GLOSSARY
h 317abacus 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 for-
aging to the cultivation of food occurring about
8000–2000 B.C.E.; 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 includ-
ing 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-fi rst 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 deter-
mine 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
fi gurehead, 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 battle that halted the
advance of Muslim armies into Europe at a point
in northern France.
benefi ce In medieval Europe, a grant of land or
other privilege to a vassal.
Berlin Conference (1884–1885) Meeting of Euro-
pean imperialist powers to divide Africa among
them.
Black Death The European name for the outbreak
of the bubonic plague that spread across Asia,
Europe, and North Africa in the fourteenth
century.
bodhisattvas Buddhist holy men who accumulated
spiritual merits during their lifetime; Buddhists
prayed to them in order to receive some of their
holiness.
Boers South Africans of Dutch descent.
Boer War (1899–1902) War between the Brit-
ish and the Dutch over Dutch independence in
South Africa; resulted in British victory.
bourgeoisie In France, the class of merchants and
artisans who were members of the Third Estate
and initiators of the French Revolution; in Marx-
ist theory, a term referring to factory owners.
Boxer Rebellion (1898) Revolt against foreign
residents of China.http://www.ebook3000.com