Worlds Together, Worlds Apart, 2 e.
Glossary
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Glossary Terms for letter: M
Ma'at In ancient Egypt, this term referred to stability or order, the achievement of which was the primary task of Egypt's ruling kings, the Pharaos.
Maccabees Leaders of a riot in Jerusalem in 166 BCE; the riot was a response to a Roman edict outlawing the practice of Judaism.
Mahayana Buddhism A school of Buddhist theology that believed that the Buddha was a deity, unlike previous groups that had considered him a wise human being.
Maize Grains, the crops that the settled agrarian communities across the Americas cultivated, along with legumes (beans) and tubers (potatoes).
Mandate of heaven Ideology established by Zhou dynasts to communicate the moral transfer of power. Originally a pact between the Zhou people and their supreme god, it evolved in the first century BCE into Chinese political doctrine.
Mande The Mande or Mandinka people lived in the area between the bend in the Senegal River and the bend in the Niger River east to west and from the Senegal River and Bandama River north to south. Their civilization emerged around 1100 CE.
Martyrs People executed by the Roman authorities for persisting in their Christian beliefs and refusing to submit to pagan ritual or belief.
Mastaba This word means "bench" in Arabic; it refers to a huge flat structure identical to earlier royal tombs of ancient Egypt.
Mauryan Empire From 321 to 184 BCE, from the Indus Valley to the northwest areas of south Asia, in a region previously controlled by Persia, the Mauryans extended their dynasty. It was the first large-scale empire in South Asia and was to become the model for future Indian empires.
Mawali Non-Arab "clients" to Arab tribes in the early Islamic Empire. Because tribal patronage was so much a part of the Arabian cultural system, non-Arabs who converted to Islam affiliated themselves with a tribe and became clients of that tribe.
Mayans The civilization that ruled over large stretches of Mesoamerica; it was composed of a series of kingdoms, each built around ritual centers rather than cities. The Mayans engaged neighboring peoples in warfare and trade and expanded borders through tributary relationships. They were not defined by a great ruler or one capital city, but by their shared religious beliefs.
Mecca Arabian city in which Muhammad was born. Mecca was a trading center and pilgrimage destination in the pre-Islamic and Islamic period. Exiled in 622 CE because of resistance to his message, Muhammad returned to Mecca in 630 CE and claimed the city for Islam.
Medes Rivals of the Assyrians and the Persians, the Medes inhabited the area from the Zagros Mountains to the modern city of Tehran; known as expert horsemen and archers, they were eventually defeated by the Persians.
Megaliths Literally, "great stone"; the word megalith is used when describing structures such as Stonehenge. These massive structures are the result of cooperative planning and work.
Megarons Large buildings found in Troy (level II) that are the predecessors of the classic Greek temple.
Mencius A disciple of Confucius who lived from 372 to 289 BCE.
Meroe Ancient kingdom in what is today Sudan. It flourished for nearly a thousand years, from the fifth century BCE to the fifth century CE.
Minoans Around 2000 BCE, a large number of independent palace centers began to emerge on Crete, at Knossos, and elsewhere. The people who built these elaborate centers are called the Minoans, after the legendary King Minos, said to have ruled Crete at the time. They sailed throughout the Mediterranean and by 1600 BCE had planted colonies on many Aegean islands, which in turn became trading and mining centers.
Mitochondrial DNA A form of DNA found outside the nucleus of cells, where it serves as cells' microscopic power packs. Examining mitochondrial DNA enables researchers to measure the genetic variation among living objects, including human beings.
Moche At the height of the Chimu Empire, the Moche people extended their power over several valleys in what is now modern-day Peru, and their wealth grew as well.
Mohism A school of thought in ancient China, named after Mo Di, or Mozi, who lived from 479 to 438 BCE. It emphasized one's obligation to society as a whole, not just to one's immediate family or social circle.
Monasticism A Christian way of life that originated in Egypt and was practiced as early as 300 CE in the Mediterranean. The word itself contains the meaning of a person "living alone" without marriage or family.
"Mound people" A name for the people of Cahokia, since its landscape was dominated by earthen monuments in the shapes of mounds. The mounds were carefully maintained and were the loci from which Cahokians paid respect to spiritual forces.
Mu Chinese ruler (956918 BCE) who put forth a formal bureaucratic system of governance, appointing officials, supervisors and military captains to whom he was not related. He also instituted a formal legal code.
Muhammad Born in 570 CE in Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Muhammad was the prophet and founder of the Islamic faith. Orphaned when young, Muhammad lived under the protection of his uncle. His career as a prophet began around 610 CE, with his first experience of scriptural revelation.
Mycenaeans The mainland competitors of the Minoans; they took over Crete around 1400 BCE. Migrating to Greece from central Europe, they brought their Indo-European language, horse chariots, and metalworking skills, which they used to dominate until 1200 BCE.
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