Grand canal

Located in China, it was one of the world's largest waterworks projects before modern times

Neo-Confucianism

Philosophy that attempted to merge certain basic elements of Confucian and Buddhist thought

Song dynasty

Reigned during the late 10th-13th centuries and had a far-reaching impact on Chinese economy, culture, and society. It was marked by an increasingly urbanized and cosmopolitan society

Tang dynasty

An imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui dynasty. Considered to be the Golden Age of China because of its advancements in technology, medicine, and trade. The foundation of their greatness was from the emphasis put into study which led to stronger

Abbasid dynasty

Cosmopolitan Arabic dynasty that replaced the Umayyads; founded by Abu al-Abbas and reached its peak under Harun al-Rashid

Allah

God of the monotheistic religion of Islam

Caliph

Deputy," Islamic leader after the death of Muhammad

Five Pillars of Islam

The foundations of Islam: 1. Profession of faith 2. prayer 3. fasting during Ramadan 4. almsgiving 5. pilgrimage or hajj

hajj

Pilgrimage to Mecca

Islam

Monotheistic religion announced by the prophet Muhammad; influenced by Judaism and Christianity, Muhammad was considered the final prophet because the earlier religions had not seen the entire picture

Muhammad

Prophet of Islam

Quran

Islamic holy book that is believed to contain the divine revelations of Allah as presented to Muhammad

umma

Islamic term for the "community of the faithful

Ummayad dynasty

Arabic dynasty, with its capital at Damascus, that was marked by a tremendous period of expansion to Spain in the west and India in the east

Melaka (Malacca)

Southeast Asian kingdom that was predominantly Islamic

Axum

African kingdom centered in Ethiopia that became an early and lasting center of Coptic Christianity

caste system

class structure that is determined by birth.

Mali empire

West African kingdom founded in the 13th century by Sundiata; it reached its peak during the reign of Mansa Masu

Sundiata

Founder of the Mali empire, also the inspiration for the Sundiata, an African literary and mythological work

Swahili

East African city-state society that dominated the coast from Mogadishu to Kilwa and was active in trade. Also a Bantu language of East Africa, or a member of a group who speaks this language

Marco Polo

Italian merchant whose account of his travels to China and other lands became legendary

Mecca

Original city of Islam, birthplace of Muhammad, location of the hajj

Caravanserai

a roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey; supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa and Southeast Europe, especially along the Sil

Zimbabwe

The most powerful of all the East African kingdoms. It built its prosperity on a mixture of agriculture, grazing, trade, and above all, gold, which they traded with Swahili city-States, Persia, India, and China. The kingdom's architecture is a testament t

African Tribal Life

Good of the group before the good of the individual; land was owned by the group; important ceremonies marked events at different parts of a person's life; special age and work associations; deep respect for ancestors; religion important in daily life; go

Animism

Believe and one supreme beings; world of spirit, both good and bad, in all things; ancestor veneration; believe in magic and charms; diviner

Ethiopian Religion

Adopts Christianity when King Menelik does; practices its own sect of Christianity called Coptic Christianity (Coptic= all Egyptian Christians)

Griots

Storytellers of sub-Saharan Africa who possessed encyclopedic knowledge of family lineages and the lives and deeds of great leaders. The griots were also adept at music, singing their stories, and accompanying themselves on instruments, such as the kora (

Swahili

A Bantu language with arabic words, spoken along the east african coast; it is a syncretic language

African social structure

1) nuclear family (basic unit)
2) extended family
3) clan
4) tribe (most important)

Dar al-Islam

term used by Muslim scholars to describe the areas of the world where Muslims were a majority and who were freely able to practice their religion and the government promises their protection; The "house of Islam" a term for the Islamic world.

Gunpowder

created by Daoist alchemists in Tang Dynasty; volatile and used initially as flamethrowers and primitive bombs; moves along Silk Road with conquest by the Mongols to the Middle East and eventually to Europe

Indian Ocean Trade

The world's largest sea-based system of communication and trade before 1500ce

Delhi Sultanate

refers to the various Muslim dynasties that ruled in India (1210-1526). It was founded after Muhammad of Ghor defeated Prithvi Raj and captured Delhi in 1192. ... Constantly faced with revolts by conquered territories and rival families, the Slave dynasty

Thervada

Most popular of the three branches. Means "Way of the elders" (anatman- no eternal self)

Mayhayana

2nd largest of the branch. Meaning "large vehicle, or raft