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World History Volume 1, to 1500

Key Terms

World History Volume 1, to 1500Key Terms

Key Terms

“Mandate of Heaven”
the favor of the gods that conferred a right to rule but could be lost by those less worthy
clan
a small group of several families that shared an encampment and herded or hunted together and formed the basic social unit of the seminomadic peoples of Eurasia
Confucianism
a Chinese school of philosophical thought shaping morality, governance, education, and family life
Daoism
a Chinese religion that emphasized veneration of nature, the cosmos, and mysticism
Inner Asian Steppe
the eastern half of the Eurasian Steppe that stretches into Mongolia and runs along the northern border of China
karma
a Hindu concept emphasizing the influence of good deeds and moral behavior on a person’s status in life and rebirth after death
khan
a title claimed by warrior-kings to unite various tribes into powerful confederations and empires
Legalism
a school of philosophical thought that helped dynasties such as the Qin use uniform laws and codes to reform and strengthen rulers
Peking Man
a subspecies of Homo erectus identified by fossil remains found in northern China
Ring of Fire
the boundary line of a zone of intense seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean
samsara
a Hindu concept explaining the continuance of the soul after death and its transformation
Silk Roads
a series of trade routes circulating luxury goods to and from China and parts of central Asia, India, and the Middle East
Terracotta Army
a collection of life-size clay statues of soldiers, officials, servants, and horses of the Qin emperor and buried in his tomb near Xi’an
Three Han
the three groups (the Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan) in southern Korea that were among the earliest with tribal chieftains
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