AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP World History Vocab Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
7290137773pharaohA king of ancient Egypt, considered a god as well as a political and military leader.0
7290142414hieroglyphicsEgyptian writing that involved using pictures to represent words.1
7290145305hominidsMembers of the group of the earliest human species or human like creatures2
7290154125shang1700 to 1027 B.C. The first family of Chinese rulers to leave written records.3
7290159779hammurabiRuler of Babylon; created Hammurabi's code4
7290162941shi huangdifounder of the Qin dynasty and China's first emperor5
7290167647confucianisma belief system based on the ideas of the Chinese thinker Confucius a Chinese philosophy that emphasizes proper behavior6
7290172498city statea city that with its surrounding territory forms an independent state.7
7290175175patriarchalrelating to a society in which men hold the greatest legal and moral authority8
7290178215qinThe ____ Dynasty set one standard for language, money, and measurement throughout China. built Great Wall of China to keep out Mongols (Qin Shi Huangdi); Legalist9
7367416972PaleolithicThe early part of human history, also known as the old Stone Age10
7367423722NeolithicNew Stone Age, era of farming, cities and the first civilizations.11
7367431537Nomadshaving no fixed home, moving from place to place in search of food, water, or grazing land12
7367436708Slash and Burnwhen an area of vegetation is cut down and burned before being planted with crops.13
7367449567PastoralistsA grazier or land-holder raising sheep, cattle, etc. on a large scale14
7367483001Barterexchanging goods and services, terms of the exchange are often negotiated15
7367493764CuneiformCuneiform is a system of writing first developed by the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia c. 3500-3000 BCE. It is considered the most significant among the many cultural contributions of the Sumerians and the greatest among those of the Sumerian city of Uruk which advanced the writing of cuneiform c. 3200 BCE.16
7367519483MesopotamiaLand between two rivers Birthplace of the Sumerian civilization among many others. in ancient times, the geographic area located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers17
7367540892Cultural DiffusionCultural diffusion is the spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another.18
7367572368Epic of GilgameshAn epic poem from Mesopotamia, and among the earliest known works of literary writing.19
7367600776TheocracyA government controlled by religious leaders20
7367608924PolytheismA type of religious belief that focuses on the roles of the various gods and spirits in the natural world and in human events.21
7367632836HarappanThe first Indian civilization; also known as the Indus Valley civilization22
7367656877Mohenjo DaroA major city of the Indus valley civilization; flourished around 2000 BCE Indus Valley city laid out in a grid pattern. Had a complex irrigation and sewer system.23
7367690018Mandate of Heavenin Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority the belief that the Chinese king's right to rule came from the gods24
7367697136Dynastya line of hereditary rulers of a country. a powerful family or group of rulers that maintains its position or power for some time25
7367703087Zhouthe longest lasting Chinese dynasty developed Mandate of Heaven; Warring States period26
7368520066Filial PietyThe honoring of one's ancestors and parents, a key element of Confucianism. respect shown by children for their parents and elders27
7368548292AnalectsThe book that Kong Fuzi wrote and that stresses the values and ideas of Confucianism. a collection of short literary or philosophical extracts.28
7368582305Daoisma Chinese philosophy that emphasizes living in harmony with nature29
7368586894Legalismthe belief that people were bad by nature and needed to be controlled a Chinese philosophy that stressed the importance of laws30
7368721743Era of Warring StatesTime of struggle where philosophies occured when the Zhou Dynasty was divided between 8 states which had frequent wars31
7368741879Mean PeoplePeople without any skills(garbage collectors and grave diggers.32
7368745576Scholar GentryThe Chinese class of well-educated men from whom many of the bureaucrats were chosen. Civil servants appointed by the emperor of China to perform day-to-day governance33
7368774095BureaucracyA system of managing government through departments run by appointed officials34
7368955466Civil Servicesthe group of people whose job it is to carry out the work of the governor35
7368972803Silk RoadsAncient trade routes that extended from the Roman empire in the west to China in the east.36
7368979961Aryansnomadic herders who eventually controlled much of India Indo-European nomadic pastoralists who replaced Harappan civilization; militarized society37
7368989804MauryaIndian dynasty that ruled the empire from 321 B.C. to 185 B.C. This Indian dynasty politically unified the region.38
7369063575Ashokaa ruler of the Mauryan Empire who converted to Buddhism39
7369079311Kautilyaadvisor to Chandragupta Maurya; wrote a guidebook for rulers called Arthasastra40
7369086959GuptaEmpire Second empire in India, founded by Chandra Gupta Golden Age of India41
7369110192Chandraguptafounder of the first empire of India42
7369120350Regionalismart or literature focused on a particular region of the country the breaking up of an area into autonomous regions43
7369127348Caste SystemA Hindu social class system that controlled every aspect of daily life divided Indian society into groups based on a person's birth, wealth, or occupation44
7369131502HinduismA religion native to India, featuring belief in many gods and reincarnation India's first major religion45
7369158053UpanishadsIndian mystical and philosophical works, written between 800 and 400 B.C.E. Written meditations on the spiritual essence of the universe and the self46
7369170600VedasAncient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism. Collections of hymns, songs, prayers, and rituals honoring the barious gods of the Aryans.47
7369220215NirvanaIn Buddhism, the release from pain and suffering achieved after enlightenment48
7369230214MokshaThe Hindu concept of the spirit's 'liberation' from the endless cycle of rebirths. Becoming liberated for the cycle of reincarnation in Hinduism.49
7369235052Siddhartha-founder of Buddhism;young prince that discovered suffering and the solution to it50
7369279619BuddhismA religion based on the teachings of the Buddha. The cultural/religious tradition first enunciated by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha).51
7369293205AbrahamFounder of Judaism; made the first covenant with God52
7369295342TorahThe first five books of Jewish Scripture, which they believe are by Moses, are called this Holy book of Judaism53
7369300990PolisA city-state in ancient Greece.54
7369308069SocratesAncient Greek philosopher. Promoted introspection by saying, "Know thyself." believed that absolute standards did exist for truth and justice55
7369322742Zoroastrianisma Persian religion based on the belief of one god system of religion founded in Persia in the 6th century BC by Zoroaster noun56
7369334635Persian Warsconflict when Greeks tried to rebel to rid themselves of Persian rule57
7369344409Peloponnesian WarA war between Athens and Sparta that threaten to tear all of Greece apart. Sparta won58
7369357733Alexander the GreatKing of Macedonia who conquered Greece, Egypt, and Persia59
7369365008HellenismBlending of Egyptian, Persian and Greek culture; emphasis on philosophy and sciences. The acceptance of Greek culture, language, and traditions60
7369378407PatriciansThe wealthy, hereditary aristocrats during the Roman era. wealthy landowners, who became Rome's ruling class (birth right)61
7369427337PlebeiansAll non-land-owning, free men in Ancient Rome the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population62
7369436000AristocracyA government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility a government ruled by a small group of noble, landowning families63
7369458159Punic Warsa series of wars between Rome and Carthage in the 200s and 100s BC a series of three wars between Rome and Carthage64
7369468617Direct DemocracyA form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives AKA pure democracy, a form of democracy in which people decide policy decisions directly65
7369473845Twelve TablesRome's first code of laws; adopted in 450 B.C. Rome's written code of laws. It was on display in the Forum for all to see.66
7369477324SenateA council of representatives A group of 300 men elected to govern Rome in the Roman Republic. any of various legislative or governing bodies, in particular.67
7369482770Consulsthe two most powerful officials in Rome68
7369487963Julius Caesar100-44 B.C. Roman general who became the republic's dictator in 45 B.C. Ambitious leader who brought order to Rome Ambitious military commander69
7369492923Augustusfounder of the Roman Empire and its first Emperor First emperor, reformed Roman society and rebuilt parts of the city.70
7369501580Pax Romana200 year period of peace in Rome. the peace that existed between nationalities within the Roman Empire.71
7369503457JesusFounder of Christianity son of God who was both God and man. He was sent to save the human race from sin.72
7369508593DiocletianRoman emperor who divided the empire into a West and an East section. Divided the Roman Empire into Greek-speaking and Latin-speaking73
7369516706ConstantineRoman emperor who ended persecution of Christians Roman emperor who converted to Christianity74
7369536382Sub-Saharanpart of Africa that lies south of the sahara area below Africa- largest desert75
7369547380AnimismThe belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, and other natural objects have spirits the belief that all things are living76
7369559515Griotsprofessional oral historians who served as keepers of traditions and advisors to kings within the Mali empire77
7369572073BantuThe people who spread throughout Africa spreading agriculture, language, and iron. Root language of West Africa78
7369577454Axumtrading center, and powerful ancient kingdom in northern present-day Ethiopia Christianity was firmly established in this African state in the fourth century.79

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!