UNIT 2: Networks of Exchange from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Flashcards related to networks of exchange, focusing on vocabulary and key concepts.

Silk Roads

Fabled routes revived by the 8th and 9th centuries facilitating interregional trade.

Crusades impact on trade

Helped pave the way for expanding networks of exchange by bringing back fabrics and spices from the East.

Abbasid Empire

Arab merchants from this empire revived the land route of the Silk Roads as well as sea routes in the Indian Ocean.

Mongol Empire

Unified parts of the Silk Roads, respected merchants, and enforced laws, increasing the safety of travel.

Caravans

Groups of travelers on the Silk Roads that provided safety.

Magnetic Compass and Rudder

Chinese inventions that aided navigation and ship control along the seas.

Junk

A Chinese boat with multiple sails and compartments that strengthened the ship for rough voyages.

Kashgar

A city along the Silk Roads located at the western edge of China, known for its water, food, artisans, and Islamic scholarship.

Samarkand

A stopping point on the Silk Roads between China and the Mediterranean, known for its cultural exchange, artisans and Islamic learning.

Caravanserai

Inns along the Silk Roads, about 100 miles apart, where travelers could rest and trade.

Flying cash

A system of credit developed in China that allowed merchants to deposit paper money in one location and withdraw it at another.

Bill of exchange

A document stating the holder was legally promised payment of a set amount on a set date.

Hanseatic League

A commercial alliance formed by cities in northern Germany and Scandinavia to control trade in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

magnetic compass

A navigational instrument that uses the Earth's magnetic field to indicate direction.

rudder

A flat piece hinged vertically near the stern of a vessel for steering.

junk

A type of ancient Chinese sailing ship/boat still in use today.

Mongol Empire

An empire founded in the 12th century by Genghis Khan, which reached its greatest territorial extent in the 13th century, encompassing the larger part of Asia and extending westward to Russia and eastern Europe.

Kashgar

A city in Xinjiang, China, an oasis city on the Silk Road.

Samarkand

A city in Uzbekistan, known as a center of trade and cultural exchange along the Silk Road.

caravanserai

An inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa.

money economy

An economic system based on money rather than barter.

flying cash

A form of currency used in China during the Tang dynasty.

paper money

Currency in paper form.

banking houses

Institutions that were precursors to modern banks.

bill of exchange

A written order without interest that binds one party to pay a fixed sum to another party at a predetermined date in the future

Hanseatic League

A commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns in Northwestern and Central Europe.