Unit 2.3: Indian Ocean Trade and Ming China Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on key historical terms, entities, and concepts regarding Indian Ocean Trade, Ming China's Great Treasure Fleet, the Sultanate of Malacca, and the Swahili Coast.

Ming Empire

The Chinese kingdom that came into power after the defeat of the Mongol Yuan Empire.

Emperor Yongle

The Ming emperor who broke from China's isolationist policy in 1405 by commissioning a massive fleet of 317 ships to establish maritime trade and peace treaties.

Great Treasure Fleet

A fleet of 317 Chinese ships sent across the Pacific and Indian Oceans from 1405 to 1433 to combat pirates, form diplomatic alliances, and create trade networks.

Admiral Zheng He

The admiral who commanded the Great Treasure Fleet across 7 voyages over 28 years, helping make China one of the most recognized nations in the world by 1422.

Sultanate of Malacca

A Southeast Asian kingdom formed in the late 14th century that replaced Srivijaya, was controlled by wealthy Arab merchants, and served as a center for the diffusion of Islam.

Entrepot

A middle-distance trade site for merchants, represented by strategic locations like the Strait of Malacca connecting China, India, the Middle East, and the Spice Islands.

Gujarat merchants

Merchants from western India who served as vital middlemen between Asian spice producers in Malacca and Italian merchants trading throughout Europe.

Middlemen

Traders, such as the Gujarati, who buy products from original supply hubs and resell them to merchants in other regional markets.

City States of the Swahili Coast

East African coastal urban trading centers that exchanged gold and ivory for luxury imports like silk with Indian Ocean traders.

Monsoons

Seasonal winds across the Indian Ocean that shift direction twice a year, enabling sailors to travel to East Africa during winter dry monsoons and return to Asia six months later during wet monsoons.

Swahili

A trade language that developed along the East African coast by blending Arabic, Persian, and Hindi languages with local Bantu languages and dialects.

NeoConfucianism

The official religion eventually adopted by the Ming Dynasty after transitioning from an initial period of religious openness following the fall of the Yuan Empire.