Historical Trade Networks and Global Interactions

Vocabulary flashcards covering overland and maritime trade networks, key cultural developments, state formations, and major historical figures across Afro-Eurasia.

Silk Roads network

Overland trade routes connecting East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Caravanserai

A roadside inn where merchants and caravans could rest.

Money economy

An economy where money is widely used for buying, selling, and trade.

Indian Ocean trade network

A major maritime network linking East Africa, Arabia, India, and Southeast Asia.

Monsoon winds

Predictable winds that powered sailing in the Indian Ocean.

Dhows

Sailing ships commonly used in Indian Ocean trade.

Diasporic communities

Merchant communities living outside their homeland while keeping their culture.

Swahili

A language that developed from African and Arabic cultural interaction.

Great Zimbabwe

An African society known for trading with Indian Ocean coastal cities, especially in gold.

Kilwa

A major East African Indian Ocean trading city.

Trans-Saharan trade network

Trade routes crossing the Sahara Desert between West Africa and North Africa.

Mali

A empire famous for its wealth from gold and its role in Trans-Saharan trade.

Timbuktu

A major West African center of trade, learning, and Islamic culture.

Mansa Musa

A wealthy Mali ruler famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca.

Bantu migrations

African migrations that spread languages, farming, ironworking, and agricultural techniques.

Ethiopia

A major Christian state that remained in East Africa.

Griots

Oral historians and storytellers who preserved cultural knowledge through storytelling.

Yuan Dynasty

The dynasty in China established by the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan.

Kublai Khan

Mongol ruler who established the Yuan Dynasty in China.

Zheng He

A Chinese admiral who led major voyages across the Indian Ocean to expand Chinese influence and strengthen trade and diplomatic ties.

Marco Polo

A European traveler who described his experiences in Yuan China.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim traveler who journeyed widely across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Black Death

A disease originating in Central/East Asia that spread along trade routes, causing massive population decline, economic disruption, labor shortages, and killing roughly $30\text{--}50\text{\%}$ of Europe's population.