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Ancient and Medieval Cultures > Final Exam > Flashcards

Final Exam Flashcards

1
Q

Confucius

A

Chinese teacher and scholar. His students and their students recorded many of ideas and concepts in the Analects

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2
Q

Dao

A

The way or path. It can mean the path to good government, or it can mean the divine order that governs the universe

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3
Q

Daodejing

A

A collection of poems written over the course of centuries that advocates living and governing through wuwei (nonaction). One of the foundational texts of religious Daoism

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4
Q

Han Dynasty

A

Founded by Liu Bang, the dynasty that replaces the Qin and rules for nearly 400 years

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5
Q

Han Feizi

A

One of the primary Legalist philosophers

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6
Q

Han Wudi

A

The “Martial Emperor of the Han”. The emperor who brings the Han Dynasty to its geographical and cultural height. Founds a Confucian university to educate bureaucrats who then run the Han Dynasty

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7
Q

Junzi

A

A “gentleman”, the ideal ruler or bureaucrat

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8
Q

Laozi

A

The (probably) mythological author of the Daodejing. A divine figure in the religious Daoist movements that developed in the Han Dynasty

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9
Q

Legalism

A

A governing philosophy that advocates for strict laws and the centralization of authority

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10
Q

Li

A

A sense of ritual propriety

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11
Q

Mandate of Heaven

A

Idea that Heaven (Tian) provides rulers with a mandate that can be taken away if they fail to govern properly

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12
Q

Mencius

A

A follower of Confucius who argued that human nature is basically good if governments treat humans well and do not stamp out our goodness

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13
Q

Mohism

A

A school of philosophy founded by Mozi that was opposed to Confucius and his teachings. Advocates for universal love

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14
Q

Qin Shihuangi

A

The “First Emperor of the Qin” who unifies China and ends the Warring States Period

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15
Q

Ren

A

A sense of humaneness, humanity, or benevolence

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16
Q

Shang Dynasty

A

The first archeologically known dynasty in Chinese history. Most of our information about them comes from archeological digs and Oracle Bone inscriptions

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17
Q

Duke of Zhou

A

The brother of King Wu who was held up as the ideal bureaucrat

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18
Q

The Hundred Schools of Thoughts

A

The philosophical schools (including Confucianism, Mohism, the Daodejing, and Legalism) that developed in the Eastern Zhou period

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19
Q

The Sage Kings

A

The (probably) mythological founders of Chinese society. The exact list of sage kings varies widely, but scholars usually include Yao, Shun, and Yu

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20
Q

Xiao

A

Filial piety (i.e. respect for one’s parents and elders)

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21
Q

Xunzi

A

A follower of Confucius who argued that human nature is fundamentally bad

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22
Q

Zhou Dynasty

A

The dynasty founded by King Wen and King Wu that overthrows the Shang. In the Eastern Zhou period, society descends into a period of chaos and warfare (the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period)

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23
Q

An Lushan

A

Central Asian general who served Xuanzong but rebelled and almost destroyed the Tang Dynasty

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24
Q

Avalokiteśvara

A

The bodhisattva of infinite compassion who takes any form necessary to help individuals who call upon him/her. S/he is prominent in Pure Land Buddhism

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25
Q

Bamiyan

A

A Buddhist monastic complex in modern Afghanistan that was marked by monumental statues of the Buddha

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26
Q

Bodhisattva

A

Enlightened beings who could attain nirvana but choose not to in order to stay on Earth and help people in need

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27
Q

Guanyin

A

A Chinese name for Avalokiteśvara

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28
Q

Kushan Empire

A

Nomadic empire that dominates northern India and central Asia in the early centuries CE. Blends Hellenistic, Persian, nomadic, and Indian cultures

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29
Q

Mahayana Buddhism

A

A Buddhist tradition that develops due to the incorporation of new beliefs (cosmic buddhas and bodhisattvas for example) and eases the path to salvation. Mainly found today in China, Japan, and the Korean peninsula

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30
Q

Maitreya

A

Both a cosmic buddha who will emerge in the future and a bodhisattva

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31
Q

Manichaeism

A

A religious tradition that developed in modern Iraq and Iran and focused on the combat between deities associated with light and dark in the world

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32
Q

Northern Wei Dynasty

A

A dynasty founded by nomads in northern China. Its rulers spread Buddhism and produce large numbers of Buddhist statues and devotional images

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33
Q

Prince Shotoku

A

Bureaucrat who helps centralize authority in Japan by introducing Confucian, Legalist, and Buddhist ideas from China

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34
Q

Pure Land Buddhism

A

A form of Mahayana Buddhism that focuses on being reborn in the Pure Land ruled over by the Amitabha Buddha

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35
Q

Shinto

A

Japan’s native religious tradition. Includes a belief in natural and ancestral sprits, but lacks many traditional religious elements

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36
Q

Silla

A

Korean kingdom during Three Kingdoms Period. Unifies the Korean peninsula with the help of the Tang Dynasty

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37
Q

Six Dynasties Period

A

The period after the Han Dynasty’s collapse in which nomadic groups (and Buddhism) began to enter China

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38
Q

Sui Dynasty

A

Short-lived dynasty that unifies China and adopts strict legalist policies

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39
Q

Taika Reforms

A

Series of reforms conducted in the mid-600s by Japanese emperors to centralize authority using Tang models

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40
Q

Tang Dynasty

A

Dynasty that brings China to one of its great cultural and intellectual high points

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41
Q

Tang Taizong

A

Second Tang Emperor. The Tang Code is constructed under his guidance, and he writes documents attempting to teach his successors his governing philosophy

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42
Q

The Lotus Sutra

A

One of the most important Mahayana Buddhist texts. Teaches about the infinite variety of Buddhist beliefs through a series of parables

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43
Q

Theraveda Buddhism

A

A Buddhist tradition that followers consider closer to the Buddha’s original teachings. Mainly found today in southeast Asia and Sri Lanka

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44
Q

Tu Fu

A

One of the greatest poets in Chinese history who lived during the reign of Xuanzong and his successors. Among other things, he writes about the chaos of the An Lushan Rebellion

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45
Q

Yamato Period

A

Period in Japanese history when the Yamato clan begin to centralize by pressing their claim to be emperors descended from Amaterasu (the Shinto sun goddess)

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46
Q

Xuanzong

A

Tang emperor whose early reign is marked by great cultural and artistic achievements. His later years are marked by the chaos and disorder of the An Lushan Rebellion

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47
Q

Byzantine Empire

A

The eastern half of the Roman Empire that survives the transformation of Rome but becomes increasingly Greek in nature

48
Q

Caesarpapism

A

Form of government in which the ruler is both a religious and secular leader. Very characteristic of many early Medieval governments

49
Q

Capitularies

A

Oral law codes and instructions issued by Charlemagne

50
Q

Carolingian Dynasty

A

The dynasty that overthrows the Merovingian kings. They form a close alliance with the papacy, and their greatest ruler, Charlemagne, unifies most of western Europe

51
Q

Carolingian Renaissance

A

Revival of learning during the reign of Charlemagne. Characterized by the production of manuscripts to preserve Christian and Classical texts

52
Q

Clovis

A

Early Frankish king who converts to Latin Christianity to cement alliances with Roman elites of Gaul

53
Q

Constantine

A

Roman emperor who legalized Christianity. He continued Diocletian’s attempts to reform the government and founded Constantinople as an Eastern capital, but his reforms led to the eastern and western halves of the Empire beginning to split apart

54
Q

Crisis of the Third Century

A

Period of economic and political turmoil that engulfed the Roman Empire in the 200s CE. Helped lead to the development of local cultural identities that undermined loyalty to Rome

55
Q

Diocletian

A

Roman emperor who implemented a variety of reforms (including the Tetrarchy). Many of his reforms resulted in the eastern and western halves of the Empire beginning to split apart

56
Q

Germanic People

A

Wide variety of people who lived north of Rome and who spoke a Germanic language. Many were settled farmers who closely interacted with Rome

57
Q

Globus cruciger

A

An orb and cross typically seen in medieval art as a symbol of both secular and religious power

58
Q

Investiture

A

The ceremonial process by which an individual is given their power. In the Middle Ages, Bishops would be given a staff and ring as symbols of their power during their investiture

59
Q

Investiture Controversy

A

Major argument over who would have the right to invest clergy with their authority, the popes or the emperors

60
Q

Merovingian Dynasty

A

The heirs of Clovis who ruled over most of modern France. A fragmented and disorderly bunch

61
Q

Otto I

A

King of Germany and Italy as well as Emperor. Reforms and centralizes government in Germany. Founds the Ottonian Dynasty

62
Q

Patriarchs

A

Bishops who claimed to superior to other bishops because their churches were founded by an apostle (apostolic succession)

63
Q

Pope

A

Bishop of Rome who argues that he is superior to the other Patriarchs due to the founding of the church of Rome by Peter and Paul

64
Q

Pope Gregory the Great

A

Pope who encourages missionaries to adopt a policy of accommodation rather than destruction

65
Q

Pope Gregory VII

A

Reform-minded German monk who became Pope and fought for clerical independence against Henry IV in the Investiture Controversy

66
Q

The Battle of Maldon

A

Fragmentary Anglo-Saxon epic poem that describes a failed battle against Scandinavian Vikings. Propaganda that illustrates Germanic values

67
Q

The Benedictine Rule

A

Document created by St. Benedict governing the behavior of monks. Helps regularize monastic life in the early Middle Ages

68
Q

The Dream of the Rood

A

Anglo-Saxon dream vision poem that helps illustrate the melding of Germanic and Christian values

69
Q

The Venerable Bede

A

English historian and monk who writes an extensive history of the conversion of England

70
Q

Abbasid Caliphate

A

The rulers who overthrew the Umayyads and presided over the Islamic Golden Age from Baghdad

71
Q

‘Ali

A

The cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad who became the fourth caliph and who lost a civil war against the Umayyads. The Muslims who followed him and his son evolved into Shia Muslims

72
Q

Allah

A

Arabic for “God”; God reveals to Muhammad that he is the same God that spoke to Abraham, Moses, and Jesus

73
Q

Bayt al-Hikma

A

The “House of Wisdom”; a library and translation center in Baghdad

74
Q

Caliph

A

The Deputy of the Prophet; the leaders of the Ummah who came after Muhammad; the first three (‘Abu Bakr, Umar, and ‘Uthman) presided over the initial wave of Muslim expansion

75
Q

Crusader States

A

Small states carved out of the eastern Mediterranean during and after the First Crusade; heavily reliant on western Europe for their survival

76
Q

Great Zimbabwe

A

Enormous dwelling/city complex in modern Zimbabwe

77
Q

Hajj

A

The pilgrimage to Mecca required of all Muslims at least once in their lives (assuming they are physically and financially capable of going)

78
Q

Himyarite Kingdom

A

Jewish kingdom in southern Arabia (modern Yemen) that helps spread Judaism in Arabia

79
Q

Ibn Battuta

A

Muslim traveler who crisscrosses the globe in the early 1300s and leaves a record of his travels

80
Q

Kingdom of Askum

A

Coptic Christian east African kingdom that dominates large portions of modern Ethiopia; influences southern Arabia via various invasions in the 500s CE

81
Q

Mali Empire

A

Empire in west Africa that prospers from trade across the Sahara (particularly from the trade in gold); helps spread Islam in west Africa

82
Q

Mansa Musa

A

Ruler of Mali that goes on the hajj; reports of his wealth and glory spread around the world, and he turns Timbuktu into a center for Muslim scholarship and learning

83
Q

Muhammad

A

Founder of Islam who teaches that he has received revelations from God and that he is the final prophet in a line that goes back to Abraham

84
Q

Nur al-Din

A

Son of Zengi who uses rhetoric of jihad to justify his conquest of Syria and Egypt

85
Q

Book of the People

A

Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and other religious groups who, according to Muhammad, believed portions of the truth but not everything; if they acknowledged Muslim domination, they should be allowed to live in peace

86
Q

Pope Urban II

A

Pope who kicks off the First Crusade with a speech at the Council of Clermont (five versions of which survive)

87
Q

Saladin

A

Kurdish general who serves Nur al-Din and takes over when he dies; launches major attacks against the Crusader States, almost annihilating the Kingdom of Jerusalem, that trigger the Third Crusade

88
Q

Seljuk Empire

A

Empire founded by Turkish nomads who convert to Islam; defeats the Byzantines in 1071 but collapses prior to the arrival of the crusaders

89
Q

Swahili

A

Language and culture that develops in east Africa due to the blending of Arab settlers and local Bantu speaking people

90
Q

The Five Pillars

A

The declaration of faith, prayer, the hajj, giving alms, fasting during Ramadan

91
Q

The Hijra

A

The flight of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to the city of Medina

92
Q

The Quran

A

The recorded recitations of Muhammad

93
Q

The Ummah

A

The Muslim community

94
Q

Umayyads

A

The relatives of ‘Uthman who took control of the Caliphate after the assassination of ‘Ali; the Muslims who saw them as legitimate caliphs evolved into modern Sunnis

95
Q

Usamah Ibn-Munqid

A

Elite author who serves Nur al-Din and Saladin and writes The Book of Contemplation

96
Q

Zengi

A

Conqueror who occupies the County of Edessa; Muslim scholars of the day portray him as a champion of Islam even though his exact motivations seem somewhat less pious

97
Q

Blood Libel

A

Conspiracy theory arguing that Jews were killing Christian children for their blood. Often used by secular and religious figures to gain money and centralize authority

98
Q

Chivalry

A

Literary tradition that celebrates idealistic knightly virtues and actions (i.e. fantasy)

99
Q

Clandestine marriage

A

Medieval marriages performed in private and without church supervision

100
Q

Courtly love

A

Idealized, romantic literature that celebrates and idealizes the knightly pursuit of elite ladies (i.e. fantasy)

101
Q

Francesco Petrarch

A

Italian author and one of the primary founders of humanism in Western Europe

102
Q

Giovanni Boccaccio

A

Italian author who witnessed the Plague devastate Florence and wrote the Decameron

103
Q

Guilds

A

Organizations dominated by Masters which regulated the production and sale of goods in Medieval cities. They form an important part of medieval town government

104
Q

Henry II of England

A

English reformer who centralized authority and government and argued with Thomas Becket over the role of the ecclesiastical courts

105
Q

Host Desecration

A

Accusation that Jews would steal the Eucharistic wafer and descecrate it because of their hatred of Christians. Often used by secular and religious figures to gain money and centralize authority

106
Q

Humanism

A

The belief that the moral and ethical values of our ancestors have something to teach us and needs to be critically engaged with as a part of one’s education

107
Q

Marie de France

A

Poet who wrote courtly love and chivalric literature in the late 1100s or early 1200s

108
Q

Medieval Agricultural Revolution

A

Agricultural innovations in the 1000s that resulted in higher agricultural productivity and population growth

109
Q

Pope Boniface VIII

A

Pope who attempts to establish papal power in the early 1300s but winds up being imprisoned and humiliated. The final main attempt to create a papal monarchy

110
Q

Quadrivium

A

The curriculum of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music at medieval universities

111
Q

Scholasticism

A

Medieval style of learning/education that focused on formal debates and augmentation based on reconciling classical and Christian teachings

112
Q

Temugin

A

The leader of the Mongols who was declared Genghis Khan (the Universal Ruler) and established the Mongol Empire

113
Q

The Fourth Lateran Council

A

Church council called by Pope Innocent III to establish reforms that would regulate the beliefs of all Christians in Western Europe

114
Q

Thomas Becket

A

Archbishop of Canterbury who tried to prevent Henry II from interfering with the Church. Assassinated and became a martyr

115
Q

Trivium

A

The curriculum of grammar, logic, and rhetoric at medieval universities

116
Q

Universities

A

Medieval guilds made up of masters and students who became the main educational institutions in Europe

117
Q

Yersina pestis

A

The cause of the Plague that devastated the globe in the 1300s

Ancient and Medieval Cultures (2 decks)

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