| A | B |
|---|
| Dark Ages | Name given to early Middle Ages due to invasions and lack of cultural advancement. |
| Charlemagne | Frankish ruler of Europe during Middle Ages: his reign marked a period of unity and learning. |
| Manor system | In medieval Europe, a self-sufficient economic system centered around a lord's estate. |
| Feudalism | A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king in exchange for their loyalty, military service and protection of people who live on the land. |
| Knight | In medieval Europe, an armored warrior who fought on horseback. |
| Vassal | In medieval Europe, a person who receives a grant of land from a lord in exchange for a pledge of loyalty and services. |
| Chivalry | Code of honor for knights during the Middle Ages. |
| Catholic Church | In medieval Europe, this institution was the most powerful social-political influence in anyone's life. |
| Canon laws | Body of laws governing the religious practices of a Christian church. |
| Nuns and Monks | Christian men and women who gave up their private possessions and devoted their lives to serving God. |
| Plague | This disease caused a decrease in population and decline in trade during the Middle Ages. |
| Anti-Semitism | Prejudice against Jews. |
| 3-Field System | Medieval farming system: included the rotation of crops; led to increased food production. |
| Crusades | Wars in which medieval Christian warriors soght to recover control of the Holy Land from the Muslims. |
| Jerusalem | The city of great importance to Muslims, Christians and Jews. |
| Pope Urban II | In 1905, he issued a call for Crusade to regain control of the Holy Land from the Muslims. |
| Richard the Lionhearted | English King who led 3rd Crusade in an attempt to regain Jerusalem. |
| Saladin | Muslim warrior who took over Jerusalem. Earned respect of E |
| Bosporus Strait | Narrow waterway separating the Black Sea from the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas: provided key trade route between Europe and Asia. |
| Constantinople | Capital City of the Byzantine Empire. |
| Justinian's Code | Byzantine code of law based on Roman law. |
| Hagia Sophia | The church of "holy wisdom" in Constantinople. |
| Orthodox Church | First division/sect of Christianity. Practiced in eastern churches. |
| Cyrillic | Byzantine missionaries invented this alphabet to translate the Bible into Slavic languages. |
| Kiev | Russia's first important unified city. |
| Moscow | Russian city; its' princes challenged and ended Mongol rule. |
| Tang | Ruled China from 618-907. Expanded China's influence into Korea. Expanded network of roads and canals, improved agriculture, promoted foreign trade. |
| Song | Ruled China from 960-1279 despite military trouble. Prosperous time of advances in science and technology. |
| Byzantine Empire | Empire founded in the Greek city of Byzantium by the Roman Emperor Constantine. (c. 330 AD) |
