Unit 2: Networks of Exchange 1200 CE - 1450 CE HEIMLER REVIEW GUIDE

Flashcards for vocabulary review

Trade Routes

Another way of saying 'networks of exchange'.

What changed c. 1200-c. 1450 when looking at trade routes in general?

They expanded, leading to further connections among states in Afro-Eurasia due to new trade technology and commercial practices, leading to the growth of various states and cities.

What were the main trade goods found on the Silk Road and why?

Luxury goods like Chinese silk and porcelain because it was an expensive and difficult journey, so they only wanted to sell goods that would make a big profit.

What was the impact of increased trade on the Silk Road?

Increased demand led to increased production of goods. For example, in China, some farmers scaled back on food production to make more luxury goods to sell.

Caravanserai

Inns or guesthouses on the Silk Road a day’s travel apart for merchants. They kept goods and merchants safe & allowed for cross-cultural interactions.

Money Economy

The development of a money economy, like the use of paper money in China which made carrying cash easier.

Flying Cash/Money System

Made it easier to deposit money in one place and withdraw the same amount in another place.

Banking Houses

Developed to help manage credit through bills of exchange.

Bills of exchange

Were like checks.

Kashgar

Located where two major routes of the Silk Roads came together, and as more merchants stopped there Kashgar grew richer and more powerful.

Monsoon winds

They blew in one direction or the other at predictable times of the year.

Technological Innovations

Improvements of the magnetic compass so merchants knew what direction they were going and to the astrolabe that helped sailors to know what latitude they were at.

Chinese Junks

Had big cargo holds.

Main trade goods found on the Indian Ocean

Bulk items were traded along trade routes like textiles and spices because the hull of a ship can hold a lot of cargo.

How did Indian Ocean trade lead to the growth of cities and states?

By becoming important ports for trade and becoming linked to Dar al-Islam, many cities grew. For example, the Swahili City-States on the east coast of Africa.

Diasporic Merchant Communities

Were established in many places like East Africa. Arab and Persian merchants created communities there and married African women. This led to the spread of Islam and the development of the Swahili language (a mix of Bantu & Arabic words).

Zheng He

A sailor sent by the Ming Dynasty to bring more states into China’s tributary system. This led to a number of transfers of technology and culture, for example navigation tools and ship building methods spread to places he visited.

Camel Saddles

Were improved to carry larger cargo loads across the desert.

The Empire of Mali

Grew very rich through its connections to Dar al-Islam, the gold trade, and taxing trade routes in West Africa.

Mansa Musa

Monopolized trade routes making Mali grow very rich and leading to expanded trade networks.

Buddhism

Spread from South Asia to China on the Silk Road through merchants and missionaries.

The works of ancient Greece and Rome

Were translated into Arabic in Baghdad’s House of Wisdom and later transferred back to Europe helping to spur the Renaissance.

Gunpowder

Traveled from China all the way west by Muslims and Mongols.

Hangzhou

Because of its location at the end of the Grand Canal it grew wealthy and urbanized.

Baghdad

Fell in 1258 when it was destroyed by the Mongols.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim scholar from Morocco who traveled for 30 years all over Dar al-Islam writing about the different cultures he saw. His account gave scholars a first hand account of what life was like in this time period.

Champa Rice

Came to China via the tribute system leading to population growth.

Bubonic Plague

Traveled from China all along the Silk Road to the Middle East and Europe killing huge numbers of people.

The Mongols

Their huge empire facilitated the connections discussed in this unit.

The Mongol Empire

Created the largest land-based empire of all time.

Pax Mongolica

Encouraged trade by paying high prices for goods from other countries and kept the Silk Road safe

Khanates

Were created by the Mongols for their own written language using the Uyghur script from Central Asia.