Unit 0 and 1
wudi
156 BCE - 86 BCE, Chinese emperor (140-86) of the Han dynasty, who greatly extended the Chinese empire and made Confucianism the state religion.
calicut
A city of southwest India on the Malabar Coast southwest of Bangalore. It was the site of Vasco da Gama's first landfall in India (1498) and was later occupied by Portuguese, British, French, and Danish trading colonies
export
A good or service produced in the home country and sold in another country
caravan
A group of traders traveling together
Sahara
A huge desert stretching across most of North Africa
Code of Hammurabi
A legal code developed by a Mesopotamian King; the code was influential in the establishment of Hebrew and Islamic law and in the U.S. judiciary system; it specified crimes and punishments to help judges impose penalties - "eye for an eye"
serfs
A person who lived on and farmed a lords land in feudal times; they were tied to the land on which they lived
Feudalism
A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land a social, economic, and political system in Europe in the Middle Ages; it had a strict hierarchy, in which peasants reported to vassals, who reported to nobles, who reported to a king; lords had varying degrees of importance between that of vassals and the king; vassals were granted estates called fiefs, or manors, and the peasants and their lord lived on the manor
Great Zimbabwe
A powerful state in the African interior; flourished between 1250 and 1350 C.E.; With an economy based on cattle husbandry, crop cultivation, and the trade of gold on the coast of the Indian Ocean, this civilization was the heart of a thriving trading empire from the 11th to the 15th centuries. The word "zimbabwe", the country's namesake, is a Shona (Bantu) word meaning "stone houses."
Serfdom
A type of labor commonly used in feudal systems in which the laborers work the land in return for protection but they are bound to the land and are not allowed to leave or to peruse their a new occupation. This was common in early Medeival Europe as well as in Russia until the mid 19th century.
Charlemagne
AKA "Charles the Great" was crowned ruler of the empire of western Europe by the pope in 800 C.E.; this empire came to be known as the Holy Roman Empire by 962, although it had little in common with the original Roman Empire; he emphasized the arts and education, but with a strong religious overtone; however his failure to levy taxes resulted in a weak, poorly united empire
Chang'an
an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an; like many empires it served as a center of trade and political administration; also served as the eastern terminal of the Silk Roads
pack animal
an animal, such as a camel or llama, used for carrying supplies
Caravanserai
an inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa
Astrolabe
an instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the position of the stars and planets; it was highly developed in the Islamic world by 800 and was introduced to Europe from Islamic Spain (Andalusia) in the early 12th century; it was the most popular astronomical instrument until about 1650, when it was replaced by more specialized and accurate instruments
Turkic peoples
any of various peoples whose members speak languages belonging to the Turkic family; With some exceptions, notably in the European part of Turkey and in the Volga region, the Turkic peoples live in Asia. Their most important cultural link, aside from history and language, is with Islam; the vast majority of Turkic peoples are Muslim
Vedas
are a large body of knowledge texts originating in the ancient Indian subcontinent; composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism
Monistic
based in any of various theories holding that there is only one basic substance or principle as the ground of reality, or that reality consists of a single element
domesticated
brought under human control; tamed or cultivated
Angkor Wat
built between roughly 1113 and 1150 in the Khmer Empire, encompassing an area of about 500 acres, one of the largest religious monuments ever constructed; its name means "temple city"
Mali
The kingdom in West Africa that followed the Kingdom of Ghana; its wealth is also based on trans-Saharan trade; this kingdom encouraged the spread of Islam.
Xuanzang
c. 602-664, was a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between Chinese Buddhism and Indian Buddhism in the early Tang dynasty
Nile River Valley
chronologically the second urban hearth, dating to 3200 BCE
Kashgar
conquered it during the late 7th and early 8th centuries under the Tang dynasty (618-907), but it was always on the farthest frontier of Chinese control; a central trading point where the Eastern and Western Silk Roads met
Holy Roman Empire
distinct from the original Roman Empire, was begun by Charlemagne in 800, but was not called by this name until 962; it consisted of northern Italy, Germany, Belgium, and France; the church held a strong influence over most aspects of society; this empire was feudalistic, and local lords answered to the empire
Mayans
dominated southern Mexico and parts of Central America from 300 B.C.E. to 800 C.E.; their civilization was a collection of city-states ruled by the same king; they constructed pyramids, used hieroglyphics, developed a complex calendar system, and built tremendous cities
Al-Andalus
also known as Muslim Spain or Islamic Iberia, was a medieval Muslim territory and cultural domain occupying at its peak most of what are today Spain and Portugal
Dar al-Islam
an Arabic term referring to the "house of Islam" and the lands under Islamic rule; influenced by Persia, India, and Greece
surplus
an amount (such as an amount of money or product) that is more than the amount that is needed
Quipu
an ancient Inca device for recording information, consisting of variously colored threads knotted in different ways
Buddhism
founded by Siddhartha Gautama c. 500s B.C.E.; important concepts include the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path; this religions rejects the idea of a caste system and maintains that any one is capable of achieving nirvana
luxury goods
goods that were not necessary to support life; made life more enjoyable
labor
human activity that provides the goods or services in an economy
Samarkand
important trading city along the Silk Road; destroyed by the Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan (1220). After it revolted against its Mongol rulers (1365), became the capital of the empire of Timur (Tamerlane), who made the city the most important economic and cultural center in Central Asia
Delhi Sultanate
in the 1200s, these Turkish slaves staged a revolution against Islam, establishing a new capital at Samarra in Iraq
Mamluk Sultanate
in the 1200s, these Turkish slaves staged a revolution against Islam, establishing a new capital at Samarra in Iraq
Fiefs
in the feudal system, a grant of land to a vassal
Vassals
in the feudal system, a tenant of the lord; the lord protects this position and this position promises loyalty and military service in return
Chinampas
rectangular, raised garden beds in swampland or shallow water used by the Aztecs to grow crops; this method produced one-half to two-thirds of the food consumed in Tenochtitlan; maize, beans, squash, amaranth, tomatoes, chilies, and even flowers were grown in this manner
divine
related to a god; supremely good or beautiful
maritime
relating to the sea
Filial Piety
reverence for parents considered in Chinese ethics the prime virtue and the basis of all right human relations
Continuity
the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time; something that has continued from one time period to another
Indian Ocean Trade
the web of trade across the Indian Ocean, driven by the monsoon winds; connected the Middle East and Africa to East Asia by way of the Indian subcontinent
Swahili city-states
these independent areas dominated trade along the east African coast; flourished along the Swahili Coast and adjacent islands. They were Muslim, cosmopolitan, and politically independent of one another.
Byzantine Empire
this empire coexisted with and was situated between the Roman and Islamic empires; Greek was spoken here, and its culture had more in common with Eastern cultures (e.g., Persia); its brand of Christianity became an entirely separate branch known as Orthodox Christianity; its emperors were authoritarian rulers who monopolized the industries in their lands; this empire used coined money, which remained remarkably stable, unlike Roman currency
Roman Empire
this period began when Augustus Caesar became the first emperor of Rome (31 B.C.E.) and ended, in the west, when the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by the Germanic King Odoacer (476 C.E.)
Mesopotamia
translates literally to "between the rivers"; refers to the civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris-Euphrates river valleys
Tambos
way stations used by Incas as inns and storehouses; supply centers for Inca armies on the move, relay points for system of runners used to carry messages
Tenochtitlan
what is now Mexico City; the capital of the Aztec Empire beginning in the mid-1200s
innovation
An improvement of an existing technological product, system, or method of doing something.
Buddha
"awakened one" in Sanskrit; one of the many epithets of a teacher (birth name Siddhartha Gautama) who lived in northern India sometime between the 6th and the 4th century before the Common Era
Bhakti Movement
"devotion" in Sanskrit; in Hinduism, a movement emphasizing the mutual intense emotional attachment and love of a devotee toward a personal god and of the god for the devotee; arose in South India in the 7th to 10th centuries
Ibn Battuta
(1304-1369) Morrocan Muslim scholar, the most widely traveled individual of his time. He wrote a detailed account of his visits to Islamic lands from China to Spain and the western Sudan. His writings gave a glimpse into the world of that time period.
sui
(589-618 CE) The Chinese dynasty that was like the Qin Dynasty in imposing tight political discipline; this dynasty built the Grand Canal which helped transport the rice in the south to the north.
tang
(589-618 CE) The Chinese dynasty that was like the Qin Dynasty in imposing tight political discipline; this dynasty built the Grand Canal which helped transport the rice in the south to the north.
Umayyad
(661 to 750 C.E.) enlarged the Islamic Empire significantly, but also led to more intense conflict with the Byzantine and Persian empires; Mecca remained the spiritual center of Islam, but the capital was moved to Damascus, Syria; during this time Islam split in to Sunni and Shiite sects
Abbasid Caliphate
(750-1258 CE) The caliphate, after the Umayyads, who focused more on administration than conquering. Had a bureaucracy that any Mulim could be a part of.
Abbasid
(750-1258) the last dynasty to rule Islam before the Mongols conquered it; this dynasty had ups and downs, but their reign included a golden age, from the early to mid-ninth century, during which the arts and sciences flourished; the city of Baghdad was constructed during this time, and it became one of the great cultural centers of the world
song
(960-1279 CE) The Chinese dynasty that placed much more emphasis on civil administration, industry, education, and arts other than military.
Ibn Sina
(980-1037) aka "Avicenna" - Persian philosopher and scientist; the most famous and influential scientist of the medieval Islamic world. His work, "The Canon of Medicine" is among the most famous books in the history of medicine.
Margery Kempe
(born c. 1373—died c. 1440), English religious mystic whose autobiography is one of the earliest in English literature; bore 14 children before beginning a series of pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, Germany, and Spain in 1414. Her descriptions of her travels and her religious ecstasies are narrated in an unaffected prose style
Gunpowder
AKA black powder is thought to have originated in China, where it was used in fireworks and signals by the 10th century; between the 10th and 12th centuries, the Chinese developed the huo qiang ("fire lance"), a short-range proto-gun; by the late 13th century the Chinese were employing true guns, made of cast brass or iron
Bubonic Plague
Also called the Black Death was a deadly disease that spread through Asia and Europe and killed approximately one out of every three people
House of Wisdom
An academic center for research and translation of foreign texts that was established in Baghdad in 830 C.E. by the Abbasid caliph al-Mamun.
Hieroglyphs
An ancient Egyptian writing system in which pictures were used to represent ideas and sounds
banking house
An establishment engaged in banking or offering financial services
Zheng He
An imperial eunuch and Muslim, entrusted by the Ming emperor Yongle with a series of state voyages that took his gigantic ships through the Indian Ocean, from Southeast Asia to Africa.
Camel Saddle
An invention which gives camel riders more stability on the animal and its invention and basic idea traveled along the Trans-Saharan Caravan Trade Route. Invented somewhere between 500 and 100 BCE by Bedouin tribes.
Allah
Arabic name for God
Muhammad
Around 610 C.E., he had a transformational spiritual experience and traveled through the Arabian Peninsula proclaiming that he was the last prophet of Allah; his followers compiled the words given to him by Allah into the Qur'an
Huitzilopochtli
Aztec tribal patron god; central figure of cult of human sacrifice and warfare; identified with old sun god
Baghdad
Capital of Abbasid dynasty located in Iraq near ancient Persian capital of Ctesiphon, it was second only to Constantinople in terms of size and grandeur in 1000 C.E, location on key trade routes gave the caliph access to trade goods, gold, and information about far empire.
Foot Binding
Chinese practice of tightly wrapping girls' feet to keep them small, begun in the Tang dynasty; an emphasis on small size and delicacy was central to views of female beauty
Constantinople
City founded as the second capital of the Roman Empire; later became the capital of the Byzantine Empire; then later renamed Istanbul
Medina
City in western Arabia to which the Prophet Muhammad and his followers emigrated in 622 to escape persecution; also known as Yathrib
Pureland Buddhism
Emphasized salvationist aspects of Chinese Buddhism; popular among masses of Chinese society.
nobles
Lords, ladies, barons; high ranking families who ruled large areas of land called fiefs; they reported directly to the king and were very powerful. They divided up their land among Lords who ran individual manors. Their job was to maintain an army that was at the king's service. If they did not have an army, sometimes they would pay the king a tax instead. This tax was called shield money.
Sufis
Islamic mystics; missionaries of Islam; they boasted a personal relationship with Allah, and their teachings made Islam highly adaptable to different circumstances, allowing individuals to mold their relationship with Allah to fit their needs and beliefs; they converted many people to Islam during the Abbasid Dynasty
Chan Buddhism
Known as Zen in Japan; stressed meditation and appreciation of natural and artistic beauty; popular with members of elite Chinese society
Ashoka
Leader of the Mauryan dynasty of India who conquered most of India but eventually gave up violence and converted to Buddhism.
Confucius
Major Chinese philosopher born in 6th century B.C.E.; sayings collected in Analects; philosophy based on the need for restoration of social order through the role of superior men.
malay
Malaysia
sultanate of malacca
Perhaps the most important of these Islamic kingdoms was the Sultanate of Malacca (Melaka in Malay), which reached its peak in mid-1400s. As a powerful and influential kingdom, the continued spread of Islam was intricately tied with the rise of the Malacca Sultanate.
Heian Japan
Period in which Japanese emperors lost their true power and became figureheads; Chinese culture was prevailed over Japanese
Machu Picchu
Peruvian city built without the use of mortar, metal tools, or the wheel - an engineering marvel! Built as a royal estate for the first Inca emperor, Pachacuti Inka Yupanqui, in the middle of the 15th century
Daoism
Philosophy associated with Laozi; individual should seek alignment with Dao or cosmic force.
Timbiktu
Port city of Mali that evolved in to a powerful trading city; located just off the flood plain on the great bend in the Niger River; population of 50,000; contained a library and university
Champa Rice
Quick-maturing rice that can allow two harvests in one growing season; tributary gift to China from Vietnam
Mahayana
Sect of Buddhism that offers salvation to all and allows popular worship
Songhay
Successor state to Mali; dominated middle reaches of Niger valley; formed as independent kingdom under a Berber dynasty; capital at Gao; reached imperial status under Sunni Ali
three-field system
System of agricultural cultivation by 9th century in western Europe; included one-third in spring grains, one-third fallow.
Manorial System
System that described economic and political relations between landlords and their peasant laborers during the Middle Ages; involved a hierarchy of reciprocal obligations that exchanged labor or rents for access to land
Sanskrit
The classical and sacred Indian language.
metallugy
The science and technology of metals; metalworking
Shi'a
The second largest sect within Islam. It originated in the early centuries of Islam perhaps over a political dispute over who would be the next Caliph. This group believed that Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin Ali should be the Caliph. Over time this faction's religious interpretations and practices have also come to differ slightly from most Muslims.
Sutras
The written teachings of the Buddha, first transcribed in the second or first century B.C.E.
Caste System
a class structure that is determined by birth; in India it is a rigid system that is reinforced by Hindu beliefs
Caliphate
the term refers to the Islamic empire ruled by those believed to be the successors to the Prophet Muhammad
Coerced Labor
When people are forced to work either as slaves or serfs.
Jesus of Nazareth
a Jewish religious leader who became a central figure in Christianity, regarded by most Christian branches as God himself
Mosque
a Muslim place of worship
Polytheism
a belief in more than one god
Syncretism
a blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith
porcelain
a ceramic made of fine clay baked at very high temperatures; important export of China
Magna Carta
a charter of English liberties granted by King John on June 15, 1215, under threat of civil war; declared the sovereign to be subject to the rule of law and documented the liberties held by "free men," - provided the foundation for individual rights in Anglo-American jurisprudence
Incas
a civilization centered in the Andes Mountains of Peru; controlled over 2,000 miles of the coastline of South America during the 1400s; they had a professional army, a bureaucratic government organization, a unified language, and complex roads and tunnels; their efficient farming practices supported large cities, and their religion was polytheistic and involved human and animal sacrifice; they're known for their excellent architecture - ruins exist to this day
Mexica (Aztecs)
a civilization that arrived in Mexico in the mid-1200s; known for its expansionist policy and professional army; they were able to build an empire of 12 million people, upon which it levied high taxes, but allowed independent government; trade flourished along many complex roads; their religion was tied to the military, which was charged with finding victims for sacrifices as it conquered places
the analects
a collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius and his contemporaries, traditionally believed to have been compiled and written by Confucius's followers; believed to have been written during the Warring States period (475-221 BCE), and it achieved its final form during the mid-Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE)
patriarchy
a family, group, or government controlled by a man or a group of men
Monarchy
a form of government with a monarch at the head.
schism
a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions
theocracy
a government controlled by religious leaders
administration
a government or part of a government that is identified with its leader (such as a U.S. president and his cabinet leaders)
Empire
a group of countries or regions that are controlled by one ruler or one government
Malay Archipelago
a group of islands between Indochina and Australia and includes modern-day Indonesia, East Malaysia, and the Philippines
Vikings
a group of powerful invaders from Scandinavia; beginning about 800, they used multi-oared boats to raid outside their borders, along the North Atlantic coast and inland rivers; they were also merchants and fisherman, developing some of the earliest known commercial fisheries in northern Europe; they eventually converted to Christianity
Ghana
a kingdom in Africa that lasted from the 6th to the 13th century CE, located south of the Sahara desert and northwest of the Niger River in modern day Mauritania and Mali; trading activities that constituted the backbone of the economy were the sale of gold, kola nuts, and ivory to cities along the Mediterranean, in exchange for salt; eventually eclipsed by the growing empire of Mali
Hinduism
a major religious and cultural tradition of South Asia, developed from Vedic religion; has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings; beliefs include a belief in a supreme force called Brahma, the guiding principles of dharma and karma, and reincarnation
mit'a
a mandatory public service in the society of the Inca Empire
Hebrew
a member of an ancient group of people who lived mostly in the kingdom of Israel and practiced Judaism
Zoroastrianism
a monotheistic pre-Islamic religion of ancient Persia founded by Zoroaster in the 6th century B.C.E.
Sufism
a mystical Islamic belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God
Silk Road
a network of trade routes, formally established during the Han Dynasty of China, which linked the regions of the ancient world in commerce; used regularly from 130 B.C.E., when the Han officially opened trade with the west, to 1453 CE, when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with the west and closed the routes
Arabian Peninsula
a peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf; situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian plate; from a geological perspective, it is considered a subcontinent of Asia; the birthplace of Islam
Missionary
a person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work
Confucianism
a philosophy that developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE), who considered himself a re-transmitter of the values of the Zhou dynasty golden age of several centuries before; strong focus on filial piety
state
a politically organized group of people usually occupying a definite territory
Khmer Empire
a powerful state in South East Asia, formed by people of the same name, lasting from 802 CE to 1431 CE; at its peak, the empire covered much of what today is Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and southern Vietnam
Gujarat
a region on the western coast of India
caste
a rigid and hereditary social class
Grand Canal
a series of artifical waterways that connected Hangzhou to Chang'an; linked northern and southern economies of China; benefited the Chinese for many years
Cuneiform
a system of writing in which wedge-shaped symbols represented words or syllables; originated in Mesopotamia and was used initially for Sumerian and Akkadian but later adapted to represent other languages of western Asia
hierarchy
a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority
Bureaucracy
a type of administrative institution found in many empires or governments; a large group of people who are involved in running a government but who are not elected; in China people had to pass the Civil Service Exam in order to work within this part of the government
Ziggurat
a type of massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia; a terraced step pyramid of successively receding stories or levels; found scattered around what is today Iraq and Iran; Mesopotamians believed that these pyramid temples connected heaven and earth
pyramid
a very large structure built especially in ancient Egypt that has a square base and four triangular sides which form a point at the top; other areas of the world also built pyramids, especially in Mesoamerica
artisan
a worker skilled in a craft
Waru Waru
agricultural techniques of south america; combines raised beds with irrigation channels to prevent erosion; the technique combines raised beds with irrigation channels to prevent damage by soil erosion during floods
monumental art
includes monuments, architectural ornamentation (sculpture, painting, and mosaics), stained glass, public sculpture, and fountains; some also consider architecture to be a form
Mecca
located in western Saudi Arabia; the holiest city of Islam; Muhammad's birthplace - all devout Muslims attempt a hajj to this city at least once in their lifetime
Tigris-Euphrates River Valley
location of Mesopotamia; sometimes referred to as the Fertile Crescent; the earliest civilizations developed here
Rajput Kingdoms
many parts of Northern regions of the Indian subcontinent were ruled as sovereign or princely states by various dynasties of Rajputs; Rajputs ruled many small kingdoms in North India from the beginning of the 7th century. They were an obstacle to the Muslim conquest in North India. While they opposed invasion by the Muslims, they also battled among each other and were loyal to their clan rather than uniting.
Srivijaya Empire
maritime and commercial kingdom that flourished between the 7th and the 13th centuries, largely in what is now Indonesia
Sunni
members of this sect do not believe that Ali is the rightful heir to the empire; they do hold Ali in high esteem, but believe that their leaders should arise from a broad base of Islamic people
Crusades
military campaigns undertaken by European Christians to take over the Holy Land during the eleventh through the fourteenth centuries; these Christians wanted to convert Muslims and other non-Christians to Christianity
Indonesia
modern-day country located off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia in the Indian and Pacific oceans; it is an archipelago that lies across the Equator and spans a distance equivalent to one-eighth of Earth's circumference
tribute
money (or goods) paid by one country to another in return for protection and/or as a sign of respect
imperial
of or relating to an empire or an emperor
urban
of or relating to cities and the people who live in them
monastic
of or relating to monasteries or to monks or nuns; "monkhood" is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work
Mansa Musa
one of the greatest Mali rulers; built a capital city at Timbuktu and added lands to his kingdom well beyond the bounds of Ghana; in 1307 he made his pilgrimage to Mecca with so many gold-carrying servants and camels that he became a sort of international Islamic celebrity
Ethiopia
one of the world's oldest countries; In ancient times it remained centered on Axum, an imperial capital located in the northern part of the modern state; Christianity was introduced in the 4th century
Rome
originally a small town on the banks of the Tiber River, it grew in size and strength, early on, through trade; the center of government for the Republic and later Empire
Islam
originated in the seventh century in the Middle East; its followers, called Muslims, believe Allah is the only God and that he spoke to the people through Muhammad, whose teachings are recorded in the Qur'an
indigenous
originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native
Nasir al-Din Tusi
outstanding Persian philosopher, scientist, and mathematician; in 1256 he accepted a position with the Mongols as a scientific adviser; he is often considered the creator of trigonometry as a mathematical discipline in its own right
tributary system
payment of some type by one ruler/nation to another in acknowledgement of submission, protection or respect/superiority; examples include the Persian Achaemenid Empire (collected from conquered peoples), China (collected from Korea, Japan, Vietnam), and the Aztec (collected from conquered peoples)
monsoon winds
predictable/seasonal winds which carried ships on the Indian Ocean between India and Africa
Trans-Saharan Trade
route across the Sahara desert; route that traded for gold and salt, created caravan routes, economic benefit for controlling dessert, camels played a huge role in the trading
Seljuk Empire
ruling military family of Turkic tribes that invaded southwestern Asia in the 11th century; eventually established an empire that included Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine, and most of Iran
Palembang
served as the capital of the Buddhist Srivijaya empire from the 7th to the late 12th century
Monasticism
some Buddhists renounce their worldly lives in order to join a monastery; the term bhikku (word for monk) comes from a verbal root meaning "to beg" thus, a Buddhist monk or nun is marked primarily by his or her practice of poverty and nonattachment to the material world
Neoconfucianism
term that describes the resurgence of Confucianism and the influence of Confucian scholars during the T'ang Dynasty; a unification of Daoist or Buddhist metaphysics with Confucian pragmatism
Brahman
the Hindu creator god; in the beginning he "created good & evil and light & dark from his own person"; often represented in art with four heads to represent the four Vedas; the life goals of Hindus is to "merge" with this god, a process known as moksha
record keeping
the act of keeping track of the history of a person's or organization's activities, generally by creating and storing consistent, formal records
Monotheism
the belief that there is only one god
civilization
the condition that exists when people have developed effective ways of organizing a society and care about art, science, etc.
aristocracy
the highest social class in some countries; the people who have special titles (such as duke and duchess), who typically own land, and who traditionally have more money and power than the other people in a society
Majapahit
the last 'Indianized' kingdom in Indonesia; based in eastern Java, it existed between the 13th and 16th centuries; a significant power in the region, maintaining regular relations with China, Champa, Cambodia, Annam, and Siam (Thailand)
Christianity
the monotheistic religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices; evolved out of Judaism
Disapora
the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland; example: the settling of scattered colonies of Jews outside of Palestine after the Babylonian exile
Axum
the name of a city and a kingdom which is essentially modern-day northern Ethiopia (Tigray province) and Eritrea; developed Africa's only indigenous written script, Ge'ez. They traded with Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean and Arabia; embraced the Orthodox tradition of Christianity in the 4th century
Theravada Buddhism
the oldest of the two major branches of Buddhism. Practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia, its beliefs are relatively conservative, holding close to the original teachings of the Buddha
elite
the people who have the most wealth and status in a society; the most successful or powerful group of people
Hellenistic
the period of ancient Greek (Hellenic) history and Mediterranean history between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire
Reincarnation
the philosophical or religious concept that an aspect of a living being starts a new life in a different physical body or form after each biological death
Sub-Saharan
the region of Africa under or south of the Sahara Desert
Judaism
the religion developed among the ancient Hebrews that stresses belief in God and faithfulness to the laws of the Torah : the religion of the Jewish people
Cuzco
the religious and administrative capital of the Inca Empire which flourished in ancient Peru between c. 1400 and 1534 CE
Vedic Religion
the religious ideas and practices among some of the Indo-Aryan peoples of northwest India and the western Ganges plain of ancient India during the Vedic period (1500-500 BCE); shaped contemporary Hinduism, (which also gave rise to Buddhism and Jainism)
Dharma
the rules and obligations of the caste in which you are born (Hinduism)