The Silk Roads and Historical Transformations

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and important figures from the lecture notes on the Silk Roads and historical developments.

The Silk Roads

A network of ancient trade routes that allowed the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures across Asia and beyond.

Chang’an

The starting point of the Silk Roads, located in China, historically significant as a major trading city.

Mansa Musa

The ruler of the Mali Empire from 1307–1332, known for his wealth and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade routes across the Sahara Desert that connected West Africa with North Africa, primarily trading gold, salt, and enslaved people.

Mamluks

Originally enslaved Turkish soldiers who established their own dynasty in Egypt, becoming a major cultural center.

Salt

A valuable commodity widely traded in Africa, often used with gold at equal value.

Askia Muhammad

Ruler of the Songhai Empire who took power in 1493, expanded trade and organized the government.

Quipu

Knotted strings used by the Inca civilization to record numbers and information.

Feudalism

A political and economic system organized by loyalty and land ownership, involving kings, lords, knights, and peasants.

Renaissance

A cultural rebirth focused on art, learning, and classical ideas from ancient Greece and Rome.

Humanism

An intellectual movement that emphasized human potential, individual achievement, and the study of classical texts.

Mongol Empire

The largest land empire in history, founded by Genghis Khan, known for its vast territorial conquests.

Ottoman Empire

A powerful empire founded by Turkic nomads, marked by the conquest of Constantinople and the establishment of Istanbul.

The Silk Roads

A network of ancient trade routes that allowed the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures across Asia and beyond.

Chang’an

The starting point of the Silk Roads, located in China, historically significant as a major trading city.

Mansa Musa

The ruler of the Mali Empire from 1307–1332, known for his wealth and pilgrimage to Mecca.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade routes across the Sahara Desert that connected West Africa with North Africa, primarily trading gold, salt, and enslaved people.

Mamluks

Originally enslaved Turkish soldiers who established their own dynasty in Egypt, becoming a major cultural center.

Salt

A valuable commodity widely traded in Africa, often used with gold at equal value.

Askia Muhammad

Ruler of the Songhai Empire who took power in 1493, expanded trade and organized the government.

Quipu

Knotted strings used by the Inca civilization to record numbers and information.

Feudalism

A political and economic system organized by loyalty and land ownership, involving kings, lords, knights, and peasants.

Renaissance

A cultural rebirth focused on art, learning, and classical ideas from ancient Greece and Rome.

Humanism

An intellectual movement that emphasized human potential, individual achievement, and the study of classical texts.

Mongol Empire

The largest land empire in history, founded by Genghis Khan, known for its vast territorial conquests.

Ottoman Empire

A powerful empire founded by Turkic nomads, marked by the conquest of Constantinople and the establishment of Istanbul.

Key goods traded along the Silk Roads

Silk, spices, porcelain, precious metals, textiles, and ideas like Buddhism and Islam.

Cultural exchanges along the Silk Roads

The spread of religions (Buddhism, Islam), technologies (paper, gunpowder), and artistic styles.

Other essential goods in Trans-Saharan Trade

Kola nuts, cloth, weapons, and enslaved people from West Africa; textiles, ceramics, and horses from North Africa.

Primary source of Mansa Musa's wealth

The vast gold mines of the Mali Empire.

Origin region of Mamluk soldiers

Primarily from Turkic peoples of Central Asia and the Caucuses.

Genghis Khan

The founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, who united the Mongol tribes.

Pax Mongolica

A period of relative peace and stability across much of Eurasia under the Mongol Empire, facilitating trade and cultural exchange.

Significance of Ottoman conquest of Constantinople (1453)

It marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and became the new capital of the Ottoman Empire, renamed Istanbul.

Major impact of the Renaissance

It led to significant advancements in art, science, and literature, fostering a new worldview emphasizing human reason and individualism.

Social hierarchy within the feudal system

Kings at the top, followed by powerful lords (nobles), knights (vassals who served lords), and peasants/serfs at the bottom.

Central focus of humanism during the Renaissance

An emphasis on human agency, classical studies, and the belief that humans are capable of great achievements.

Specific information recorded by Inca using quipu

Census data, tribute records, historical accounts, and astronomical observations.