balkan region
peninsula that incl. Greece, Albania, Bosnia, Greece, Serbia/Croatia, controlled by Ottoman Empire (Austrian influence), Russia tries to expand in here
Body of Civil Law
Justinian's codification of Roman law; revised Roman law as coherent basis for political and economic life
Byzantine Empire
a continuation of the Roman Empire in the Middle East after its division in 395
eastern orthodox church
one of the three major branches of christianity, the eastern orthodox church, together with the roman catholic church, a second of the three major branches of christianity, arose out of the roman empire by empereor diocletian into four governemtal regions: two western regions centered in rome and two eastern regions centered in constantinople
hagia sophia
Most famous example of Byzantine architecture, it was built under Justinian I and is considered one of the most perfect buildings in the world.
justinian
Byzantine emperor in the 6th century A.D. who reconquered much of the territory previously ruler by Rome, initiated an ambitious building program , including Hagia Sofia, as well as a new legal code
justinians code
An organized collection and explanation of roman laws for use by the byzantine empire
kiev rus
Kiev was the major trading hub between the Vikings in the north and the Byzantium in the south and later became a city. Kievan Rus was the old name for Russia.
monasticism
a way of life in which men and women withdraw from the rest of the world in order to devote themselves to their faith
schism
a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions
abbasid dynasty
Muslim dynasty after Ummayd, a dynasty that lasted about two centuries that had about 150 years of Persia conquer and was created by Mohammad's youngest uncle's sons
abu bakr
Companion of 1st muslim leader after Muhammad. Regarded by Sunni's as the 1st caliph and rightful succesor. The Shi'ah regard him as a traitor of Muhammad. Known as best interpretter of dreams following Muhammad's death.
bedouin peoples
Nomadic pastoralists of the Arabian peninsula; culture based on camel and goat nomadism; early converts to Islam.
berbers
a member of a North African, primarily Muslim people living in settled or nomadic tribes from Morocco to Egypt
caliph
a supreme political and religious leader in a Muslim government
caliphate
the office of a caliph
cordoba
capital of Muslim Spain, an economic center, hundreds of workshops, culture and learning flourished there
dar al islam
an Arabic term that means the "house of Islam" and that refers to lands under Islamic rule
diasporic communities
immigrants who have relocated from their ancestral homelands and retain their distinct cultural identities as ethnic minority groups in their new host countries
dhimmis
A person of a non-Muslim religion whose right to practice that religion is protected within an Islamic society
hajj
the fifth pillar of Islam is a pilgrimage to Mecca during the month of Dhu al-Qadah
jihad
a holy struggle or striving by a Muslim for a moral or spiritual or political goal
ka'ba
("cube") a pre-islamic cubed building in mecca believed by muslims to have been built by Abraham. It is the center of the Muslim Pilgrimage
minaret
the tower attached to a mosque from which the muezzin, or crier, calls the faithful to prayer five times a day
ramadan
(Islam) a fast (held from sunrise to sunset) that is carried out during the Islamic month of Ramadan
sharia
Islamic law
shia
the branch of Islam whose members acknowledge Ali and his descendants as the rightful successors of Muhammad
sultan
the ruler of a Muslim country (especially of the former Ottoman Empire)
umma
Muslim religious community
equal field system
This Chinese system allotted land to individuals and their families according to the land's fertility and the recipients' needs.
foot binding
practice in Chinese society to mutilate women's feet in order to make them smaller; produced pain and restricted women's movement; made it easier to confine women to the household
hangzhou
Capital of later Song dynasty; located near East China Sea; permitted overseas trading; population exceeded 1 million.
nara japan
Japanese period (710-794) centered around city of Nara, that was the highest point of Chinese influence.
silla kingdom
Independent Korean kingdom in the southeast part of the peninsulal defeated Koguryo with the help of their chinese Tang allies; sumbitted as a vassal of the Tang emperor and agreed to tribute payment; united Korea by 668.
shinto
the native religion and former ethnic cult of Japan
uigher
Turks from the Northwest.
xuanzang
A famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period. He became famous for his 17 year trip to India and back.
angkor wat
a temple complex built in the Khmer Empire and dedicated to the Hindu God, Vishnu.
axum
trading center, and powerful ancient kingdom in northern present-day Ethiopia
calicut
Great spice port of India where da Gama landed and traded
chola kingdom
Kingdom situated in the deep south. At its high point, Chola forces conquered Ceylon and parts of southeast Asia, funded by the profits of trade, dominated the sea, did not build a tightly centralized state.
funan
An early complex society in Southeast Asia between the first and sixth centuries C.E. It was centered in the rich rice-growing region of southern Vietnam, and it controlled the passage of trade across the Malaysian isthmus.
jati
sub castes; were groups of people within each caste that worked together for one economic function
melaka
The first major center of Islam in Southeast Asia, a port kingdom on the southwestern coast of the Malay Peninsula.
shiva
The Destroyer
srivijava
Kingdom from 670 - 1025 Based in Sumatra Powerful navy that controlled the commerce in SE Asia.
sultanate of delhi
Islamic state in northern India established by Mahmud's successors in 1206 C.E. that began to establish the presence of Islam on the Indian subcontinent.