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AP World History Period 2 Flashcards

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9936611588Ahura MazdaIn Zoroastrianism, the good god who rules the world.0
9936611589Alexander the GreatAlexander III of Macedon (356-323 B.C.E.), conqueror of the Persian Empire and part of northwest India.1
9936611590AryansIndo-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
9936611591AshokaThe 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
9936611592Caesar 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.).4
9936611593Cyrus (the Great)Founder of the Persian Empire (r. 557-530 B.C.E.); a ruler noted for his conquests, religious tolerance, and political moderation.5
9936611594Darius IGreat king of Persia (r. 522-486 B.C.E.) following the upheavals after Cyrus's death; completed the establishment of the Persian Empire.6
9936611595Greco-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.7
9936611596Gupta EmpireAn empire of India (320-550 C.E.).8
9936611597Han dynastyChinese dynasty that restored unity in China softened legalist policies. Begun in 202 B.C. by Liu Bang, the Han ruled China for more than 400 years.9
9936611598Hellenistic 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.10
9936611599HerodotusGreek historian known as the "father of history" (ca. 484-ca. 425 B.C.E.). His Histories enunciated the Greek view of a fundamental divide between East and West, culminating in the Greco-Persian Wars of 490-480 B.C.E.11
9936611600hopliteA heavily armed Greek infantryman. Over time, the ability to afford a military wares and to fight for the city came to define Greek citizenship.12
9936611601IoniaThe territory of Greek settlements on the coast of Anatolia; the main bone of contention between the Greeks and the Persian Empire.13
9936611602Mandate 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.14
9936611603Battle of MarathonAthenian victory over a Persian invasion in 490 B.C.E.15
9936611604Mauryan EmpireA major empire (322-185 B.C.E.) that encompassed most of India.16
9936611605PatriciansWealthy, privileged Romans who dominated early Roman society.17
9936611606Pax 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
9936611607Peloponnesian 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
9936611608PersepolisThe capital and greatest palace-city of the Persian Empire, destroyed by Alexander the Great.20
9936611609Persian 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
9936611610PlebiansPoorer, less privileged Romans who gradually won a role in Roman politics.22
9936611611Punic 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
9936611612Qin 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
9936611613Qin ShihuangdiLiterally "first emperor" (r. 221-210 B.C.E.) forcibly reunited China and established a strong and repressive state.25
9936611614SolonAthenian statesman and lawmaker (fl. 594-560 B.C.E.) whose reforms led the Athenians toward democracy.26
9936611615WudiHan emperor (r. 141-86 B.C.E.) who began the Chinese civil service system by establishing an academy to train imperial bureaucrats.27
9936611616XiongnuNomadic peoples to the north of the Great Wall of China who were a frequent threat to the stability of the Chinese state.28
9936611617AristotleA Greek polymath philosopher (384-322 B.C.E.); student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.29
9936611618AtmanThe human soul, which in classic Hindu belief seeks union with Brahman.30
9936611619Bhagavad 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
9936611620BrahmanThe "World Soul" or final reality in upanishadic Hindu belief.32
9936611621BrahminsThe priestly caste of India.33
9936611622BuddhismThe cultural/religious tradition first enunciated by Siddhartha Gautama34
9936611623ConfucianismThe Chinese philosophy first enunciated by Confucius, advocating the moral example of superiors as the key element of social order.35
9936611624ConfuciusThe 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
9936611625ConstantineRoman emperor (r. 306-337 C.E.) whose conversion to Christianity paved the way for the triumph of Christianity in Europe.37
9936611626DaodejingThe central text of Daoism; translated as The Way and Its Power.38
9936611627DaoismA Chinese philosophy/popular religion that advocates simplicity and understanding of the world of nature, founded by the legendary figure Laozi.39
9936611628Filial pietyThe honoring of one's ancestors and parents, a key element of Confucianism.40
9936611629Greek rationalismA secularizing system of scientific and philosophic thought that developed in classical Greece in the period 600 to 300 B.C.E.; it emphasized the power of education and human reason to understand the world in nonreligious terms.41
9936611630HinduismA word derived from outsiders to describe the vast diversity of indigenous Indian religious traditions.42
9936611631HippocratesA very influential Greek medical theorist (ca. 460-ca. 370 B.C.E.); regarded as the father of medicine.43
9936611632Jesus of NazarethThe prophet/god of Christianity(ca. 4 B.C.E.-ca. 30 C.E.).44
9936611633YahwehA form of the Hebrew name of God used in the Bible. The monotheistic religion developed by the Hebrews, emphasizing a sole personal god with concerns for social justice.45
9936611634KarmaIn 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.46
9936611635LaoziA legendary Chinese philosopher of the sixth century B.C.E.; regarded as the founder of Daoism.47
9936611636LegalismA Chinese philosophy distinguished by an adherence to clear laws with vigorous punishments.48
9936611637Mahayana"Great Vehicle," the popular development of Buddhism in the early centuries of the Common Era, which gives a much greater role to supernatural beings and proved to be more popular than original (Theravada) Buddhism.49
9936611638MokshaIn Hindu belief, liberation from separate existence and union with Brahman.50
9936611639NirvanaThe end goal of Buddhism, in which individual identity is "extinguished" into a state of serenity and great compassion.51
9936611640PlatoA 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.52
9936611641PythagorasA major Greek philosopher (ca. 560-ca. 480 B.C.E.) who believed that an unchanging mathematical order underlies the apparent chaos of the world.53
9936611642Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)The Indian prince turned ascetic (ca. 566-ca. 486 B.C.E.) who founded Buddhism.54
9936611643SocratesThe first great Greek philosopher to turn rationalism toward questions of human existence (469-399 B.C.E.).55
9936611644Theravada"The Teaching of the Elders," the early form of Buddhism according to which the Buddha as a wise teacher but not divine and which emphasizes practices rather than beliefs.56
9936611645UpanishadsIndian mystical and philosophical works, written between 800 and 400 B.C.E.57
9936611646VedasThe 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.58
9936611647Warring States PeriodPeriod in China from 403 to 221 B.C.E. that was typified by disorder and political chaos.59
9936611648Yin and YangExpression of the Chinese belief in the unity of opposites.60
9936611649ZarathustraA Persian prophet, traditionally dated to the sixth or seventh century B.C.E. (but perhaps much older), who founded Zoroastrianism.61
9936611650ZoroastrianismPersian monotheistic religion founded by the prophet Zarathustra.62
9936611651caste as varna and jatiThe system of social organization in India that has evolved over millennia; it is based on an original division of the populace into four inherited classes, with the addition of thousands of social distinctions based on occupation, which became the main cell of social life in India.63
9936611652dharmaIn Indian belief, performance of the duties appropriate to an individual's caste; good performance will lead to rebirth in a higher caste.64
9936611653helotsThe dependent, semi-enslaved class of ancient Sparta whose social discontent prompted the militarization of Spartan society.65
9936611654KshatriyaThe Indian social class of warriors and rulers.66
9936611655latifundiaHuge estates operated by slave labor that flourished in parts of the Roman Empire67
9936611656PericlesA prominent and influential statesman of ancient Athens (ca. 495-429 B.C.E.); presided over Athens's Golden Age.68
9936611657scholar-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.69
9936611658SudraThe lowest Indian social class of varna; regarded as servants of their social betters; eventually included peasant farmers70
9936611659the "three submissions"In Chinese Confucian thought, the notion that a woman is permanently subordinate to male control: first that of her father, then of her husband, and finally of her son.71
9936611660UntouchablesAn Indian social class that emerged below the Sudras and whose members performed the most unclean and polluting work.72
9936611661VaisyaThe Indian social class that was originally defined as farmers but eventually comprised merchants.73
9936611662AxumClassical-era kingdom of East Africa, in present-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia; flourished from 100 to 600 C.E. and adopted Christianity.74
9936611663Bantu expansionGradual migration of peoples from their homeland in what is now southern Nigeria and the Cameroons into most of eastern and southern Africa, a process that began around 3000 B.C.E. and continued for several millennia. The agricultural techniques and ironworking technology of these farmers gave them an advantage over the gathering and hunting peoples they encountered.75
9936611664Coptic ChristianityThe Egyptian variety of Christianity, distinctive in its belief that Christ has only a single, divine nature.76
9936611665Silk RoadTrade route stretching from China into Europe.77
9936611666syncretisma blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith78
9936611667monasticismThe lifestyle of a monk or nun, characterized by prayer and solitude79

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