ap world

Astrolabe

Navigational tool that measures latitude using stars --- Improved maritime exploration in the Indian Ocean; shows how technology enabled long-distance trade and cultural exchange.

Banking Houses

Early financial institutions offering credit and currency services --- Made trade safer and more efficient; example of economic innovation supporting larger trade networks.

Bills of Exchange

Paper documents allowing merchants to transfer money without coins --- Reduced risk of carrying cash; shows commercial growth and trust systems in Afro-Eurasia.

Bubonic Plague

Pandemic spread via Silk Roads and Indian Ocean --- Revealed interconnectedness of societies; reshaped economies, labor systems, and weakened feudalism in Europe.

Calicut

Indian port city central to the spice trade --- Hub of Indian Ocean commerce; demonstrates cities prospering from maritime trade.

Caravans

Groups of merchants traveling together --- Provided safety across deserts; symbolized cooperation enabling Silk Road and Trans-Saharan trade.

Caravanserai

Roadside inns on trade routes --- Supported travelers with rest and supplies; hubs for cultural diffusion and economic activity.

Camel Saddle

Innovation improving camel transport efficiency --- Essential for Trans-Saharan trade; adapted to environment to expand networks.

Chagatai Khanate

Mongol-controlled Central Asian region --- Promoted trade and cultural blending across the Silk Road during Pax Mongolica.

Composite Bow

Powerful weapon used by Mongols --- Enabled conquest and control of trade routes; example of military tech shaping empire-building.

Constantinople

Major Eurasian trade city --- Crossroads between Europe and Asia; urban hub of commerce and cultural diffusion.

Flying Money

Chinese paper credit system --- Reduced need for coins; shows Song Dynasty's economic innovation spreading across trade routes.

Cultural Diffusion

Spread of beliefs, practices, and ideas across regions --- Core effect of networks of exchange; religions, art, and science spread widely.

Dhow Ships

Small, fast ships used in Indian Ocean trade --- Allowed long-distance maritime commerce; technology driving Afro-Eurasian connections.

Diasporic Communities

Merchant settlements abroad --- Spread culture and religion (especially Islam); examples of migration shaping global trade.

Genghis Khan

Founder of the Mongol Empire --- Unified steppe tribes; created largest land empire, enabling Pax Mongolica and expanded trade.

Ghana Empire

West African kingdom rich in gold and salt --- Controlled Trans-Saharan trade; shows environment and resources fueling wealth.

Gobi Desert

Desert in Central Asia along Silk Roads --- Natural barrier shaping trade routes; example of environment influencing exchange.

Golden Horde

Mongol khanate in Russia and Eastern Europe --- Brought Eastern Europe into Afro-Eurasian trade networks.

Goryeo Dynasty

Korean dynasty known for celadon pottery --- Spread Buddhism and technology in East Asia; regional culture contributing to global exchange.

Gujarat

Indian region key to textile and spice trade --- Major hub in Indian Ocean commerce; regional economies fueling globalization.

Hanseatic League

Trade alliance of Northern European cities --- Boosted commerce and security; regional cooperation in long-distance trade.

Ibn Battuta

Muslim traveler and scholar --- His writings document interconnectedness of the Islamic world and Afro-Eurasia.

Il-Khanate

Mongol state in Persia --- Blended Mongol and Persian traditions; example of cultural synthesis under Mongols.

Junk Ships

Large Chinese vessels with high cargo capacity --- Enhanced maritime trade; shows Chinese maritime innovation.

Kashgar

Major Silk Road city --- Key crossroads of trade and cultural exchange.

Kievan Rus'

Eastern European state trading with Byzantium and Islamic world --- Cross-cultural exchange between Slavic, Byzantine, and Islamic civilizations.

Kublai Khan

Mongol ruler of China; founder of Yuan Dynasty --- Integrated Mongol and Chinese traditions; example of governance and cultural blending.

Lateen Sail

Triangular sail --- Allowed ships to sail against the wind; key maritime innovation supporting Indian Ocean trade.

Magnetic Compass

Navigational tool from China --- Expanded maritime exploration; crucial technological diffusion across trade networks.

Malacca

Strategic port city in Southeast Asia --- Controlled strait trade; major hub in Indian Ocean exchange.

Marco Polo

Venetian explorer --- His writings sparked European interest in Asia; evidence of cultural exchange.

Money Economy

Currency-based trade system --- Enabled complex economies; example of economic innovation tied to global commerce.

Monsoons

Seasonal Indian Ocean wind patterns --- Allowed predictable trade; environment shaping exchange networks.

Pax Mongolica

Period of Mongol peace and stability --- Secured Silk Roads; encouraged commerce, communication, and cultural diffusion.

Samarkand

Silk Road city in Central Asia --- Intellectual and cultural hub; symbol of Silk Road prosperity.

Spice Islands

Southeast Asian islands producing valuable spices --- Attracted global traders; resources driving exchange.

Stern Rudder

Ship steering technology --- Improved maneuverability; example of innovation enabling maritime trade.

Tumen

Mongol military unit of 10,000 soldiers --- Ensured conquest and secured routes; linked military power to safe trade.

Silk Road

Network of Afro-Eurasian land trade routes --- Connected economies and spread goods, religions, and cultures.

Uyghur Script

Writing system under Mongol rule --- Improved communication across diverse cultures; linguistic unification.

White Lotus Society

Religious resistance movement in Yuan China --- Example of local resistance to Mongol rule and social unrest linked to trade disruption.

Yuan Dynasty

Mongol dynasty in China founded by Kublai Khan --- Promoted trade and cultural exchange while blending Mongol and Chinese traditions.

Al-Andalus

Muslim Spain --- Major center of learning and culture; cross-cultural interaction between Islam and Europe.

Justinian's Code

Byzantine law code --- Influenced trade practices and later legal systems; governance continuity across eras.

Overgrazing / Great Zimbabwe

Environmental decline forcing abandonment of city --- Shows human-environment interaction; trade disrupted by ecological strain.