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

AP World History Unit 2 Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
5094739689Caste Systema class structure that is determined by birth. Loosely, it means that in some societies, if your parents are poor, you're going to be poor, too. Same goes for being rich0
5094739690PatriarchyA male dominated society1
5094739691MatriarchalA female dominated society2
5094739692Mandate of Heavenan ancient Chinese belief and philosophical idea that tiān (heaven) granted emperors the right to rule based on their ability to govern well and fairly.3
5094739693Silk Roadan ancient network of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East by merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from China and India to the Mediterranean Sea4
5094739694Social Heirarchyhow individuals and groups are arranged in a relatively linear ladder5
5094739695Reincarnationthe rebirth of a soul in a new body.6
5094739696AssimilationThe process by which a person or persons acquire the social and psychological characteristics of a group7
5094739697MonotheisticThe belief in only one god8
5094739698Eightfold Paththe path to nirvana, comprising eight aspects in which an aspirant must become practiced: right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.9
5094739699Zoroanstrianismone of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Iran approximately 3500 years ago.10
5094739700Greek Philosophythe rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics11
5094739701PolytheisticThe belief in many gods12
5094739702Legalismstrict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.13
5094739703Confucianisma system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius and developed by Mencius.14
5094739704Buddhismis a nontheistic religion or philosophy (Sanskrit: dharma; Pali: धम्म dhamma) that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha, commonly known as the Buddha ("the awakened one").15
5094739705Islamthe religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah.16
5094739706Judaisman ancient monotheistic religion, with the Torah as its foundational text (part of the larger text known as the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible), and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash and the Talmud.17
5094739707Christianitythe religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices.18
5094739708Daoisma philosophical, ethical or religious tradition of Chinese origin, or faith of Chinese exemplification, that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao.19
5094739709Han Dynastyan empire in ancient China, that lasted from 206 b.c.e- 24 c.e.20
5094739710Persiaan empire located in modern day Iran but stretched as far as Egypt and Iraq.21
5094739711Guptaan empire located in northern India that lasted from 320-550 c.e.22
5094739712Ancient Egyptan empire that lasted for 3000 years23
5094739713Roman empirelocated in modern day Italy but expanded to outlying countries throughout its reign, it lasted from 201 b.c.e- 476 c.e.24
5094739714Mayalocated in modern day central america, it lasted from 1800 b.c.e- 250 c.e.25
5094739715StateA body of people living in a defined territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of any higher authority26
5094739716Empirean extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority.27
5094739717Hebrew ScripturesTorah, Old Testament28
5094739718Assyrian Empirethis empire covered much of what is now Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Anatolia; its height was during the seventh and eighth centuries BCE.29
5094739719Babylonian EmpireEmpire in Mesopotamia which was formed by Hammurabi, the sixth ruler of the invading Amorites.30
5094739720Roman EmpireExisted from 27 BCE to about 400 CE. Conquiered entire Mediterranean coast and most of Europe. Ruled by an emperor. Eventually oversaw the rise and spread of Christianity.31
5094739721Sanskrit ScripturesAn ancient Indic language of India, in which the Hindu scriptures and classical Indian epic poems are written and from which many northern Indian languages are derived.32
5094739722Vedic ReligionsCore beliefs in sanskrit scriptures; Hinduism; influence of Indo-European traditions in the development of the social and political roles of a caste system; importance of multiple manifestations of Brahma to promote teachings about reincarnation.33
5094739723HinduismA religion and philosophy developed in ancient India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being who takes many forms34
5094739724Mauryan Empire(321-185 BCE) This was the first centralized empire of India whose founder was Chandragupta Maurya.35
5094739725AshokaLeader of the Mauryan dynasty of India who conquered most of India but eventually gave up violence and converted to Buddhism.36
5094739726Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha)Means "Enlightened One." He is said to have renounced his worldly possessions and taught of a way to overcome suffering.37
5094739727Emperor ConstantineFounded Constantinople; best known for being the first Christian Roman Emperor; issued the Edit of Milan in 313, granting religious toleration throughout the empire.38
5094739737Gupta Empire(320-550 CE) The decentralized empire that emerged after the Mauryan Empire, and whose founder is Chandra Gupta.39
5094739748filial pietyIn Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.40
5094739749monasticismA way of life in which men and women withdraw from the rest of the world in order to devote themselves to their faith41
5094739750shamanismThe practice of identifying special individuals (shamans) 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 Asia.42
5094739751animismBelief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life.43
5094739752ancestor venerationVeneration of the dead or ancestor reverence is based on the beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living, the worship of deceased ancestors44
5094739753syncretic religionCombines two religious traditions into something distinctly new, while containing traits of both45
5094739754Persian EmpireGreatest empire in the world up to 500 BCE. Spoke an Indo-European language. A multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire. Fell to Alexander the Great.46
5094739755Qin Dynastythe Chinese dynasty (from 246 BC to 206 BC) that established the first centralized imperial government and built much of the Great Wall47
5094739756Han Dynasty(202 BC - 220 AD) dynasty started by Lui Bang; a great and long-lasting rule, it discarded the harsh policies of the Qin dynasty and adopted Confucian principles; rulers chose officials who passed the civil service exams rather than birth; it was a time of prosperity48
5094739757PhoeniciaSemitic-speaking Canaanites living on the coast of modern Lebanon and Syria in the first millennium B.C.E. Famous for developing the first alphabet, which was adopted by the Greeks.49
5094739758HellenisticOf or influenced by the Greek Empire. A type of culture typically referred to after the conquests of Alexander the Great.50
5094739763PersepolisA complex of palaces, reception halls, and treasury buildings erected by the Persian kings Darius I and Xerxes in the Persian homeland. It is believed that the New Year's festival was celebrated here, as well as the coronations, weddings, and funerals of the Persian kings, who were buried in cliff-tombs nearby.51
5094739766AthensA democratic Greek polis who accomplished many cultural achievements, and who were constantly at war with Sparta.52
5094739764Chang'anCapital of Tang dynasty; population of 2 million, larger than any other city in the world at that time.53
5094739767CarthageCity located in present-day Tunisia, founded by Phoenicians ca. 800 B.C.E. It became a major commercial center and naval power in the western Mediterranean until defeated by the expanding Roman Republic in the third century B.C.E.54
5094739768AlexandriaCity on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt founded by Alexander. It became the capital of the Hellenistic kingdom of Ptolemy. It contained the famous Library and the Museum and was a center for leading scientific and literary figures in the classical and postclassical eras.55
5094739769ConstantinopleA large and wealthy city that was the imperial capital of the Byzantine empire and later the Ottoman empire, now known as Istanbul56
5094739770Silk Roadstrade routes stretching from China to the Mediterranean, which allowed for the exchange of goods and ideas from China to the Roman Empire57
5094739771Trans-Saharan Caravan RouteIslamic trade in West Africa was conducted by caravans of camels. According to Ibn Battuta, the explorer who accompanied one of the caravans, the average size was a thousand camels per caravan, with some being as large as 12,000.58
5094739772Indian Ocean Sea Laneslanes throughout the Indian Ocean connecting East Africa, southern Arabia, the Persian Gulf, India, Southeast Asia, and southern China59
5094739773Mediterranean Sea LanesTrade routes that connected the Mediterranean civilizations together. The need for a sea rout for trade in the region. Trade increased and diffusion of cultures occurred60
5094739774Qanat Systema traditional system of gravity-fed irrigation that uses gently sloping tunnels to capture groundwater and direct it to low-lying fields61
5094739776Jesus of Nazaretha teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity.62
5094739778Greco-Roman PhilosophyIdeas that emphasized logic, empirical observation, and nature of political power and hierarchy.63
5094739781corvee laborunpaid forced labor usually by lower classes, forced upon them by the government64
5094739782tributeMoney paid by one country to another in return for protection65

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!