Medieval Europe
This economic and social system involved serfs working on a lord's land in exchange for protection.
What is feudalism?
These highly trained warriors pledged loyalty to a daimyo and followed a strict code of honor.
Who are the Samurai?
This Mesoamerican civilization built their capital city, Tenochtitlan, on an island in the middle of a lake.
Who are the Aztecs?
West African empires grew incredibly wealthy by controlling the trade of these two major resources.
What are gold and salt?
Born in Mecca, he is recognized by Muslims as the final prophet and the founder of Islam.
Who is Muhammad?
Signed by King John in 1215, this document limited the power of the English king and protected individual rights.
What is the Magna Carta?
This unwritten code of honor, meaning "the way of the warrior," governed a samurai's life and behavior.
What is Bushido?
The Inca used this complex system of knotted cords instead of a written alphabet to keep records and count.
What is quipu?
He was the famously wealthy ruler of the Mali Empire who made a historic, gold-filled pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324.
Who is Mansa Musa?
These core practices of Islam include faith, prayer, charity, fasting during Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.
What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
This devastating pandemic struck Europe in the mid-1300s, wiping out roughly one-third of the population.
What is the Black Death (or Bubonic Plague)?
While the Emperor was the official ruler, this supreme military commander held the actual political power in feudal Japan.
Who is the Shogun?
To farm on the steep slopes of the Andes Mountains, the Inca developed this agricultural method.
What is terrace farming?
Introduced by traders from North Africa, these animals were nicknamed the "ships of the desert" because they made long treks across the Sahara possible.
What are camels?
This holy book of Islam is believed by Muslims to contain the direct revelations of God.
What is the Qur'an (Koran)?
These military expeditions were launched by European Christians to reclaim Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim control.
What are the Crusades?
This traditional Japanese religion focuses on the worship of spirits called kami, which are found in nature.
What is Shinto?
This civilization developed a highly advanced writing system of glyphs and a famous 365-day calendar in the rainforests of Central America.
Who are the Maya?
Because many West African societies lacked a written language, these traditional storytellers kept history alive orally.
Who are griots?
This period of cultural, economic, and scientific flourishing saw Muslim scholars preserve Greek texts and invent algebra.
What is the Islamic Golden Age?
This ruler famously walked through the snowy Alps to beg Pope Gregory VII for forgiveness after being excommunicated.
Who is Henry IV (4th)?
Japan's geographical isolation and mountains led to this type of government structure, where local lords ruled independent lands.
What is decentralized (or feudal) government?
The Aztecs built these "floating gardens"—artificial islands made of mud and reeds—to grow crops on water.
What are chinampas?
This was the first of the three great West African empires, preceding Mali and Songhai, and was known as the "Land of Gold."
What is the Ghana Empire?
Located in Istanbul (Constantinople), this famous historic structure was originally a Christian cathedral before being converted into a magnificent mosque in 1453.
What is the Hagia Sophia?