Instructions: Define the following Terms
Sophists – a group of traveling teachers in ancient Greece who argued that the human mind could not understand the universe
Hinduism – the major Indian religion, originating from the Aryans who settled after 1500 B.C., and with a belief in reincarnation and many gods
Monasticism – practice of living the life of a monk
Caliph – the spiritual leader of the Muslims, a successor of Muhammad
Christianity – the religion based on the teachings of Jesus and the Bible
First Triumvirate – the first group of people holding power in ancient Rome: Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus
Buddhism – the Asian religion founded about 500 B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, focused on achieving nirvana
Mandate of Heaven – the claim of Chinese kings of the Zhou dynasty that they had direct authority from heaven to rule and keep order in the universe
Islam – the monotheistic religion based on revelations by Muhammad and written in the Quran
Allah – the supreme god of the Muslims
Vernacular – the language or dialect used by ordinary people in a region, such as Spanish, French, English, or German
Axum – an African kingdom on the Red Sea, that began around 150 A.D, and competed with Kush in the ivory trade
Silk road – a trading route between the Roman Empire and China
Humanism – a movement during the Renaissance, based on the humanities, such as poetry, literature, rhetoric, moral philosophy, and history; humans can learn about the world through study
Genghis Khan – the founder of the Mongol empire during the 13th century
Mesoamerica – the area between Mexico and Central America where ancient empires flourished
Filial piety – the duty of family members to make the needs and desires of the male head more important, such as in Confucianism
Feudalism – the dominant social system in medieval Europe, ranked from kings to powerful nobles (vassals), to less powerful nobles, to simple knights, and finally peasants/serfs