Vocabulary
Blocks of metal or wood, each bearing a single character, that can be arranged to make up a page for printing.
Moveable Type
The Arab founder of Islam, he is held by Muslims to be the chief prophet of God. He was born in Mecca.
Muhammad
a king or sovereign especially of a Muslim state.
Sultan
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
the Chinese custom of breaking and tightly restricting the feet of young girls in order to change their shape and size.
Foot Binding
In Chinese history, the divine approval thought to be the basis of royal authority
Mandate of Heaven
the "Mongol Peace" - the period from the mid-1200's to the mid-1300's when the Mongols imposed stability and law and order across much of Eurasia.
Pax Mongolica
Two main branches of the Islamic faith consist of
Sunni and Shi'a
the capital of the Roman Empire, and later, the Eastern Roman Empire, the Latin Empire, and the Ottoman Empire.
Constantinople (Istanbul)
he founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death. He came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of the Mongol steppe and being proclaimed the universal ruler of the Mongols
Genghis Khan
In Buddhism, a state of perfect wisdom in which one understands basic truths about the universe
Enlightenment
A member of an elite force of soldiers in the Ottoman Empire.
Janissary
A Muslim artform with artistic, stylized, or elegant handwriting or lettering.
Caligraphy
Sultan of Turkey (1520-1566) who established a code of laws, was a patron of the arts, and led the Ottoman Empire to the height of its military and political power.
Suleyman (Suleiman) the Magnificent
a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road. His travels described to Europeans the then mysterious culture and inner workings of the Eastern world.
Marco Polo
in ancient Rome, a political leader given absolute power to make laws and command the army for a limited time.
Dictator
A center of learning established in Baghdad in the 800's.
House of Wisdom
In Islam, it refers to the divine counsel that Muslims follow to live moral lives and grow close to God. It is derived from two main sources: the Quran, which is considered the direct word of God, and hadith—thousands of sayings and practices attributed to the Prophet Mohammed that collectively form the Sunna.
Shari'a (or Shari'a Law)
This sultan expanded the Ottoman Empire, leading the siege of Constantinople in 1453 and extending the empire's reach into the Balkans. This westward expansion across the heart of the former Eastern Roman Empire led him to declare himself Kayser-i Rum (Roman Caesar).
Mehmed II
a Japanese religion dating from the early 8th century and incorporating the worship of ancestors and nature spirits and a belief in sacred power in both animate and inanimate things.
Shinto
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
a Hindu god considered the creator of the world.
Brahma
Bushido
a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ritualism, asceticism and esotericism.
Sufi
The instrument of the religion of Allah, a servant of God who purifies the earth from the filth of polytheism. They are the sword of God, he is the protector and the refuge of the believers.
Ghazi
The first full length novel written. Centers on the life and loves of a handsome son, Hikaru Genji, born to an Emperor during the Heian Period. In the story, the beloved concubine of the Emperor gives birth to Genji and dies soon after.
The Tale of Genji
a system of departments and agencies formed to carry out the work of government.
bureaucracy