History key terms

A journey made by a monarch around the country, including visits to towns and noble households.

Income received by the king, including money from taxation, royal lands and obligations owed by landholders.

A scientific society founded in 1660 to develop knowledge through investigation and the examination of evidence.

The monarch’s authority as head of the Church of England, replacing the authority of the pope.

The royal store of money and valuables, which provided resources for government and military action.

A pleated collar made from stiffened linen or lace; elaborate versions were fashionable displays of wealth.

The belief that people should support themselves through their own efforts rather than rely on government assistance.

A political order in which citizens share rights rather than being subject to a single tyrant; it does not necessarily mean that all inhabitants have equal rights or that the state is democratic.

The principle that power should be exercised according to law rather than personal whim, and that rulers as well as those they govern should obey the law.

The reduced Parliament left after Pride’s Purge, which authorised Charles I’s trial and execution and the creation of a republic.

A stone monument bearing an inscription in runes, the letters used in early Scandinavian writing.

Movement from the countryside to towns and cities.

People of mainly Scandinavian origin who traded and settled in eastern Europe during the Viking Age.

The sending of urban young people to live and work in the countryside, officially to learn from peasants.

The theft of livestock, especially cattle or horses.

Plans uncovered in 1683 involving an intended ambush of Charles II and James, Duke of York, alongside discussions of an uprising against the government.

The Sturmabteilung, the Nazi Party’s brown-shirted paramilitary organisation, which protected Nazi meetings, disrupted opponents’ meetings and used street violence and intimidation.

The Christian holy day of rest and worship, observed on Sunday in Elizabethan England.

A neighbouring Italian people whose conflict with Rome ended, in the foundation tradition, with the union of the two communities.

Deliberate damage to property or equipment to disrupt an opponent’s activities.

The capture and plundering of a settlement by an attacking force, often involving destruction.

A religious ceremony understood to convey God’s grace, such as baptism or Communion.

A designated area containing temples and other buildings used for religious ceremonies.

An offering to a deity. Animal sacrifice involved the ritual killing of an animal.

An act that violates or shows contempt for something considered sacred.

The government and system of power through which Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq.

A narrative preserved through oral tradition and later written down, often describing Norse families, voyages and conflicts.

A tax raised to finance the crusade. Those who went on crusade were exempt from paying it.

The gradual elimination of political opponents and takeover of institutions, allowing communists to consolidate power bit by bit.

An area of a front line that projects into enemy-held territory.