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Pre-AP World History Midterm Exam Terms Flashcards

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3488128677"Popul vuh"Mayan creation story in which people are made from corn and water.0
3488149753bloodlettinga Mayan ritual in which priests, nobles, and kings would willingly pierce body parts as a sacrifice to the gods in exchange for rain for their crops.1
3488188633Reasons for the Mayan collapseArchaeological evidence and environmental data show that prolonged drought, made worse by deforestation (cutting down trees for wood to fuel fires and slash-and-burn farming techniques), forced Mayan populations to abandon their cities.2
3488207357Direct DemocracyAthenians had this type of democracy in which citizens took part directly in the day-to-day affairs of the government. Only free men who had completed their military service could participate in the democracy. Athenian democracy's 3 main bodies were the Assembly, the Council of 500, and the People's Court.3
3488240633Alexander the GreatHe created the largest empire of all time; son of Philip of Macedon; conquered Persian empire and attempted to conquer India4
3488245798Peloponnesian Waran ancient Greek civil war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Sparta won with the help of the Persian Navy and Athens surrendered in 404BC.5
3488248887Persian Warswars against the Persian empire that united the Greek city-states against their mutual enemy. Greece won by holding off the Persians in the Battles of Marathon and Salamis. After, Greeks formed the Delian League of city-states to defend against Persia, which led to the golden age of Athens6
3488302581Spartaone of the two main Greek city-states; militaristic society, austere, disciplined7
3488305304Athensone of the two main Greek city states; the political, commercial, and cultural center of Greece8
3488309777polismeans city-state in Greek9
3488335898Qin DynastyFirst Dynasty after the Warring States Period. Ruled by Shi Huangdi with a legalist government. Lasted from 221 BCE - 206 BCE (very short)10
3488351392Qin ShihuangdiOriginally named Zheng, this person unified China after the Zhou and Warring States Period under his strict legalist government. This name means "First Emperor," because he was the first of the Qin Dynasty11
3488356632LegalismA philosophy based on the teachings of Hanfeizi, which held the belief that people are naturally evil and need harsh punishment. The Qin Dynasty ruled using this philosophy.12
3488358926Han Fei TzuCame up with the philosophy of Legalism13
3488362632Han DynastyFounded by peasant leader-turned-emperor Gao Zu, this dynasty followed the Qin and imposed a Confucian (rather than Legalist) government. Lasted from 202 BCE -220 CE.14
3488366730Silk RoadA trade route built by Wudi that linked China and the west for centuries. It linked Rome, India, Persia, and the Middle East. It eventually spanned 4000 miles.15
3488370988Civil Service SystemSystem in which a person would begin with a clerical job and slowly move up in local government with knowledge of Confucianism. Must take a civil service exam.16
3488426088Mauryan EmpireThe first major Indian Empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya (321 B.C. to 185 B.C.). Known for lots of long-distance trade and the most famous emperor, Asoka.17
3488431197Ashoka MauryaChandragupta's grandson, took throne in 301 BCE and brought Mauryan Empire to great heights. He wrote his laws on stone pillars, encouraged agriculture by building irrigation canals, built long roads to help trade, & changed the philosophy of India to Buddhism. The empire fell apart after he died.18
3488435694Gupta Empirethe ___________ Empire (320-550 CE) was founded by Chandra Gupta (not related to Chandragupta Maurya) and was smaller and more decentralized than the Mauryan. This Empire developed the concept of zero & Arabic numerals. It promoted Hinduism instead of of Buddhism.19
3488465153bureaucracylarge group of people who are involved in running a government but who are not elected.20
3488473307Achaemenid EmpireThis was the First Persian Empire (550 - 330 BC) in the Middle East/SW Asia. Falls due to the Persian wars when Alexander the Great invades.21
3488491094Cyrus the GreatA great conqueror who captured Babylon and establishes the massive Achaemenid Empire by 550 B.C.E. He was known for his mercy.22
3488517132Darius the GreatGrandson of Cyrus the Great who expanded the Achaemenid Empire, built a capital city at Persepolis, created royal road, postal system, & a network of spies.23
3488531190XerxesSuccessor to Darius the Great, ruled 486-464 BCE. His decision to repress other religions & cultures caused rebellions in Mesopotamian, Egypt, & Greece, which lead to the collapse of the Persian Empire24
3488582351Satrapgovernors of the provinces of the ancient Achaemenid (Persian) Empires25
3488605232IslamMajor world religion started around 630 CE that was started by the prophet Muhammad. _______ believes God is Allah and centers around the Five Pillars and the Quran.26
3488622200Five Pillars of IslamThe most important of the 5 pillars are: -Allah is the only god and Muhammad is his prophet -Must pray to Allah every day -Must go to Mecca at least once in your lifetime ....27
3488630610Qur'an/Koranthe foundational text of Islam that contains all of Muhammad's revelations and understandings of Allah -Foundational text of Islam28
3488646957Muhammad-Founding prophet of Islam who journeyed to Mecca around 630 CE and successfully established Islam and spread it throughout the Middle East.29
3488650315ChristianityA religion that grew out of Judaism and was based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The Bible is a sacred scripture. Most forms of Christianity hold that Jesus is the son of God.30
3488661659the TrinityThe three parts of God in Christianity: God the Father or Creator, God the Son (Jesus) or Redeemer, and God the Holy Spirit or Sanctifier31
3488661660the Holy BibleThe sacred text of Christianity32
3488666877JudaismA religion developed among the ancient Hebrews and characterized by belief in one transcendent God who has revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions.33
3488669522the DiasporaWhen Jews left Israel and moved from place to place to avoid persecution (discriminiation and abuse). Assyrian, Babylonian, and Roman Empire conquest sparked this Jewish movement.34
3488673202the TenakhThe ancient collection of writings that are sacred to the Jews (written from 1000 to 100 BCE). The word Tenakh comes from the three first letters of the three books included in this text.35
3488677180Religions of the Book______ are Judaism, Christianity, Islam. These religions believe that Abraham and his descendants hold an important role in their religions' development.36
3488782655Yin & YangSymbols which demonstrate the harmony between two opposing forces in the universe: male and female, respectively. Part of Taoist belief system.37
3488784818Taoism/DaoismStarted by the Chinese philosopher Lao Tze,the Supreme master, in the 6th century BCE. Focuses on the belief that following "the way" or "tao" will result in immortality.38
3488796164Lao TzuFounder of Taoism who left his job and rode west on an ox and was asked by the guardian of a mountain pass to write down his teachings39
3488800746ConfucianismA non-theistic religion/philosophy that emphasizes filial piety, or honoring your parents and ancestors; emphasis on education, and being fair and wise.40
3488811589Kung Fu Tzu/ ConfuciusChinese philosopher who founded Confucianism. He believed that a society could become perfect, if the people who lived in it exhibited "beautiful conduct."41
3488817710Filial PietyThe belief that children should honor and serve their parents and other ancestors, central to Confucianism42
3488821891The Middle WayOutlined by the Eightfold path, this is the way by which Buddhists believe you can achieve Nirvana. This describes how a person should neither be too greedy and desirous, nor too harsh and strict.43
3488827718The Four Noble Truths1. Human life has a lot of suffering. 2. The cause of suffering is greed/desire. 3. There is an end to suffering. 4. The way to end suffering is to follow the Middle Path.44
3488829916NirvanaThe final stage of enlightenment in Buddhism. This is the goal of Mahayana Buddhism (we will learn about different types of Buddhism)45
3488837839BuddhismA major religion that emerged in the 500s BC. ______________ urged people to seek enlightenment through meditation and its founder was Siddhartha Gautama.46
3488840129Siddhartha GautamaFounder of Buddhism (also known as Buddha) who was a former prince who gave up everything and found enlightenment through meditation.47
3488850032dharmaIn Hindu belief, a person's religious and moral duties. You need to follow this correctly, and if you do, you will be reborn into a higher caste or social class.48
3488854993karmaIf you follow Hinduism properly, you will have this and you will be reborn into a higher caste. If you don't follow the rules of Hinduism, you will have bad ___________ and you will be reborn into a lower class or maybe even as a bug or animal.49
3488866115monisticbelief that everything comes from one being/substance. Hinduism is polytheistic, but believes that all their gods are reincarnations of the same god, which means they are also monistic.50
3488880452yogaIn Hinduism, training to achieve inner peace and union with the individual self and inner spirit. In practice, this can be a series of postures or movements to help build mental discipline.51
3488897489ZoroastrianismA Persian religion that was one of the first monotheistic (single god) religions. It was based on the teachings of Zoroaster and influenced Judaism, Christianity, & Islam.52
3488902744ZoroasterFounder of Zoroastrianism53
3488907430AvestaSacred text of Zoroastrianism54
3488908743Ahura MazdaThe good god in Zoroastrianism who protected people from the evil god, Angra Mainyu55
3488942265oracle bonesUsed in the Shang dynasty to help make decisions or tell the future, these animal bones were burned so that diviners could read the cracks made in them.56
3488944276Mandate of HeavenAncient Chinese belief and philosophical idea that heaven granted emperors the right to rule based on their ability to govern well and fairly57
3488946659Xia DynastyThe first Chinese dynasty, began in 2200 BCE, until recently believed to be mythical, left behind no written records58
3488948951Sage King YuThe first king of the Xia dynasty, who effectively prevented the Huang He from flooding59
3488950707Shang DynastyThe second Chinese dynasty, which left behind written records. During this time, China entered the bronze age and monopolized metallurgy in order to retain power. Records show that these leaders allowed many decisions to be made on a local level.60
3488953023Zhou DynastyThe third dynasty, which through improved organization replaced the Shang. This dynasty was founded on the belief that heavenly powers gave someone the right to rule over a society, but that this person must rule fairly in order to maintain that power. This dynasty declined into a period of decentralization and wars near its end in 256 BCE.61
3488963934Veneration of AncestorsOffer of gifts and sacrifices to deceased (dead) ancestors with the belief that the ancestors would help guide the living62
3488968824Huang He (Yellow) RiverRiver that supported the first Ancient Chinese civilizations. Named from yellow colored, fertile loess soil.63
3488969125Dynastya succession of rulers from the same family64
3489005463The Caste System (Varna System)Social class system of Aryan society that did not allow people to change castes.65
3489011258Brahminsthe priests, or highest social class in India66
3489012802Kshatriyasthe warrior class of the Aryan society in in India67
3489016425Vaishyasthe merchant class of the Aryan society in India68
3489019635SudrasThe serfs or laborer class in India69
3489021921Indus Riverriver that supported the first civilizations in India. Known for flooding annually and for changing course and carving a new river.70
3489036274HarappansCitizens of the largest city in pre-Aryan India; Harappan society declined mysteriously, probably due to a natural disaster.71
3489047690Vedasthe most ancient Hindu scriptures; a set of songs, prayers, and stories which form the basis for Vedic religion, which was introduced by the Aryans to India.72
3489055778Aryansinvaders from Central Asia who replaced Harappan society and interacted with the Dravidians (local people).73
3489071401Nile Riverriver that supported the first civilization in Egypt. Flooded annually in the spring.74
3489081279MenesThe pharaoh who united Upper and Lower Egypt in 3100 BCE75
3489083704Old KingdomThe period during which Egypt was ruled by a bureaucracy under the pharaoh and during which the pyramids were built at Giza76
3489085100Middle Kingdom(1938 BCE - 1630 BCE) A period characterized by rebellion and invasion by Hyksos, formed after the collapse of the Old Kingdom77
3489087928New Kingdom(1539 BCE - 1075 BCE) A period in which the Egyptian empire stretched to it's largest size, even into Syria, during which Egypt had its first female pharaoh and established interactions with the Middle East78
3489100132OsirusGod of the underworld79
3489100133IsisGoddess of fertility; sister & wife of Osirus80
3489103141Amon-Re/ Amon-RaGod of the Sun81
3489126483MesopotamiaAn ancient civilization in the Middle East between the Tigris & Euphrates rivers82
3489132065Tigris & Euphrates riversThese rivers supported the first civilization in the Middle East. Both did NOT flood.83
3489137554Epic of Gilgameshan epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia about a legendary Sumerian king and is often considered the first great work of literature84
3489144201Sumerian Cuneiformconsidered the first written language in the world; the wedge-shaped characters were impressed on clay tablets and used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia85
3489158523King SargonThe first king to establish an empire in Mesopotamia (or anywhere in the world). He conquered Sumerian city-states, destroyed defensive walls, and placed Sumerians under the control of his administrators86
3489183137King HammurabiThe most famous Babylonian king (1792-1750) who made Babylon the chief Mesopotamian kingdom and codified the laws of Mesopotamia.87
3489192889Hammurabi's Codethe Babylonian law code of ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to about 1754 BC. Based on the idea of "an eye for an eye" justice.88
3489211203zigguratmassive structures (often temples) built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley, having the form of a terraced step pyramid89
3511755969patriarchya system of society or government in which the father or eldest male is head of the family and descent is traced through the male line90
3511757901pastoralismpractice of herding animals (i.e. sheep or cows) as the main economic activity of a society91
3511793366specialization of laborinstead of having everyone hunt and gather, people began to specialize in certain jobs and tasks (for example, some people were farmers, artists, warriors, etc.)92
3511834750nomadicto be _____ is to have no fixed home and move according to the seasons in search of food, water, and grazing land. This was common in the Paleolithic Era.93
3511810896sedentaryto settle in one place. Humans started being _____ when societies discovered the benefits of agriculture in the Neolithic Era.94
3511850013Paleolithic Eraalso known as the Old Stone Age, it is a prehistoric period of human history that began about 2.5 to 2 million years ago and is most known for the development of the most primitive (simple) stone tools. During this time, humans spent most of their time hunting and gathering in groups of 30-50 people.95
3512740114Neolithic Eraalso known as the New Stone Age, it is period of human culture that began around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and later in other parts of the world. It is characterized by the beginning of farming, the domestication of animals, the development of crafts such as pottery and weaving, and the making of polished stone tools.96
3512761355hominida primate of a family ( Hominidae ) that includes humans (Homo sapiens) and their fossil ancestors.97
3512777740evolutionthe adaptation of a species overtime to its environment98
3512827864monarchyA kingdom or a place governed by one person, the monarch (king or queen)99
3512839500oligarchyA government in which a group of people holds power100
3512847678aristocracy / plutocracyA government ruled by an elite (rich) social class101
3512850037theocracyA state governed by religious law or religious leaders102
3512851685democracyA state where power is vested in the people who vote directly on issues.103

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