Midterm Vocab

Question 1

Monsoon

Answer 1

a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon ), or from the northeast between October and April (the dry monsoon )

Question 2

Bubonic Plague

Answer 2

the most common form of plague in humans, characterized by fever, delirium, and the formation of buboes.

Question 3

Hinduism

Answer 3

A diverse body of religion, philosophy, and cultural practice native to and predominant in India, characterized by a belief in reincarnation and a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils

Question 4

Buddhism

Answer 4

The teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct, wisdom, and meditation releases one from desire, suffering, and rebirth.

Question 5

Reincarnation

Answer 5

the rebirth of a soul in a new body

Question 6

Moksha

Answer 6

release from the cycle of rebirth impelled by the law of karma.

Question 7

Nirvana

Answer 7

(in Buddhism) a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism

Question 8

Eightfold Path

Answer 8

the path to nirvana, comprising eight aspects in which an aspirant must become practiced: right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

Question 9

Sanskirt

Answer 9

an ancient Indic language of India, in which the Hindu scriptures and classical Indian epic poems are written and from which many northern Indian languages are derived.

Question 10

Caste System

Answer 10

a social structure in which classes are determined by heredity

Question 11

Cultural Diffusion

Answer 11

spread of cultural

Question 12

Judaism

Answer 12

the monotheistic religion of the Jews

Question 13

Christianity

Answer 13

the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices.

Question 14

Islam

Answer 14

the religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah.

Question 15

Ten Commandments

Answer 15

Decalogue: the biblical commandments of Moses

Question 16

Five Pillars

Answer 16

The Five Pillars of Islam are five basic acts in Islam, considered mandatory by believers and are the foundation of Muslim life

Question 17

Torah

Answer 17

(in Judaism) the law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures (the Pentateuch).

Question 18

Animism

Answer 18

the attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena

Question 19

Shintoism

Answer 19

Shinto: the ancient indigenous religion of Japan lacking formal dogma; characterized by a veneration of nature spirits and of ancestors

Question 20

Four Noble Truths

Answer 20

the four central beliefs containing the essence of Buddhist teaching

Question 21

Polytheism

Answer 21

belief in more then one god

Question 22

Monotheism

Answer 22

belief in one god

Question 23

Code of Hammurabi

Answer 23

well-preserved Babylonian law code, dating back to about 1772 BC

Question 24

Brahma

Answer 24

The creator god, conceived chiefly as a member of the triad including also Vishnu and Shiva

Question 25

Dharma

Answer 25

social custom regarded as a religious and moral duty

Question 26

Silk Road

Answer 26

an ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean

Question 27

Middle Kingdom

Answer 27

a period of Egyptian history extending from the late 11th to the 13th dynasty

Question 28

Confucianism

Answer 28

the ethical system of Confucius, emphasizing moral order, the humanity and virtue of China’s ancient rulers, and gentlemanly education

Question 29

Pax Romana

Answer 29

Roman peace

Question 30

Guilds

Answer 30

a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power

Question 31

Democracy

Answer 31

a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

Question 32

Hieroglyphics

Answer 32

system of writing, such as that of ancient Egypt, in which pictorial symbols are used to represent meaning or sounds or a combination of meaning and sound

Question 33

Cuneiform

Answer 33

denoting or relating to the wedge-shaped characters used in the ancient writing systems of Mesopotamia, Persia, and Ugarit, surviving mainly impressed on clay tablets.

Question 34

Fertile Crescent

Answer 34

a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates

Question 35

Hagia Sophia

Answer 35

a 6th century masterpiece of Byzantine architecture in Istanbul

Question 36

Justinian’s Code

Answer 36

a compilation of Roman imperial law made by order of Justinian I, forming part of the Corpus Juris Civilis

Question 37

Terrace Farming

Answer 37

In agriculture, a terrace is a piece of sloped plane that has been cut into a series of successively receding flat surfaces or platforms, which resemble steps, for the purposes of more effective farming

Question 38

Commercial Revolution

Answer 38

The Commercial Revolution was a period of European economic expansion, colonialism, and mercantilism which lasted from approximately the 16th century until the early 18th century

Question 39

Chivalry

Answer 39

the medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code

Question 40

One Hundred years War

Answer 40

the series of wars fought intermittently between England and France from 1337-1453

Question 41

Manorialism

Answer 41

an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire