vocab Flashcards
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 ).
monsoon
bubonic plague
the most common form of plague in humans, characterized by fever, delirium, and the formation of buboes.
Hinduism
a major religious and cultural tradition of South Asia, developed from Vedic religion.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a nontheistic religion that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices largely based
reincarnation
the rebirth of a soul in a new body
moksha
release from the cycle of rebirth impelled by the law of karma.
nirvana
(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.
eightfold path
the path to nirvana, comprising eight aspects in which an aspirant must become practiced: right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
sanskrit
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.
caste system
a social structure in which classes are determined by heredity
cultural diffusion
the spreading of ideas in a culture
Judaism
the monotheistic religion of the Jews.
Christianity
the religion based on the person and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, or its beliefs and practices.
Islam
the religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah.
Ten Commandments
the biblical commandments of Moses
five pillars
The Five Pillars of Islam are five basic acts in Islam, considered mandatory by believers and are the foundation of Muslim life. They are summarized in the famous hadith of Gabriel. They make up Muslim life, prayer, concern for the needy, self purification and the pilgrimage
Torah
the holy book of the Jews
animism
the attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena
Shintoism
the ancient indigenous religion of Japan lacking formal dogma; characterized by a veneration of nature spirits and of ancestors
four noble truths
the four central beliefs containing the essence of Buddhist teaching.
polytheism
believes in more than one god
monotheism
believes in one god
code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi is a well-preserved Babylonian law code, dating back to about 1772 BC. It is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world.
brahma
the creator god of the Hindu sacred triad
dharma
in Hindu belief, an individuals religious and moral duties
Silk Road
an ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean (4,000 miles); followed by Marco Polo in the 13th century to reach Cathay
Middle Kingdom
In China, common names for China include Zhongguo and Zhonghua, while Han and Tang are common names given for the Chinese ethnicity. Other names include Huaxia, Shenzhou and Jiuzhou.
Confucianism
a system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius and developed by Mencius.
Pax Romana
the peace that existed between nationalities within the Roman Empire.
guilds
a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power.
association, society, union, league, organization, company, cooperative, fellowship, club, order, lodge, brotherhood, fraternity, sisterhood, sorority
democracy
a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
hieroglyphics
writing consisting of hieroglyphs.; originated in Greece
cuneiform
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.
Fertile Crescent
a geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates
Hagia Sophia
a 6th century masterpiece of Byzantine architecture in Istanbul; built as a Christian church, converted to a mosque in 1453, and made into a museum in the middle of the 20th century
Justinian code
Roman law: the legal code of ancient Rome; codified under Justinian; the basis for many modern systems of civil law
terrace farming
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. This type of landscaping, therefore, is called terracing.
commercial revolution
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. It was succeeded in the mid-18th century by the Industrial Revolution
chivalry
the medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code.
one Hundred Years’ War
the series of wars between England and France, 1337–1453, in which England lost all its possessions in France except Calais.
