Unit 1-4 ID Terms for AP World Exam (157 Total)
Abbasid (ah-BAH-sihd)
Cosmopolitan Arabic dynasty (750-1258) that replaced the Umayyads; founded by Abu
al-Abbas and reaching its peak under Harun al-Rashid.
Abolitionism
Antislavery movement.
Absolutism
Political philosophy that stressed the divine right theory of kingship: the French king
Louis XIV was the classic example.
Ahimsa (uh-HIM-suh)
Jain term for the principle of nonviolence to other living things or their souls.
Analects
The teachings of Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.) compiled by his disciples.
Ancestor Worship
Belief that dead ancestors can influence one's fortunes in life. Those who practice often
conduct rituals and ceremonies to the memory or remains of their ancestors.
Aryans (AIR-ee-anns)
European tribes who settled in India after 1500 B.C.E.; their union with indigenous
Dravidians formed the basis of Hinduism.
Astrolabe
Navigational instrument for determining latitude.
Audiencias
Courts appointed by the king who reviewed the administration of viceroys serving
Spanish colonies in America.
Aztec empire
Central American empire constructed by the Mexica and expanded greatly during the
fifteenth century during the reigns of Itzcoatl and Motecuzoma I.
Bantu (BAN-too)
African peoples who originally lived in the area of present-day Nigeria; around 2000
B.C.E. they began a centuries-long migration that took them to most of sub-Saharan
Africa; the Bantu were very influential, especially linguistically.
Barracks Emperors
Series of Roman generals who seized the throne between 235 and 284 C.E.
Battle of Britain
German strategy to defeat Britain through aerial bombing; causes many civilian
casualties, but invasion is prevented by the Royal Air Force.
Bodhisattvas (BOH-dih-SAT-vuhs)
Buddhist concept regarding individuals who had reached enlightenment but who stayed
in this world to help people.
Bronze
Material made from copper and tin used for weapons and agricultural tools.
Bubonic Plague
Epidemic that swept Eurasia, causing devastating population loss and disruption. Known
as the Black Death in Europe after 1350 C.E.
Buddha (BOO-duh)
The "enlightened one," the term applied to Siddhartha Gautama after his discoveries that
would form the foundation of Buddhism.
Buddhism (BOO-diz'm)
Religion, based on Four Noble Truths, associated with Siddhartha Gautama (563--483
B.C.E.), or the Buddha; its adherents desired to eliminate all distracting passion and reach
nirvana.
Bunraku (boon-RAH-koo)
Japanese puppet theater.
Bushido (BOH-shee-DOH)
The "way of the warrior," the code of conduct of the Japanese samurai that was based on
loyalty and honor.
Byzantine (BIHZ-ann-teen)
Long-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 early modern age; it reached its early peak during the reign of Justinian
(483--565).
Caesaropapism
Concept relating to the mixing of political and religious authority, as with the Roman
emperors, that was central to the church versus state controversy in medieval Europe.
Cahokia (kuh-HOH-kee-uh)
Large 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 Europeans.
Caste
Social class system in which distinctions and restrictions on marriage, occupation,
handling of food, and other matters are transferred through generations or through class.
The term usually refers to the social system of India.
Cathedral Schools
Schools organized by bishops and archbishops in France and northern Italy whose liberal
arts curricula often offered instruction in law, medicine, and theology.
Catholic Reformation
Sixteenth-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 Jesuits.
Chinampas
Style of agriculture used by Mexica (Aztecs) in which fertile muck from lake bottoms
was dredged and built up into small plots.
Chivalry
European medieval concept, a code of conduct for the knights based on loyalty and
honor.
Columbian Exchange
Global proliferation of plants, crops, animals, human populations, and diseases following
Columbus' voyage.
Copernican Universe
Copernicus' suggestion in 1543 that the sun, rather than the earth, was the center of the
universe.
Corpus iuris civilis (KOR-puhs yoor-uhs sih-VEE-lihs)
Body of the Civil Law, the Byzantine emperor Justinian's attempt to codify all Roman
law.
Council of Trent
Catholic attempt (1545-1563) that sought to direct reform of the Roman Catholic Church.
Criollos (kree-OH-lohs)
Creoles, people born in the Americas of Spanish or Portuguese ancestry.
Crusades
Campaigns by Christian knights to seize the holy lands that led to trade with Muslims and
the importation of Muslim ideas regarding science and mathematics.
Crystal Palace
Enormous glass and iron structure built in 1851 in London for the Great Exhibition.
Demonstrated British technological, economic, and military prowess.
Cuneiform
Written language of the Sumerians, probably the first written script in the world.
Daimyo (DEYEM-yoh)
Powerful territorial lords in early modern Japan.
Dao
Key element in Chinese philosophy that means the "way of nature" or the "way of the
cosmos."
Daoism (DOW-i'zm)
Chinese philosophy with origins in the Zhou dynasty; it is associated with legendary
philosopher Laozi, and it called for a policy of inaction.
Deism (DEE-iz'm)
An Enlightenment view that accepted the existence of a god but denied the supernatural
aspects of Christianity; in deism, the universe was an orderly realm maintained by
rational and natural laws.
Delian League
The military and economic alliance between Greek poleis against the threat presented by
the Persian Empire.
Devshirme
Ottoman requirement that the Christians in the Balkans provide young boys to be slaves
of the sultan.
Dhow
Indian, Persian, and Arab ships, one hundred to four hundred tons, that sailed and traded
throughout the Indian Ocean basin.
Dravidians
Peoples who produced the brilliant Harappan society in India, 3000-1500 B.C.E.
Dutch learning
European knowledge that reached Tokugawa Japan.
Encomienda (ehn-KOH-mee-ehn-dah)
System that gave the Spanish settlers (encomenderos) the right to compel the indigenous
peoples of the Americas to work in the mines or fields.
Engenho
Brazilian sugar mill; the term also came to symbolize the entire complex world relating to
the production of sugar.
Enlightenment
Eighteenth-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 Revolution.
Equal-field system
Chinese system during the Han dynasty in which the goal was to ensure an equitable
distribution of land.
Eunuchs (YOO-nihks)
Castrated males, originally in charge of the harem, who grew to play major roles in
government; eunuchs were common in China and other societies.
Five Pillars
The foundation of Islam; (1) profession of faith, (2) prayer, (3) fasting during Ramadan,
(4) alms, and (5) pilgrimage, or hajj.
Floating Worlds
Term for centers of urban culture in Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate.
Four Noble Truths
The foundation of Buddhist thought: (1) life is pain, (2) pain is caused by desire, (3)
elimination of desire will bring an end to pain, (4) living a life based on the Noble
Eightfold Path will eliminate desire.
Ghazi (GAH-zee)
Islamic religious warrior.
Gilgamesh
Legendary king of the Mesopotamian city-state of Uruk (ca. 3000 B.C.E.), subject of the
Epic of Gilgamesh, world's oldest complete epic literary masterpiece.
Golden Horde
Mongol tribe that controlled Russia from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries.
Grand Canal
Project that integrated the economies of northern and southern China.
Great Zimbabwe
Large sub-Saharan African kingdom in the fifteenth century.
Guilds
Socially significant groups of craftspeople who regulated the production, sale, and quality
of manufactured goods.
Hacienda (HAH-see-ehn-dah)
Large Latin American estates.
Hajj (HAHJ)
Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Hammurabi's Code (hahm-uh-RAH-beez cohd)
Sophisticated law code associated with the Babylonian king Hammurabi (r. 1792-1750
B.C.E.).
Han Dynasty
Chinese dynasty that ruled an expanding empire with a large bureaucracy based upon
Legalist and Confucian values. The empire taxed agriculture and trade and raised large
armies to colonize Vietnam, Korea, and the Xiongnu territory.
Hanseatic League
Association of trading cities in northern Europe linked by major rivers to the
Mediterranean.
Harappan (hah-RAP-puhn)
Early brilliant Indian society centered around Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
Heavy Plow
Device of the sixth century permitting the turning of heavy northern soils, rotating crops,
and increased agricultural production.
Hellenistic Era
Second phase in Greek history (328-146 B.C.E.), from the conquest of Greece by Philip
of Macedon until Greece's fall to the Romans; this era was a more cosmopolitan age
facilitated by the conquests of Alexander the Great.
Hieroglyphics (heye-ruh-GLIPH-iks)
Ancient Egyptian written language.
Hijra
Muhammad'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 faith.
Hinduism
Main 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 samsara.
Holy Roman Empire
Central and western European kingdom created at the Treaty of Verdun in in 843 and
lasting until 1806.
Homo sapiens sapiens (HOH-MOH SAY-pee-uhns SAY-pee-uhns)
First human being of the modern type, which appeared roughly one hundred thousand
years ago; Cro-Magnon falls into this category.
Humanists
Renaissance scholars interested in moral philosophy, history, and literature, drawing
inspiration from classical texts.
Ibn Battuta
An Islamic Scholar (1304-1369) who served as qadi to the sultan of Delhi and offered
counsel to Muslim rulers in west Africa.
Indulgences
Remissions of the punishment of a Christian's sins that could be purchased from the
Roman Catholic Church.
Islam
Monotheistic religion of the prophet Muhammad (570-632); influenced by Judaism and
Christianity, Muhammad was considered the final prophet because the earlier religions
had not seen the entire picture; the Qu'ran is the holy book of Islam.
Istanbul
The new name of Constantinople after it is sacked by Sultan Mehmed II in 1453.
Janissaries
Slave troops serving the Ottoman Empire.
Jati
Indian word for a Hindu subcaste.
Ka'ba (KAH-buh)
Main shrine in Mecca, goal of Muslims embarking on the hajj.
Kabuki (kah-BOO-kee)
Japanese theater in which actors were free to improvise and embellish the words.
Karma (KAHR-mah)
Hindu concept that the sum of good and bad in a person's life will determine his or her
status in the next life.
Kingdom of Kongo
Kingdom dominating small states along the Congo River that maintained effective,
centralized government and a royal currency until the seventeenth century.
Latifundia (LAT-ih-FOON-dee-uh)
Huge state-run and slave-worked farms in ancient Rome.
Legalism
Chinese philosophy from the Zhou dynasty that called for harsh suppression of the
common people.
Li (LEE)
Confucian concept, a sense of propriety.
Mali
African kingdom founded in the thirteenth century by Sundiata; it reached its peak during
the reign of Mansa Musa.
Manchus
Manchurians who conquered China, putting an end to the Ming dynasty and founding the
Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
Mandate of Heaven
Chinese belief that the emperors ruled through the mandate, or approval, of heaven
contingent on their ability to look after the welfare of the population.
Manila Galleons
Heavily armed, fast ships that brought luxury goods from China to Mexico and carried
silver from Mexico to China.
Maroons
Runaway African slaves.
Mesopotamia
Term meaning "between the rivers," in this case the Tigris and Euphrates; Sumer and
Akkad are two of the earliest societies.
Mestizo
Latin American term for children of Spanish and native parentage.
Missi dominici (mihs-see doh-mee-nee-chee)
"Envoys of the lord ruler," the noble and church emissaries sent out by Charlemagne.
Moksha
Hindu concept of the salvation of the soul.
Monotheism (MAW-noh-thee-iz'm)
Belief in only one god, a rare concept in the ancient world.
Mughals (MOO-guhls)
Islamic dynasty that ruled India from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries; the
construction of the Taj Mahal is representative of their splendor; with the exception of the
enlightened reign of Akbar, the increasing conflict between Hindus and Muslims was
another of their legacies.
Mulattoes
Brazilians of mixed ancestry.
Métis (may-TEES)
Canadian term for individuals of mixed European and indigenous ancestry.
Neo-Confucianism (nee-oh-kuhn-FYOO-shuhn-iz'm)
Philosophy that attempted to merge certain basic elements of Confucian and Buddhist
thought; most important of the early Neo-Confucianists was the Chinese thinker Zhu Xi
(1130-1200).
Neolithic
New Stone Age (10,000-4000 B.C.E.), which was marked by the discovery and mastery
of agriculture.
Nirvana (nuhr-VAH-nuh)
Buddhist concept of a state of spiritual perfection and enlightenment in which distracting
passions are eliminated.
Noble Eightfold Path
Final truth of the Buddhist Four Noble Truths that called for leading a life of balance and
constant contemplation.
Oracle bones
Chinese Shang dynasty (1766-1122 B.C.E.) means of foretelling the future.
Ottoman empire
Powerful Turkish empire that lasted from the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) in
1453 until 1918 and reached its peak during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent (r.
1520-1566).
Paleolithic
Old Stone Age, a long period of human development before the development of
agriculture.
Pater familias (PAH-tur fuh_MEE-lee-ahs)
Roman term for the "father of the family," a theoretical implication that gave the male
head of the family almost unlimited authority.
Patriarchy (PAY-tree-ahrky)
System of social organization in which males dominate the family and where public
institutions, descent, and succession are traced through the male line.
Patricians
Roman aristocrats and wealthy classes.
Pax Romana
Roman Peace, a term that relates to the period of political stability, cultural brilliance,
and economic prosperity beginning with unification under Augustus and lasting through
the first two centuries C.E.
Peloponnesian War
A war between camps led by Athens and Sparta the ended in 404 B.C.E. with the
unconditional surrender of Athens.
Pharaohs (FARE-ohs)
Egyptian kings considered to be gods on earth.
Plebians (plih-BEE-uhns)
Roman common people.
Polis (POH-lihs)
Greek term for the city-state.
Popol Vuh (paw-pawl vuh)
Mayan creation epic.
Protestant Reformation
Sixteenth-century European movement during which Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and others
broke away from the Catholic church.
Ptolemaic Universe
The theory that the earth is motionless and surrounded by nine spheres. Could not
account for observable planetary movements, but was consistent with Christian theory of
creation.
Putting-out system
Method of getting around guild control by delivering unfinished materials to rural
households for completion.
Qin (chihn)
Chinese dynasty (221-207 B.C.E.) that was founded by Qin Shihuangdi and was marked
by the first unification of China and the early construction of defensive walls.
Quinto (KEEN-toh)
The one-fifth of Mexican and Peruvian silver production that was reserved for the
Spanish monarchy.
Quipu (KEE-poo)
Incan mnemonic aid comprised of different colored strings and knots that served to
record events in the absence of a written text.
Relics
Revered artifacts from saints that inspired pilgrimages to cities such as Rome,
Compostela, and Jerusalem.
Ren
The Confucian value of propriety, courtesy, respect, and deference to elders.
Sacraments
Christian rite mediating or symbolizing divine grace.
Samsara (sahm-SAH-ruh)
Hindu term for the concept of transmigration, that is, the soul passing into a new
incarnation.
Samurai (SAM-uhr-eye)
A Japanese warrior who lived by the code of bushido.
Sati (suh-TEE)
Also known as suttee, Indian practice of a widow throwing herself on the funeral pyre of
her husband.
Satraps (SAY-traps)
Persian administrators, usually members of the royal family, who governed a satrapy.
Scholasticism
Medieval attempt of thinkers like St. Thomas Aquinas to merge the beliefs of Christianity
with the logical rigor of Greek philosophy.
Seppuku
A Japanese term for ritual suicide committed by the samurai when he had been
dishonored.
Siddhartha Gautama (sih-DHAR-tuh GOW-tau-mah)
Indian kshatriya who achieved enlightenment and became known as the Buddha, the
founder of Buddhism.
Silk roads
Ancient trade routes that extended from the Roman empire in the west to China in the
east.
Songhay
Empire that replaced Mali in the late fifteenth century.
Sufis (SOO-fees)
Islamic mystics who placed more emphasis on emotion and devotion than on strict
adherence to rules.
Ten Commandments
Moral and ethical standards for followers of Moses.
The Social Contract
Rousseau's work in which he advocates social and political equality and freedom.
Theme
Byzantine province under the control of generals.
Third Rome
Concept that a new power would rise up to carry the legacy of Roman greatness after the
decline of the Second Rome, Constantinople; Moscow was referred to as the Third Rome
during the fifteenth century.
Thirty Years' War
Conflict lasting from 1618 to 1648 starting in Bohemia and eventually involving much of
Europe.
Three Estates
Term for the social classes of the spiritual estate (clergy), the military estate (feudal
nobles), and the estate of peasants and serfs.
Timbuktu
City in Mali, Africa, that was notable for its Islamic university and 180 religious schools.
Tokugawa (TOH-koo-GAH-wah)
Last shogunate in Japanese history (1600-1867); it was founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu
who was notable for unifying Japan.
Treaty of Tordesillas
Treaty (1494) dividing the world outside Europe between Spain and Portugal along the
North-South meridian at 370 leagues west of the Cape Verdes Islands.
Triangular trade
Trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas that featured finished products from
Europe, slaves from Africa, and American products bound for Europe.
Twelver Shiism (SHEE'i'zm)
Branch of Islam that stressed that there were twelve perfect religious leaders after
Muhammad and that the twelfth went into hiding and would return someday; Shah Ismail
spread this variety through the Safavid empire.
Upanishads (oo-PAHN-ee-shahds)
Indian reflections and dialogues (800-400 B.C.E.) that reflected basic Hindu concepts.
Vedas (VAY-duhs)
"Wisdom," early collections of prayers and hymns that provide information about the
Indo-European Aryans who migrated into India around 1500 B.C.E.; Rig Veda is most
important collection.
Venus figurines
Small Paleolithic statues of women with exaggerated sexual features.
Volta do mar (VOHL-tah doh MAHR)
"Return through the sea," a fifteenth-century Portuguese sea route that took advantage of
the prevailing winds and currents.
Wind wheels
Prevailing wind patterns in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans north and south of the
equator; their discovery made sailing much safer and quicker.
Wuwei (woo-WAY)
Daoist concept of a disengagement from the affairs of the world.
Xiao (SHAYOH)
Confucian concept of respect for one's parents and ancestors.
Yellow Turban Uprising
A revolt against the land distribution policies of the Han dynasty (25-220 C.E.).
Yurts (yuhrts)
Tents used by nomadic Turkish and Mongol tribes.
Zambos (ZAHM-bohs)
Latin American term for individuals born of indigenous and African parents.
Ziggurats
Mesopotamian temples.
Zoroastrianism (zohr-oh-ASS-tree-ahn-iz'm)
Persian religion based on the teaching of the sixth-century-B.C.E. prophet Zarathustra; its
emphasis on the duality of good and evil and on the role of individuals in determining
their own fate would influence later religions.
Accessed on: 1/24/2012 at 11:00:39