Unit 1 Flashcards
Tribute System (china)
A diplomatic/economic system that developed between China and surrounding “vassal states” in which these smaller states would bow down before the emperor and pay tribute (gifts, goods, money) for the privilege to trade with China. The system was intended to reinforce Chinese superiority, yet at times this was reversed when dealing with northern nomadic groups. China would, at times, give the powerful nomadic tribes more goods than they received in order to keep them from invading.
Song Dynasty
Chinese Dynasty (960-1279 CE) ruled during a “golden age” when China’s economy prospered due to extensive trade along the Silk Road and the Indian Ocean, and a stable political system based on Confucian principles. Important Chinese innovations in this era: magnetic compass, gunpowder, paper money. Conquered by the Mongol Empire in 1279
Confucianism
A philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius (551-479 BC), that seeks to explain an individual’s place in society and a ruler’s responsibility to his people. It emphasizes family structure and respect for one’s elders and ancestors, and moral virtue (ren) as the foundation for social harmony and effective government.
filial piety
In Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated: a love and respect for one’s parents and ancestors.
Neo-Confucianism
During the Song Dynasty, Confucianism became prominent again after having lost prestige in the previous Tang Dynasty. However, now facing competition from the growing popularity of Buddhism in China, Confucian scholars responded by incorporating certain elements of Buddhism and Daoism into Confucian philosophy. Neo-Confucianists emphasized the idea of self-cultivation (Buddhist influence) and the creation of a virtuous and harmonious society (Daoist influence) by following Confucian principles.
Theravada Buddhism
the oldest of the two major branches of Buddhism. Practiced mainly in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia, its beliefs are close to the original teachings of the Buddha - that one must adopt a monastic, ascetic lifestyle and commit fully to meditation and Buddhist principles to attain Enlightenment.
Mahayana Buddhism
“Great Vehicle” branch of Buddhism that spread in China, Japan, and Central Asia as Buddhism traveled along trade networks. The focus is on reverence for Buddha (as more of a deity than a teacher) and for Bodhisattvas, enlightened persons who have postponed Nirvana to help others attain enlightenment. It was a more accessible form of Buddhism in that laypeople could achieve Enlightenment without adopting a monastic lifestyle. Instead, they could do good acts, worship at a Buddhist temple, make donations to earn good karma.
Champa Rice
Quick-maturing rice that can allow two harvests in one growing season; led to increased populations in Song Dynasty China. Originally introduced into Vietnam from India, it was later sent to China as a tribute gift by the Champa state (as part of the tributary system.)
Grand Canal
Grand Canal
The 1,100-mile (1,700-kilometer) waterway linking the Yellow and the Yangzi Rivers. It was completed during the Sui Dynasty. By linking northern and southern China, trade and commerce flourished, population grew, and urbanization occurred, all of which contributed to China’s Golden Age during the Tang and Song Dynasties
Sejulk Empire
The Seljuks were a nomadic Turkic tribe from Central Asia who converted to Islam and established an empire across much of Central Asia and the Middle East in the 11th and 12th centuries (1037-1194). As the Abbasid Empire declined, the Seljuks were able to usurp their power and expand. Their success demonstrated the weakness of the Abbasid caliphate in its later years, and established the Turks as another major ethnic group (in addition to the Arabs and Persians) spreading Islam across Eurasia. The empire collapsed amid divisions in the mid 12th century, and was replaced by smaller successor states. Despite their short-lived existence, the Seljuks marked the beginning of Turkic power in the Middle East – a trend continued by the Ottomans.
Delhi Sultanate
The first Islamic government established within India from 1206-1520. Controlled a small area of northern India and was centered in Delhi. Beginning of long-term interaction between Islam and Hinduism in India. Majority of India’s population was Hindu - some Hindus converted to Islam - others resented the “foreign” rulers and the jizya (tax paid by non-Muslims). Islam’s emphasis on the spiritual equality of all believers enticed many low-caste Indians to convert, however Muslim rule did little to alter the caste system. India remained politically decentralized as no single ruler was able to establish authority over the entire region.
Abbasid Caliphate
(750-1258 CE) The caliphate, after the Umayyads, who presided over a Golden Age of Islam. The empire grew wealthy from trade, and their capital in Baghdad became a commercial, political, and intellectual center in the Muslim World. Arab and non-Arab Muslims could be a part of the Abbasid bureaucracy. By the 1200s, the caliphate was in decline and losing territory to the Seljuk Turks, the Mamluks of Egypt, and the Mongols. The caliphate collapsed during the 1258 Mongol siege of Baghdad.
House of Wisdom in Baghdad
Large library and intellectual center under the Abbasid caliphate during the Islamic Golden Age. Translated many Greek and Roman classics and Indian learning into Arabic. Preserved classical knowledge. Destroyed in the 1258 Mongol siege of Baghdad.
Bhakti Movement
A popular Hindu reform/renewal movement that promoted intense devotion toward a particular deity, using a mystical form of worship that used music, prayer, chanting and emphasized love to connect with divine
Focused on individual spirituality rather than formal rituals conducted by Brahmin priests. Made Hinduism more accessible - anyone could connect with god. Rebelled against the caste system and advocated a more egalitarian and inclusive path toward moksha. The Bhakti movement had similarities to Muslim Sufism and both facilitated interaction and tolerance between Hindus and Muslims.
Sufism
An Islamic mystical tradition that desired a personal union with God–divine love through intuition rather than through study of the Shari’a law. Followed an ascetic routine (denial of physical desire to gain a spiritual goal), dedicating themselves to fasting, prayer, chanting, dancing, and meditation on the Qur’an. Sufis were also successful missionaries that helped spread a more flexible and tolerant version of Islam across Eurasia.