Unit 2 Vocab

Astrolabe

An instrument used to determine latitude by measuring the position of the stars.

Banking Houses

Institutions that issued bills of exchange; models for modern banks.

Batu Khan

The son of Genghis Khan's oldest son who led an army of 100,000 Mongolian soldiers into Russia, conquering small Russian kingdoms.

Bills of Exchange

Documents stating the holder was legally promised payment of a set amount on a set date.

The Bubonic Plague

A devastating plague brought to Asia and Europe by fleas carried on Mongol conquests.

Calicut

A city on the west coast of India that became a thriving center of trade.

Caravans

Groups of people traveling together for mutual protection, often with pack animals such as camels.

Caravanserai

Inns that popped up about 100 miles apart along Silk Road routes for travelers.

Camel Saddle

Saddles developed by South Arabians as the use of the camel spread.

Chagatai Khanate

A medieval Central Asian empire, successor to the Mongol Empire, ruled by descendants of Genghis Khan's son, Chagatai Khan.

Composite Bow

A versatile weapon that provided the Mongol cavalry with superior range and accuracy.

Constantinople

The capital of the eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and later the Ottoman Empire.

Credit

An arrangement to receive cash, goods, or services now and pay for them in the future.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of ideas, religions, and products often resulting from trade.

Dhow Ships

Arab ships with lateen sails that influenced European ship design; facilitated Indian Ocean trade.

Diaspora

Settlements of people away from their homeland arising from trade.

Flying Money

A system of credit that allowed money deposits at one location and withdrawals at another.

Genghis Khan

Name meaning 'ruler of all', given to Temujin when elected khan of the Mongolian Kingdom.

Ghana Empire

The first of the great medieval trading empires of western Africa, known as the Land of Gold.

Gobi Desert

A desert in central Asia where many invaders came in to attack China.

Golden Horde

Batu's army that pushed westward through Russia and then into Europe.

Goryeo Dynasty

A medieval Korean kingdom that faced multiple Mongol invasions and became a vassal state.

Gujarat

A region of western India known for trade and manufacturing; the inhabitants are called Gujarati.

Gunpowder

Invented in China in the 9th century; used in siege warfare like cannons.

Hangzhou

Capital of the Song Dynasty.

The Hanseatic League

A commercial alliance formed between northern German cities and Scandinavia in the 13th century.

Hulegu

Grandson of Genghis Khan who took control of southwestern regions into the Abbasid territories.

Ibn Battuta

Moroccan Muslim scholar and the most widely traveled individual of his time.

Il-Khanate

Hulegu's medieval Mongol state ruling over Persia and parts of the Caucasus.

Indian Ocean Basin

The largest sea-based trade network at the time.

Indian Ocean Slave Trade

Trade in slaves from eastern Africa sold in northern Africa, the Middle East, and India.

Junk

Chinese sailing ship that developed during the Song Dynasty.

Kashgar

A trading city located at the western edge of China where northern and southern Silk Road routes crossed.

Khanates

The four regional Mongol kingdoms that arose after Genghis Khan's death.

Khmer Empire

A powerful and long-lasting empire in modern-day Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and southern Vietnam.

Kievan Rus'

A medieval East Slavic federation that fell under Mongol domination.

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis Khan who conquered China and established the Yuan Dynasty.

Kuriltai

Meeting of Mongol chieftains where Temujin was elected khan.

Lateen Sail

Triangular sail that could catch wind from various directions.

Magnetic Compass

Navigation tool for determining direction that allowed ships to travel without following the coast.

Malacca

A Muslim city-state that became wealthy from collecting fees from passing ships.

Mali Empire

West African empire known for its trading cities from 1235-1400.

Mansa Musa

Leader of Mali who displayed its wealth during an extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca.

Marco Polo

An Italian traveler who wrote about his experiences in China during the late 13th century.

Margery Kempe

An English mystic known for one of the earliest autobiographies in English.

Mecca

City in western Arabia, birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the destination for Islamic pilgrimages.

Ming Dynasty

Chinese dynasty from 1368-1644, founded after the overthrow of the Yuan Dynasty.

Mogadishu

City in the coastal region of East Africa.

Money Economy

Using money instead of bartering with commodities.

Monsoons

Heavy winds that affected trade routes in the Indian Ocean.

Moscow

Russian city-state that played a key role in defeating the Golden Horde.

Nomadism

A lifestyle characterized by mobility and reliance on animal husbandry among Mongols.

Ortogh

A merchant partnered with the state and individual aristocrats in the Mongol Empire.

Overgrazing

Continual eating of grasses leading to abandonment of areas, as seen outside Great Zimbabwe.

Pax Mongolica

The period of Mongolian peace between the 13th and 14th centuries.

Porcelain

A fine blue and white ware produced in China.

Sahara Desert

A large desert in northern Africa that makes farming nearly impossible.

Samarkand

A city located in modern-day Uzbekistan, a stopping point on the Silk Roads.

Siege Weapons

Portable towers and catapults used in warfare.

Soil Erosion

Overuse of farmland and deforestation leading to reduced agricultural production.

Songhai Kingdom

Islamic empire established in the 1400s after the decline of the Mali Empire.

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty from 906-1279, preceding the Yuan Dynasty.

The Spice Islands

Islands in modern-day Malaysia and Indonesia known for spice exports.

Stern Rudders

Invented by the Chinese to improve ship steering.

Sundiata

Mali's founding ruler who controlled the gold trade routes.

Sultanate of Malacca

Powerful Islamic kingdom that peaked in the mid-1400s.

Swahili City States

Thriving city-states along the east coast of Africa, created by Indian Ocean trade.

Timbuktu

A renowned center for Islamic learning and wealth.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade routes across the Sahara; key for gold and salt trade.

Tumen

A military unit of about 10,000 soldiers forming the backbone of the Mongol military.

Uyghur Script

System of writing adopted by Genghis Khan for the Mongol Empire.

White Lotus Society

A secret society organizing to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty.

Yuan Dynasty

Established by Kublai Khan in 1271, known for religious toleration.

Zheng He

A Muslim admiral who led seven great voyages through the Indian Ocean.

Zhu Yuanzhang

Buddhist monk who led the revolt against the Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty.