Ancestor veneration
The practice of praying to your ancestors, Found especially in China; There's a heavy influence of Ancestor vernation in Confucianism.
Animism
Belief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life; Most early civilizations believed in Animism
Bodhisattva
Buddhist worthy of enlightenment who postpones it to help others; Hindus also believed in Enlightenment
Caste system
India's social system, it is believed that the morality of one's actions determines where one is placed in the Caste System; if one does good, they'll move up after being reincarnated, but if one does bad, they'll move down
City-state
a city with political and economic control over the surrounding countryside; Rome started as a city-state before expansion
Classical
of or characteristic of a form or system felt to be of first significance before modern times; this period is known as the Classical Era
Codification
a set of rules or principles or laws (especially written ones); Roman laws were called The 12 Tables
Confucianism
the teachings, wisdoms, and philosophies of Confucius; after his death, Confucius' followers wrote his teachings in a book called The Analects of Confucius
Dao/tao
The Chinese term for "way". For Daoists, the idea is both descriptive of the dynamic flow of nature and prescriptive for a naturalness to be implemented in human affairs
Diaspora/diasporic communities
the dispersion of the Jews outside Israel; Egypt used the Jews as slaves
Enlightenment
a state of all knowing wisdom or knowledge; a Buddhist's and a Hindu's life goal was the reach Enlightenment
Greco-Roman philosophy
The philosophies of Greeks and Romans; Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates are some Greek and Roman Philosophers
Filial piety
in Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors
Hellenistic
a word meaning to "imitate Greeks"; Greek-speaking civilization which spread through many lands of the eastern Mediterranean and beyond following the conquests of Alexander the Great; a combination of Greek and Egyptian cultures
Hinduism
a major religious and cultural tradition of South Asia, developed from Vedic religion.
Judaism
the monotheistic religion of the Jews; Christianity formed out of Judaism
Manifestations
appearances or evidence; there are many Manifestations of Hindu Gods
Merchants
Individuals that buy or sell goods; as merchants traveled, their culture and religion spread
Missionaries
Individuals who work to spread their religious beliefs; Christian missionaries are the most known
Monarchy
an autocracy governed by a monarch who usually inherits the authority; Rome was weary of a monarchy because of their past with kings
Monastery/monastic life/monasticism
a life dedicated to prayer, work, study, and the needs of society as a monk; both Christianity and Buddhism had monks
Monotheism
The doctrine or belief that there is only one God; Judaism, Buddhism, and Christianity are all monotheistic
Monsoon winds
Annual cycle of dryness and wetness with seasonally shifting winds produced by changing atmospheric pressure system. Affects India, southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Northern Australia. Seasonal wind reversals caused by the differential heating of the land masses and water bodies; China depended on these monsoon winds to bring rain for agriculture
Polytheism
the belief in or worship of more than one god; Hinduism, Animism, and the Greek and Roman Gods are polytheistic
Rajas
India was a world of warring kingdoms ... Aryan leaders; a term for princes
Reincarnation
the Hindu or Buddhist doctrine that person may be reborn successively into one of five classes of living beings: ruler, priest, warrior, artisan, skilled worker, unskilled worker, or untouchable, depending on the person's own actions; reincarnation was a very important part of the Caste System
Rents
higher-than-normal financial returns on investments that are realized from governmental restrictive interference or monopolistic markets; Rome was the creator of this idea
Republic
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them; Rome started as a Republic but became an Empire because of Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus
Rituals
a ceremony, usually religious, consisting of specific actions preformed in a certain order; Communion is a Christian Ritual
Sanskrit scriptures
a Hindu scripture; Hindus have more than one scripture
Scriptures
The sacred writings of a religion; the Bible is the Christian scripture
Shamanism
an animistic religion of northern Asia having the belief that the mediation between the visible and the spirit worlds is effected by shamans
Sinicization
The adoption and absorption by foreign people of Chinese language, customs and culture.
Social harmony
peace and harmony between different social groups; Rome experienced a period of social harmony called the Pax romana
Universal truths
Transcend all cultures, traditions, times; not many religions share universal truths
Cyrus
king of Persia, united the Persian empire; he was founder of the Persian empire
Darius
The great king of Persia. He was able to become a king after a year of a civil war following the death of someone. He is responsible for the expansion of Persia. He made a province in western India and expanded Persia as far north as Macedonia. Persian ruler who brought order to the Persian Empire. He also built roads; established a postal system; and standardized weights, measures, and coinage
Zoroastrianism
Persian religion founded by Zoroaster; taught that humans had the freedom to choose between right and wrong
Polis
city-state form of government typical of Greek political organization from 800 to 400 B.C.E.; brought power centralized with local city government
Tyrant
in ancient Greece, a ruler who had seized power without legal right to it, a ruler or person who has complete power and uses it in cruel or unjust ways
Democracy
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them; Athens was the inspiration for the Western Democracy
Herodotus
the ancient Greek known as the father of history
Peloponnesian War
war from 431 to 404 B.C.E. between Athens and Sparta for domination in Greece; Spartans won but failed to achieve political unification in Greece, this had Xerxes and his band of 300
Alexandria
the chief port of Egypt, City in Egypt founded by Alexander the Great, center of commerce and Hellenistic civilization
Socrates
Athenian philosopher (ca. 470-399 B.C.E.) who shifted the emphasis of philosophical discussion to ethics and human behavior; taught Plato and developed what is now called the socratic method of teaching
Senate
One of the Republican councils of Rome, also known as the Consiulium Res Publica, this body was a 'partner' in the principate. Augustus trimmed its numbers from 1000 to 800 then 600.
Patron/client relationship
Mutually beneficial relationship between classes. Clients sought help and protection from Patrons (legal advice, physical protection, loans). In return, clients worked, fought and provided political support for the Patrons; this was started and practiced in Rome
Augustus
Term meaning 'revered one', this was a title conferred on Augustus by the senate as part of the First Settlement of 27BC.
Pax romana
The "Roman Peace," that is, the state of comparative concord prevailing within the boundaries of the Roman Empire from the reign of Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE) to that of Marcus Aurelius (161 - 180 CE), enforced by Roman rule and military control.
Jesus
In Christianity, the Son of God, born in Bethlehem from the line of David, was crucified by Roman soliders and rose from the grave three days and ascended into Heaven; his followers continue to spread the news that Jesus is alive
Aqueduct
An artificial way for channeling water, a canal; the Romans used this system for irrigation
Constantine
A Christian Roman Emperor; made Christianity the official religion of Rome
Qin
The first, official Chinese dynasty; centralized Chinese imperial government and started building the Great Wall of China
Shi Huangdi
An emperor of Qin; unified most of China
Han
The second dynasty of China; finished the Great Wall of China, had longest dynasty, was the starter of the Silk Road, and was the discoverer of silk
Gentry
The elite in a society; priests, warriors, gentlemen, scholars, and rulers were elite in civilizations
Emperor Wu
The seventh emperor of Han China; he led China through its biggest expansion
Vedas
The earliest scripture of Hinduism
Karma
The morality of ones actions determines what happens to one in the future, if one does good, good things will happen, but if one does bad, bad things will happen; both Hinduism and Buddhism believe in Karma
Mahayanna Buddhism
A sect of Buddhism that is practiced in China, Korea, Tibet, and Japan; more traditional
Theravada Buddhism
A sect of Buddhism that is practiced in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos; more conservative
Maurayan Empire
The first empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya
Ashoka
The grandson of Chandragupta Maurya and an Emperor of India; he fought in the bloody battle of Kalinga. After realizing what he'd done, Ashoka was appalled, so he converted to Buddhism and wrote the Rock Edicts, then India experienced a forty year period of peace
Bhagavad-Gita
Some scriptures of Hinduism
Gupta Empire
The Empire after the death Ashoka; this brought many advances in math, such as the invention of 0, advances in science, medical advances, such as the C-section, improved military technology, gold coins, and education systems with universities
Silk road
A trade network that connected China and Rome, many commodities traveled along this road, but the most valued was silk, gems, and spices; as people traveled the Silk Road, cultures diffused, religions spread, and the whole world was united by contrasting cultures
Trans-Saharan caravan routes
Roads taken by a group of merchants on camels across the Sahara Desert; this was a major trade route
Bantu
A member of an indigenous group from central and northern Africa; part of trade networks
Indian Ocean Maritime System
A trade network across the Indian Ocean; this linked the Indian Ocean with the Chinese Sea
Sahel
A region in southern Africa above the Sahara Desert; a part of trade networks
Ethiopia
Located at the "horn of Africa"; a part of trade networks
Armenia
An ancient country in west Asia; now divided between modern-day Iran and Turkey