Final exam Flashcards
Allah
Arabic title of the one God
Ka’ba
the original shrine of pagan Arabic religion in Mecca containing the Black Stone; now one of the holiest places of Islam
Hijra
literally, flight. Muhammad’s forced flight from Mecca in 622 C.E.; it marks the first year of the Muslim calendar
Hajj
a pilgrimage to the sacred places of Islam
Jihad
Holy war on behalf of the Muslim faith
Qur’an
the holy scripture of Islam, thought to be literally the word of God
Five Pillars of Islam
Popular term for the basic tenets of the Muslim faith. Includes the profession of faith prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and giving alms
Umma
The entire Muslim community, meaning something like the Christian concept of the “Church”
Caliph
Arabic for deputy to the Prophet Muhammad; leader of the Islamic community
Shi’ites
a minority sect of Islam; adherents believe that kinship with Muhammad is necessary to qualify for the caliphate
Umayyed Dynasty
The caliphs resident in Damascus from 661
Kharijites
like Shi’ites, they are one of the two religious minorities in Islam. they rejected the caliphate and believe that leadership of the Umma rightfully belongs tp the most pious and that authority comes from the community itself
Sunni
the majority group in Islam; adherents believe that the caliphate should go to the most qualified individual and should not necessarily pass to the kin of Muhammad
Damascus
ancient city located in present-day Syria. It served as the capital of the Islamic Empire during the Umayyad caliphate (661-750)
Baghdad
capital of the Islamic Empire under the Abbasid Dynasty
Abbasid Dynasty
the dynasty of caliphs who governed the Islamic Empire from 750-1258
Dhimmis
“people of the Book”
Ulama
Muslim religious scholars, usually specialist in Holy Law; AKA mullahs
Sunna
the “way” its the oral tradition that Muslim legal scholars rely upon to supplement the Qur’an as another source of the Shari’a
Shari’a
the sacred law of Islam; based on the Qur’an and the oral traditions of the Prophet Muhammad
qadis
islamic judges, learned in islamic theology and law
vizier
and official of Muslim government, especially a high Turkish official, equivalent to prime minister
Sufis
arabic term for a popular form of islam that emphasizes emotional union with God and mystical powers
tariqas
muslim sufi brotherhoods, generally comprising all men
The Arabian Nights
Medieval collection of tales from the Islamic Middle East that greatly reflect life at the time of the Abbasid caliphs of Baghdad
purdah
the segregation of females in Hindu and Muslim society
Seljuks
turkish converts to Islam who seized the Baghdad government from the Abbasids in the 11th century
Mongols
name for a collection of nomadic, savage warriors of central Asia who conquered most of Eurasia in the 13th century
lineage
a technical term for family or clan association
patrilineal descent
attribution of name and inheritance to children via the paternal line
matrilineal descent
attribution of name and inheritance to children via the maternal line
secret societies
associations or honorary groups whose membership and procedures are unknown to their wider communities
sudanic kingship
a form of ritual kingship that evolved in the Saharan- Sudanic region of precolonial africa
axum
the center of the ancient Ethiopian Kingdom
trans- saharan trade
ancient trade between the Mediterranean and Red Sea regions and the sub- Saharan regions of Africa; primarily linked the Maghrid with western and central Sudan
Ghana
the earliest of the extensive empires in the western Sudan; also a modern West African country formed from the colony of Gold Coast when it won independence from Great Britain in 1975
mali
the West African empire that succeeded Ghana in the 1300s and 1400s
Ife
West African forest kingdom of the Yoruba people; its date origin is uncertain
Oyo
west african kingdom of the Yoruba. considered to be one of the “daughter” states of Ife
Benin
Ancient West African forest kingdom located in present-day Nigeria.
ôbas
King of the African state of Benin.
Ewuare
Ȯba of the West African kingdom of Benin, c. 1440-1473 c.e.
Swahili
A hybrid language based on Bantu and Arabic; used extensively in East Africa. Often used to refer to the people and civilization of the East African coast.
Kilwa
A Swahili city-state that dominated the gold and ivory trade from East Africa, c. 1300–1450 c.e.
Great Zimbabwe
The leading civilization of early southern Africa and exporter of gold to the East African coast.
Benin bronzes
Bronze castings associated with court ritual and political power in the Benin kingdom. Most date from the fifteenth century and afterward.
Song (sung) Dynasty
The dynasty that ruled China from c. 1127 until 1279, when the last ruler was overthrown by the Mongol invaders.
Grand Canal
Chinese canal whose construction began as early as the fifth century b.c.e. Its purpose was to link southern China with northern China, enabling the transport of rice into the agriculturally less-productive North.
sternpost rudder
Ship’s rudder mounted on a post on or behind the poop deck.
Chinghis Khan
Mongol conqueror, 1167–1227 c.e.
yurts
Tentlike Mongol dwellings usually made of felt.
khans
Supreme rulers over the Turko-Mongolian tribes of Central Asia
Temujin
The birth name of Chinghis Khan.
tumen
A unit of 10,000 in the Mongol armies.
Pax Mongolica
The “Mongol Peace” in most of Eurasia between c. 1250 and c. 1350.
Yuan (YOO-an) Dynasty
Official term for the Mongol dynasty of the Great Khans in China, 1279–1368.
Kubilai Khan
Mongol Great Khan and founder of the Yuan Dynasty of China.
Khanate of the Golden Horde
Sub-khanate of the Mongol Empire located in eastern and central Russia.
Ain Jalut
A decisive battle in 1260 during which an Egyptian Mamluk army turned back the Mongols and prevented them from invading North Africa.
Il Khans
One of the four major dynasties established from the empire of Chinghis Khan; founded by Hulegu, Chinghis’s grandson, after he destroyed Abbasid rule in Baghdad.
Shinto
Native Japanese animism.
Prince Shotoku
A member of the Japanese royal family who assembled the Seventeen Point Constitution.