AP World History Unit 2

The Silk Roads

A network of overland trade routes connecting East Asia to the Mediterranean. It specialized in luxury goods (silk, porcelain) and facilitated the spread of Buddhism and the Bubonic Plague.

Trans- Saharan Trade (Sand Roads)

Trade routes across the Sahara Desert linking West Africa with the Mediterranean and Middle East. This network was made possible by the camel saddle and centered on the Gold-Salt trade.

Indian Ocean Trade (Sea Roads)

The world's largest sea-based system of communication and exchange before 1500. It relied on Monsoon Winds and traded bulk goods (textiles, spices) rather than just luxury items.

Bills of Exchange

A written order (like a check) that allowed a merchant to receive money in one city by presenting a document issued in another. This reduced the danger of carrying coins over long distances.

Banking Houses

Precursors to modern banks located along trade routes. They allowed merchants to deposit money, exchange currencies, and secure credit, fueling the growth of interregional trade.

Credit

An agreement where a purchaser receives items now and pays later. This financial innovation increased the volume of trade by allowing merchants to operate beyond their immediate cash flow.

Flying Currency

A Song Dynasty innovation where paper money replaced heavy copper coins. It earned its name because it "flew" (was easily carried) and represents the start of government-issued paper money.

Diasporic Trade Community

Groups of merchants who lived in foreign lands to facilitate trade (e.g., Arab/East African merchants in India). They introduced their own cultural traditions into the indigenous culture.

Caravanserai

Roadside inns along the Silk Roads and Trans-Saharan routes where travelers could rest and feed their animals. They became centers for cultural exchange and the spread of ideas (and disease).

The Mongols

Central Asian nomads who created the largest contiguous land empire in history. Their rule initiated the Pax Mongolica, which protected trade and allowed for unprecedented global exchange.

Khanates

The four regional Mongol kingdoms that emerged after Genghis Khan's death: the Golden Horde, the Il-Khanate, the Chagatai Khanate, and the Yuan Dynasty.

Yuan Dynasty

(1271–1368) The Mongol dynasty in China established by Kublai Khan. They dismantled the Civil Service Exam initially but utilized Chinese bureaucracy to rule effectively.

Il- Khanate of Persia

The Mongol state in the Middle East. Unlike the Yuan, the Mongols here converted to Islam and largely assimilated into Persian culture and administration.

Golden Horde

The Mongol khanate in Russia. They ruled indirectly by demanding tribute from Russian princes, which led to the rise of Moscow and kept Russia culturally isolated from Western Europe.

Spread of Technology (Mongols)

The Mongols facilitated the transfer of gunpowder and printing from China to the West, which later revolutionized European warfare and literacy.

Spread of Disease (Mongols)

Through the protection of trade routes and the movement of troops, the Mongols inadvertently spread the Bubonic Plague from Central Asia to Europe and China.

Spread of Culture (Mongols)

The Mongols practiced religious tolerance and forcibly relocated skilled artisans/scholars across their empire, leading to a "global" exchange of Islamic mathematics and Chinese medicine.

Swahili City- States

Commercial centers along the East African coast (e.g., Kilwa) that grew wealthy from Indian Ocean trade. They blended African Bantu and Islamic cultures, creating the Swahili language.

Sultanate of Malacca

A powerful maritime state in Southeast Asia that controlled the Strait of Malacca. It became a center for the spread of Islam and a vital "choke point" for global trade.

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal wind patterns in the Indian Ocean. Merchants used them to time their voyages: blowing Northeast in winter and Southwest in summer. This knowledge was essential for maritime trade.

Stern- Post Rudder

A Chinese invention that allowed for better steering and maneuverability of large ships in rough waters, essential for long-distance Indian Ocean voyages.

Lateen Sail

A triangular sail developed by Arab merchants that allowed ships to sail against the wind. This was a crucial technological requirement for the Indian Ocean trade.

Magnetic Compass

A Chinese invention using magnetism to determine direction. It allowed mariners to navigate even when the stars were hidden by clouds, increasing the safety of sea travel.

Astrolabe

An instrument improved by Muslim scholars used to determine latitude by measuring the position of the stars. It allowed for more precise navigation at sea.

Zheng He

A Ming Dynasty admiral who led seven massive naval expeditions in the Indian Ocean. His goal was to display Chinese prestige and collect tribute, not to conquer or colonize.

Camel Saddle

A technological innovation that allowed camels to carry heavy loads (up to 600 lbs). This was the "engine" that drove the Trans-Saharan trade.

Caravans

Groups of merchants traveling together for safety, often numbering in the thousands. This was the primary method for crossing the Silk Roads and the Sahara Desert.

Ghana

(c. 700–1200) The first great West African empire. It grew wealthy by taxing the trade of gold and salt passing through its territory.

Mali

The empire that succeeded Ghana. It became a center of Islamic learning (Timbuktu) and dominated the gold trade under leaders like Mansa Musa.

Songhai

The largest of the West African empires. It replaced Mali in the 15th century and maintained power through a strong military and control of the Trans-Saharan trade routes.

Gold- Salt Trade

The economic backbone of West African empires. Gold from West Africa was traded for salt from the Sahara (essential for food preservation), connecting Africa to the global economy.

Mansa Musa

The ruler of Mali known for his pilgrimage to Mecca, during which he distributed so much gold that he caused inflation in Cairo. He put Mali "on the map" for Europeans.

Ibn Battuta

A Moroccan scholar who traveled over 75,000 miles across the Islamic world. His journals provide historians with detailed accounts of 14th-century Afro-Eurasian cultures.

Marco Polo

An Italian merchant who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan. His book about the riches of the East inspired European interest in finding direct sea routes to Asia.

Spread of Gunpowder

Originally a Chinese invention used for fireworks, it was spread by the Mongols to the Middle East and Europe, eventually ending the era of walled cities and knights.

Spread of Paper

A Chinese technology that spread to the Islamic world (Battle of Talas) and then to Europe. It lowered the cost of books and increased literacy and record-keeping.

Bubonic Plague

A massive pandemic (1347–1351) that killed 30–60% of Europe's population. It traveled along trade routes and led to the decline of serfdom due to labor shortages.

Kashgar

A central oasis city on the Silk Road in western China where the northern and southern routes crossed. It became a vital trading post and a center of Islamic scholarship as the Silk Road flourished under the Mongols.

Samarkand

An essential Silk Road city in modern-day Uzbekistan. Known for its Islamic architecture and its role as a point of exchange between China, India, and Persia. It was later the capital of Tamerlane's empire.

The Sogdians

Central Asian merchants from the region around Samarkand who acted as the primary "middlemen" of the Silk Road. They were instrumental in spreading Buddhism and Manichaeism across Eurasia.

Oasis

A fertile spot in a desert where water is found. Along the Silk Road and Trans-Saharan routes, these became critical stopping points that grew into major urban commercial centers like Kashgar and Samarkand.

Chagatai Khanate

The Mongol khanate in Central Asia (modern-day Uzbekistan/Afghanistan). It served as the central link between the Yuan Dynasty and the Il-Khanate, maintaining the security of the Silk Road.

Uyghur Script

The writing system adopted by Genghis Khan to record Mongol laws and history. This represents a significant cultural transfer where the Mongols utilized the literacy of conquered Central Asian people to manage their empire.

Mongol Ortogh System

A state-sponsored merchant association. The Mongol elite provided capital (loans) to merchants to fund trade expeditions, reducing the risk for individual traders and boosting the volume of interregional commerce.

Geregee

A "passport" or tablet (often gold or silver) carried by Mongol officials and important merchants. It granted the holder safe passage and access to resources across the entire Mongol Empire.

Mongol Yam System

The massive Mongol postal and communication network. It featured relay stations with fresh horses every few miles, allowing messages to travel from China to Europe with incredible speed.

Gujarat

A wealthy region in Western India that became a major manufacturing and commercial hub for the Indian Ocean trade. It was famous for its cotton textiles and attracted merchants from all over the world.

Margery Kempe

An English mystic who dictated The Book of Margery Kempe, the first autobiography in English. Her extensive travels to Jerusalem, Rome, and Germany provide a unique Western perspective on 15th-century travel and religion.

Champa Rice (Population Effect)

A drought-resistant, fast-ripening rice from Vietnam. Its introduction to China led to a population explosion, as it allowed for two harvests per year and the cultivation of previously unusable land.

Bananas (Population Effect)

Introduced to the Swahili Coast and Sub-Saharan Africa by Indonesian seafarers. This nutrient-rich crop allowed for significant population growth and migration, as it grew in regions where traditional yams did not thrive.

Citrus (Population Effect)

Spread by Muslim merchants across the Mediterranean. The introduction of these fruits improved nutrition and diversified the diets of people in Southern Europe and North Africa, supporting urban growth.

Battle of Ain Jalut

(1260) A decisive battle where the Egyptian Mamluks defeated the Mongols in Palestine. This was the first time a Mongol advance was permanently halted, preventing the conquest of Egypt and North Africa.