GLOSSARY
abacus An ancient Chinese counting device that used rods on which were mounted movable counters.
absolute monarchy Rule by a king or queen whose power is not limited by a constitution.
Afrikaners South Africans who were descended from the Dutch who settled in South Africa in the
seventeenth century.
age grade An age group into which children were placed in Bantu societies of early sub-Saharan
Africa; children within the age grade were given responsibilities and privileges suitable for their
age and in this manner were prepared for adult responsibilities.
Agricultural Revolution The transition from foraging to the cultivation of food occurring about
8000–2000 BCE; also known as the Neolithic Revolution.
Allah The god of the Muslims; Arabic word for “god.”
Alliance for Progress A program of economic aid for Latin America in exchange for a pledge to
establish democratic institutions; part of U.S. President Kennedy’s international program.
Allied Powers In World War I, the nations of Great Britain, France, Russia, the United States, and
others that fought against the Central Powers; in World War II, the group of nations including
Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States, that fought against the Axis Powers.
al-Qaeda A terrorist group based in Afghanistan in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
animism The belief that spirits inhabit the features of nature.
Anschluss The German annexation of Austria prior to World War II.
apartheid The South African policy of separation of the races.
appeasement Policy of Great Britain and France of making concessions to Hitler in the 1930s.
aristocracy Rule by a privileged hereditary class or nobility.
artifact An object made by human hands.
artisan A craftsman.
astrolabe A navigational instrument used to determine latitude by measuring the position of the stars.
Austronesian A branch of languages originating in Oceania.
ayatollah A traditional Muslim religious ruler.
ayllus In Incan society, a clan or community that worked together on projects required by the ruler.
bakufu A military government established in Japan after the Gempei Wars; the emperor became a
figurehead, while real power was concentrated in the military, including the samurai .
Bantu-speaking peoples Name given to a group of sub-Saharan African peoples whose migrations
altered the society of sub-Saharan Africa.
Battle of Tours The 732 CE battle that halted the advance of Muslim armies into Europe at a point in
northern France.