AP World History Vocab Flashcards

4779689435	Paleolithic Age	The stone age ending in 12,000 B.C.E.; typified by use of crude stone tools and hunting and gathering for subsistence.	0
4779695502	Homo sapiens sapiens	The humanoid species that emerged as most successful at the end of the Paleolithic period.	1
4779702324	Neolithic Age	The new stone age between 8000 and 5000B.C.E.; period in which adaptation of sedentary agriculture occurred; domestication of plants and animals accomplished.	2
4779709296	Neolithic revolution	The succession of technological changes in human organization that led to the development of agriculture, 8500-3500B.C.E.	3
4779712987	Hunting and Gathering	The original human economy, ultimately eclipsed by agriculture; groups hunt for meat and forage for grains, nuts, and berries.	4
4779718684	Catal Huyuk	Early urban culture based on sedentary agriculture; located in modern southern Turkey; was larger in population than Jericho, had greater degree of social stratification.	5
4779724723	Bronze Age	From about 4000 B.C.E., when bronze tools were first introduced in the middle east, to about 1500 B.C.E., when iron began to replace it.	6
4779728378	Nomads	Cattle- and sheep-herding societies normally founded on the fringes of civilized societies; commonly referred to as "barbarian" by civilized societies.	7
4779733379	Mesopotamia	Literally "between the rivers"; the civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris and the Euphrates river valleys.	8
4779736154	Sumerians	People who migrated into Mesopotamia c. 4000 B.C.E.; created first civilization within region; organized area into city-states.	9
4779739949	Cuneiform	A form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge-shaped stylus and clay tablets.	10
4779744412	Ziggurats	Massive towers usually associated with Mesopotamia temple complexes.	11
4779747003	City-state	A form of political organization typical of Mesopotamia civilizations; consisted of agricultural hinterlands ruled by an urban-based king.	12
4780316515	Babylonians	Unified all of Mesopotamia c. 1800 B.C.E.; empire collapsed due to foreign invasion c. 1600 B.C.E.	13
4780321235	Hammurabi	The most important ruler of the Babylonian empire; responsible for codification of law.	14
4780325232	Pharaoh	Title of kings of ancient Egypt.	15
4780328061	Pyramids	Monumental architecture typical of Old Kingdom Egypt; used as burial sights for pharaohs.	16
4780333309	Kush	An African state that developed along the upper reaches of the Nile c. 1000 B.C.E.; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries.	17
4780341091	Indus River	River sources in Himalayas to mouth in Arabian Sea; location of Harappan civilization.	18
4780344629	Harappa	Along with Mohenjodaro, major urban complex of the Harappan civilization; laid out on planned grid pattern.	19
4780349236	Aryans	Indo-European nomadic pastoralists who replaced Harappan civilization; militarized society.	20
4780354021	Vedas	Aryan hymns originally transmitted orally but written down in sacred books from the 6th century B.C.E.	21
4780359651	Mahabharata	Indian epic of war, princely honor, love, and social duty; written down in the last centuries B.C.E.; previously handed down in oral form.	22
4780369924	Ramayana	One of the great epic tales from classical India; traces adventures of king Rama and his wife, Sita; written 4th to 2nd centuries B.C.E.	23
4780375405	Upanishads	Later books of the Vedas; contained sophisticated and sublime philosophical ideas; utilized by Brahmans to restore religious authority.	24
4780382860	Yellow River	Also known as the Huanghe; site of development of sedentary agriculture in China.	25
4780387380	Ideographs	Pictographic characters grouped together to create new concepts; typical of Chinese writing.	26
4780392419	Shang	First Chinese dynasty fro which archeological evidence exists; capital located in Ordos bulge of the Huanghe; flourished 1600 to 1046 B.C.E.	27
4780397795	Olmecs	People of a cultural tradition that arose at San Lorenzo and La Venta in Mexico c. 1200 B.C.E.; featured irrigation agriculture, urbanism, elaborate religion, beginnings of calendrical and writing systems.	28
4780405558	Chavin de Huantar	Chavin culture appeared in highlands of Andes between 1800 and 1200 B.C.E.; typified by ceremonial centers with large stone buildings; greatest ceremonial center was Chavin de Hauntar; characterized by artistic motifs.	29
4780415949	Pheonicians	Seafaring civilization located on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean; established colonies throughout the Mediterranean.	30
4780419801	Monotheism	The exclusive worship of a single god; introduced by the Jews into western civilization.	31
4915099106	Shi Huangdi	Founder of the brief Qin Dynasty in 221B.C.E.	32
4915107017	Qin	Dynasty established in 221B.C.E. at the end of the Warring states period following the decline of the Zhou dynasty; fell in 207B.C.E.	33
4915131135	Han	Chinese dynasty that succeeded the Qin in 202B.C.E.; ruled for next 400 years	34
4915146937	Zhou	Originally a vassal family of Shang china; possible Turkic in origin; overthrew the Shang and established second historical Chinese dynasty that flourished 1122 to 256B.C.E.	35
4915162150	Great Wall	Chinese defensive fortification intended to keep out the nomadic invaders from the north; initiated during the Qin dynasty and reign of Shi Huangdi	36
4915192189	Confucius	Also known as Kong Fuzi; major Chinese philosopher born in 6th century B.C.E.; author of analects; philosophy based on need for restoration on order through advice of superior men to be found among the shi.	37
4915228398	Buddha	Creator of a major indian and asain religion; born in 6th century B.C.E. as son of local ruler among Aryan tribes located near Himalayas; became an ascetic; found enlightment under bo tree; taught that enlightment could be achieved only by abandoning desires for all earthly things	38
4915329661	Alexander the great	Successor of Philip II; successfully conquered Persian empire prior to his death in 323B.C.E.; attempted to combine Greek and Persian cultures	39
4915374273	Himalayas	Mountain region marking the northern border of the Indian subcontinent; site of the Aryan settlements that formed small kingdoms or warrior republics	40
4915387509	Monsoons	Seasonal winds crossing Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia; during summer bring rains	41
4915395783	Sanskrit	The sacred and classical Indian language	42
4915405341	Varnas	Clusters of caste groups in Aryan society; four social castes- brahmans(priests), warriors, merchants, and peasants; beneath four Aryan castes was the group of socially untouchable Dasas	43
4915449212	Untouchables	Low social caste in Hindu culture; performed tasks that were considered polluting- street sweeping, removal of human waste, and tanning	44
4915497233	Indra	Chief deity of the Aryans; depicted as a colossal, hard-drinking warrior	45
4915542771	Chandragupta Maurya	Founder of Maurya dynasty; established first empire in Indian subcontinent; first centralized government since Harappan civilization	46
4915583399	Mauryan	Dynasty established in Indian subcontinent in 4th century B.C.E. following invasion by Alexander the Great	47
4915683822	Ashoka	Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya; completed conquests of Indian subcontinent; converted to Buddhism and sponsored spread of new religion throughout his empire	48
4915708892	Dharma	The caste position and career determined by a person's birth; Hindu culture required that one accept one's social position and perform occupation to the best of one's ability in order to have a better situation in the next life.	49
4915774490	Guptas	Dynasty that succeeded the Kushans in the 3rd century C.E.; built empire that extended to all but the southern regions of Indian subcontinent; less centralized than Mauryan empire	50
4915844923	Kautilya	Political advisor to Chandragupta Mauryan; one of the authors of Arthashastra; believed in scientific application of warfare	51
4915870694	Gurus	Originally referred to as brahmans who served as teachers for the princes of the imperial court of the Guptas	52
4915882706	Vishnu	The brahman, later Hindu, god of sacrifice; widely worshipped	53
4915920974	Shiva	Hindu, god of destruction and reproduction; worshipped as the personification of cosmic forces of change	54
4915977953	Reincarnation	The successive attachment of the soul to some animate form according to merits earned in previous lives	55
4915985956	Nirvana	The Buddhist state of enlightenment, a state of tranquility	56
4958258629	Kamasutra	Written by Vatsayana during Gupta era; offered instructions on all aspects of life for high caste males, including grooming, hygiene, etiquette, selection of wives, and lovemaking	57
4958279264	Stupas	Stone shrines built to house pieces of bone or hair and personal possessions said to be relics of the Buddha; preserved Buddhist architecture tectural forms.	58
4958299738	Scholar-gentry	Chinese class created by the material linkage of the local land-holding aristocracy with the office-holding shi; superseded shi as governors of China	59
4958319108	Cyrus the Great	Established massive Persian empire by 550 B.C.E.; successor state to Mesopotamian empires	60
4958330569	Zoroastrianism	Animist religion that saw material existence as battle between forces of good and evil; stressed the importance of moral choice; righteous lived on after death in "house of song"; chief religion of Persian empire	61
4958349173	Olympic games	One of the Pan-Hellenic rituals observed by all Greek city-states; involved athletic completions and ritual celebrations	62
4958359062	Pericles	Athenian political leader during 5th century B.C.E.; guided development of Athenian empire; died during early stages of Peloponnesian war	63
4958374815	Peloponnesian War	Wars from 431 to 404B.C.E. between Athens and Sparta fro dominance in southern Greece; resulted in Sparta victory but failure to achieve political unification of Greece	64
4958391391	Phillip of Macedonia	Ruled Macedonia from 359 to 336 B.C.E.; founder of centralized kingdom; later conquered rest of Greece, which was subjected to Macedonian authority	65
4958401245	Hellenistic	That culture associated with the spread of Greek influence as a result of Macedonian conquests; often seen as the combination of Greek culture with eastern political forms	66
4958415285	Roman Republic	The balanced constitution of Rome from c. 510 to 47 B.C.E.; featured an aristocratic Senate, a panel of magistrares, and several popular assemblies	67
4958425666	Punic Wars	Fought between Rome and Carthage to establish dominance in the western Mediterranean; won by Rome after three separate comflicts	68
4958434116	Carthage	Originally a Phoenician colony in northern Africa; became a major port and commercial power in the western Mediterranean	69
4958442824	Hannibal	Great Carthaginian general during Second Punic War; successfully invaded Italy but failed to conquer Rome; finally defeated at Battle of Zama	70
4958454058	Caesar, Julius	Roman general responsible for conquest of Gaul; brought army back to Rome and overthrew republic; assassinated in 44B.C.E. by conservative senators	71
4958466408	Caesar, Augustus	Name given to Octavian following his defeat of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra; first emperor of Rome	72
4958475940	Diocletian	Roman emperor from 284 to 305 C.E.; restored later empire by improved administration and tax collection	73
4958490533	Constantine	Roman emperor from 312 to 337 C.E.; establish second capital at Constantinople; attempted to use religious force of Christianity to unify empire spiritually	74
4958503210	Polis	City-state form of government; typical of Greek political organization from 800 to 400 B.C.E.	75
4958509334	Direct democracy	Where people participate directly in assemblies that make laws and select leaders, rather than electing representatives	76
4958522406	Senate	Assembly of Roman aristocrats; advised on policy within the republic; one of the early elements of the Roman constitution	77
4958530483	Consuls	Two chief executives or magistrates of the Roman republic; elected by an annual assembly dominated by aristocracy	78
4958543728	Aristotle	Greek philosopher; teacher of Alexander the Great; knowledge based on observation of phenomena in material world	79
4958551813	Cicero	Conservative Roman senator; Stoic philosopher; one of great orators of his day; killed in reaction to assassination of Julius Caesar	80
4958564543	Stoics	Hellenistic group of philosophers; emphasized inner moral independence cultivated by strict discipline of the body and personal bravery	81
4958576824	Socrates	Athenian philosopher of later 5th century B.C.E.; tutor of Plato; urged rational reflection of moral decisions; condemned to death for corrupting minds of Athenian young	82
4958600948	Sophocles	Greek writer of tragedies; author of Oedipus Rex	83
4958606556	Iliad	Greek epic poem attributed to Homer but possibly the work of many authors; defined gods and human nature that shaped Greek mythos	84
4958615372	Odyssey	Greek epic poem attributed to Homer but possibly the work of many authors; defined gods and human nature that shaped Greek mythos	85
4958626176	Doric	Along with Ionian and Corinthian, distinct style of Hellenistic architecture; the least ornate of the three styles	86
4958644179	Ionic	Along with Doric and Corinthian, distinct style of Hellenistic architecture; more ornate than Doric but less than Corinthian	87
4958657355	Corinthian	Along with Doric and Ionian, distinct style of Hellenistic architecture; the most ornate of the three styles	88
4958670436	Axum	Kingdom located in Ethiopian Highlands; replaced Meroe in first century C.E.; received strong influence from Arabian peninsula; eventually converted to Christianity	89
4958685252	Ethiopia	A Christian kingdom that developed in the highlands of eastern Africa under the dynasty of King Lalibela; retained Christianity in the face of Muslim expansion elsewhere in Africa	90
4958698054	Sahara	Desert running across northern Africa; separates the Mediterranean coast from southern Africa	91
4960065433	Shintoism	Religion of early Japanese culture; devotees worshipped numerous gods and sprits associated with the natural world; offers for food and prayers made to gods and nature spirits	92
4960083771	Teotihuacan	Site of classical culture in central Mexico; urban center with important religious functions; supported by intensive agriculture in surrounding regions; population of as much as 200,00	93
4960104673	Maya	classical culture emerging in southern Mexico and Central America contemporary with Teotihuacan; extended over broad region; featured monumental architecture, written language, calendrical and mathematical systems, highly developed religion	94
4960123273	Inca	Group of clans centered at Cuzco that were able to create empire incorporating various Andean cultures; term also used for leader of empire	95
4960135773	Polynesia	Islands contained in a rough triangle whose points lie in Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island	96
4960149851	Yellow Turbans	Chinese Daoists who launched a revolt in 184 C.E. in China promising a golden age to be brought about by divine magic	97
4960175465	Sui	Dynasty that succeeded the Han in China; emerged from strong rulers in northern China; united all of China and reconquered southern China	98
4960187044	Tang	Dynasty that succeeded the sui in 618C.E.; more stable than the previous dynasty	99
4960194651	Harsha	Ruler who followed Guptas In India; briefly constructed a loose empire in northern India between 616 and 657 C.E.	100
4960242805	Rajput	Regional princes in western India; emphasized military control of their groups	101
4960249501	Devi	Mother goddess within Hinduism; widely spread following collapse of Guptas; encouraged new emotionalism in religious ritual	102
4960266957	Islam	Major world religion having its origins in 610 C.E. in the Arabian peninsula; meaning literally submission; based on prophecy of Muhammad	103
4969592092	Byzantine empire	Eastern half of Roman Empire following collapse of western half of old empire; retained Mediterranean culture, particularly Greek; later lost Palestine, Syria, and Egypt to Islam; capital at Constantinople	104
4969622408	Augustine (saint)	Influential church father and theologian; born in Africa and ultimately bishop of Hippo in Africa; champion of Christian doctrine against various heresies and very important in long-term development of Christian thought on such issues as predestination	105
4969648132	Coptic	Christian sect in Egypt, later tolerated after Islamic takeover	106
4969656687	Mahayana	Chinese version of Buddhism; placed considerable emphasis on Buddha as god or savior	107
4969661149	Bodhisattvas	Buddhist holy men and women; built up spiritual merits during their lifetimes; prayers even after death could aid people to achieve reflected holiness	108
4969674335	Jesus of Nazareth	Prophet and teacher among Jews; believed by Christians to be the Messiah; executed c. 30 C.E.	109
4969694451	Paul	One of the first Christian missionaries; moved away from insistence that adherents of the new religion follow Jewish law; use of Greek as language of Church	110
4969725167	Pope	Bishop of Rome; head of the Christian Church in western Europe	111
4969734146	Council of Nicaea	Christina council that met in 325 C.E. to determine orthodoxy with respect to the Trinity; insisted on divinity of all persons of the Trinity	112
4969747351	Benedict of Nursia	Founder of monasticism in what had been the western half of the Roman Empire; established Benedictine Rule in the 6th century; paralleled development of Basil's rules in Byzantine empire	113