Glossary of Terms

Galileo   Published Copernicus's findings (17th century); added own discoveries concerning laws of gravity and planetary motion; condemned by the Catholic church for his work. (p. 530)

galleons   Large, heavily armed ships used to carry silver from New World colonies to Spain; basis for convoy system utilized by Spain for transportation of bullion. (p. 595)

Gálvez, José de   Spanish minister of the Indies and chief architect of colonial reform; moved to eliminate Creoles from upper bureaucracy of the colonies; created intendants for local government. (p. 604)

Gandhi, Indira   Daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru (no relation to Mahatma Gandhi); installed as a figurehead prime minister by the Congress Party bosses in 1966; a strong-willed and astute politician, she soon became the central figure in India politics, a position she maintained through the 1970s and passed on to her sons. (p. 1002)

Gang of Four   Jiang Qing and four political allies who attempted to seize control of Communist government in China from the pragmatists; arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1976 following Mao Zedong's death. (p. 1034)

gauchos   Bands of mounted rural workers in the region of the Rio de la Plata; aided local caudillos in splitting apart the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata after 1816. (p. 762)

German Democratic Republic   Communist regime set up in the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany (East Germany) in 1949; became one of the most rigid members of the Soviet alliance system; regime collapsed from internal pressure in 1989, and was soon unified with West Germany (1990). (p. 861)

Gempei Wars   [gem pe] Waged for five years from 1180, on Honshu between Taira and Minamoto families; resulted in destruction of Taira. (p. 456)

Germans   Resided outside the northern boundaries of the Roman Empire; featured mixed agricultural and pastoral economies; moved southward into Roman Empire in course of 4th and 5th centuries c.e. (p. 236)

Gestapo   Secret police in Nazi Germany, known for brutal tactics. (p. 871)

Ghana   First great sub-Saharan state; created by Soninke people; by 9th century c.e. a major source of gold in the Mediterranean world. (p. 228)

Ghazni Empire   Dynasty and empire founded from Turks who were originally slaves; seized power in 962 in Afghanistan north of Indus valley; later invaded Indian subcontinent. (p.322)

Giap, General Vo Nguyen   Chief military commander of the Viet Minh; architect of the Vietnamese victory over the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. (p. 1040)

glasnost   Policy of political liberation in Soviet Union in the late 1980s. (p. 907)

Glorious Revolution   English overthrow of James II in 1688; resulted in affirmation of parliament as having basic sovereignty over the king. (p. 532)

Goa   Portuguese factory or fortified trade town located on western India coast, 16th century ff.; sites for forcible entry into Asian sea trade network. (p. 667)

Golden Horde   One of the four regional subdivisions of the Mongol Empire after Chinggis Khan's death; territory covered much of what is today south central Russia. (p.485)

Good Neighbor Policy   Established by Franklin D. Roosevelt for dealing with Latin America in 1933; intended to halt direct intervention in Latin American politics. (p. 952)

Gorbachev, Mikhail   USSR ruler after 1985; renewed attacks on Stalinism; urged reduction in nuclear armament; proclaimed policies of glasnost and perestroika. (p. 906)

Gothic   An architectural style developed during the Middle Ages in western Europe; featured pointed arches and flying buttresses as external supports on main walls. (p. 387)

Government of India Act of 1935   British agreed to retain control of the central administration in return for turning over the provincial governments to Indian leaders chosen by expanded electorate. (p. 972)

Gracchus, Gaius   Along with Tiberius, tribune who attempted to introduce land and citizenship reform within the Roman republic; killed on the command of the Senate. (p. 156)

Gran Colombia   Independent state created in South America as a result of military successes of Simon Bolívar; existed only until 1830, at which time Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador became separate nations. (p. 757)

Great Depression   International economic crisis following the First World War; began with collapse of American stock market in 1929; actual causes included collapse of agricultural prices in 1920s; included collapse of banking houses in the United States and Western Europe, massive unemployment; contradicted optimistic assumptions of 19th century. (p. 847)

Great Leap Forward   Economic policy of Mao Zedong introduced in 1958; proposed industrialization of small-scale projects integrated into peasant communes; led to economic disaster; ended in 1960. (p. 1031)

Great Mahele   [mä hAY lAY Hawaiian edict issued in 1848; imposed Western concept of property on Hawaiian land previously shared by Hawaiians; much of private property sold off to Western commercial interests by Hawaiian monarchy. (p. 1053)

griots   [grEE O, grEE O, grEE ot] Professional oral historians who served as keepers of traditions and advisors to kings within the Mali Empire. (p. 338)

guano   Bird droppings utilized as fertilizer; exported from Peru as a major item of trade between 1850 and 1880; income from trade permitted end to Indian tribute and abolition of slavery. (p. 765)

Guevara, Ernesto "Che"   Argentine revolutionary; aided Fidel Castro in overthrow of Fulgencio Batista; died while directing guerrilla movement in Bolivia in 1967. (p. 945)

guilds   Sworn associations of people in the same business or trade in a single city; stressed security and mutual control; limited membership, regulated apprenticeship, guaranteed good workmanship; often established franchise within cities. (p. 391)

guillotine   [gil uh tEEn, gEE uh-, giluh tEEn, gEEuh-] Introduced as a method of humane execution; utilized to execute thousands during the most radical phase of the French Revolution known as the Reign of Terror. (p. 700)

Guomindang   [gwo min däng] Chinese Nationalist party founded by Sun Yat-sen in 1919; drew support from local warlords and Chinese criminal underworld; initially forged alliance with Communists in 1924; dominated by Chiang Kai-shek after 1925. (p. 1024)

Guptas   Dynasty that succeeded the Kushanas in the 3d century c.e.; built empire that extended to all but the southern regions of Indian subcontinent; less centralized than Mauryan Empire. (p. 189)

gurus   Brahmans who served as teachers for the princes of the imperial court of the Guptas. (p. 181)

Gutenberg, Johannes   Introduced movable type to western Europe in 15th century; credited with greatly expanded availability of printed books and pamphlets. (p. 525)

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