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61 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Neolithic Age
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The New Stone Age between 8000 and 5000 B.C.E; period in which adaptation of sedentary agriculture occurred; domestication of plants and animals accomplished
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Neolithic Revolution
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The succession of technological innovations and changes in human organization that led to the development of agriculture, 8500-3500 B.C.E
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Bronze Age
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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
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Cuneiform
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A form of writing developed by the Sumerians using a wedge-shaped stylus and clay tablets
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Nomads
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Cattle- and sheep-herding societies normally found on the fringes of civilized societies; commonly referred to as "barbarian" by civilized societies
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Mesopotamia
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Literally "between the rivers"; the civilizations that arose in the alluvial plain of the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys
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City-states
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A form of political organization typical of Mesopotamian civilizations; consisted of agricultural hinterlands ruled by an urban-based king
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Hammurabi
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The most important ruler of the Babylonian empire; responsible for codification of law
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Huanghe
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Also known as the Yellow River; site of development of sedentary agriculture in China
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Shi Huangdi
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Founder of the brief Qin dynasty in 221 B.C.E.; also known as "First Emperor"; understood that China's problem lay in the regional power of the aristocrats; under his rule, powerful armies crushed regional resistance
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Qin dynasty
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Established in 221 B.C.E. at the end of the Warring States period following the decline of the Zhou dynasty; fell in 207 B.C.E.
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Han dynasty
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Chinese dynasty that succeeded the Qin in 202 B.C.E; ruled for next 400 years
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Daoism
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Philosophy associated with Laozi; stressed need for alignment with Dao, or comic force
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Legalism
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Created during the Qin and early Han periods; Disdained Confucian virtues in favor of an authoritarian state that ruled by force; human nature was seen as evil and required discipline; pleasures were seen as frivolity
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Confucianism
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System of ethics; do unto others as your status and theirs dictates; written in the Analects
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Zhou
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Originally a vassal family of Shang China; possibly Turkic in origin; overthrew the Shang and established second historical Chinese dynasty that flourished
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Mandate of Heaven
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a political concept that stated that heaven had transferred its mandate to rule China to the Zhou emperors
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Budda
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Creator of a major Indian and Asian religion; born in 6th century B.C.E as son of local ruler among Aryan tribes located near Himalayas; became an ascetic; found enlightenment under bo tree; taught that enlightenment could be achieved only by abandoning desires of all earthly things
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Alexander the Great
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Successor of Philip II; successfully conquered Persian Empire prior to his death in 323 B.C.E.; attempted to combine Greek and Persian cultures
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Sanskrit
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the sacred and classical Indian language
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untouchables
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Low social caste in Hindu culture; performed tasks that were considered polluting--street sweeping, removal of human waste, and tanning
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Mauryan dynasty
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Dynasty established in Indian subcontinent in 4th century B.C.E. following invasion by Alexander the Great
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Dharma
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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
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Guptas
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Dynasty that succeeded the Kushans in the 3rd century C.E.; built empire that extended to all but the southern regions of Indian sub-continent; less centralized than the Mauryan Empire
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Gurus
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Originally referred to as Brahmans who served as teachers for the princes of the imperial court of the Guptas
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Reincarnation
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The successive attachment of the soul to some animate form according to merits earned in previous lives
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Cyrus the Great
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Established massive Persian Empire by 550 B.C.E.; successor state to Mesopotamian empires
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Zoroastrianiam
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Animist religion that saw material existence as battle between forces of good and evil; stressed the importance of moral choice; rightous lived on after death in "House of Song"; chief religion of Persian Empire
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Pericles
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Athenian political leader during 5th century B.C.E.; guided development of Athenian Empire; died during early stages of Peloponnesian War
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Peloponnesian War
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Wars from 431 to 404 B.C.E between Athens and Sparta for dominance in southern Greece; resulted in Spartan victory but failure to achieve political unification of Greece
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Hellenistic Period
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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
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Roman republic
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The balanced constitution of Rome from c. 510 to 47 B.C.E.; featured an aristocratic Senate, a panel of magistrates, and several popular assemblies
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Julius Caesar
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Roman general responsible for conquest of Gaul; brought army back to Rome and overthrew republic; assassinated in 44 B.C.E. by conservative senators
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Augustus Caesar
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Name given to Octavian following his defeat of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra; first emperor of Rome
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Constantine
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Roman emperor from 312 to 337 C.E.; established second capital at Constantinople; attempted to use religious force of Christianity to unify empire spiritually
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Polis
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City-state form of government; typical of Greek political organization from 800 to 400 B.C.E.
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Direct Democracy
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Major decisions of state were made by general assemblies in which all citizens could participate
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Senate
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Assembly of Roman aristocrats; advised on policy within the republic; one of the early elements of the Roman constitution
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Ethiopia
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A Christian kingdom that developed in the highlands of eastern Africa under the dynasty of king Lalaibela; retained Christianity in the face of Muslim expansion elsewhere in Africa
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Maya
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Classic 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
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Umayyad
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Clan of Quaraysh that dominated politics and commercial economy of Mecca; clan established dynasty as rulers of Islam
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Ka'ba
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Most revered religious shrine in pre-Islamic Arabia; located in Mecca; focus of obligatory annual truce among Bedouin tribes; later incorporated as important shrine in Islam
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Medina
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Also known as Yathrib; town located northeast of Mecca; grew date palms whose fruit was sold to Bedouins; became refuge for Muhammad following flight from Mecca
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Muhammad
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Prophet of Islam; born c. 570 to Banu Hashim clan of Quaraysh tribe in Mecca; raised by father's family; received revelations from Allah in 610 C.E. and thereafter; died in 632
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Qur'an
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Recitations of revelations received by Muhammad; holy book of Islam
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Umma
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Community of the faithful within Islam; transcended old tribal boundaries to create degree of political unity
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Hajj
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A Muslim's pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, to worship Allah at the Ka'ba
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Jihads
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Struggle; often used for wars in defense of the faith
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Sunnis
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Political and theological division within Islam; supported the Umayyads
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Shi'a
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Also known as Shi'ites; political and theological division within Islam; followers of Ali
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Mawali
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Non-Arab converts to Islam
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Buyids
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Regional splinter dynasty of the mid-10th century; invaded and captured Baghdad; ruled Abbasid Empire under title of sultan; retained Abbasids as figureheads
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Crusades
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series of military adventures initially launched by western Christians to free Holy Land from Muslims; temporarily succeeded in capturing Jerusalem and establishing Christian kingdoms; later used for other purposes such as commercial wars and extermination of heresy
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Sufis
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Mysitcs within Islam; responsible for expansion of Islam to southeastern Asia and other regions
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Mongols
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Central Asian nomadic peoples; smashed Turko-Persian kingdoms; captured Baghdad in 1258 and killed last Abbasid caliph
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Bhaktic cults
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Hindu groups dedicated to gods and goddesses; stressed the importance of strong emotional bonds between devotees and the god or goddess who was the object of their veneration; most widely worshipped gods were Shiva and Vishnu
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Stateless societies
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African societies organized around kinship or other forms of obligation and lacking the concentration of political power and authority associated with states
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Sundiata
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The "Lion Prince"; a member of the Keita clan; created a unified state that became the Mali Empire; died about 1260
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Ibn Batuta
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Arab traveler who described African societies and cultures in his travel records
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Timbuktu
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Port city of Mali; located just off the flood plain on the great bend in the Niger River; population of 50,000; contained a library and university
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Sharia
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Islamic law; defined among other things as the patrilineal nature of Islamic inheritance
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