households in Andean societies that recognized some form of kinship; traced descent from a common, sometimes mythical ancestor.

code of conduct for samurai during the feudal period in Japan

capital of Tang dynasty; population of 2 million larger than any contemporary world city.

beds of aquatic weeds, mud, and earth placed in frames made of cane and rooted in lakes to create "floating islands"; system of irrigated agriculture used by Aztecs.

warlord rulers of small states following Onin war and disruption of Ashikaga shogunate; holdings consolidated into unified and bounded mini-states.

in some societies, payment a bride's family makes to the bridegroom and his family, payment that a woman brings to a marriage

clans in Aztec society; evolved into residential groupings that distributed land and provided labor and warriors.

the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties according to the Mandate of Heaven

a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors

male-imposed practice to mutilate women's feet in order to reduce size; produced pain and restricted movement; helped to confine women to the household.

Chinese credit instrument that provided vouchers to merchants to be redeemed at the end of a venture; reduced danger of robbery; an early form of currency.

Mongol warrior and ruler; he forged the Mongol tribes into a fighting force that conquered much of Asia, including parts of China.

wealthy landowners involved in commercial activities, such as trade, who have political power

great canal system begun by Yangdi; joined Yellow River region to the Yangtze basin.

a person who studies how people lived in the past

Aztec tribal patron god; central figure of human sacrifice and warfare; identified with old sun god.

German inventor an printer; he invented movable type. His first printed publication was a 1,282-page Bible

Chinese ships equipped with watertight bulkheads, stern-post rudders, compasses, and bamboo fenders; dominant force in Asian seas east of the Malayan peninsula.

Japanese courtier and writer; she wrote The Tale of Genji, a masterpiece of Japanese literature widely considered to be the world's first novel

most famous poet of the Tang era; blended images of the mundane world with philosophical musings.

labor extracted for lands assigned to the state and the religion; all communities were expected to contribute; an essential aspect of Inca imperial control.

metal blocks on which symbols were etched

leading Aztec king of the 15th century.

Inca ruler (1438-1471); began the military campaigns that marked the creation of an Inca empire.

merchant class in Aztec society; specialized in long distance trade in luxury items.

a type of ceramic made by firing a pure clay at very high temperatures and then glazing it; often called "china"

Toltec deity; feathered serpent; adopted by Aztecs as a major god.

system of knotted strings utilized by the Incas in place of a writing system; could contain numerical and other types of information for censuses and financial records.

mounted troops of the bushi; loyal to local lords, not the emperor.

ritual suicide in Japan; also known as hari-kiri; demonstrated courage and was a means to restore family honor.

"way of the kami"; an indigenous religion of Japan that holds that everything in nature has a spirit

military leaders of the bakufu.

Korean kingdom in southeast; became a vassal of the Tang and paid tribute; ruled Korea from 668.

extensive adaptation of Chinese culture in other regions.

Inca practice of ruler descent; all titles and political power went to successor, but wealth and land remained in hands of male descendants for support of dead Inca's mummy.

written by Lady Murasaki; first novel in any language; evidence for mannered style of Japanese society.

way stations used by Incas as inns and storehouses; supply centers for Inca armies; relay points for system of runners used to carry messages.

Inca religious center at Cuzco; center of state religion; held mummies of past Incas.

founded circa 1325 on a marshy island in Lake Texcoco; became center of Aztec power.

a gate like structure that marks a Shinto sacred place

a payment made by conquered people to their conquerors in order to obtain security

Inca word for their empire; region from Colombia to Chile and eastward into Bolivia and Argentina.

a type of printing in which text is carved into a block of wood and the block is then coated with ink and pressed on the page

a class of people within Inca society removed from their ayllus to serve permanently as servants, artisans, or workers for the Inca or the Inca nobility.