Unit 2 AP World

What were the Silk Roads?

Overland trade routes connecting China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Why did the Silk Roads expand after 1200?

Greater demand for luxury goods, safer routes, and improved commercial practices increased trade.

What were caravanserai?

Roadside inns where merchants and animals could rest, trade, and stay safe.

How did bills of exchange, banking, credit, and paper money help trade?

They made trade safer and easier because merchants did not need to carry large amounts of coins.

What goods were traded on the Silk Roads?

Silk, porcelain, spices, and other luxury goods that were valuable and profitable to transport.

How did Chinggis Khan create the Mongol Empire?

He united Mongol tribes and used an organized military to conquer much of Eurasia.

What was the Pax Mongolica?

A period of Mongol stability and protection that made trade and travel across Eurasia safer.

What were the four Mongol khanates?

Yuan Dynasty = China; Golden Horde = Russia; Chagatai Khanate = Central Asia; Ilkhanate = Persia.

How did the Mongols spread technology, knowledge, religions, and skilled people?

Mongol rule connected Eurasia and allowed people, ideas, religions, and technologies to move between regions.

How did the Mongols affect trade?

Conquests first disrupted trade, but later Mongol stability and security increased Silk Road trade.

How did monsoon winds help Indian Ocean trade?

Predictable seasonal winds allowed merchants to plan when to sail across the Indian Ocean.

What technologies expanded Indian Ocean trade?

Lateen sails, dhows, junks, magnetic compasses, and astrolabes improved sea travel.

Why did Calicut, Kilwa, Mombasa, Hormuz, Aden, and Malacca become important trading centers?

Their strategic locations connected major Indian Ocean trade routes.

What did the Swahili city-states export and import?

They exported gold and ivory and imported textiles, porcelain, and luxury goods.

How did Indian Ocean trade influence Swahili culture?

African traditions blended with Arab and Islamic influences, creating Swahili culture.

Why were camels important to Trans-Saharan trade?

Camels could survive desert conditions and carry heavy loads across the Sahara.

What was the Trans-Saharan gold-salt trade?

West Africa supplied gold while North Africa supplied salt.

How did Trans-Saharan trade help Timbuktu, Gao, and Djenne?

Trade brought wealth and helped them become major centers of commerce and learning.

How did Islam spread into West Africa?

Muslim merchants and scholars carried Islam across Trans-Saharan trade routes.

How did Mansa Musa's pilgrimage demonstrate Mali's wealth and Islamic connections?

He traveled to Mecca with large amounts of gold, showing Mali's wealth and strengthening Islamic connections.

How did trade networks spread Islam and Buddhism?

Muslim merchants and missionaries spread Islam, while Buddhist merchants and monks spread Buddhism along trade routes.

What is cultural syncretism?

The blending of different cultural or religious traditions, such as African and Islamic influences in Swahili culture.

How did trade networks spread technology?

Merchants and travelers carried paper, printing, gunpowder, and the magnetic compass between regions.

How did trade contribute to the Black Death?

Merchants and travelers carried the plague along trade routes across Eurasia, causing massive population loss.

How did trade spread Champa rice and bananas?

Champa rice spread from Southeast Asia to China and increased food production; bananas spread into Africa and supported population growth.