Silk Roads and the Spread of Buddhism

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture on the Silk Roads, including trade, goods, and the spread of Buddhism.

Caravanserai

Inns along the Silk Roads where merchants could rest, exchange goods, and resupply their animals.

Silk

The most prominent luxury product on the Silk Roads, used as currency, a symbol of high status, and associated with the sacred in Buddhism and Christianity. The knowledge for producing raw silk spread beyond China to Korea, Japan, India, Persia, and the Byzantine Empire.

Flying cash

Paper money, a Chinese invention, that made it unnecessary to carry coins for trade.

Bills of exchange

A kind of promissory payment contract introduced by European traders.

Mahayana Buddhism

A devotional form of Buddhism featuring the Buddha as a god, bodhisattvas, and an emphasis on compassion and the possibility of earning merit.

Spiritual tradition (Silk Roads)

The deep religious link and practices that developed voluntarily around Buddhism in Central Asian oasis cities, without pressure of conquest or foreign rule, linking inhabitants to the larger wealth of India.

Bodhisattvas

Enlightened beings in Mahayana Buddhism who help others achieve enlightenment.

Frame and mattress saddle

An Arab invention that allowed camels to carry heavier loads across trade routes.