| Term | Definition |
|---|
| marauder | A raider, a robber |
| emissary | A messenger sent to represent the interests of another |
| zhang qian | The father of the silk road |
| han dynasty | One of the greatest Chinese dynasties |
| central asia | 5 "stan" countries between the Caspian Sea and China |
| terminus | An end point, China and Turkey |
| sericulture | the whole production of silk |
| seres | Western people called the Chinese people |
| byzantium | Istanbul |
| cultural diffusion | spreading and absorbing culture from one society to another |
| bazaar | a market in a middle-eastern country, often outdoors |
| caravaneer | The leader of a caravan |
| caravansary | like a desert hotel inn with a courtyard and amenities for caravans and traders |
| lama | a Tibetan or Mongolian Buddhist monk |
| divination | attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by intuition or supernatural means |
| steppe | semi-arid grassy plain |
| khan | like an emperor, but title of a Mongol ruler |
| shamanism | belief in an unseen world of gods, ancestral spirits and demons that can influence the course of events |
| c/ca | stands for circa, Latin for around or approximately |
| tartar | one of the many steppe tribes, now often synonymous with Mongol |
| moghul empire | a Muslim dynasty in India (1500-1800's) of Mongol origin (1200's) |
| cathay | ancient name for China used by the westerners |
| fratricide | when you kill your brother |
| patron | someone who supports and champions another |
| conscription | forced military service |
| meritocracy | system of promotion based on skill not $ or friends |
| sage | a profoundly wise person |
| shah | an Islamic king, often from Persia or Iran |
| subjugate | to conquer and subdue |
| caliph | chief mongol civil and religious leader |
| arab | someone who can trace her ancestry to the tribes of Arabia, someone whose language is Arabic (disputed definition) Cultural not religious |
| the arab world | over twenty countries of N. Africa and the Arabian Peninsula |
| triumvirate | a group of 3 holding power – as in the 3 Turks of the genocide (origin is Ceasar-Pompey-Crassus) |
| gendarme | an armed police officer |
| mosque | the Islamic place of worship |
| minaret | tall spires on the mosques (like a steeple on a church) |
| sultan | Muslim leader of ottoman |
| harem | the living quarters for women, the women available to the sultan. |
| western/wailing wall | the only remaining wall of the second temple- holy to Judaism |
| church of the holy sepulcher | the place where Jesus was buried |
| dome of the rock | their first work of art, think that's where Abraham sacrificed his son, when Muhammad died that's where he rised to heaven |
| zion | for Jews Israel, Christians- Jerusalem |
| zealot | uncompromising and fanatical |
| diaspora | the scattering, dispersion, of any people from their original homeland |
| gentile | one who is not of the dominant religion, not Jewish |
| pogrom | an organized, often officially encouraged massacre or persecution of a minority group, especially against Jews. Often sanctioned by the government |
| czar/tsar | a Russian emperor |
| zionism | a political and cultural movement (org.) to create a national homeland for Jews in Palestine |
| gaza | Palestinian territory bordered by Israel and Egypt. Governed by the Palestinian authority from the west bank and the hamas party. One and a half million people. Has refuge states by UN economy is highly dependant on Israel |
| hamas | means "zeal" in Arabic Islamic Palestinian movement and political party elected in 2006; refuses to recognize israel's right to exist has an extrensive social service, has a terrorist wing |
| palestinian authority | the name of the govt for Palestinians |
| fertile crescent | crescent shaped area of fertile land that extends from the eastern mediterranean coast through the valley of the tigris and euphrates rivers the persian gulf |
| sherif/sharif | a muslim ruler |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace