AP World History Unit 2 Vocab

Silk Roads

A huge network of trade routes across Asia.

Caravanserai

Houses travelers could stay in overnight to rest, eat, and get fresh, ready-to-go horses.

Paper Money

Invented by the Chinese, this new lightweight form of money greatly improved commerce.

Marco Polo

An Italian traveler who traveled all the way through Mongolia to China and back.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim traveler from Morocco who traveled for 30 years straight to see the entire world of Islam- and document it.

Mongol Empire

The empire of fierce warriors which was the largest land empire to ever have existed, their warriors were very skilled archers who rode swiftly on horseback, and utilized fear as a great weapon.

Khan

A Mongolian king.

Genghis Khan

The “Universal Leader” and the most legendary leader of the Mongols, he united all of the Mongol tribes together into one for the first time and created the largest land-based empire in history in just 21 years.

Khanates

Mongolian kingdoms.

Pax Mongolica

The peace and connectivity the Mongols brought about by unifying so much of Asia.

Kublai Khan

The grandson of Genghis/Chinggis Khan, and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty.

Yuan Dynasty

Founded by and led by Kublai Khan, this Chinese Dynasty changed China in many ways (like removing the exam).

Ming Dynasty

The dynasty after the Yuan Dynasty, they did all in their power to try to erase any record of China having been Mongolian at all.

Bubonic Plague/Black Death

This disease spread along trade routes and killed 1/3 of Europe in just a few years. It spread via fleas on rats.

Indian Ocean Trade

Trade overseas between East Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Magnetic Compass

An invention that allowed traders sailing in the Indian Ocean to know what direction they were going, this greatly improved trade.

Stern Post Rudder

An invention that allowed for the steering of ships by turning a fin at the back, which deflected water flow and steered the ship.

Junk

A huge Chinese boat of the era.

Lateen Sail

A triangular sail that allowed it to catch wind from almost any direction.

Astrolabe

An invention that allowed sailors to chart where they were via the position of the stars.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade over the Sahara desert between North and South Africa.

Sahara Desert

A huge desert in the Northern portion of Africa.

Camel Saddle

An invention that allowed camels traveling over the Sahara Desert to carry much more cargo.

Swahili

A language and a culture that popped up along East Africa, a combo of the local African Bantu tribes and Arabic.

Champa Rice

A new amazing strain of rice which was drought and famine-resistant and could yield twice as much food. It originated in India, then diffused to Vietnam, and then it was offered as a tribute to China, which resulted in an explosion of population.