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AP WORLD HISTORY FINAL Flashcards

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275345761AkhenatenEgyptian pharaoh. He built a new capital at Amarna, fostered a new style of naturalistic art, and created a religious revolution by imposing worship of the sun-disk0
275345762Alexander the Greatking of Macedonia in northern Greece. Between 334 and 323 BC he conquered the Persian Empire, reached the Indus valley, founded many Greek style cities, and spread Greek culture across the Middle East. Later known as Alexander the Great.1
275345763AnasaziBuilt homes on cliffs; Economy based on maize and squash; Astrological advancements; Quite advanced, large society; Most likely scenario was that the climate changed, so their society fell apart and they had to move.2
275345764Aryasrelatively light-skinned speakers of Indo-European languages. They were pastoralist warriors who migrated into the Indus River Valley and then Ganges Plain, driving the Dasas into the southern part of the Peninsula.3
275345765Ashokathird ruler of the Mauryan Empire in India. He converted to (Theravada) Buddhism and broadcasted his precepts on inscribed stones and pillars, the earliest surviving Indian writing. Because of him, Buddhism became a world religion. (Literacy, laws)4
275345766Assyriansknown as a warrior people who ruthlessly conquered neighboring countries; used fearful military tactics to gain strength in their empire; Ashurbanipal was their king5
275345767AugustusHonorific name of Octavian, founder of the Roman Precipate, the military dictatorship that replaced the failing rule of the Roman Senate. After defeating all rivals, he laid the groundwork for several centuries of stability and prosperity in the Roman Empire.6
275345768AztecAlso known as Mexica, the Aztecs created a powerful empire in central Mexico. They forced defeated peoples to provide goods and labor as a tax. War was infused with religious meaning. Developed a remarkable urban landscape. Women held substantial power and exercised broad influence in Aztec society. When a male baby was born, his umbilica cord was buried on the battlefield and when a girl was born her umbilical cord was buried near the hearth. Military successes and territorial expansion allowed the warrior elite to seize land and peasant labor as spoils of war. Imposed a tribute system for economy. Religious ritual dominated public life in Tenochtitlan.7
275345769ConfuciusWestern name for the Chinese philosopher Kongzi. His doctrine of duty and public service had a great influence on subsequent Chinese thought and served as a code of conduct for government officials.8
275345770ConstantineRoman Emperor. After reuniting the Roman Empire, he moved the capital to Constantinople and made Christianity the favored religion.9
275345771Cyrusfounder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Between 550 and 530 BCE he conquered Media, Lydia, and Babylon. Revered in the traditions of both Irans and the subject peoples, he employed Persians and Medes in his administration and respected the institutions and beliefs of subject peoples.10
275345772Dasasdark-skinned speakers of Dravidian languages. They were considered inferior to Aryas who pushed them out of the Ganges Plain into the south.11
275345773Genghis Khan(Temujin) means "oceanic" or "universal leader." Founder of the Mongol empire; born Temujin. He took the name Genghis Khan ("ruler of all") in 1206 after uniting the nomadic Mongol tribes. When he died, his empire extended from China to the Black Sea. His grandson Kublai Khan completed the conquest of China.12
275345774HammurabiAmorite ruler of Babylon. HE conquered many city-states in southern and northern Mesopotamia and is best known for a code of laws, inscribed on a black stone pillar, illustrating the principles to be used in legal classes.13
275345775Herodotusheir to the technique of historia developed by Greeks in the late archaic period. He came from a Greek community in Anatolia and traveled extensively, collecting information in western Asia and the Mediterranean lands. He traced the antecedents and chronicled the wars between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire, thus originating the western tradition of historical writing.14
275345776Homerancient Greek epic poet who is believed to have written the Iliad and the Odyssey15
275345777Hyksossemetic people of SW asia who conquered and dominated Egypt for more that 100 years. Used horses, chariots, and bronze weapons. Significant advantage over egyptians16
275345778Ivan IIIprince of Moscow, established himself as an autocratic ruler in the late 1400s. Russian ruler who first used the term "tsar"17
275345779Li Shiminone of the founders of the Tang Empire and its second emperor. He led the expansion of the empire into central Asia. Used many Sui governing practices18
275345780Mansa Kankan MusaRuler of the Mali. His pilgrimage through Egypt to Mecca established the empire's reputation for wealth in the Mediteranean world. He gave so much gold out that it became worthless. He also brought back scholars from all over the world and founded a major university.19
275345781MayaMesomarican civilization concerntrated in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsual and in Guatemala and Honduras but never unified into a single empire. It had major contributions in mathematics, astronomy, and development of the calendar. Cultural and architectural achievements were remarkable. City-states proliferated, and the most powerful cities controlled groups of smaller dependent cities and a broad agricultural zone by building impressive religious temples and by creating rituals that linked the power of kings to the gods. Typically, military forces fought to secure captives rather than territory.20
275345782Minoansprosperous civilization on the Aegean island of Crete in the second millennium BCE. The Minoans engaged in far-flung commerce around the Mediterranean and exerted powerful cultural influences on the early Greeks.21
275345783MuhammadArab prophet; founder of Islam. Was said to be illiterate.22
275345784Murasaki Shikibunoblewoman who wrote "the tale of Genji." This said that women should have a general knowledge of several subject but should not specialize.23
275345785Olmecthe first Mesoamerican civilization. Between 1200 and 400 B.C.E., the Olmec people of central Mexico created a vibrant civilization that included intense agriculture, wide ranging trade, ceremonial centers, and monumental construction.24
275345786PericlesAristocratic leader who guided the Athenian state through the transformation to full participatory democracy for all male citizens, supervised construction of the Acropolis, and pursued a policy of imperial expansion that led to the Peloponnesian War. He formulated a strategy of attribution but died from the plague early in the war.25
275345787Phoenicianssemitic-speaking Canaanites living on the coast of modern Lebanon and Syria in the first Millenium BCE. From major cities such as Tyre and Sidon, Phoencian merchants and sailors explored the Mediterranean, engaged in widespread commerce, and founded Carthage and other colonies in the western Mediterranean.26
275345788Shi Huang-diFounder of the short-lived Qin dynasty and creator of the Chinese Empire. He is remembered for his ruthless conquests of rival states, standardization of practices, an forcible organization of labor from military and engineering tasks. His tomb, with its army of life size terracotta soldiers, has been partially excavated.27
275345789SolomonDavid's son who was a great king. He built massive project in Israel including the Great Temple. His project cost the people a lot of money in taxes causing a division in Israel.28
275345790Sumerianspeople who dominated southern Mesopotamia through the end of the third millennium B.C.E. They were responsible for the creation of many fundamental elements of Mesopotamian culture, such as irrigation technology, cuneiform, and religious conceptions, taken over by their Semitic successors.29
275345791Timurmember of a prominent family of the mongols' Jagadai Khanate, Timur through conquest gained control over much of Central Asia and Iran. He consolidated the status of Sunni Islam as orthodox, and his descendants, the Timurids, maintained his empire for nearly a century and founded the Mughal Empire in India.30
275345792ToltecPowerful postclassic empire in central Mexico that influenced much of Mesoamerica. Aztecs claimed ties to this earlier civilization. (Scholars speculate that they were originally a satellite population that Teotihuancan had placed on northern frontier to protect against the incursions of nomads; Created a state based largely on military power.)31
275345793VarangiansSwedish Vikings who sailed across the Baltic and down Russia's rivers. Exchanged forest products and slaves for manufactured goods and coins.32
275345794Zheng Hean Imperial eunuch and Muslim, entrusted by the Ming Emperor Yongle with a series of state voyages that took his gigantic ships through the Indian Ocean, from SE Asia to Africa.33
275345795Aqueductsa conduit, either elevated or underground, that used gravity to carry water from a source to a location- usually a city- that needed it. Romans built many aqueducts in a period of substantial urbanization34
275345796Bodhisattvamen and women who had achieved enlightenment and were on the threshold of nirvana but chose to be reborn into mortal bodies to help others along the path to salvation.35
275345797Brahminshighest rank in the Indian society. Consisted of priests and scholars. The priests taught that every living creature had an immortal essence: the atman, or "breath." Also, they controlled sacrifices, the essential ritual.36
275345798Carthagecity located in present day Tunisia, founded by Phoenicians. It became a major commercial center and naval power in the western Mediterranean until defeated by Rome in the 3rd century BCE.37
275345799Chinampas"floating gardens." Raised fields constructed along lake-shores in Mesoamerica to increase agricultural fiends. (Permitted year-round agriculture; Played crucial role in sustaining the region's growing population.)38
275345800ConstantinoplePreviously known as Byzantium, Constantine changed the name of the city and moved the capitol of the Roman Empire here from Rome39
275345801Cuneiforma system of writing in which wedge-shaped symbols represented words or syllables. It originated in Mesopotamia and was used initially for Sumerian and Akkadian but later was adapted to represent other languages of Western Asia. Because so many symbols had to be learned, literacy was confined to a relatively small group of administrators and scribes.40
275345802DhowCharacteristic cargo and passenger ships of the Arabian sea.41
275345803DiasporaGreek word meaning "dispersal," used to describe the communities for a given ethnic group living outside of their homeland. Jews, for example, spread from Israel to western Asia and Mediterranean lands in antiquity and today can be found throughout the world.42
275345804Fiefland granted by a lord to a vassal in exchange for LOYALTY AND SERVICE43
275345805Flying MoneySong's idea of credit. It depended on the acceptance of guarantees that the paper could be redeemed for coinage at another location.44
275345806Greecea country in Mediterranean Europe; site of great ancient civilization45
275345807Hagia SophiaByzantine's greatest monument. Built by Justinian46
275345808Harappasite of one of the great cities of the Indus Valley civilization of the third millennium B.C.E. It was located on the northwest frontier of the zone of cultivation (in modern Pakistan) and may have been a center of the acquisition of raw materials, such as metals and precious stones, from Afghanistan and Iran. and47
275345809Mohenjo-Darolargest of the cities of the Indus Valley civilization. It was centrally located in the extensive floodplain of the Indus River in contemporary Pakistan. Little is known about the political institutions of Indus Valley communities, but the large scale of construction at Mohenjo-Daro, the orderly grid of streets, and the standardization of building materials are evidence of central planning.48
275345810Islamreligion expounded by the prophet Muhammad on the basis of his reception of divine revelations, which were collected after his death into the Quran. In the tradition of Judaism and Christianity, and sharing much of their lore, Islam calls on all people to recognize one creator God—Allah—who rewards or punishes believers after death according to how they led their lives49
275345811Junka very large flat bottom sailing ship produced in the Tang, Song, and Ming Empires, specially designed for long distance commercial travel.50
275345812Kamikazethe "divine wind" which the Japanese credited with blowing Mongol invaders away from their shores in 1281.51
275345813Loessfine, light silt deposited by wind and water. It constitutes the fertile sooil of the Yellow River Valley in northern China.52
275345814ma'atEgyptian term for the concept of divinity created and maintained order in the universe. Reflecting the ancient Egyptians' belief in an essentially beneficent world, the divine ruler was the earthly guarantor of this order.53
275345815Madagascaran island in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa54
275345816Mahabharataa vast epic chronicling the events leading up to a cataclysmic battle between related kinship groups in early India. It includes the Bhagavadgita55
275345817Mesopotamialand between the Tigris and Euphrates River. Sumerians and Semites lived here. (Code of Hammurabi).56
275345818Musliman adherent of the Islamic religion; a person who "submits" to the will of God (Islam means 'submission')57
275345819Nanjinga city in eastern China on the Yangtze River; former capital58
275345820OraclesShamans or priests in Chinese society who foretold the future through interpretations of animal bones cracked by heat; inscriptions on bone led to Chinese writing.59
275345821Saharaportion of the African continent lying south of the Sahara60
275345822Sahelbelt south of the Sahara, literally "coastland" in Arabic61
275345823Satrapsthe governor of a province in the Achaemenid Persian Empire, often a relative of the king. He was responsible for protection of the province and for forwarding tribute to the central administration. Satraps in outlying provinces enjoyed considerable autonomy.62
275345824Senate(Roman?) the governor of a province in the Achaemenid Persian Empire, often a relative of the king. He was responsible for protection of the province and for forwarding tribute to the central administration. Satraps in outlying provinces enjoyed considerable autonomy.63
275345825Serfsagricultural laborer legally bound to lord's property and supposed to perform set services for lord. Could not leave manor where they were born.64
275345826Shari'alaw of Islam. Provides foundation of Islamic civilization65
275345827The Iliadstory of the Trojan War, written by Homer66
275345828The Tale of Genjiwritten by Murasaki Shibiku. Says women should have a general knowledge of several subject but should not specialize in one subject.67
275345829TimbuktuCity on the Niger River in the modern country of Mali. Founded by the taureg a seasonal camp sometime after 1000. As part of the Mali empire, Timbuktu became a major terminus of the transSaharan trade and a center of Islamic learning.68
275345830Tsarfrom Latin "Caesar", this Russian title for a monarch was first used in reference to a Russian ruler by Ivan III.69
275345831Upanishadsa collection of more than one hundred mystical dialogues between teachers and disciples that reflect the questioning of the foundations of Vedic religion70
275345832VassalKings and lords gave land to vassals in return for sworn military support71
275345833Vedic(age) A period of history in India of transition from nomadic pastoralism to settled village communities, with cattle the major form of wealth: Period when Vedas (religious scriptures) were finally written and Hinduism emerged72
275345834AnthropomorphismThe act of ascribing human attributes to deities. A common practice in ancient religions73
275345835Assyrian Empirethis was destroyed by the Medes and the Chaldeans; ruled by king Ashurbanipal74
275345836Byzantine Empirename for eastern portion of Roman Empire. Maintained and reinterpreted Roman traditions. Authority of Byzantine emperors blended with influence of Christian church that helped shape emerging kingdom of Kievan Russia. Inherited robust and self-confident late Roman society and economy while western Europe could not achieve political unity and suffered severe economic decline. Established Christianity as official religion.75
275345837ChristianityEarly in the Pax Romana, Christianity was created in the Roman empire. Christanity grew rapidly and by A.D. 395, Christianity had been declared the official religion of the Roman empire.76
275345838Civil Service Examinationsused during han dynasty and tang china, prepared young men for government service through confucianism77
275345839Crusadesa series of military expeditions in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries by Western European Christians to reclaim control of the Holy Lands from the Muslims78
275345840DaoismChinese school of thought, originating in the Warring States Period with Laozi. Daoism offered an alternative to the Confucian emphasis of hierarchy and duty.79
275345841Delhi Sultanatecentralized Indian empire of varying extent, created by Muslim invaders.80
275345842Democracysystem of government in which all citizens (all free adult males) have equal political and legal rights, privileges, and protections, as in the Greek city-state of Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE.81
275345843Great Zimbabwecity, now in ruins, whose many stone structures were built between about 1250 and 1450, when it was a trading center and the capital of a large state.82
275345844Gupta Empirea powerful Indian state based, like its Mauryan predecessor, on a capital at Pataliputra in the Ganges Valley. It controlled most of the Indian subcontinent through a combination of military force and its prestige as a center of sophisticated culture. Advancement in math, astronomy, and science. Came up with the use of ZERO. Divided into theater-states.83
275345845Han dynasty(202 BC - 220 AD) dynasty started by Lui Bang; a great and long-lasting rule, it discarded the harsh policies of the Qin dynasty and adopted Confucian principles; Han rulers chose officials who passed the civil service exams rather than birth; it was a time of prosperity84
275345846Hellenistic AgeHistorians' term for the era, usually dated 323-30 BC, in which Greek culture spread across western Asia and northeastern Africa after the conquests of Alexander the Great. The period ended with the fall of the last major Hellenistic kingdom to Rome, but Greek cultural influence persisted until the spread of Islam in the 7th century CE.85
275345847Indian Ocean Maritime Systemin premodern times, a network of seaports, trade routes, and maritime culture linking countries on the rim of the Indian Ocean from Africa to Indonesia86
275345848LegalismPhilosophy that did not answer questions like the nature and purpose of life. The main contributor was Han Fei.87
275345849Mandate of HeavenChinese and political ideology developed by the Zhou, according to which it was the prerogative of Heaven, the chief deity, to grant power to the ruler of China and to take away that power if the ruler failed to conduct himself justly and in the best interests of his subjects88
275345850Mauryan Empirefirst state to unify most of the Indian subcontinent. It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 324 BC and survived until 184 BC. From its capital at Pataliputra in the Ganges Valley it grew wealthy from taxes on agriculture, iron mining, and control of trade routes.89
275345851Ming EmpireEmpire based in China that Zhu Yuanzhang established after the overthrow of the Yuan Empire. The Ming Emperor Yongle sponsored the building of the Forbidden City and the voyages of Zheng He. The later years of the Ming saw a slowdown in technological development and economic decline.90
275345852Mongol EmpireThe largest land empire ever created was ruled by Genghis Khan and the Mongols. It stretched from Asia to Eastern Europe.91
275345853Neo-Confucianismterm used to describe new approaches to understanding classic Confucian texts that became the basic ruling philosophy of China from the Song period to the twentieth century92
275345854Oligarchyform of government in which a few people have the power93
275345855Roman Republicperiod in 507-31 BC. During which the aristocratic Roman Senate largely governed Rome.94
275345856Silk Roadcaravan routes connecting China and the Middle East across Central Asia and Iran.95
275345857Song Emprireempire in central and southern China while the Liao people controlled the north. Empire in southern China while the Jin controlled the north. Distinguished for its advances in technology, medicine, astronomy, and mathematics96
275345858Tang EmpireEmpire unifying China and part of central Asia, founded 618 and ended 907. The Tang emperors presided over a magnificent court at their capital, Chang'an. The emperors and nobility descended from the Turkic elites that built small states. They combined crossbow and armored infantrymen and horsemanship and iron stirrups. They were defeated by an Arab Muslim army.97
275345859Umayyad caliphatefirst hereditary dynasty of Muslim caliphs. Form their capital at Damascus; the Umayyads riled an empire that extended from Spain to India. Overthrown by Abbasid Caliphate98
275345860varna system(In hindui India) four major social divisions: the Brahmin preist class, the Kshatriya warrior/administrative class, the Vaishya merchant/farmer class, and the Shudra laborer class. Within the system of Varna are many jati, regional groups of people who have a common occupational sphere and who marry, eat, and generally interact with other members of their group99
275345861Yuan Empireempire created in China and Siberia by Khubilai Khan. Destroyed S Song, attacked Annam100
275345862Zoroastrianisma religion originating in ancient Iran that became the official religion of the Achaemenids. It centered on a single benevolent deity, Ahura Mazda, who engaged in a struggle with demonic forces before prevailing and restoring a pristine world. It emphasized truth telling, purity, and reverence for nature.101

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