AP World History Unit 2 Vocab

For State High students: a studyset of the Unit 2 vocab for AP World History, regarding the Mongols and Networks of Exchange.

Silk Roads

A system of ancient caravan routes across Central Asia, along which traders carried silk and other trade goods.

Kashgar

Also known as Kashi, a central trading point at which the western and the eastern Silk Road met; It is one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with modern day Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.

Caravanserai

an inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa.

Commerce

the buying and selling of goods and services

Paper money

legal currency issued on paper; it developed in China as a convenient alternative to metal coins

Pastoralists

nomads who kept herds of livestock on which they depended for most of their food

Mongol Khanates

Four regional Mongol kingdoms that arose following the death of Chinggis Khan.

Il-Khanate

Mongol empire that ruled over Iran (Persia) & the Middle East

Kublai Khan

(1215-1294) Grandson of Genghis Khan and founder of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in China.

Yuan Dynasty

(1279-1368 CE) The dynasty with Mongol rule in China; centralized with bureaucracy but structure is different: Mongols on top->Persian bureaucrats->Chinese bureuacrats.

Golden Horde

Mongol khanate founded by Genghis Khan's grandson Batu. It was based in southern Russia and quickly adopted both the Turkic language and Islam. Also known as the Kipchak Horde.

Genghis Khan

A Mongolian general and emperor of the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, known for his military leadership and great cruelty. He conquered vast portions of northern China and southwestern Asia. Also referred to as "Chinggis Khan"

Pax Mongolica

The period of approximately 150 years of relative peace and stability created by the Mongol Empire.

Uyghur Script

Turkish script written primarily in Arabic

Ming Dynasty

A major dynasty that ruled China from the mid-fourteenth to the mid-seventeenth century. It was marked by a great expansion of Chinese commerce into East Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia

Indian Ocean Trade Network

Sea based exchange routes that connected Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia; the largest commercial exchange route prior to 1500 C.E.

Spice Islands

Modern day Malaysia and Indonesia, known for its spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom

Swahili City-states

cities along the East African coast who were important commercial hubs in the Indian Ocean Trade Network; they represented the role syncretism in the Indian Ocean with their blend of Arabic and Bantu languages and culture.

Sultanate of Malacca

centred in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. As a bustling international trading port, Malacca emerged as a centre for Islamic learning and dissemination, and encouraged the development of the Malay language, literature and arts.

Diasporic communities

merchant communities that introduced their own cultures into other areas; prominent examples existed along the Indian Ocean Trade Network

Zheng He

(1371-1433?) Chinese naval explorer who sailed along most of the coast of Asia, Japan, and half way down the east coast of Africa before his death.

Monsoon Winds

seasonal wind in India, the winter monsoon brings hot, dry weather and the summer monsoon brings rain; critical to trade in the Indian Ocean Trade network.

Trans-Saharan Trade Route

the gold-salt trade route that linked North and West Africa; played a key role in the spread of Islam into West Africa, and was a source of power for various West African empires

Mali

The kingdom in West Africa that followed the Kingdom of Ghana; its wealth is also based on trans-Saharan trade; this kingdom encouraged the spread of Islam.

Mansa Musa

Ruler of Mali (r. 1312-1337). His extravagant pilgrimage through Egypt to Mecca in 1324-1325 established the empire's reputation for wealth in the Mediterranean world.

Timbuktu

A major commercial city of West African civilization and a noted center of Islamic scholarship and education by the sixteenth century.