Ap world Unit 2 vocab

Commercial Practices

Methods and systems used in conducting trade and business, including standardized trading procedures and financial mechanisms that facilitated exchange.

Caravanserai

A roadside inn or fortified trading post that provided shelter and facilities for merchants and traders traveling along trade routes.

Bills of Exchange

Financial instruments that allowed merchants to transfer money across distances without physically transporting currency, facilitating long-distance trade.

Banking Houses

Commercial institutions that provided financial services including money lending, currency exchange, and credit to merchants engaged in trade.

Money Economies

Economic systems based on the use of currency and monetary exchange rather than barter, which expanded trade capabilities.

Paper Money

Currency made from paper rather than metal, used in money economies to facilitate trade and commerce.

Luxury Goods

High-value, non-essential commodities such as textiles, porcelains, spices, and precious items that were highly desired and traded across long distances.

Trading Cities

Urban centers that grew wealthy and powerful through their role as hubs for commercial exchange and merchant activity (e.g., Kashgar, Samarkand).

Textiles

Woven fabrics and cloth produced by Chinese, Persian, and Indian artisans for export through trade networks.

Porcelains

Fine ceramic goods produced primarily by Chinese artisans and exported as luxury items through trade networks.

Iron and Steel

Metals whose manufacture expanded in China during this period, reflecting increased productive capacity and trade demand.

Interregional Trade

Commercial exchange of goods across vast geographic distances, connecting multiple continents and regions during the early modern period.

Networks of Exchange

Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450.

Trade Routes

Established pathways—both maritime and overland—along which merchants transported goods, ideas, and cultural practices between regions.

Forms of Credit

Financial instruments and practices, such as letters of credit, that facilitated long-distance trade by allowing merchants to conduct transactions without physically transporting large amounts of currency.

Pax Mongolica

The period of stability and relative peace across Mongol-controlled territories that significantly lowered risks for long-distance travelers and boosted trade on the Silk Roads.

Sogdian Merchants

A key intermediary group who organized trade routes, acted as cultural and commercial brokers, and spread information and credit practices along the Silk Roads.

Genghis Khan

The founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, who united the Mongol tribes in 1206.

Khan

A ruler or leader of a Mongol tribe or khanate.

Khanates

The regional divisions of the Mongol Empire, each ruled by a khan and representing distinct territorial and political units.

Kublai Khan

A grandson of Chinggis Khan who established the Yuan Dynasty in China.

Yuan Dynasty

The Mongol-led dynasty in China, established by Kublai Khan.

Ming Dynasty

The Chinese dynasty that overthrew Mongol rule in 1368 and went on to rule China.

Zhu Yuanzhang

The founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, a peasant leader who rose to power after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty.

Golden Horde

The Mongol khanate that controlled Russia and parts of Eastern Europe, established by Batu Khan.

Il-khanate

The Mongol khanate that ruled over Persia (modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and parts of Turkey).

Overgrazing

The practice of allowing too many animals to graze on land, which removes vegetation and leads to soil erosion and desertification.

Deforestation

The clearing of forests for agriculture, fuel, or construction.

Soil Erosion

The wearing away of topsoil by wind or water, often caused by deforestation, overgrazing, and intensive farming.

Sugar

A crop that was cultivated on large plantations, often using slave labor.

Bubonic Plague

A devastating epidemic disease, also known as the Black Death, that spread through trade routes and caused massive population loss across Afro-Eurasia during the 14th century.

Monsoon Winds

The predictable movements of ocean winds and water currents that facilitated efficient maritime routes for ships.

Zheng He

A Ming admiral who led seven massive naval expeditions (1405-1433) with fleets of hundreds of ships.

Astrolabe

An astronomical instrument used for navigation and determining latitude by measuring the position of celestial bodies.

Calicut

A key trading city in southern India that dominated the spice trade with the Middle East.

Lateen Sails

A type of sail that improved ship speed and maneuverability.

Stern Rudder

A steering device mounted on the stern (rear) of a ship that made steering more precise and reliable.

Indian Ocean Trading Network

The interconnected system of maritime trade routes and commercial connections centered on the Indian Ocean.

Spice Islands

The Maluku Islands in Indonesia, the world's only source of valuable spices like clove and nutmeg.

Indian Ocean Slave Trade

The trade of enslaved people from East African Swahili coastal cities to various destinations across the Indian Ocean world.

Diasporic Communities

Groups of merchants and settlers from one region who established themselves in distant locations along trade routes.

Swahili

A Bantu language and culture from East Africa, shaped by centuries of trade and interaction.

Camel Saddle

A specialized equipment designed to carry cargo on camels, enabling more efficient transport of goods across desert trade routes.

Caravans

Organized groups of merchants and pack animals traveling together along trade routes for protection and efficiency.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade networks and commercial routes that crossed the Sahara Desert.

Sundiata

The founder of the Mali Empire who united the Malinke people.

Mansa Musa

The ruler of Mali who led a famous pilgrimage to Mecca.

Songhai Kingdom

The largest West African state of the fifteenth century, founded by Sunni Ali.

Timbuktu

A city on the Niger River that became a major center of trans-Saharan trade.

Mecca

The birthplace of Muhammad and the destination of the Islamic pilgrimage (hajj).

Sahara Desert

The largest hot desert in the world, covering most of North Africa.

Oases

Fertile, well-watered spots in the desert that serve as resting places for caravans.

Arabian Desert

The largest desert in Asia, occupying almost the entire Arabian Peninsula.

Marco Polo

An Italian traveler from Venice who visited Kublai Khan's court in the late 13th century.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim scholar from Morocco who traveled extensively through Muslim lands.

Margery Kempe

An English mystic who wrote a book about her pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, Germany, and Spain.

Hangzhou

A city in China that prospered due to political stability, commerce, safe transportation, and increased agricultural output.

Samarkand

A key trade route city in Uzbekistan and a center of Islamic scholarship and trade.

Kashgar

A key trade route city in China and a center of Islamic scholarship and trade.

Constantinople

A major city that declined due to political instability, disease, and agricultural reduction.

lateen sail

A seafaring technology that improved navigation by allowing ships to sail against the wind.

stern rudder

A seafaring technology that improved steering and maneuverability of ships.

astrolabe

A seafaring technology that allowed sailors to determine latitude by measuring the position of the sun or stars.

magnetic compass

A seafaring technology that allowed sailors to determine direction even when clouds obscured the sun or stars.

Champa rice

A fast-ripening and drought-resistant strain of rice from Vietnam that was introduced to China.

bananas

A crop that originated in Southeast Asia and spread to Africa via Indian Ocean trade routes.

citrus crops

Fruits such as lemons, oranges, and limes that spread from their origins in Southeast Asia and China to the Middle East and Europe.