AP World Vocabulary Unit 1

Silk Road

A network of trade routes linking China to the Mediterranean, spreading goods, culture, and religions like Buddhism and Islam.

Indian Ocean trade

A rich maritime trade web connecting East Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia using predictable monsoon winds.

Trans-Saharan trade

Desert trade routes connecting North Africa to West Africa, primarily trading Mediterranean goods for West African gold.

Baghdad (post-classical)

The capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and a major global center for science, learning, and trade.

Hanseatic League

A commercial alliance of trading towns in Northern Europe that dominated Baltic and North Sea trade.

Caravanserai

Roadside inns along trade routes where merchants and their animals could safely rest and trade.

Byzantine Empire

The eastern half of the Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople and known for Orthodox Christianity and Greek culture.

Vikings

Scandinavian raiders, traders, and explorers who impacted Europe and Russia through conquest and commerce.

Islam

A monotheistic religion founded by Muhammad in 7th-century Arabia, based on the Quran and the Five Pillars.

Abbasid caliphate

An Islamic empire (750–1258 CE) that presided over the Islamic Golden Age from its capital in Baghdad.

Horse collar

An invention that allowed horses to pull heavy loads and plows without choking, boosting farming efficiency.

Feudalism

A decentralized political system in medieval Europe and Japan based on land ownership, military service, and loyalty.

Caesaropapism

A system where a single political ruler also holds supreme religious authority (like the Byzantine emperor).

Dar-al-Islam

The "Abode of Islam," referring to all lands under Muslim rule where Islam could be freely practiced.

Silk

A luxury Chinese fabric that acted as a major currency and drove long-distance Eurasian trade.

Muhammad

The prophet and founder of Islam, believed by Muslims to be God's final messenger.

Lateen sail

A triangular sail that allowed ships to sail against the wind, revolutionizing maritime travel.

Monsoon winds

Seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean that blew predictably back and forth, allowing merchants to plan safe sailing schedules.

Al-Andalus

Muslim-ruled Spain, famous for its cultural brilliance, scientific advancement, and religious tolerance.

Swahili

An East African culture and Bantu-Arabic language that grew out of Indian Ocean trade.

Marco Polo

A Venetian merchant whose popular travel book sparked European interest in Asian wealth and technology.

Ibn Battuta

A Moroccan scholar and traveler who journeyed across the Islamic world and wrote detailed accounts of its diverse societies.

The Black Death

A devastating 14th-century plague pandemic that wiped out large portions of Eurasia's population.

Tributary relationships

A Chinese system where foreign states sent gifts of acknowledgment to China in exchange for trade rights and protection.

Footbinding

A painful Chinese elite practice that restricted women's foot growth to meet beauty standards and reinforce patriarchy.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival of Confucianism during the Song era that blended traditional Chinese values with Buddhist and Daoist ideas.

The Mongols

Nomadic Central Asian pastoralists who created the largest contiguous land empire in history under Genghis Khan.

Song Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty (960–1279 CE) marked by massive economic growth, urbanization, and inventions like gunpowder.

Yuan Dynasty

The Mongol dynasty in China (1271–1368 CE) founded by Kublai Khan that boosted international trade.

Gunpowder

Invented in China for fireworks, it spread via trade and the Mongols to revolutionize global warfare.

Confucianism

A Chinese philosophy emphasizing morality, social order, filial piety, and respect for authority.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophy focused on living simply and in harmony with nature and the universe.

Delhi sultanates

A series of Islamic kingdoms that ruled northern India from 1206 to 1526, introducing Islamic culture to the region.

Srivijaya Empire

A wealthy Southeast Asian maritime empire that controlled the crucial Strait of Malacca trade route.

Mali Empire

A powerful West African empire famous for its gold wealth, Islamic scholarship, and trade hubs like Timbuktu.

Great Zimbabwe

A medieval African kingdom known for its massive stone-walled capital and participation in Indian Ocean trade.