AP WORLD Unit 2

Silk Roads

Land trade route known for luxury goods like silk and porcelain, facilitating the spread of Buddhism with Mongol protection.

Indian Ocean Trade

Sea trade route focusing on bulk goods such as spices and textiles, influenced by monsoon winds and diasporic communities.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade across the Sahara desert primarily for gold and salt, utilizing camels and caravans, leading to the spread of Islam into Africa.

Mongol Empire

Largest contiguous land empire known for promoting trade, cultural diffusion, and establishing Pax Mongolica.

Pax Mongolica

A period of Mongolian peace in the 13th and 14th centuries that ensured safe trade and revitalized the Silk Roads.

Caravanserai

Roadside inns providing rest stops for merchants and their camels, crucial for boosting Silk Road trade.

Paper Money

Chinese innovation that facilitated trade, prominently used during the Yuan dynasty.

Banking Houses

Early European banking institutions that introduced credit and bills of exchange.

Bills of Exchange

Written promises of payment, serving as precursors to modern checks.

Flying Cash

An innovation by the Tang dynasty, functioning as a credit system for merchants and an early form of checks.

Han Dynasty Collapse

The fall of the Han dynasty in the 2nd century weakened the Silk Roads, until a revival in the Tang and Song dynasties.

Song Dynasty Economy

Characterized by a commercial revolution that included the use of paper money and the production of iron and silk.

Mali Empire

A West African state that controlled the gold-salt trade during the reign of Mansa Musa.

Ghana

An early West African kingdom that thrived on gold trade and was influenced by Islam.

Great Zimbabwe

A Southern African state that engaged in trade with the Swahili coast, known for its stone structures.

Swahili City-States

East African coastal trading hubs like Kilwa and Mombasa, marked by a blend of African and Arab cultures.

Malacca

A Southeast Asian trading city located near the Strait of Malacca known for taxing passing ships to generate wealth.

Srivijaya

A Southeast Asian kingdom that exerted control over trade routes and was influenced by Buddhism.

Khmer Empire

A Southeast Asian state known for its Hindu and Buddhist cultures and the iconic Angkor Wat temple.

Angkor Wat

A temple complex in Cambodia symbolizing syncretism between Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia.

Samarkand

A city along the Silk Road that became a center for trade and Islamic learning.

Kashgar

A key city along the Silk Road that served as a major caravan hub and a center for Islamic scholarship.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal winds that guided navigation in the Indian Ocean trade routes, requiring specific sailing knowledge.

Lateen Sail

A triangular sail that made ships more maneuverable, improving trade capabilities in the Indian Ocean.

Astrolabe

A historical navigation tool used to measure the altitude of celestial bodies for determining latitude.

Magnetic Compass

Chinese invention that significantly enhanced maritime navigation.

Junk Ships

Large Chinese vessels designed to carry bulk goods in the Indian Ocean.

Zheng He

A Ming dynasty admiral known for leading extensive voyages of exploration in the Indian Ocean from 1405 to 1433.

Diasporic Communities

Groups of merchants established abroad, such as Arabs in Africa and Chinese in Southeast Asia.

Arab Merchants

Traders who exchanged slaves, ivory, and gold in the Indian Ocean while spreading Islam.

Gujaratis

Indian Ocean merchants known for trading cotton textiles, influenced by both Hindu and Muslim cultures.

Chinese Merchants in SE Asia

Merchants who formed communities in Southeast Asia and spread their culture and goods.

Spread of Islam

Islam's influence on trade networks, affecting regions like Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Spread of Buddhism

The transmission of Buddhism from India to East and Southeast Asia, often adapting to local beliefs.

Spread of Hinduism

The expansion of Hindu beliefs into Southeast Asia, evident in structures like Angkor Wat.

Spread of Christianity

The dissemination of Christianity through means such as the Crusades, missionary activity, and trade.

Gunpowder

Chinese invention that was spread by Mongols and revolutionized warfare techniques.

Paper & Printing

Innovations from China that improved literacy and record-keeping, later spreading to Dar al-Islam and Europe.

Champa Rice

A fast-growing rice variety imported from Vietnam to China, contributing to population growth in the Song dynasty.

Bananas

Crops introduced from Southeast Asia to Africa, significantly improving diets and supporting population growth.

Sugar

A high-demand luxury good spread throughout the Islamic world and cultivated on plantations.

Citrus Fruits

Crops from the Mediterranean region that circulated through Islamic trade networks.

Black Death

A plague that spread along trade routes, leading to millions of deaths in Eurasia and contributing to the decline of feudalism.

Marco Polo

A Venetian traveler whose accounts of Yuan China aroused European interest in Asia.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim traveler who documented his visits across Africa, the Middle East, and India, providing insights into the Islamic world.

Margery Kempe

An English mystic known for her writings on pilgrimage, regarded as an early female voice in literature.

Mansa Musa

The king of Mali renowned for his extravagant pilgrimage in 1324 and contributions to the spread of Islam.

Timbuktu

A prominent Mali city serving as a hub for trade and Islamic scholarship, and a center for learning.

House of Wisdom

A Baghdad-based institution that preserved and advanced Greek and Islamic knowledge.

Cultural Diffusion

The process through which religion, science, and technology spread along trade routes.

Environmental Diffusion

The transfer of crops, animals, and diseases as a result of trade interactions.

Yuan Dynasty

The period of Mongol rule in China, notable for promoting trade and implementing paper money.

Ilkhanate

A Mongol state established in Persia characterized by Islamic influences and weakened by the plague.

Golden Horde

The Mongolian rule established in Russia, operating a tribute system with limited assimilation of Mongols.

Religious Tolerance (Mongols)

The Mongols' acceptance of various religions, fostering cultural exchange.

Decline of Mongols

A result of overexpansion, revolts, and the plague, leading to the fragmentation of the empire.