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AP World History Terms Flashcards

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62997077aylluAndean lineage group or kin-based community0
62997078GhanaFirst known kingdom in sub-Saharan West Africa between the sixth and thirteenth centuries C.E. Also the modern West African country once known as the Gold Coast.1
62997079humanistsEuropean scholars, writers, and teachers associated with the study of the humanities (grammar, rhetoric, poetry, history, languages, and moral philosophy), influential in the fifteenth century and later.2
62997080Ibn KhaldunArab historian. He developed an influential theory on the rise and fall of states. Born in Tunis, he spent his later years in Cairo as a teacher and judge. In 1400 he was sent to Damascus to negotiate the surrender of the city.3
62997081Il-KhanA 'secondary' or 'peripheral' khan based in Persia, controlled much of Iran and Iraq4
62997082investitureDispute between the popes and the Holy Roman Emperors over who held ultimate authority over bishops in imperial lands.5
62997083Kamakura ShogunateThe first of Japan's decentralized military governments. (1185-1333).6
62997084quipuSystem of knotted colored cords used by pre-literate Andean peoples to transmit information.7
62997085Khubilai KhanLast of the Mongol Great Khans (r. 1260-1294) and founder of the Yuan Empire.8
62997086Kievan RussiaState established in Ukraine ca. 879 by Scandinavian adventurers asserting authority over a mostly Slavic farming population.9
62997087Latin WestHistorians' name for the territories of Europe that adhered to the Latin rite of Christianity and used the Latin language for intellectual exchange in the period ca. 1000-1500.10
62997088Li ShiminOne of the founders of the Tang Empire and its second emperor (r. 626-649). He led the expansion of the empire into Central Asia11
62997089mamluksUnder the Islamic system of military slavery, Turkic military slaves who formed an important part of the armed forces of the Abbasid Caliphate of the ninth and tenth centuries. Eventually founded their own state, ruling Egypt and Syria.12
62997090Mansa MusaRuler of Mali (r. 1312-1337). His pilgrimage through Egypt to Mecca in 1324-1325 established the empire's reputation for wealth in the Mediterranean world.13
62997091MingEmpire based in China that Zhu Yuanzhang established after the overthrow of the Yuan Empire. Emperor Yongle sponsored the building of the Forbidden City and the voyages of Zheng He14
62997092monasticismLiving in a religious community apart from secular society and adhering to a rule stipulating chastity, obedience, and poverty.15
62997093papacyThe central administration of the Roman Catholic Church, of which the pope is the head16
62997094Rashid al-DinDoctory, historian and adviser to the Il-khans, created some of the most concise writing on the Mongol Empire17
62997095Scientific RevolutionThe intellectual movement in Europe, initially associated with planetary motion and other aspects of physics, that by the seventeenth century had laid the groundwork for modern science.18
62997096shamanismThe practice of identifying special individuals who will interact with spirits for the benefit of the community. Characteristic of the Korean kingdoms of the early medieval period and of early societies of Central Asia19
62997097SrivijayaA state based on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, between the 7th and 11th centuries C.E. It amassed wealth and power by a combination of selective adaptation of Indian technologies and concepts, and control of trade routes20
62997099TenochtitlanCapital of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest. Mexico City was constructed on its ruins.21
62997100TeotihuacanA powerful city-state in central Mexico (100-75 C.E.). Its population was about 150,000 at its peak in 600.22
62997101TimurMember of a prominent family of the Mongols' Jagadai Khanate, through conquest gained control over much of Central Asia and Iran. He consolidated the status of Sunni Islam as orthodox, and his descendants, maintained his empire.23
62997102tribute systemA system in which defeated peoples were forced to pay a tax in the form of goods and labor. This forced transfer of food, cloth, and other goods subsidized the development of large cities. An important component of the Aztec and Inca economies.24
62997103Yi KingdomThe Yi dynasty ruled Korea from the fall of the Koryo kingdom to the colonization of Korea by Japan.25
62997104YuanEmpire created in China and Siberia by Khubilai Khan.26
62997105Hanseatic LeagueAlliance of trading cities that established and maintained a trade monopoly over most of Northern Europe and the Baltic for a time in the later Middle Ages and the Early Modern period (ie between the 13th and 17th century).27
62997106Medicispowerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century, first achieved power through banking. They were instrumental in the development of Florence as the epicenter of Renaissance28
62997107AbbasidArabic dynasty (750-1258) that replaced the Ummayyads, reaching its peak under Harun al-Rashid29
62997109absolutismpolitical philosophy that stressed the divine right theory of kingship: the French king Louis XIV was the classic example30
62997110Abu BakrFirst caliph after the death of Muhammad31
62997111Achaemenid empirefirst great Persian empire (558-330 BCE), which began under Cyrus and reached its peak under Darius32
62997112AeschylusGreek tragedian, author of the Oresteia33
62997113Age gradesBantu institution in which individuals of roughly the same age carried out communal tasks appropriate for that age34
62997114ahimsaJain term for the principle of nonviolence to other living things or their souls35
62997115AhmosisEgyptian pharaoh c. 1500 BCE, founder of the New Kingdom36
62997116Ahura MazdaMain god of Zoroastrianism who represented truth and goodness and was perceived to be in an eternal struggle with the malign spirit.37
62997117al-AndalusIslamic Spain38
62997118AllahGod of the monotheistic religion of Islam39
62997119Ali'i nuiHawai'ian class of high chiefs40
62997120Amon-ReEgyptian god, combination of the sun god Re and the air god Amon41
62997121AngkorSoutheast Asian Khmer kingdom (889-1432) that was centered around temple cities42
62997122Anti-semitisma prejudice against Jews, and the political, social, and economic actions taken against them43
62997123AntonianismAfrican syncretic religion, founded by Dona Beatriz, that taught that Jesus Christ was a black African man and the heaven was for Africans44
62997124ApartheidSouth African system of "separateness" that was implemented in 1948 and that kept the black majority in a position of political, social, and economic subordination45
62997125AppeasementBritish and French policy in the 1930s that tried to maintain peace in Europe in the face of German aggression by making concessions46
62997126Arianismearly Christian heresy that centered around teaching of Arius (250-336 CE) and contained the belief that Jesus was a mortal human being and not coeternal with God; was the focus of Council of Nicaea47
62997127ArthaHindu concept for the pursuit of economic well-being and honest prosperity48
62997128ArthashastraAncient Indian political treatise from the time of Chandragupta Maurya; its authorship was traditionally ascribed to Kautalya, and it stressed that war was inevitable49
62997129AryansIndo-European tribes who settled in India after 1500 BCE, their union with indigenous Dravidians formed the basis of Hinduism50
62997130ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)Regional organization established in 1967 by Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines; the organization was designed to promote economic progress and political stability; it later became a free-trade zone51
62997131AssyriansSouthwest Asian people who built and empire that reached it height during the eighth and seventh centuries BCE, it was known for a powerful army and a well-structured state52
62997132AstrolabeNavigational instrument for determining latitude53
62997133Atenmonotheistic god of Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (reigned 1353-1335 BCE) and a very early example of monotheism54
62997134AudienciasSpanish courts in Latin America55
62997135Australopithecusoldest known ancestor of humans, lived from around 40 million down to around one million years ago, walked on two legs56
62997136AustronesiansPeople who as early as 2000 BCE began to explore and settle islands of the Pacific Island basin57
62997137Avestabook that contains the holy writings of Zoroastianism58
62997138Aztec EmpireCentral American empire constructed by the Mexica and expanded greatly during the fifteenth century during the reign of Itzcoatl and Motecuzoma I.59
62997139AxumAfrican kingdom centered in Ethiopia that became an early and lasting center of Coptic Christianity60
62997140Balfour DeclarationStatement issued by Britain's foreign secretary Arthur Balfour in 1917 favoring the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.61
62997141BantuAfrican peoples who originally lived in the area of present-day Nigeria; around 2000 BCE they began a centuries-long migration that took them to most of sub-Saharan Africa; the Bantu were very influential, especially linguistically62
62997142BedouinNomadic Arabic tribespeople63
62997143beneficeGrant froma lord to a vassal, usually consisting of land, which supported the vassal and signified the relationship between the two64
62997144Berlin ConferenceMeeting organized by German chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1884-1885 that provided the justification for European colonization of Africa65
62997145Bhagavad Gita"Song of the Lord," an Indian short poetic work drawn from the lengthly Mahabharata that was finished around 400 CE and that expressed basic Hindu concepts such as karma and dharma66
62997146BaktiIndian movement that attempted to transcend the differences between Hinduism and Islam67
62997147Black HandPre-WWI secret Serbian nationalistic society; one of tis members, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand and provided the spark for the outbreak of the Great War68
62997148BlitzkriegGerman style of rapid attack through the use of armor and air power that was used in Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France in 1939-194069
62997149BoddhisatvasBuddhist concept regarding individuals who had reached enlightenment but who stayed in this world to help others70
62997150BolshevikRussian communist party headed by Lenin71
62997151BourgeoisieMiddle class in modern industrial society72
62997152BoyarsRussian nobles73
62997153BrahminsHindu caste of priests74
62997154Brezhnev DoctrinePolicy developed by Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982) that claimed for the Soviet union the right to invade any socalist country faced with internal or external enemies; the doctrine was best expressed in Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia75
62997155BuddhaThe "enlightened one," the term applied to Siddhartha Gautama.76
62997156BuddhismReligion, based on Four Noble Truths, associated with Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE), its adherents desired to eliminate all distracting passion and reach nirvana77
62997157BunrakuJapanese puppet theater78
62997158BushidoThe "way of the warrior," the code of conduct of the Japanese samurai that was based on loyalty and honor79
62997159Byzantine EmpireLong-lasting empire centered at Constantinople; it grew out of the end of the Roman empire and carried legacy of Roman greatness and was the only classical society to survive into the moderna ge; it reached its peak during the reign of Justinian (483-565)80
62997160Caesaropapismconcept relating to the mixing of political and religious authority, as with the Roman emporers, that was central to the church vs. state controversy in medieval Europe81
62997161CahokiaLarge structure in modern Illinois that was constructed by the mound-building peoples; it was the third largest structure in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans82
62997162Caliph"deputy," Islamic leader after the death of Muhammad83
62997163CapetianEarly French dynasty that started with Hugh Capet84
62997164CapitalismAn economic system with origins in early modern Europe in which private parties make their goods and services available on a free market85
62997165CapitulationsHighly unfavorable trading agreements that the Ottoman Turks signed with the Europeans in the 19th century that symbolized the decline of the Ottomans86
62997166CarolingiansGermanic dynasty that was named after its most famous leader, Charlemagne87
62997167CarthageNorth African kingdom, main rival to early Roman expansion, that was defeated by Rome in the Punic Wars88
62997168Catal HuyukImportant Neolithic settlement in Anatolia (7250-6150 BCE)89
62997169CatharsMedievale heretics, also known as the Albigensians, who considered the material world evil; their followersr renounced wealth and marriage and promoted an ascetic existence90
62997170Catholic Reformation16th century Catholic attempt to cure internal ills and confront Protestantism; it was inspired by the reforms of the Council of Trent and the actions of the Jesuits91
62997171CaudillosLatin American term for local military leaders in the 1800s92
62997172Central PowersThe alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire93
62997173ChaghataiOne of Genghis Khan's sons, whose descendants ruled Central Asia through a khanate with his name94
62997174Zen Buddhism (Chan Buddhism)Most popular branch of Buddhism in China, with an emphasis on intuition and sudden flashes of insight instead of textual study95
62997175ChanchanCapital of the pre-Incan, South American Chimu society that supported a large population of fifty thousand96
62997176Chavin cultMysterious but very popular South American religion (1000-300 BCE)97
62997177ChimuPre-Incan South American society that fell to Incas in the 15th century98
62997178Chinampasagricultural gardens used by Mexica (Aztecs) in which fertile muck from lake bottoms was dredged and built up into small plots99
62997179ChivalryEuropean medieval code of conduct for knights based on loyalty and honor100
62997180CholaSouthern Indian Hindu kingdom (850-1267), a tightly centralized state that dominated sea trade101
62997181Hinduismmain religion of India, a combination of Dravidian and Aryan concepts; Hinduism's goal is to reach spiritual purity and union with the great world spirit, its important concepts include dharma, karma, and samsara102
62997182HolocaustGerman attempt in World War II to exterminate the Jews of Europe103
62997183Home frontThe name given to the part of war that was not actively involved in the fighting but which was vital to it.104
62997184Hominidprimate that walks upright, has opposable thumbs, and possesses a large brain; only living members are humans105
62997185Homo erectusHominids who are believed to have walked completely upright like modern people do, called "Upright Man".106
62997186Homo sapiensA species of the creatures Hominid who have larger brains and to which humans belong, dependent of language and usage of tools.107
62997187Homo sapiens sapiensthe newest human breed, originating c. 120,000 years ago, of which all humans in the world today are descendants108
62997188Hundred Days of ReformA series of reforming edicts and laws in China. Empress Cixi used support from Manchu officials and soldiers (that had been threatened) to lock up the emperor and get rid of reformers109
62997189HuitzilopochtiSun god and patron deity of the Aztecs110
62997190DhowShip of small to moderate size used in the western Indian Ocean, traditionally with a triangular sail and a sewn timber hull.111
62997191ChucuitoPre-Incan South American society that rose in the twelfth century and fell to the Incas in the fifteenth century.112
62997192City-stateurban areas that controlled surrounding agricultural regions and that were often loosely connected in a broader political structure with others.113
62997193Cohongspecially licensed Chinese firms that were under strict government regulation114
62997194collectivizationprocess beginning in the late 1920s by which Stalin forced the Russian peasants off their own land and onto huge farms run by the state; millions died in the process115
62997195COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance)the Soviet alternative to the U.S.'s Marshall Plan; offered increased trade within the Soviet Union and eastern Europe116
62997196Communalisma term, usually associated with India, that placed an emphasis on religious rather than national identity.117
62997197CommunismPhilosophy and movement that began in middle of the 19th century with the work of Karl Marx; it has the same general goals as socialsim, but it includes the belief that violent revolution is necessary.118
62997198ConfuciansimPhilosophy that emphasizes order, the role of the gentleman, obligation to society, and reciprocity119
62997199Congress of ViennaMeeting in 1815 of the victorious powers (England, Russia, Prussia, and Austria) in order to determine the settlement of Europe after the defeat of Napoleon; established a system of international diplomacy for the 19th century and beyond120
62997200ConquistadoresSpanish adventurers like Cortes and Pizarro who conquered Central and South America in the 1500s121
62997201Constitutionalismmovement in England in the 1600s that placed power in the hands of Parliament as part of a constitutional monarchy and that increasingly limited the power of the monarch; highlighted by the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution122
62997202ContainmentConcept associated with the U.S. and specifically with the Truman Doctrine during the cold war that revolved around the notion that the U.S. would contain the spread of communism123
62997203corporationprivate businesses owned by thousands of individual and institutional investors who financed the business through the purchase of stocks; a concept that reached mature form in the 1860s in England and France.124
62997204Corpus iuris civilis"Body of the Civil Law', the Byzantine emporer Justinian's attempt to codify all Roman law125
62997205CriollosCreoles, people born in the Americas of Spanish or Portuguese ancestry126
62997206Cro-MagnonHomo sapiens sapiens, who appeared 40 thousand years ado during the Paleolithic age and were the first human beings of the modern type.127
62997207Cross staffdevice that sailors used to determine latitude by measuring the angle of the sun or pole star above the horizon128
62997208cuneiformwritten language of the Sumerians, probably the first written script in the world129
62997209DaimyoPowerful territorial lords in early modern Japan130
62997210DaoKey element in Chinese philosophy that means the "way of nature" or the "way of the cosmos"131
62997211Daodejingbook that is the fundamental work of Daoism132
62997212DaoismChinese philosophy with origins in the Zhou dynasty; it is associated with legendary philosopher Laozi, and it called for a policy of non-competition133
62997213Dar al-Islamthe "house of Islam', a term for the Islamic world134
62997214Declaration of IndependenceWritten by Thomas Jefferson in 1776; the document expressed the ideas of John Locke and the Enlightenment, represented the idealism of the American rebels, and influenced other revolutions135
62997215Declaration of the Rights of Man and the CitizenDocument from the French Revolution (1789) that was influenced by the American Declaration of Independence and in turn influenced other revolutionary movements136
62997216Decolonizationprocess by which former colonies achieved their independence, as with the newly emerging Afircan nations in the 1950s and 60s137
62997217Deisman Elightenment view that accepted the existence of a god but denied the supernatural aspects of Christianity; the universe was an orderly realm maintained by natural and rational laws138
62997218Descamisados"shirtless ones," Argentine poor who supported Juan and Eva Peron139
62997219Detentea reduction in cold war tension between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. from 1969 to 1973140
62997220DevshirmeOttoman requirement that the Christians in the Balkans provide young boys to be slaves of the sultan141
62997221DharmaHindu concept of obedience to religius and moral laws and order142
62997222DhimmiIslamic concept of a protected people that was symbolic of Islamic toleration during the Mughal and Ottoman empires.143
62997223DiasporaPeople who have settled far from their original homeland but who still share some measure of ethnic identity144
62997224DionysusGreek god of wine, also known as Bacchus; Greek plays were performed in his honor.145
62997225DravidiansPeople who produced the brilliant Harappan society in India, 3000-1500 BCE146
62997226DreadnoughtsA class of British battleships whose heavy armaments made all other battleships obsolete overnight147
62997227DumaRussian parliaments, established after the Revolution of 1905148
62997228DietJapanese parliament established as part of the new constitution of 1889; part of Meiji reforms; could pass laws and approve budgets; able to advise government, but not to control it.149
62997229Dutch learningEuropean knowledge that reached Tokugawa Japan150
62997230British East India CompanyBritish joint-stock company that grew to be a state within a state in India; it possessed its own armed forces.151
62997231Eight-legged essay8-part essays that an aspiring Chinese civil servant had to compose, mainly based on a knowledge of Confucius and the Zhou classics152
62997232EncomiendaSystem that gave the Spanish settlers (encomenderos) the right to compel the indigenous peoples of the Americas to work in the mines or fields.153
62997233EngenhoBrazilian sugar mill; the term also came to symbolize the entire complex world relating to the production of sugar154
62997234Enlightenment18th century philosophical movement that began in France; its emphasis was on the preeminence of reason rather than faith or tradition; it spread concepts from the Scientific Revolution155
62997235EpicureansHellenistic philosophers who taught that pleasure-as in quiet satisfaction- was the greatest good.156
62997236Equal-field systemChinese system during the Han dynasty in which the goal was to ensure an equitable distribution of land.157
62997237EssenesJewish sect that looked for the arrival of a savior; they were similar in some of their core beliefs to the early Christians158
62997238EtruscansNorthern Italian society that initially dominated the Romans; the Etruscans helped convey Greek concepts to the expanding Romans159
62997239EunuchsCastrated males, originally in charge of the harem, who grew to play major roles in governement because they could not start a family; were common in China and other societies160
62997240European Community (EC)Organization of European states established in 1957; it promoted economic growth and integration as the basis for a politically united Europe.161
62997241European Union (EU)established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, a supranational organization for even greater European economic and political integration.162
62997242FascismPolitical ideology and mass movement that was prominent in many parts of Euopre between 1919 and 1945; it sought to regenerate the social, political, and cultural life of societies, especially in contrast to liberal democracy and socialism163
62997243Five Pillarsthe foundation of Islam: profession of faith, prayer, fasting during Ramadan, alms, and pilgrimage, or hajj.164
62997244Five-year plansfirst implemented by Stalin in the Soviet Union in 1928; became a staple of communist regimes in which every aspect of production was determined; the opposite of the free-market concept.165
62997245Four Noble Truthsthe foundation of Buddhist thought: life is pain, pain is caused by desire, elimination of deisre will bring an end to pain, living a life based on the Noble Eightfold Path will eliminate desire166
62997246Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN)the Algerian organization that fought a bloody guerilla war for freedom against France167
62997247FulaniSub-Saharan African people who, beginning in the 17th century, began a series of wars designed to impose their own strict interpretation of Islam168
62997248GathasZoroastrian works believed to be compositions of Zarathusta169
62997249GauchosArgentine cowboys, highly romanticized figures170
62997250General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)Free trade agreement first signed in 1947; by 1994 it had grown to 123 members and formed the World Trade Organization (WTO)171
62997251GhaznavidsTurkish tribe under Mahmud of Ghazni who moved into northern India in the 1000s and began a period of greater Islamic influence in India172
62997252GhaziIslamic religious warrior173
62997253GilgameshLegendary king og the Mesopotamian city-state of Uruk (ca. 3000 BCE), subject of the world's oldest complete epic literary masterpiece174
62997254GlasnostRussian term meaning "openness,' ntroduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 to describe the process of opening Soviet society to dissidents and criticism175
62997256Golden HordeMongol tribe that controlled Russia from the 1200s to the 1400s.176
62997257Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity SphereJapanese plan for consolidating east and southeast Asia under their control during WWII177
62997258Great Game19th century competition between Great Britain and Russia for the control of Central Asia178
62997259Great ZimbabweLarge sub-Saharan African kingdom in the 1400s179
62997260Guomindang (Kuomintang)Chinese nationalist party founded by Sun Yatsen (1866-1925) and later by Jiang Jieshi (Chang Kai-shek); it has been centered in Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war180
62997261GuptaIndian dynasty (320-550 CE) that briefly reunited India after the collapse of the earlier Mauryan dynasty181
62997262haciendalarge Latin American estate182
62997263Hagia SophiaGreek Orthodox temple constructed by the Byzantine emporer Justinian and later converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire183
62997264Hajjpilgrimage to Mecca184
62997265Hammurabi's Codesophisticated law code associated with the Babylonian king Hammurabi (r. 1792-1750 BCE)185
62997266Harappanearly brilliant Indian society centered around Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro186
62997267Harijans"children of God," Gandhi's terms for the untouchables187
62997268HebrewsSemitic-speaking nomadic tribe influential for monotheistic belief in Yahweh188
62997269HeianJapanese period (794-1185), a brilliant cultural era notable for the world's first novel, Murasaki Shikibu's "The Tale of Genji"189
62997270Hellenic Eraphase in Greek history (800-328 BCE), which was highlighted by the Golden Age of Athens in the 400s BCE190
62997271Hellenistic Eraphase in Greek history (328-146 BCE), from the conquest of Greece by Philip o' Macedon until Greece's fall to the Romans, this era was a more cosmopolitan age facilitated by the conquests of Alexander the Great191
62997272HijraMuhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina in 622, which is the beginning point of the Islamic calendar and is considered to mark the beginning of the Islamic faith192
62997273Hinayanabranch of Buddhism known as the "lesser vehicle," aka Theravada Buddhism; its beliefs include a strict, individual path to enlightenment, and it is popular in south and southeast Asia193
62997274Hyksosinvaders who seized the Nile delta and helped bring an end to the Middle Kingdom194
62997275IconoclastsSupporters of the movement, begun by the Byzantine Emporer Leo III (r. 717-741), to destroy religious icons because their veneration was considered sinful195
62997276Imperialismterm associated with the expansion of European powers and their conquest and colonization of African and Asian societies, mainly from the 1500s through the 1800s.196
63183493Angra Mainyuevil god in Zoroastrianism, main enemy of the good of goodness197
63183494Inca EmpirePowerful South American empire that would reach its peak in the 1400s.198
63183495Indo-Europeansseries of tribes from southern Russia who, over a period of millenia, embarked on a series of migrations from India through western Europe199
63183496IndraEarly Indian god associated with the Aryans; the king of the gods, associated with warfare and thunderbolts.200
63183497IroquoisEastern American Indian confederation made up of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca tribes201
63183498JainismIndian religion associated with Vardhamana Mahavira (54-468 BCE), believed in nonviolence because every physical object possesses a soul.202
63183499Jatisubcaste203
63183500Jizyahead tax in Islamic empires that was imposed on non-Muslims.204
63183501joint-stock companiesearly forerunner of the modern corporation; individuals who invested in a trading or exploring venture could make huge profits while limiting their risk.205
63183502ka'bamain shrine in Mecca, goal of Muslims embarking on the hajj.206
63183503kabukijapanese theater in which actors were free to improvise and embellish the words.207
63183504kamaHindu concept of the enjoyment of physical and sexual pleasure.208
63183505kamikaze"divine wind," related to storms that destroyed Mongol invasion fleets; symbolic of Japanese isolation and later taken by suicide pilots in WWII.209
63183506Kanunlaws issued by the Ottoman Suleyman the Magnificent.210
63183507KapuHawaiian concept of something being taboo.211
63183508Karmahindu concept that the sum of good and bad in a person's life will determine his or her status in the next life.212
63183509KhoikhoiSouth African people referred to pejoratively as the Hottentots in Europe.213
63218411KongoCentral African state that began trading with the Portuguese around 1500; their kings converted to Christianity but the still suffered from the slave trade.214
63218412Koumbi-SalehImportant trading city along the trans-Saharan trade route from the 100s to the 1200s.215
63218413KshatriyasHindu caste of warriors and aristocrats.216
63218414Kulaksland-owning Russian peasants who benefited under Lenin's New Economic Policy and suffered under Stalin's forced collectivization.217
63218415KushNubian African kingdom that conquered and controlled Egypt from 750-664 BCE218
63218416Lamaist Buddhismbranch of Buddhism that is similar to shamanism in its acceptance of magic and supernatural powers.219
63218417La Reformapolitical reform movement of Mexican president Benito Juarez (1806-1872) that called for limiting the power of the military and the Catholic church in Mexican society.220
63218418Latifundiahuge state-run and slave-worked farms in ancient Rome221
63218419League of NationsForerunner of the UN, the dream of Woodrow Wilson, although its potential was severely limited by the refusal of the US to join.222
63218420Lebensraum"living space," associated with Hitler and his goal of carving out territory in the east for an expanding Germany.223
63218421LegalismChinese philosophy from the Zhou dynasty that called for harsh suppression of the common people.224
63218422Levee en MasseA term signifying universal conscription during the radical phase of the French revolution.225
63218423Lex talionis"law of retaliation," laws in which offenders suffered punishments similar to their crimes; the most famous example is Hammurabi's laws.226
63218424Liconfucian concept, a sense of propriety.227
63218425Linear AMinoan written script.228
63218426Linear BEarly Mycenaean written script.229
63218427LudditesEary 1800s artisans who were opposed to new machinery and industrialization.230
63218428MachismoLatin American social ethic that honored male strength, courage, aggressiveness, assertiveness, and cunning.231
63218429MadrasasIslamic institutions of higher education that originated in the 900s.232
63218430MagyarsHungarian Invaders who raided towns in Germany, Italy, and Fracne in the 800s and 900s.233
63218431MahabharataMassive ancient Indian epic that was developed orally for centuries; it tells of an epic civil war between two family branches.234
63578147Mahayana"greater vehicle," a more metaphysical and more popular northern branch of Buddhism.235
63578148MajapahitSE Asian kingdom (1293-1520) centered on the island of Java.236
63578149MaliWest African kingdom founed in the 1200s by Sundiata; it reached its peak during the reign of Mansa Musa.237
63578150ManchusManchurians who conquered China, putting an end to the Ming dyansty and founding the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).238
63578151Mandate of HeavenChinese belief that the emporers ruled through the approval of heaven contingent on their ability to look after the welfare of the population.239
63578152Mandate systemSystem that developed in the wake of WWI when the former colonies ended up mandates under European control, a thinly veiled attempt at continuing imperialism.240
63578153ManichaeismReligion founded by the prophet Mani in the 200s CE, a syncretic version of Zoroastrianism, Christian, and Buddhist elements.241
63578154Manorslarge estates of the nobles during the European middle ages, home for the majority of the peasants.242
63578155MaoriIndigenous people of New Zealand.243
63578156MarathonBattlefield scene of the Athenian victory over the Persians in 490 BCE.244
63578157MaraePolynesian temple structure.245
63578158Maroonsrunaway African slaves246
63578159Marshall PlanU.S. plan that offered financial and other economic aid to all European states that had suffered from WWII, including Soviet bloc states.247
63578160Mauryan EmpireIndian dynasty (321-185 BCE) founded by Chandragupta Maurya and reaching its peak under Ashoka.248
63578161Mayabrilliant Central American society (300-1100) known for math, astronomy, and a sophisticated written language.249

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