Unit 2 - Networks of Exchange

Silk Roads

A system of ancient caravan routes across Central Asia, along which traders carried silk and other trade goods; known for spreading religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam as well as technological transfers and diseases like the Bubonic Plague

Indian Ocean Trade

Connected to Europe, Africa, South Asia, and China; world's richest maritime trading network and an area of rapid Muslim expansion

Trans-Saharan Trade

Route across the Sahara Desert; traded for gold and salt, created caravan routes and gave economic benefit for controlling desert; camels and camel saddles were crucial in the development of these trade networks; facilitated the spread of Islam

Magnetic compass

Chinese invention that aided navigation by showing which direction was north

Stern rudder

Steering device, usually a vertical blade attached to a post at, or near, the stern of the boat

Junk Ships (Treasure Ships)

A very large flat-bottom sailing ship produced in the Tang and Song Empires, specifically designed for long-distance commercial travel and participation in the tribute system

Kashgar

Also known as Kashi, a central trading port at which the western and the eastern Silk Road met; it is one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with modern day Afghanistan, Kyrgzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan

Samarkand

During the rule of Timur Lane was the most influential captial city, a wealthy trading center known for decorated mosques and tombs; a key trading city along the Silk Roads

Paper Money

Legal currency issued on paper; it developed in China as a convenient alternative to metal coins; facilitated trade

Caravanserai

An inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa; allowed caravans and their camels to rest in a protected environment, encouraging trade

Hanseatic League

An organization of north German and Scandinavian cities for the purpose of establishing a commercial alliance; facilitated trade and commercial growth in the 1200-1450 time period

Porcelain

A thin, beautiful pottery invented in China

Monsoon winds

Seasonal wind in India; the winter brings hot, dry weather and the summer monsoon brings rain

Spice Islands

Europeans' name for the Moluccas - a chain of islands rich in cloves and nutmeg, highly valued spices often traded in the Indian Ocean trade network

Dhow ship

Emerged in the Middle East; sturdy enough to carry a lateen sail to cross open water; vessel of commerce and used in the Indian Ocean

Mansa Musa

Ruler of Mali (r. 1312-1337). His extravagant pilgrimage through Egypt to Mecca in 1324-1325 established the empire's reputation for wealth in the Mediterranean world.

Timbuktu

Mali trading city that became a center of wealth and learning thanks to its location in the trans-Saharan trade networks; full of universities, libraries, and mosques

Camel saddle

An invention which gives camel riders more stability on the animal and its invention and basic idea traveled along the Trans-Saharan Caravan Trade Route. Invented somewhere between 500 and 100 BCE by Bedouin tribes.

Caravan

A group of traveling merchants and animals

Sundiata

The founder of Mali empire; he crushed his enemies and won control of the gold trade routes

Khan

A Mongol ruler

Khanates

Four regional Mongol kingdoms that arose following the death of Genghis Khan

Pax Mongolica

The period of approximately 150 years of relative peace and stability created by the Mongol Empire

Golden Horde

Mongol khanate founded by Genghis Khan's. It was based in southern Russia and quickly adopted both the Turkic language and Islam.

Il-Khanate

Mongol empire that ruled over Iran (Persia) & the Middle East

Yuan Dynasty

(1279-1368 CE) The dynasty with Mongol rule in China; centralized with bureaucracy but structure is different: Mongols on top --\> Persian bureaucrats --\> Chinese bureuacrats; did not emphasize Confucianism and the civil service exams

Bubonic Plague

Also called the Black Death; the deadly disease that spread through Asia and Europe and killed more than a third of the population in some areas; hit Europe (peak 1347-1351) especially hard due to unsanitary living conditions and overcrowded cities; spread thanks to increased trade along the Silk Roads

Gunpowder

Invented within China during the 9th century, this substance would become the dominant military technology used to expand European and Asian empires by the 15th century; spread from East to West via trade networks like the Silk Roads and help from the Pax Mongolica

Ibn Battuta

(1304-1369) Morrocan Muslim scholar, the most widely traveled individual of his time. He wrote a detailed account of his visits to Islamic lands from China to Spain and the western Sudan. His writings gave a glimpse into the world of that time period.

Marco Polo

(1254-1324) Italian explorer and author. He made numerous trips to China and returned to Europe to write of his journeys. He is responsible for much of the knowledge exchanged between Europe and China during this time period.

Swahili city-states

City coasts that actively participated in the Indian Ocean trade along the East Coast of the African continent

Zheng He

(1371-1433?) Chinese naval explorer who sailed along most of the coast of Asia, Japan, and half way down the east coast of Africa before his death; facilitated China's role in the tribute system in the Indian Ocean trade network

Genghis Khan

Also known as Temujin; he united the Mongol tribes into an unstoppable fighting force; created largest single land empire in history.

Mongols

People from Central Asia when united ended up creating the largest single land empire in history; largely nomadic in nature; were known to transfer and diffuse culture throughout Eurasia but left little to no unique cultural traits as a result of their rule

flying cash

Enabled merchants to deposit good or cash at one location and draw the equivalent in cash or merchandise elsewhere in China.

Kublai Khan

(1215-1294) Grandson of Genghis Khan and founder of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty in China.

White Lotus Society

Secret religious society dedicated to overthrow of Yuan dynasty in China, starting in the 1350s; typical of peasant resistance to Mongol rule

Strait of Malacca

The Srivijaya Empire grew wealthy by taxing the trade through this body of water

Hangzhou

Capital of later Song dynasty; located near East China Sea; permitted overseas trading; population exceeded 1 million.

Bananas

Introduced to Sub-Saharan Africa by Indonesian traders; became a staple crop which led to better diets and higher populations