passed down orally for a long time
-main source of info of Vedic period
jati
-smaller social classes within the larger varna castes
Brahmins
-Indian priest class (highest ranking)
moksha
-Hindu concept of spirit's liberation from endless cycle of rebirths
-achieved through discipline, meditation, and acts of devotion to gods
-spirit merge with divine force and animates of universe
Buddha
-Siddhartha Gautama
-Indian prince renounce wealth and social position
-become enlightened and spread beliefs through India and Asia
boddhisattva
-person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings
Ashoka
-Third ruler of Mauryan Empire in India
-convert to Buddhism and broadcast beliefs on stones and pillars -- earliest surviving Indian writing
theater-state
-state that acquires prestiege and power by developing attractive cultural forms and staging elaborate public ceremonies
-attract and bind subjects to the center
-eg. Gupta in India
Silk Road
-caravan routes connecting China and the Middle East across Central Asian and Iran
stirrup
-device for securing a horseman's feet
-enable to wield weapons better
-1st in N Afghanistan
savanna
-tropical or subtropical grassland
-treeless or clumps of trees
-extensive in sub-Saharan Africa,
Sahel
-belt south of Sahara
-"coastland" in arabic
Bantu
-name for group of sub-Saharan African languages and people who speak them
Shi'ites
-Muslims who believe God vests leadership of Islam community in Ali
-religion of Iran
Sunni
-Muslims who believe Islam community should select own leadership
-most common Islamic belief
Mecca
-city in W Arabia
-birthplace of Muhammad
-ritual center of Islamic religion
Muhammad
-Arab prophet
-founder of Islam
umma
-community of all Muslims
-against traditional Arabia -- usually held together by kinship
caliph
-chief Muslim leader of Islamic empire
-successor of Muhammad
Islam
-religion by prophet Muhammad
-based on his works compiled in Quran
-recognize one god, Allah
Muslim
-someone who follows Islam religion
-submits to will of God
Mamluks
-Turkic military slaves important to Islamic military system
-Abbasid Caliphate
-eventually found own state (Egypt and Syria)
ulama
-Muslim religious scholars
-work with Islamic law
Charlemagne
-emperor of Carolingian Empire
-encompasses all of Gaul, and parts of Germany and Italy
-illiterate but sponsor intellectual revival
medieval
-'middle age'
-Europe between 500-1500
-between Greco-Roman and Renaissance
schism
-formal split within religious community
-Christianity
manor
-medieval Europe
-large self-sufficient landholding
-consisting of lord's residence, outbuildings, peasant village, and surrounding land
serf
-medieval Europe
-agricultural laborer legally bound to a lord's property
-obligated to perform set services for lord
fief
-medieval Europe
-land granted in return for sworn oath to provide specific military service
vassal
-medieval Europe
-sworn supporter of king or lord committed to rendering specified military service to that king or lord
papacy
-central admin of Roman Catholic Church
-Pope is head of this
monasticism
-living in religious community away from secular society
-adhere to rule stipulating chastity, obedience, and poverty
-prominent in medieval Christianity and Buddhism
-primary literary centers
Crusades
-armed pilgrimages to Holy Land by Christians determined to recover Jerusalem from Muslim rule
-end to western Europe's isolation from intellect and culture
pilgrimage
-journey to sacred shrine by Christians
-seeking to show their piety, fulfill vows, or gain absolution for sins
-other religions too (Muslims to Mecca)
Li Shimin
-one of Tang founders, second emperor
-expanded empire into Central Asia
Grand Canal
-1100 mile waterway linking Yellow and Yangzi rivers
-begun during Han period and completed during Sui
tributary system
-in Han Empire
-countries in E and SE Asia not under direct control acknowledge superiority of Chinese emperors
-in exchange trading rights or strategic alliances
Uighurs
-Turkic-speakers who control own centralized empire in Mongolia and C Asia
junk
-large flatbottom sailing ship from Tang, Ming, and Song Empires
-designed for long-distance commercial travel
movable type
-type where each individual character is cast on separate piece of metal
-replaces woodblock printing
Fujiwara
-aristocratic family that dominated Japanese imperial court between 800-1100
Champa rice
-quick maturing rice can allow two harvests in one growing season
-from Champa to India and then China as tribute
chinampas
-raised fields constructed along lake shores in Mesoamerica to increase agricultural yields
khipu
-system of knotted colored cords used by preliterate Andean peoples to transmit information
ayllu
-Andean lineage group or kin-based community
mit'a
-Andean labor system based on shared obligations to help kinsmen and work on behalf of the ruler and religious organizations
Teotihuacan
-powerful city-state in central Mexico
Tenochtitlan
-capital of Aztec Empire
-Mexico City constructed on ruins
tribute system
-system where defeated peoples forced to pay a tax in form of goods and labor
-subsidized development of large cities
-Inca and Aztec important
Genghis Khan
-Temujin's title meaning oceanic or universal leader
-founder of Mongol Empire
Yuan Empire
-Chinese Mongol Empire by Khubilai Khan
Timur
-member of prominent Jagadai Khanate Mongol family
-control much of C Asia and Iran
-Mughal Empire in India
Golden Horde
-Mongol khanate founded by Batu
-S Russia and adopt Turkic language and Islam
Il-Khan
-khan based in Persiam founded by Hulegu
-control much of Iran and Iraq
tsar
-Russian title for monarch
-first used by Ivan III
lama
-Tibetan Buddhism teacher
Zheng He
-imperial eununch and Muslim
-Ming emperor Yongle send on voyages through Indian ocean to gain tributary states
Yongle
-Zhu Di, 3rd Ming emperor
-building of Forbidden City
-sponsor Zheng He voyages
-reopen China borders to travel and trade
bubonic plague
-bacterial disease of fleas transmitted to rodents and humans
-spread through Mongols
kamikaze
-'divine wind'
-Japanese credit with blowing Mongol invaders away form their shores
monsoon
-seasonal winds of Indian Ocean
-caused by changes in temperature between rapidly heating and cooling landmasses and slow changing ocean waters
-sailors use winds to ride for trade
Ibn Battuta
-Moroccan Muslim scholar
-most widely traveled individual of his time
-wrote of visits to Islamic lands
Delhi Sultanate
-centralized Indian empire of varying extent
-created by Muslim invaders
Mali
-empire created by indigenous Muslims in W Sudan of W Africa
-trans-Saharan gold trade
Mansa Musa
-ruler of Mali
-pilgrimage from Egypt to Mecca establish empire's reputation for wealth
dhow
-ship of small to moderate size
-used in W Indian Ocean
-triangular sail and sewn timber hull
Swahili Coast
-E African shores of the Indian Ocean
Timbuktu
-city of Niger River
-founded as seasonal camp by Tuareg
-part of Mali empire
-center for trans-Saharan trade & Islamic learning
Malacca
-port city in SE Asia
-trading center on Strait of Malacca