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AP World History Period 2 Flashcards

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6476417416Ahura MazdaIn Zoroastrianism, the good god who rules the world.0
6476417417Alexander the GreatAlexander III of Macedon (356-323 B.C.E.), conqueror of the Persian Empire and part of northwest India.1
6476417418AryansIndo-European pastoralists who moved into India about the time of the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization; their role in causing this collapse is still debated by historians.2
6476417419AshokaThe most famous ruler of the Mauryan Empire (r. 268-232 B.C.E.), who converted to Buddhism and tried to rule peacefully and with tolerance.3
6476417420Athenian democracyA radical form of direct democracy in which much of the free male population of Athens had the franchise and officeholders were chosen by lot.4
6476417421Caesar AugustusThe great-nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar who emerged as sole ruler of the Roman state at the end of an extended period of civil war (r. 31 B.C.E.-14 C.E.).5
6476417422Cyrus (the Great)Founder of the Persian Empire (r. 557-530 B.C.E.); a ruler noted for his conquests, religious tolerance, and political moderation.6
6476417423Darius IGreat king of Persia (r. 522-486 B.C.E.) following the upheavals after Cyrus's death; completed the establishment of the Persian Empire.7
6476417424Greco-Persian WarsTwo major Persian invasions of Greece, in 490 B.C.E. and 480 B.C.E., in which the Persians were defeated on both land and sea.8
6476417425Gupta EmpireAn empire of India (320-550 C.E.).9
6476417426Han dynastyDynasty that ruled China from 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E., creating a durable state based on Shihuangdi's state-building achievement.10
6476417427Hellenistic eraThe period from 323 to 30 B.C.E. in which Greek culture spread widely in Eurasia in the kingdoms ruled by Alexander's political successors.11
6476417429hopliteA heavily armed Greek infantryman. Over time, the ability to afford a hoplite panoply and to fight for the city came to define Greek citizenship.12
6476417430Mandate of HeavenThe ideological underpinning of Chinese emperors, this was the belief that a ruler held authority by command of divine force as long as he ruled morally and benevolently.13
6476417431Battle of MarathonAthenian victory over a Persian invasion in 490 B.C.E.14
6476417432Mauryan EmpireA major empire (322-185 B.C.E.) that encompassed most of India.15
6476417433Olympic GamesGreek religious festival and athletic competition in honor of Zeus; founded in 776B.C.E. and celebrated every four years.16
6476417434PatriciansWealthy, privileged Romans who dominated early Roman society.17
6476417435Pax RomanaThe "Roman peace," a term typically used to denote the stability and prosperity of the early Roman Empire, especially in the first and second centuries C.E.18
6476417436Peloponnesian WarGreat war between Athens (and allies) and Sparta (and allies), lasting from 431 to 404 B.C.E. The conflict ended in the defeat of Athens and the closing of Athens's Golden Age.19
6476417437PersepolisThe capital and greatest palace-city of the Persian Empire, destroyed by Alexander the Great.20
6476417438Persian EmpireA major empire that expanded from the Iranian plateau to incorporate the Middle East from Egypt to India; flourished from around 550 to 330 B.C.E.21
6476417439PlebiansPoorer, less privileged Romans who gradually won a role in Roman politics.22
6476417440Punic WarsThree major wars between Rome and Carthage in North Africa, fought between 264 and 146 B.C.E., that culminated in Roman victory and control of the western Mediterranean.23
6476417441Qin DynastyA short-lived (221-206 B.C.E.) but highly influential Chinese dynasty that succeeded in reuniting China at the end of the Warring States period.24
6476417442Qin ShihuangdiLiterally "first emperor" (r. 221-210 B.C.E.) forcibly reunited China and established a strong and repressive state.25
6476417444WudiHan emperor (r. 141-86 B.C.E.) who began the Chinese civil service system by establishing an academy to train imperial bureaucrats.26
6476417446Yellow Turban RebellionA major Chinese peasant revolt that began in 184 C.E. and helped cause the fall of the Han dynasty.27
6476417447Angra MainyuIn Zoroastrianism, the evil god, engaged in a cosmic struggle with Ahura Mazda.28
6476417448AristotleA Greek polymath philosopher (384-322 B.C.E.); student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.29
6476417449Ban ZhaoA major female Confucian author of Han dynasty China (45-116 C.E.) whose works give insight into the implication of Confucian thinking for women.30
6476417450Bhagavad GitaA great Hindu epic text, part of the much larger Mahabharata, which affirms the performance of caste duties as a path to religious liberation.31
6476417451bhakti movementAn immensely popular development in Hinduism, advocating intense devotion toward a particular deity.32
6476417452BrahminsThe priestly caste of India.33
6476417453BuddhismThe cultural/religious tradition first enunciated by Siddhartha Gautama34
6476417454ConfucianismThe Chinese philosophy first enunciated by Confucius, advocating the moral example of superiors as the key element of social order.35
6476417455ConfuciusThe founder of Confucianism (551-479 B.C.E.); an aristocrat of northern China who proved to be the greatest influence on Chinese culture in its history.36
6476417456ConstantineRoman emperor (r. 306-337 C.E.) whose conversion to Christianity paved the way for the triumph of Christianity in Europe.37
6476417458DaoismA Chinese philosophy/popular religion that advocates simplicity and understanding of the world of nature, founded by the legendary figure Laozi.38
6476417459Filial pietyThe honoring of one's ancestors and parents, a key element of Confucianism.39
6476417460HinduismA word derived from outsiders to describe the vast diversity of indigenous Indian religious traditions.40
6476417463Jesus of NazarethThe prophet/god of Christianity(ca. 4 B.C.E.-ca. 30 C.E.).41
6476417464YahwehThe monotheistic religion developed by the Hebrews, emphasizing a sole personal god (Yahweh) with concerns for social justice.42
6476417465KarmaIn Hinduism, the determining factor of the level at which the individual is reincarnated, based on purity of action and fulfillment of duty in the prior existence.43
6476417466LaoziA legendary Chinese philosopher of the sixth century B.C.E.; regarded as the founder of Daoism.44
6476417467LegalismA Chinese philosophy distinguished by an adherence to clear laws with vigorous punishments.45
6476417469NirvanaThe end goal of Buddhism, in which individual identity is "extinguished" into a state of serenity and great compassion.46
6476417470PlatoA disciple of Socrates whose Dialogues convey the teachings of his master while going beyond them to express Plato's own philosophy; lived from 429 to 348 B.C.E.47
6476417471PythagorasA major Greek philosopher (ca. 560-ca. 480 B.C.E.) who believed that an unchanging mathematical order underlies the apparent chaos of the world.48
6476417473Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)The Indian prince turned ascetic (ca. 566-ca. 486 B.C.E.) who founded Buddhism.49
6476417474SocratesThe first great Greek philosopher to turn rationalism toward questions of human existence (469-399 B.C.E.).50
6476417475TheodosiusRoman emperor (r. 379-395 C.E.) who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman state, banning all polytheistic rituals.51
6476417476UpanishadsIndian mystical and philosophical works, written between 800 and 400 B.C.E.52
6476417477VedasThe earliest religious texts of India, a collection of ancient poems, hymns, and rituals that were transmitted orally before being written down ca. 600 B.C.E.53
6476417478Warring States PeriodPeriod in China from 403 to 221 B.C.E. that was typified by disorder and political chaos.54
6476417479Yin and YangExpression of the Chinese belief in the unity of opposites.55
6476417480ZarathustraA Persian prophet, traditionally dated to the sixth or seventh century B.C.E. (but perhaps much older), who founded Zoroastrianism.56
6476417481ZoroastrianismPersian monotheistic religion founded by the prophet Zarathustra.57
6476417483dharmaIn Indian belief, performance of the duties appropriate to an individual's caste; good performance will lead to rebirth in a higher caste.58
6476417484helotsThe dependent, semi-enslaved class of ancient Sparta whose social discontent prompted the militarization of Spartan society.59
6476417485karmaIn Indian belief, the force generated by one's behavior in a previous life that decides the level at which an individual will be reborn.60
6476417487PericlesA prominent and influential statesman of ancient Athens (ca. 495-429 B.C.E.); presided over Athens's Golden Age.61
6476417488scholar-gentry classA term used to describe members of China's landowning families, reflecting their wealth from the land and the privilege that they derived as government officials.62
6476417490UntouchablesAn Indian social class that emerged below the Sudras and whose members performed the most unclean and polluting work.63
6476417491Empress WuThe only female "emperor" in Chinese history (r. 690-705 C.E.); patronized scholarship, worked to elevate the position of women, and provoked a backlash of Confucian misogynist invective.64
6476417492AxumClassical-era kingdom of East Africa, in present-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia; flourished from 100 to 600 C.E.65

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