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AP World History Period 2 Flashcards

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10823433746Ahura MazdaIn Zoroastrianism, the good god who rules the world.0
10823433747Alexander the GreatAlexander III of Macedon (356-323 B.C.E.), conqueror of the Persian Empire and part of northwest India.1
10823433748AryansIndo-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
10823433749AshokaThe 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
10823433750Caesar 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
10823433751Cyrus (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
10823433752Darius 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
10823433753Greco-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
10823433754Gupta EmpireAn empire of India (320-550 C.E.).8
10823433755Han 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
10823433756Hellenistic 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
10823433757HerodotusGreek 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
10823433758hopliteA 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
10823433759IoniaThe territory of Greek settlements on the coast of Anatolia; the main bone of contention between the Greeks and the Persian Empire.13
10823433760Mandate 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
10823433761Battle of MarathonAthenian victory over a Persian invasion in 490 B.C.E.15
10823433762Mauryan EmpireA major empire (322-185 B.C.E.) that encompassed most of India.16
10823433763PatriciansWealthy, privileged Romans who dominated early Roman society.17
10823433764Pax 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
10823433765Peloponnesian 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
10823433766PersepolisThe capital and greatest palace-city of the Persian Empire, destroyed by Alexander the Great.20
10823433767Persian 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
10823433768PlebiansPoorer, less privileged Romans who gradually won a role in Roman politics.22
10823433769Punic 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
10823433770Qin 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
10823433771Qin ShihuangdiLiterally "first emperor" (r. 221-210 B.C.E.) forcibly reunited China and established a strong and repressive state.25
10823433772SolonAthenian statesman and lawmaker (fl. 594-560 B.C.E.) whose reforms led the Athenians toward democracy.26
10823433773WudiHan emperor (r. 141-86 B.C.E.) who began the Chinese civil service system by establishing an academy to train imperial bureaucrats.27
10823433774XiongnuNomadic peoples to the north of the Great Wall of China who were a frequent threat to the stability of the Chinese state.28
10823433775AristotleA Greek polymath philosopher (384-322 B.C.E.); student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.29
10823433776AtmanThe human soul, which in classic Hindu belief seeks union with Brahman.30
10823433777Bhagavad 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
10823433778BrahmanThe "World Soul" or final reality in upanishadic Hindu belief.32
10823433779BrahminsThe priestly caste of India.33
10823433780BuddhismThe cultural/religious tradition first enunciated by Siddhartha Gautama34
10823433781ConfucianismThe Chinese philosophy first enunciated by Confucius, advocating the moral example of superiors as the key element of social order.35
10823433782ConfuciusThe 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
10823433783ConstantineRoman emperor (r. 306-337 C.E.) whose conversion to Christianity paved the way for the triumph of Christianity in Europe.37
10823433784DaodejingThe central text of Daoism; translated as The Way and Its Power.38
10823433785DaoismA Chinese philosophy/popular religion that advocates simplicity and understanding of the world of nature, founded by the legendary figure Laozi.39
10823433786Filial pietyThe honoring of one's ancestors and parents, a key element of Confucianism.40
10823433787Greek 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
10823433788HinduismA word derived from outsiders to describe the vast diversity of indigenous Indian religious traditions.42
10823433789HippocratesA very influential Greek medical theorist (ca. 460-ca. 370 B.C.E.); regarded as the father of medicine.43
10823433790Jesus of NazarethThe prophet/god of Christianity(ca. 4 B.C.E.-ca. 30 C.E.).44
10823433791YahwehA 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
10823433792KarmaIn 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
10823433793LaoziA legendary Chinese philosopher of the sixth century B.C.E.; regarded as the founder of Daoism.47
10823433794LegalismA Chinese philosophy distinguished by an adherence to clear laws with vigorous punishments.48
10823433795Mahayana"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
10823433796MokshaIn Hindu belief, liberation from separate existence and union with Brahman.50
10823433797NirvanaThe end goal of Buddhism, in which individual identity is "extinguished" into a state of serenity and great compassion.51
10823433798PlatoA 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
10823433799PythagorasA 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
10823433800Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha)The Indian prince turned ascetic (ca. 566-ca. 486 B.C.E.) who founded Buddhism.54
10823433801SocratesThe first great Greek philosopher to turn rationalism toward questions of human existence (469-399 B.C.E.).55
10823433802Theravada"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
10823433803UpanishadsIndian mystical and philosophical works, written between 800 and 400 B.C.E.57
10823433804VedasThe 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
10823433805Warring States PeriodPeriod in China from 403 to 221 B.C.E. that was typified by disorder and political chaos.59
10823433806Yin and YangExpression of the Chinese belief in the unity of opposites.60
10823433807ZarathustraA Persian prophet, traditionally dated to the sixth or seventh century B.C.E. (but perhaps much older), who founded Zoroastrianism.61
10823433808ZoroastrianismPersian monotheistic religion founded by the prophet Zarathustra.62
10823433809caste 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
10823433810dharmaIn Indian belief, performance of the duties appropriate to an individual's caste; good performance will lead to rebirth in a higher caste.64
10823433811helotsThe dependent, semi-enslaved class of ancient Sparta whose social discontent prompted the militarization of Spartan society.65
10823433812KshatriyaThe Indian social class of warriors and rulers.66
10823433813latifundiaHuge estates operated by slave labor that flourished in parts of the Roman Empire67
10823433814PericlesA prominent and influential statesman of ancient Athens (ca. 495-429 B.C.E.); presided over Athens's Golden Age.68
10823433815scholar-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
10823433816SudraThe lowest Indian social class of varna; regarded as servants of their social betters; eventually included peasant farmers70
10823433817the "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
10823433818UntouchablesAn Indian social class that emerged below the Sudras and whose members performed the most unclean and polluting work.72
10823433819VaisyaThe Indian social class that was originally defined as farmers but eventually comprised merchants.73
10823433820AxumClassical-era kingdom of East Africa, in present-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia; flourished from 100 to 600 C.E. and adopted Christianity.74
10823433821Bantu 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
10823433822Coptic ChristianityThe Egyptian variety of Christianity, distinctive in its belief that Christ has only a single, divine nature.76
10823433823Silk RoadTrade route stretching from China into Europe.77
10823433824syncretisma blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith78
10823433825monasticismThe lifestyle of a monk or nun, characterized by prayer and solitude79

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