Political/Government
This system of government based on individual merit and ability rather than hereditary privilege was idealized in ancient China through civil service examinations.
What is meritocracy?
This Confucian virtue emphasizing respect, obedience, and care for one's parents and ancestors was central to East Asian family structures.
What is filial piety?
This network of trade routes connected East Asia with the Mediterranean, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and diseases across Eurasia.
What are the Silk Raods?
This 14th-century pandemic killed approximately one-third of Europe's population and had profound social and economic consequences.
What is the Bubonic Plague?
This system of knotted strings used by the Inca served as a method of record-keeping and communication throughout their empire.
What is quipu?
These payments or gifts given by subordinate states to demonstrate loyalty and submission were commonly required by imperial powers like China and the Aztec Empire
What is tribute?
This devotional movement in Hinduism emphasized personal devotion to deities and made religious practice accessible to all social classes.
What is the Bhakti Movement?
These floating agricultural gardens created by the Aztecs in shallow lake beds maximized agricultural production in the Valley of Mexico.
What are chinampas?
This period of cultural and intellectual revival in Europe (14th-17th centuries) emphasized humanism, artistic achievement, and classical learning
What is the Renaissance?
This center of learning in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age preserved and translated classical texts while advancing mathematics, astronomy, and medicine.
What is the House of Wisdom?
This foundational document signed in 1215 limited the power of English monarchs and established the principle that even kings were subject to the law.
What is the Magna Carta?
This form of Buddhism that emphasized meditation and direct enlightenment became dominant in China during the Tang and Song dynasties.
What is Chan Buddhism
This Inca labor tax system required able-bodied citizens to work on state projects for a certain period each year.
What is the mita system?
These slave-soldiers who eventually became rulers controlled Egypt and Syria from 1250-1517, successfully resisting Mongol invasions.
Who are the Mamluks?
This climatic period from roughly 1300-1850 brought colder temperatures, shorter growing seasons, and agricultural challenges to many regions.
What is the Little Ice Age?
his political and social system in medieval Europe was based on land ownership, personal loyalty, and reciprocal obligations between lords and vassals.
What is feudalism?
These West African oral historians and storytellers preserved cultural traditions and genealogies through songs and narratives
What are griots?
This form of slavery treated human beings as personal property that could be bought, sold, and owned permanently became central to Atlantic World economies but was common in West Africa kingdoms.
What is chattel slavery?
This war brought about a rise of nationalism for Britain and France and saw the invention of weapons like the Long Bow?
What is the 100 Years War?
This Islamic caliphate (750-1258) moved the capital from Damascus to Baghdad and presided over the Islamic Golden Age until its destruction by the Mongols.
What is the Abbasid Caliphate?
These merchant-class citizens in medieval European towns gained political power and economic influence, challenging traditional feudal hierarchies.
What are burghers?
This blending of different religious or cultural traditions created new hybrid belief systems, often seen in areas of cross-cultural contact.
What is syncretism?
This term describes the wealthy trading states of Southeast Asia that controlled the lucrative trade in cinnamon, nutmeg, and other valuable seasonings
What are the Spice Kingdoms?
This Japanese historical period (794-1185) was characterized by aristocratic culture, the rise of the samurai, and the Tale of Genji.
What is the Heian Period?
This West African empire (c. 1230-1600) became incredibly wealthy through control of gold and salt trade routes, with its most famous ruler making a legendary pilgrimage to Mecca.
What is the Mali Kingdom?