APWH Exam Review Flashcards
1
Q
Mesopotamia
A
A region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that developed the first urban societies. In the Bronze Age this area included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian empires, In the Iron Age, it was ruled by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires.
2
Q
Fertile Crescent
A
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers gave life to the first known agricultural villages in this area about 10,000 years ago and the first known cities about 5,000 years ago.
3
Q
ziggurat
A
A temple tower of ancient Mesopotamia, constructed of square or rectangular terraces of diminishing size, usually with a shrine made of blue enamel bricks on the top
4
Q
pictograms
A
A pictorial symbol or sign representing an object or concept
5
Q
cuneiform
A
The earliest known form of writing, which was used by the Sumerians. The name derives from the wedge shaped marks made with a stylus into soft clay. Used from the 3000s BCE to the 100s BCE.
6
Q
ideograms
A
A character or figure in a writing system in which the idea of a thing is represented rather than it’s name (example: Chinese)
7
Q
Sumer
A
The world’s first civilization, founded in Mesopotamia, which existed for over 3,000 years.
8
Q
Xia
A
A legendary Chinese dynasty that was not believed to exist until relatively recently. Walled towns ruled by area-specific kings assembled armies, built cities, and worked bronze. Created pictograms which would evolve in to the first Chinese script.
9
Q
Shang Dynasty
A
An early Chinese dynasty. Not a unified Chinese state. Instead rulers and their relatives gave orders through a network of cities. Earliest evidence of Chinese writing comes from this period.
10
Q
Zhou Dynasty
A
Succeeded the Shang dynasty. Similar to the Shang And Xia dynastic periods in that China was fragmented politically. Yet, despite the lack of true centralization, this was one of the longest Chinese dynasties, lasting about 600 years. It left substantial written records, unlike the preceding dynasties.
11
Q
Yellow River
A
Also known as the Huang-He. The second longest river in China. The majority of ancient Chinese civilizations originated in its valley.
12
Q
Oracle Bones
A
The earliest known Chinese writing is found on these from ritual activity of the Shang period.
13
Q
Teotihuacan
A
A large central city in the Mesoamerican region. Located about 25 miles Northeast of present day Mexico City. Exhibited city planning and unprecedented size for its time. Reached its peak around the year 450.
14
Q
Jenne-Jeno
A
One of the first urbanized centers in western Africa. A walled community home to approximately 50,000 people at its height. Evidence suggests domestication of agriculture and trade with nearby regions.
15
Q
Great Zimbabwe
A
A stone-walled enclosure found in Southeast Africa. Have been associated with trade, farming, and mining.
16
Q
Hammurabi
A
The first king of the Babylonian Empire. Best known for his legal code.
17
Q
Code of Hammurabi
A
A collection of 282 laws. One of the first (but not THE first) examples of written law in the ancient world.
18
Q
Hittites
A
An ancient Anatolian group whose empire at largest extent consisted of most of the Middle East. Some of the first two-wheeled chariots and iron.
19
Q
Zoroastrianism
A
One of the first monotheistic religions, particularly one with a wide following. It was central to the political and religious culture of ancient Persia.
20
Q
Zoroaster
A
The founder of Persia’s classical pre-Islamic religion.
21
Q
Hellenistic
A
Of or influenced by the Greek Empire. A type of culture typically referred to after the conquests of Alexander the Great.
22
Q
Trireme
A
Greek ships built specifically for ramming enemy ships.
23
Q
Minoans
A
One of the early proto-Greek peoples from 2600 BCE to 1500 BCE. Inhabitants of the island of Crete. Their site of Knossos is pictured above.
24
Q
Acropolis
A
Greek for “high city”. The chief temples of the city were located here.
25
Plato
Socrates' most well known pupil. Founded an academy in Athens.
26
Pax Romana
The "Roman Peace", that is, the state of comparative concord prevailing within the boundaries of the Roman Empire from the reign of Augustus (27 B.C.E.-14 C.E.) to that of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 C.E.)
27
Republic
A state that is not ruled by a hereditary leader (a monarchy) but by a person or persons appointed under the constitution
28
Centuries
The smallest units of the Roman army, each composed of some 100 foot soldiers and commanded by a centurion. A legion was made up of 60 of these. They also formed political divisions of Roman citizens.
29
Consul
Under the Roman Republic, one of the two magistrates holding supreme civil and military authority. Nominated by the Senate and elected by citizens in the Comitia Centuriata, the consuls held office for one year and each had power of veto over the other.
30
Patricians
land-owning noblemen in Ancient Rome
31
Plebeians
all non-land-owning, free men in Ancient Rome
32
Paterfamilias
the head of the family or household in Roman law -always male- and the only member to have full legal rights. This person had absolute power over his family, which extended to life and death.
33
Twelve Tables
Completed in 449 BCE, these civil laws developed by the Roman Republic to protect individual following demands by plebeians.
34
Triumvirate
An unofficial coalition between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus was formed in 60 B.C.E.
35
Monophysites
The supporters of a doctrine in the early Christian Church that held that the incarnate Christ possessed a single, wholly divine nature. they opposed the orthodox view that Christ had a double nature, one divine and one human, and emphasized his divinity at the expense of his capacity to experience real human suffering.
36
Julius Caesar
Part of the first triumvirate who eventually became "emperor for life". Chose not to conquer Germany. Was assassinated by fellow senators in 44 B.C.E.
37
Octavian
Part of the second triumvirate whom the power eventually shifted to. Assumed the name Augustus Caesar, and became emperor. Was the end of the Roman Republic and the start of the Pax Romana.
38
Diocletian
Roman emperor of 284 C.E. Attempted to deal with fall of Roman Empire by splitting the empire into two regions run by co-emperors. Also brought armies back under imperial control, and attempted to deal with the economic problems by strengthening the imperial currency, forcing a budget on the government, and capping prices to deal with inflation. Civil war erupted upon his retirement.
39
Bread and Circuses
A Roman bribery method of coping with class difference. Entertainment and food was offered to keep plebeians quiet without actually solving unemployment problems.
40
Goths
An array of Germanic peoples, pushed further westward by nomads from central Asia. They in turn migrated west into Rome, upsetting the rough balance of power that existed between Rome and these people.
41
legalism
A school of Chinese philosophy that come into prominence during the period of the Warring states and had great influence on the policies of the Qin dynasty. People following this took a pessimistic view of human nature and believed that social harmony could only be attained through strong government control and the imposition of strict laws, enforced absolutely.
42
assimilation
The process by which different ethnic groups lose their distinctive cultural identity through contact with the dominant culture of a society, and gradually become absorbed and integrated into it.
43
Huns
large nomadic group from northern Asia who invaded territories extending from China to Eastern Europe. They virtually lived on their horses, herding cattle, sheep, and horses as well as hunting.
44
Tang Revival
Continuing the imperial revival started by the Sui Dynasty this dynasty that followed restored the Chinese imperial impulse four centuries after the decline of the Han, extending control along the silk route. Trade flourished and China finally reached its western limits when its forces were defeated by the imperial armies of the Muslim Abbasid Empire at the Talas River--which stopped future expansion by both empires.
45
Yellow Turban
A 184 C.E. peasant revolt against emperor Ling of Han. Led by Daoists who proclaimed that a new era would be3ing with the fall of the Han. Although this specific revolt was suppressed, it triggered a continuous string of additional outbreaks.
46
Liu Bang
First emperor of the Han dynasty under which a new social and political hierarchy emerged. Scholars were on top, followed by farmers, artisans, and merchants. He chose his ministers from educated men with Confucian principals.
47
Aryans
immigrants who arrived at the Ganges river valley by the year 1000 BC
48
Vedas
compilations of hymns, religious reflections, and Aryan conquests
49
Mahabharata
the longest single poem in the world, about a war fought between two branches of the same family. One of India's greatest epics written between 1000 and 700 BC
50
Janapadas
Political units in India in the years 700-600 BC. They are the major realms or kingdoms of Vedic (Iron Age) India. They are the earliest kingdoms set up by the Indo-Aryans migrants to India.
51
Guilds
associations of businessmen and producers
52
Dharma
the fulfillment of social and religious duties in Hinduism
53
Artha-sastra
characterized inter-state relations in ancient India
54
Siddhartha Gautama
the founder of Buddhism
55
Rigveda
a book composed by Brahman priests that contains verses and Sanskrit poetry
56
Caste system
a social system that separated people by occupation, the caste system in India has virtually no social mobility
57
Samsara
the cycle of life in Hinduism
58
Puranas
a collection of ancient stories that feature Hindu gods such as Vishnu and Shiva
59
Nirvana
release from suffering into a blissful nothingness
60
Four Noble Truths
suffering is always present in life; desire is the cause of suffering; freedom from suffering can be achieved in nirvana; the Eightfold Path leads to nirvana
61
Mahayana Buddhism
The more mystical and larger of the two main Buddhist sects, this one originated in India in the 400s CE and gradually found its way north to the Silk road and into Central and East Asia.
62
Jainism
An ancient religion of India with a small following today of only about 10 million followers. Originated in the 800s BCE. They prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice rely mainly on self-effort to progress the soul up the spiritual ladder to divine consciousness. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state of supreme being is called jina (Conqueror or Victor).
63
Silk Road
connected China, India, and the Middle East. Traded goods and helped to spread culture.
64
Empress Wu
the only woman to rule China in her own name, expanded the empire and supported Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty.
65
Mantra
the repetition of mystic incantations in Hinduism and Buddhism.
66
Mentuhotep I
Egyptian pharaoh who founded the Middle Kingdom by REUNITING Upper and Lower Egypt in 2134 BCE.
67
Olmec
Mesoamerican civilization in lower Mexico around 1500 BCE to about 400 BCE focused. Most remembered for their large stone heads.
68
Maya
Extensive Mesoamerican culture that made great advances in astronomy in areas such as their famous calendar
69
Nazca
South American civilization famous for its massive aerial-viewable formations
70
Neo-Assyrians
Assyrian resurgence that initiated a series of conquests until a combined attack by Medes and Babylon defeated them
71
Mycenae
Sea-faring proto-Greek kingdom whose abrupt demise triggered the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1200 BCE-800 BCE
72
Persia
Mesopotamian empire that conquered the existing Median, Lydian, and Babylonian empires
73
Polis
Form of government in which power is centralized into a local city-state.
74
Solon
Early Greek leader who brought democratic reforms such as his formation of the Council of Four Hundred
75
Pericles
Ruler of Athens who zealously sought to spread Athenian democracy through imperial force
76
Peloponnesian War
Conflict between Athens and Sparta
77
Macedonia
Area between the Greek and Slavic regions; conquered Greece and Mesopotamia under the leadership of Philip II and Alexander the Great
78
Philip II
Macedonian king who sought to unite Greece under his banner until his murder
79
Ptolemy
Subordinate to Alexander who took over Egypt after his death
80
Stoicism
Roman philosophy which emphasizes accepting life dispassionately
81
Qin
1st unified imperial Chinese dynasty
82
Shinto
Way of the Kami; Japanese worship of nature spirits
83
Rama
Incarnation of Hindu god Vishnu made famous in the Ramayana
84
Siddhartha Gautama
Indian prince who renounced his worldly possessions and founded Buddhism; Buddha
85
Apostle Paul
Zealous proponent of Christianity who was instrumental in its spread beyond Judaism
86
Guild
associations like those of merchants or artisans, organized to maintain standards and to protect the interests of its members, and that sometimes constituted a local governing body.
87
Epic of Gilgamesh
an epic poem from Mesopotamia, and among the earliest known works of literary writing.
88
Hieroglyphics
designating or pertaining to a pictographic script, particularly that of the ancient Egyptians, in which many of the symbols are conventionalized, recognizable pictures of the things represented
89
Jenne-jeno
considered to be among the oldest urbanized centers in sub-Saharan Africa.
90
Hegemony
leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation.
91
Hoplite
a citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek City-states. They were primarily armed as spear-men.
92
Iconoclast
Opposing or even destroying images, especially those set up for religious veneration in the belief that such images represent idol worship.
93
Diaspora
any group migration or flight from a country or region; dispersion.
94
St. Augustine
one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity
95
Agora
the chief marketplace of Athens, center of the city's civic life.
96
Realpolitik
political realism or practical politics, especially policy based on power rather than on ideals.
97
Punic Wars
the three wars waged by Rome against Carthage, 264-241, 218-201, and 149-146 b.c., resulting in the destruction of Carthage and the annexation of its territory by Rome.
98
Stoicism
An ancient Greek philosophy that became popular amongst many notable Romans. Emphasis on ethics. They considered destructive emotions to be the result of errors in judgment, and that a wise person would repress emotions, especially negative ones and that "virtue is sufficient for happiness." They were also concerned with the conflict between free will and determinism. They were also non-dualists and naturalists.
99
Balance of Power
a distribution and opposition of forces among nations such that no single nation is strong enough to assert its will or dominate all the others.
100
Satrapy
Conquered territory in Media and later Perisa, ruled through client kings and governors rather than by direct rule.
101
Buddhism
a religion, originated in India by Buddha (Gautama) and later spreading to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of southeast Asia, holding that life is full of suffering caused by desire and that the way to end this suffering is through enlightenment that enables one to halt the endless sequence of births and deaths to which one is otherwise subject.
102
Mandate of Heaven
a political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source
103
Sanskrit
an Indo-European, Indic language, in use since c1200 b.c. as the religious and classical literary language of India.
104
Assimilation
The process whereby a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture.
105
Diffusion
The spread of ideas, objects, or traits from one culture to another
106
Imperialism
The extension of political rule by one people over other, different peoples. First done by Sargon of Akkad to the Sumerian city states.
107
Cyrus II
Created the Persian Empire by defeating the Medes, Lydians, and Babylonians; was known for his allowance of existing governments to continue governing under his name
108
Cambyses II
Son of Cyrus II; extended the Persian Empire into Egypt
109
Darius I
General in the Persian army who took power when Cambyses II died; he continued many of Cyrus' policies and was a more capable ruler than Cambyses
110
Aristotle
Pupil of Plato who tutored Alexander the Great; argued for small units of government like the city-state
111
Alexander the Great
King of Macedonia who conquered Greece, Egypt, and Persia
112
Constantinople
City founded as the second capital of the Roman Empire; later became the capital of the Byzantine Empire
113
Confucianism
Chinese ethical and philosophical teachings of Confucius which emphasized education, family, peace, and justice
114
Daoism
Philosophy that teaches that everything should be left to the natural order; rejects many of the Confucian ideas but coexisted with Confucianism in China
115
Babylonian Empire
Empire in Mesopotamia which was formed by Hammurabi, the sixth ruler of the invading Amorites
116
Delian League
Alliance between Athens and many of its allied cities
117
Carthage
City in North Africa that developed trading outposts in Italy; Rome toke control of many of its outposts after the two Punic Wars
118
Augustus
Title given the the Roman emperor Octavian which means "sacred" or "venerable"
119
Constantine
Roman emperor who adopted Christianity for the Roman Empire and who founded Constantinople as a second capital
120
Byzantine Empire
Eastern part of the Roman Empire that survived the fall of the western part
121
Aryans
Group of people who immigrated from Persia or central Asia and settled with the Harrappans in India
122
Talmud
the collection of Jewish rabbinic discussion pertaining to law, ethics, and tradition consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara.
123
Warring States Period
the period from 475 BC until the unification of China under the Qin dynasty, characterized by lack of centralized government in China. It followed the Zhou dynasty.
124
tribune
in Ancient Rome, a plebian officer elected by plebeians charged to protect their lives and properties, with a right of veto against legislative proposals of the Senate.
125
Theodosius
Emperor of the Roman Empire who made Christianity the official religion of the empire.
126
urbanization
the movement of people to Urban areas in search of work.
127
Vishnu
a major Hindu god called The Preserver.
128
Wheel of Life
an important symbol of Buddhism. It represents the endless cycle of life through reincarnation.
129
Tao-te Ching
the central text of Daoism.
130
Zhou dynasty
the longest lasting Chinese dynasty, during which the use of iron was introduced.
131
Teotihuacan
the most significant Mesoamerican city.
132
Tanakh
a term for the books of the Bible that make up the Hebrew canon.
133
ulama
the theologians and legal experts of Islam.
134
umma
the community of believers in Islam, which transcends ethnic and political boundaries.
135
Yurt
a portable dwelling used by the nomadic people of Centa Asia, consisting of a tentlike structure of skin, felt or hand-woven textiles arranged over wooden poles.
136
Akbar
The greatest of the Mughald Emperors. Second half of 1500s. Descendant of Timur. Consolidated power over northern India. Religiously tolerant. Patron of arts, including large mural paintings.
137
Safavid Persia
Islamic society that ruled the area that is currently Iran during 1502-1736
138
Jizya
Poll tax that non-Muslims had to pay when living within the Muslim empire
139
Syncretism
The unification of opposing people, ideas, or practices
140
Sikhs
Members of a religious community founded in the Punjab region of India.
141
Delhi
Capital of the Mugal empire in Northern India
142
Isfahan
Persian capital from the 16th to 18th centuries found in central Iran
143
Constantinople
A large and wealthy city that was the imperial capital of the Byzantine empire and later the Ottoman empire, now known as Istanbul
144
Mestizo
Someone with interracial ancestry, especially found in Latin America
145
Divine Right of Kings
Doctrine that states that the right of ruling comes from God and not people's consent
146
Glorious Revolution
English overthrow of 1688-1689 in which James II was expelled and William and Mary were made king and queen. The significance is that Parliament made the monarchy powerless, gave themselves all the power, and wrote a bill of Rights. The whole thing was relatively peaceful.
147
King Charles I
The English monarch who was beheaded by Puritans (see English Civil War) who then established their own short-lived government ruled by Oliver Cromwell (Mid 1600s).
148
Tennis Court Oath
A pledge signed by all but one of the members of the Third Estate in France, the first time the French formally opposed Louis XVI
149
Napoleon
A French general and then French Emperor later exiled to the island of St. Helena
150
Napoleonic Wars
French wars against England, Prussia, Russia, and Austria led by Napoleon
151
French Revolution
Overthrow of the Monarchy in France in which Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI are executed
152
Bourgeoisie
A term for the middle class. A social class characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture. They derive social and economic power from employment, education, and wealth, as opposed to the inherited power of aristocratic family of titled land owners granted feudal privileges.
153
Kepler
German astronomer and mathematician of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, known as the founder of celestial mechanics
154
John Locke
17th century English philosopher who opposed the Divine Right of Kings and who asserted that people have a natural right to life, liberty, and property.
155
Shakespeare
A popular English playwright and poet in the 16th century.
156
Deism
The belief that there is a God, but after the creation of the world became indifferent to it
157
95 Theses
Luther's list of accusations against the Roman Catholic Church, which included the sale of indulgences
158
Indulgences
Remission of sins granted to people by the Catholic church, such as for money
159
Bartholomew Dias
Portuguese navigator that discovered the Cape of Good Hope
160
Cortes
The Spanish conqueror of Mexico
161
Enconmienda
Concession from Spanish letting a colonist take tribute from Indians in a certain area
162
Repartimiento
A system that the Spanish let colonists employ Indians in forced labor
163
Mita
When colonists were allowed to use Indians for forced labor in colonial South America, also known as the repartimiento system
164
Hacienda
Spanish estates that were often plantations
165
Mercantilism
Economic policy that restricted the outflow of money; made state stronger economically
166
Laissez Faire
The belief that the government shouldn't intervene much and should instead let the people do
167
Capitalism
Economic system with private/ corporate ownership/ competitive market
168
Nation-State
An area of homogenous people that share a common feeling of nationality
169
Leonardo da Vinci
A well known Italian Renaissance artist, architect, musician, mathemetician, engineer, and scientist. Known for the Mona Lisa.
170
Huguenot
A French Protestant
171
Shogun
Commander of the Japanese army in ancient and feudal times. At times more similar to a duke and/or a military dictator.
172
Samurai
A member of the warrior class in premodern feudal Japan
173
Aborigine
The general named often used to describe the original inhabitants of Australia
174
Janissary
A slave soldier of the Ottoman Army
175
Dar al-Islam
a term used by Muslims to refer to those countries where Muslims can practice their religion freely.
176
Sufi
A member of the more mystical third sect of Islam
177
Martin Luther
Leader of the reformation that was excommunicated by the Catholic church due to his opposition to certain practices
178
Enlightenment
A popular philosophical movement of the 1700s that focused on human reasoning, natural science, political and ethical philosophy.
179
Jamestown
The first permanent English settlement in North America, found in East Virginia
180
Hundred Years War
War between France and Britain, lasted 116 years, mostly a time of peace, but it was punctuated by times of brutal violence (1337 to 1453)
181
Colombian Exchange
The trading of various animals, diseases, and crops between the Eastern and Western hemispheres
182
The Golden Triangle
Trade triangle between US, Britain, and Africa. Ships would take valued goods to Britain from America, get money, sail down to Africa, buy slaves, and take them back to America
183
Colonization
The expansion of countries into other countries where they establish settlements and control the people
184
Scientific Revolution
period in the 16th and 17th centuries where many thinkers rejected doctrines of the past dealing with the natural world in favor of new scientific ideas.
185
Copernicus
Devised a model of the universe with the Sun at the center, and not earth.
186
Ming
Chinese dynasty between 1368-1644. Economy flourished, Border Policy was good, but not well enough enforced, as they were taken over by the Manchu from the North in 1644.
187
Gunpowder
substance used for the domination of trade in the Indian Ocean by the British
188
Botany Bay
Place that the British first colonized in Australia
189
Christopher Columbus
He mistakenly discovered the Americas in 1492 while searching for a faster route to India.
190
Empiricism
theory that all knowledge originates from experience. It emphasizes experimentation and observation in order to truly know things.
191
Philosophes
Writers during the Enlightenment and who popularized the new ideas of the time.
192
Jacobins
very radical French revolutionary party responsible for Reign of Terror and execution of king
193
Girondins
French revolutionary group formed mainly by middle classes who opposed more radical
194
Concordat
the peace agreement made between Napoleon and the Pope following the chaos of the French Revolution.
195
Balance of power
policy that aims to secure peace by preventing dominance of any particular state or group of states
196
Marie Curie
Notable female Polish/French chemist and physicist around the turn of the 20th century. Won two nobel prizes. Did pioneering work in radioactivity.
197
Albert Einstein
German physicist, father of modern quantum physics.
198
Sigmund Freud
Austrian neurologist known for his work on the unconscious mind.
199
Cixi
Ultraconservative empress in Qing (Manchu) dynasty China. Ruled china in the turbulent late 19th century, not as a true Empress but as an Empress Dowager.
