ap world history unit 2 + 1.4-1.5 vocab

junk

the chinese junk, also developed in the han dynasty, was a boat similar to the southwest asian “dhow.” it had multiple sails and was as long as 400 feet—at least triple the size of the typical western european ship of its time. the hull of a junk was divided into compartments. the walls making these divisions strengthened the ship for rough voyages at sea and made sinking less likely.

caravanserai

once the routes of the silk roads became stabilized, inns known as caravanserai sprang up, often about 100 miles apart. that distance is how far camels could travel before they needed water. at the caravanserai, travelers could rest both themselves and their animals and sometimes trade their animals for fresh ones. the word caravanserai derives from the persian words for caravan and palace.

flying cash

however, the copper coins they used became too unwieldy to transport for everyday transactions, so the government developed a system known as flying cash. this allowed a merchant to deposit paper money under his name in one location and withdraw the same amount at another location.

bill of exchange

at a banking house, a person could present a bill of exchange—a document stating the holder was legally promised payment of a set amount on a set date— and receive that amount of money in exchange.

mongol khanates

king/territory ruled by a mongolian khan

golden horde

batu’s army, which came to be known as the golden horde, marched westward, conquering the small russian kingdoms and forcing them to pay tributes.

genghis khan

in 1206, temujin gathered the mongol chieftains at a meeting called a kuriltai where he was elected khan of the mongolian kingdom. he took the name genghis khan, or “ruler of all.”

pax mongolica

the period of eurasian history between the 13th-14th centuries is often called the pax mongolica, or mongolian peace.

yuan dynasty

adhering closer to chinese tradition, rather than enforcing the mongolian practices of leadership and control, kublai khan established the yuan dynasty.

monsoon winds

knowledge of monsoon winds was essential for trading in the indian ocean. in the winter months, winds organized from the northeast, while in the spring and summer they blew from the southwest. thus, merchants had to time their voyages carefully, often remaining in port cities for months at a time, depending on when favorable winds would come their way.

astrolabe

the astrolabe, improved by muslim navigators in the 12th century allowed sailors to determine how far north or south they were from the equator

diasporic communities

settlements of people away from their homeland are known as a diaspora. in these communities, settlers introduced their own cultural traditions into the indigenous cultures. those culture, in turn, influenced the culture of the merchants. diasporas arose through trade in many parts of the world.

swahili city-states

the indian ocean trade also created thriving city-states along the easy coast of africa, sometimes known as the swahili city-states.

zheng he

the voyages of muslim admiral, zheng he reflect this transfer, as well as the conflicts it sometimes generated. in 1405, the ming emperor yongle sent zheng he on the first of seven great voyages.

camel saddles

as the use of the camel spread, people developed as many as 15 types of camel saddles for different purposes.

caravans

(NOT AMSCO DEFINITION) a caravan is a group of merchants, pilgrims, or travelers journeying together, usually for mutual protection in deserts or other hostile regions.

mansa musa

in the 14th century, sundiata’s grand-nephew, mansa musa, brought more fame to the region. however mansa musa was better known for his religious leadership than for his political or economic acumen. his hajj pilgrimage displayed mali’s wealth to the outside world.

swahili

“swahili” which literally means “coasters,” referred to the inhabitants of bustling commercial centers. the language is a mixture of arabic and bantu.

bubonic plague

the mongol conquest helped to transmit the fleas that carried the bubonic plague, termed the black death, from southern china to central asia, and from there to southeast asia and europe. it followed familiar paths of trade and military conquest.

marco polo

in the late 13th century, marco polo, and italian native from venice, visited the court of kublai khan. chinese cities impressed polo. after polo returned to italy in 1295, he wrote a book about his travels.

ibn battuta

he was just 21 years old, ibn battuta, a muslim scholar from morocco, set out to see the world he read about. over 30 years, ibn battuta traveled through central asia, southeast asia, south asia, china, spain, north africa, and mali, mainly to muslim lands. his book “a gift to those who contemplate the wonders of cities and the marvels of traveling” provides a wealth of detail about the places he visited and their cultures.

theocracy

aztec government was a theocracy, which is rule by religious leaders.

mit’a system

rather they (conquered people under the inca) were subject to the mit’a system, mandatory public service.

carpa nan

the incas were especially good builders of bridges and roads. using captive labor, they constructed a massive roadway system called the carpa nan, with some 25,000 miles of roads mainly used by the government and military. in a mountainous region, bridges were particularly important.