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| 12060173776 | Paleolithic Age | the Old Stone Age ending in 12,000 BCE; typified by use of crude stone tools and hunting and gathering for substance | 0 | |
| 12060203115 | Neolithic Revolution | The succession of technological innovations and changes in human organization that led to the development of agriculture, 8500-3500 B.C.E. | 1 | |
| 12060224791 | hunting and gathering | The original human economy, ultimately eclipsed by agriculture; groups hunt for meat and forage for grains, nuts, and berries. | 2 | |
| 12060237329 | Catal Huyuk | Early urban culture based on sedentary agriculture; located in modern southern Turkey; was larger in population than Jericho, had greater degree of social stratification. | 3 | |
| 12060247874 | civilization | Societies distinguished by reliance on sedentary agriculture, ability to produce food surpluses, and existence of non-farming elites, as well as merchant and manufacturing groups. | 4 | |
| 12060255580 | nomads | Cattle- and sheep-herding societies normally found on the fringes of civilized societies; commonly referred to as "barbarian" by civilized societies | 5 | |
| 12060262795 | Mesopotamia | Literally "between the rivers"; the civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys | 6 | |
| 12060276816 | Sumerians | People who migrated into Mesopotamia c. 4000 B.C.E.; created first civilization within region; organized area into city-states. | 7 | |
| 12060292426 | Phoenicians | Seafaring civilization located on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean; established colonies throughout the Mediterranean | 8 | |
| 12060331383 | Monotheism | The exclusive worship of a single god; introduced by the Jews into Western civilization. | 9 | |
| 12060343945 | Pharaoh | title of kings in Egypt | 10 | |
| 12060373327 | Indus River | River sources in Himalayas to mouth in Arabian Sea; location of Harappan civilization. | 11 | |
| 12060392003 | Yellow River Valley | also known as the Huang He Valley, a very fertile valley created by the Huang He River where many farmers settled for good agriculture | 12 | |
| 12060398516 | Shang | First Chinese dynasty for which archeological evidence exists; capital located in Ordos bulge of the Huanghe; flourished 1600 to 1046 B.C.E. | 13 | |
| 12060420693 | Mauryan | Dynasty established in Indian subcontinent in 4th century BCE following invasion by Alexander the Great | 14 | |
| 12060485447 | Ashoka | Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya; completed conquests of Indian subcontinent; converted to Buddhism and sponsored spread of new religion throughout his empire. | 15 | |
| 12060497501 | Chandragupta Maurya | founder of Maurya dynasty; established first empire in Indian subcontinent; first centralized government since Harappan civilization | 16 | |
| 12060505984 | Qin Dynsaty | established in 221 BCE at the end of the Warring States period following the decline of the Zhou Dynasty; fell in 207 BCE | 17 | |
| 12060539879 | Han | Chinese dynasty that succeeded the Qin in 202 BCE; ruled for next 400 years | 18 | |
| 12060560759 | Zhou | Originally a vassal family of Shang China; possibly Turkic in origin; overthrew the Shang and established second historical Chinese dynasty that flourished 1122 to 256 B.C.E. | 19 | |
| 12060570408 | Confucius | Also known as Kung Fuzi; major Chinese philosopher born in 6th century BCE; author of Analects; philosophy based on need for restoration of order through advice of superior men to be found among the shi | 20 | |
| 12060608876 | Peloponnesian War | Wars from 431 to 404 BCE between Athens and Sparta for dominance in southern Greece; resulted in Spartan victory but failure to achieve political unification of Greece | 21 | |
| 12060613899 | Polis | A city-state in ancient Greece. | 22 | |
| 12060628155 | Direct Democracy | Where people participate directly in assemblies that make laws and select leaders, rather than electing representatives | 23 | |
| 12060636282 | Hellenistic Period | that culture associated with the spread of Greek influence as a result of Macedonian conquests; often seen as the combination of Greek culture with eastern political forms | 24 | |
| 12060659224 | Hannibal | Great Carthaginian general during Second Punic War; successfully invaded Italy but failed to conquer Rome; finally defeated at Battle of Zama | 25 | |
| 12060668617 | Punic Wars | Fought between Rome and Carthage to establish dominance in the western Mediterranean; won by Rome after three separate conflicts | 26 | |
| 12060678792 | Carthage | Originally a Phoenician colony in northern Africa; became a major port and commercial power in the western Mediterranean; fought the Punic Wars with Rome for dominance of the western Mediterranean. | 27 | |
| 12060824847 | Shinto | Religion of early Japanese culture; devotees worshipped numerous gods and spirits associated with the natural world; offers of food and prayers made to gods and nature spirits | 28 | |
| 12060859355 | Bedouin | Nomadic pastoralists of the Arabian peninsula; culture based on camel and goat nomadism; early converts to Islam. | 29 | |
| 12060882754 | Mecca | City located in mountainous region along Red Sea in Arabian peninsula; founded by Umayyad clan of Quraysh; site of Ka'ba; original home of Muhammad; location of chief religious pilgrimage point in Islam. | 30 | |
| 12060890536 | Medina | Also known as Yathrib; town located northeast of Mecca; grew date palms whose fruit was sold to bedouins; became refuge for Muhammad following flight from Mecca (hijra) | 31 | |
| 12060897141 | Muhammad | Prophet of Islam; born c. 570 to Banu Hashim clan of Quraysh tribe in Mecca; raised by father's family; received revelations from Allah in 610 C.E. and thereafter; died in 632. | 32 | |
| 12060912907 | Khadijah | First wife of the prophet Muhammad, who had worked for her as a trader. | 33 | |
| 12060930337 | Qur'an | Recitations of revelations received by Muhammad; holy book of Islam | 34 | |
| 12060933984 | Ali | Cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad; one of orthodox caliphs; focus for Shi'a | 35 | |
| 12060940470 | Caliph | The political and religious successor to Muhammad | 36 | |
| 12060953203 | Abu Bakr | One of Muhammad's earliest converts; succeeded Muhammad as first caliph of Islamic community | 37 | |
| 12060962421 | Ridda Wars | Wars that followed Muhammad's death in 632; resulted in defeat of rival prophets and some of larger clans; restored unity of Islam | 38 | |
| 12060967478 | Sunnis | Political and theological division within Islam; supported the Umayyads | 39 | |
| 12060974075 | Shi'a | Also known as Shi'ites; political and theological division within Islam; followers of Ali | 40 | |
| 12060985222 | Baghad | Capital of Abbasid dynasty located in Iraq near ancient Persian capital of Ctesiphon | 41 | |
| 12060998219 | dhows | Arab sailing vessels with triangular or lateen sails; strongly influenced European ship design | 42 | |
| 12061021113 | Seljuk Turks | nomadic Turks from central Asia via Persia' staunch Sunnis; ruled in the name of Abbasid caliphs from mid-11th century | 43 | |
| 12061082763 | Saladin | Muslim leader in the last decades of the 12th century; reconquered most of the crusader outposts for Islam | 44 | |
| 12061086681 | Hagia Sophia | New church constructed in Constantinople during reign of Justinian | 45 | |
| 12061125658 | Belisarius | One of Justinian's most important military commanders during period of reconquest of western Europe; commanded in north Africa and Italy | 46 | |
| 12061143776 | Bulgaria | Slavic kingdom established in northern portions of Balkan peninsula; constant source of pressure on Byzantine Empire; defeated by Emperor Basil II in 1014 | 47 | |
| 12061152039 | Kiev | Trade city in southern Russia established by Scandinavian traders in 9th century; became focal point for kingdom of Russia that flourished to 12th century. | 48 | |
| 12061160813 | Valdimir | Ruler of Russian kingdom of Kiev from 980 to 1015; converted kingdom to Christianity | 49 | |
| 12061183496 | Boyars | Russian aristocrats; possessed less political power than their western European counterparts | 50 | |
| 12061198202 | middle ages | The period in western European history from the decline and fall of the Roman Empire until the 15th century | 51 | |
| 12061203665 | Manorialism | System that described economic and political relations between landlords and their peasant laborers during the Middle Ages; involved a hierarchy of reciprocal obligations that exchanged labor or rents for access to land | 52 | |
| 12061211190 | serfs | Peasant agricultural laborers within the manorial system of the Middle Ages | 53 | |
| 12061220600 | three-feild system | system of agriculture cultivation by 9th century in western Europe; included one-third in spring grains; one-third fallow | 54 | |
| 12061245664 | vassals | members of the military elite who received land or a benefice from a lord in return for military service and loyalty | 55 | |
| 12061254080 | black death | Plague that struck Europe in 14th century; significantly reduced Europe's population; affected social structure | 56 | |
| 12061283655 | Chinampas | Beds of aquatic weeds, mud, and earth placed in frames made of cane and rooted in lakes to create "floating islands"; system of irrigated agriculture utilized by Aztecs | 57 | |
| 12061297651 | calpulli | Clans in Aztec society, later expanded to include residential groups that distributed land and provided labor and warriors. | 58 | |
| 12061303589 | split inheritance | Inca practice of descent; all titles and political power went to successor, but wealth and land remained in hands of male descendants for support of cult of dead Inca's mummy. | 59 | |
| 12061307808 | Yangdi | Second member of Sui dynasty; murdered his father to gain throne; restored Confucian examination system; responsible for construction of Chinese canal system; assassinated in 618 | 60 | |
| 12061320466 | Li Yuan | Also known as Duke of Tang; minister for Yangdi; took over empire following assassination of Yangdi; first emperor of Tang dynasty; took imperial title of Gaozu. | 61 | |
| 12061335529 | Takia Reforms | attempt to remake Japanese monarch into an absolute Chinese- style emperor also tried to make a professional bureaucracy and peasant conscript army | 62 | |
| 12061359951 | Fujiwara | Japanese aristocratic family in mid-9th century; exercised exceptional influence over imperial affairs; aided in decline of imperial power. | 63 | |
| 12061365280 | Samuri | Mounted troops of Japanese warrior leaders (bushi); loyal to local lords, not the emperor | 64 | |
| 12061376736 | Sinification | Extensive adoption of Chinese culture in other regions; typical of Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. | 65 | |
| 12061400646 | Khagan | Title of the supreme ruler of the Mongol tribes. | 66 | |
| 12061409620 | Batu | ruler of the golden horde; one of Chinggis Khan's grandsons; responsible for the invasion of Russia beginning in 1236. | 67 | |
| 12061415397 | Golden Horde | One of the four subdivisions of the Mongol Empire after Chinggis Khan's death, originally ruled by his grandson Batu; territory covered much of what is today south central Russia. | 68 | |
| 12061455103 | Khanates | Four regional Mongol kingdoms that arose following the death of Chinggis Khan. | 69 | |
| 12061464235 | Dutch East India Company | Joint stock company that obtained government monopoly over trade in Asia; acted as virtually independent government in regions it claimed. | 70 | |
| 12061480833 | British East India Company | Joint stock company that obtained government monopoly over trade in India; acted as virtually independent government in regions it claimed. | 71 | |
| 12061488902 | 7 years war | Fought in both continental Europe and also in overseas colonies between 1756 and 1763; resulted in Prussian seizures of land from Austria, English seizures of colonies in Indian and North America | 72 | |
| 12061508885 | Martian Luther | German monk; initiated Protestant reformation in 1517 by nailing 95 theses to door of Wittenberg church; emphasized primacy of faith over works stressed in Catholic church; accepted state control of church | 73 | |
| 12061560653 | Protestantism | General wave of religious dissent against Catholic church; generally held to have begun with Martin Luther's attack on Catholic beliefs in 1517; included many varieties of religious belief. | 74 | |
| 12061569321 | Catholic Reformation | Restatement of traditional Catholic beliefs in response to Protestant Reformation (16th century); established councils that revived Catholic doctrine and refuted Protestant beliefs. | 75 | |
| 12061588645 | 30 years war | War within the Holy Roman Empire between German Protestants and their allies (Sweden, Denmark, France) and the emperor and his ally, Spain; ended in 1648 after great destruction with Treaty of Westphalia | 76 | |
| 12061602267 | Scientific Revolution | Culminated in 17th century; period of empirical advances associated with the development of wider theoretical generalizations; resulted in change in traditional beliefs of Middle Ages | 77 | |
| 12061613626 | absolute monarchy | Concept of government developed during rise of nation-states in Western Europe during the 17th century; featured monarchs who passed laws without parliaments, appointed professionalized armies and bureaucracies, established state churches, and imposed state economic policies. | 78 | |
| 12061619068 | enlightenment | Intellectual movement centered in France during the 18th century; featured scientific advance, application of scientific methods to study of human society; belief that rational laws could describe social behavior | 79 | |
| 12061625245 | Ivan III | Also known as Ivan the Great; prince of Duchy of Moscow; claimed descent from Rurik; responsible for freeing Russia from Mongols after 1462; took title of tsar or Caesar - equivalent of emperor. | 80 | |
| 12061638273 | Ivan IV | Also known as Ivan the Terrible; confirmed power of tsarist autocracy by attacking authority of boyars (aristocrats); continued policy of Russian expansion; established contacts with western European commerce and culture. | 81 | |
| 12061648021 | Romanov Dynasty | Dynasty elected in 1613 at end of Time of Troubles; ruled Russia until 1917 | 82 | |
| 12061656574 | Peter I | Also known as Peter the Great; son of Alexis Romanov; ruled from 1689 to 1725; continued growth of absolutism and conquest; included more definite interest in changing selected aspects of economy and culture through imitation of western European models. | 83 | |
| 12061661414 | Catherine the Great | German-born Russian tsarina in the 18th century; ruled after assassination of her husband; gave appearance of enlightened rule; accepted Western cultural influence; maintained nobility as service aristocracy by granting them new power over peasantry. | 84 | |
| 12061683615 | Hispaniola | First island in Caribbean settled by Spaniards; settlement founded by Columbus on second voyage to New World; Spanish base of operations for further discoveries in New World. | 85 | |
| 12061692337 | Cortez | led expedition of 600 to coast of Mexico in 1519 conquistador responsible for defeat of Aztec empire; captured Tenochtitlan | 86 | |
| 12061732236 | Moctezuma | ( 1480-1520); last independent Aztec emperor; killed during Hernan Cortes's conquest of Tenochtitlan | 87 | |
| 12061765499 | New Spain | Spanish colonial possessions in Mesoamerica; included most of central Mexico; based on imperial system of Aztecs | 88 | |
| 12061773424 | Mita | Labor extracted for lands assigned to the state and the religion; all communities were expected to contribute; an essential aspect of Inca imperial control. | 89 | |
| 12061783354 | haciendas | Rural estates in Spanish colonies in New World; produced agricultural products for consumers in America; basis of wealth and power for local aristocracy. | 90 | |
| 12061790481 | viceroys | Senior government officials in Spanish America. They ruled as direct representative of the king over the principal administrative units or vicroyalties. They were usually high ranking Spanish nobles with previous military or governmental experience. The Portuguese also used viceroys who resided in Goa for their possessions in the Indian Ocean, and then after the mid Seventeenth century for their colony in Brazil. | 91 | |
| 12061803646 | Ottomans | Turkic people who advanced from strongholds in Asia Minor during 1350s; conquered large part of Balkans; unified under Mehmed I; captured Constantinople in 1453; established empire from Balkans that included most of Arab world. | 92 | |
| 12061844807 | Janissaries | Ottoman infantry divisions that dominated Ottoman armies; forcibly conscripted as boys in conquered areas of Balkans, legally slaves; translated military service into political influence, particularly after 15th century. | 93 | |
| 12061852327 | Safavids | Originally a Turkic nomadic group; family originated in Sufi mystic group; espoused Shi'ism; conquered territory and established kingdom in region equivalent to modern Iran; lasted until 1722. | 94 | |
| 12061878376 | Abbas the Great | Safavid ruler from 1587 to 1629; extended Safavid domain to greatest extent; created slave regiments based on captured Russians, who monopolized firearms within Safavid armies; incorporated Western military technology. | 95 | |
| 12061892955 | Imans | according to Shi'ism, rulers who could trace descent from the successors of Ali | 96 | |
| 12061909089 | Mughal | Established by Babur in India in 1526; the name is taken from the supposed Mongol descent of Babur, but there is little indication of any Mongol influence in the dynasty; became weak after rule of Aurangzeb in first decades of 18th century. | 97 |
