AP World History Unit 2: Networks of Exchange

Vocabulary flashcards covering the major trade networks, technological innovations, state growth, cultural and environmental transfers, and the Mongol Empire for AP World History Unit 2.

Silk Roads

A prominent overland trade network spanning across Eurasia from China to Europe and Central Asia to Southwest Asia, focusing primarily on luxury goods such as Chinese silk and porcelain while spreading Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, and Islam.

Indian Ocean Network

A maritime trade route connecting East Asia to East Africa that transported both bulk common goods (textiles and spices) and luxury items, utilizing monsoon winds and navigational tools while spreading Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity.

Trans-Saharan Trade Network

A trade network connecting North Africa to Sub-Saharan Africa that relied on camel saddles to transport commodities like horses, salt, gold, and slaves, while facilitating the spread of Islam.

Caravanserai

Inns or rest areas spaced along trade routes like the Silk Road that provided safety and rest for travelers, encouraged cultural exchange, but also facilitated the spread of disease.

Kashgar

A major Silk Road trade city that expanded due to its strategic location at the convergence of key trade routes and its proximity to a river.

Astrolabe

A navigational aid used by ocean mariners to measure the position of stars to determine latitude and longitude.

Chinese Junk

A large ship design developed in China that allowed for the transportation of substantial quantities of bulk goods across maritime routes.

Swahili City-States

East African coastal trading cities that grew wealthy as commercial brokers for inland African goods and whose conversion to Islam brought about the birth of the Swahili language.

Mali Empire

A major Sub-Saharan empire that acquired immense wealth through the gold trade and taxation along Trans-Saharan routes, particularly under the rule of Mansa Musa.

Timbuktu

A major trading city in Mali whose primary function was trade, leading to the secondary consequence of diverse peoples exchanging cultural goods.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening crop strain introduced to China that caused an agricultural surplus and a major population explosion.

Bubonic Plague (Black Death)

A devastating pandemic spread along trade routes, caravanserai, and ships via fleas on rats that killed half of Europe's population, leading to labor shortages, wage negotiations, and alterations in feudalism.

Mongol Empire

The largest land-based empire in history, established in 1209 under Chinggis Khan, extending from China to the West and connecting vast areas of Eurasia.

Chinggis Khan

The leader who unified the Mongol tribes and established the Mongol Empire in 1209, expanding territory from China to the West.

Peace of the Mongols (Pax Mongolica)

A period of Mongol-enforced stability across Afro-Eurasia that provided security for trade and fostered communication and cultural exchanges, but also accelerated the spread of the Black Death.

Uighur Script

An adapted script adopted by the Mongol Empire to serve governance, diplomatic communication, and administrative tasks.

Overgrazing in Zimbabwe

Environmental degradation caused by excessive livestock grazing that eventually forced the abandonment of Great Zimbabwe.

Zen Buddhism

A syncretic variant of Buddhism spread along trade routes that became widely embraced in East Asia.

Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta

Prominent historical travelers whose journeys and writings opened up geographic knowledge and cultural awareness of far-reaching lands across Afro-Eurasia.

Bill of Exchange

A commercial credit innovation that spread to Europe, facilitating safer long-distance trade transactions without carrying cash.

Bananas and Yams

Agricultural food crops whose introduction into new regions enabled population growth and human migration, including into areas where yams could not grow.

Major Trading Cities of Unit 2

Key urban centers that flourished due to expanding exchange networks, including Chang'an in China, Calicut in India, Srivijaya in Southeast Asia, and Timbuktu in Mali.