Unit 2: Networks of Exchange 1200-1450

Silk Roads

A network of trade routes that stretched from China to Europe and North Africa, facilitating not only trade but also cultural exchange between civilizations.

Mongols

A pastoral people who created the largest land empire in history from 1206-1368, known for unifying the Silk Roads and having a limited cultural impact despite their vast conquests.

Temujin

Also known as Genghis Khan, he was born into a fractured Mongolian tribe and became the leader who united the Mongolian tribes and founded the Mongol Empire.

Chinese Silk

A luxury good exclusive to China that became a significant status symbol in trade along the Silk Roads.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that emphasized the Buddha as a deity and the importance of compassion and merit, which developed as it spread along trade routes.

Syncretism

The combining of different beliefs and practices, exemplified by the adoption of Zoroastrian fire rituals into Buddhism in places like Samarkand.

Black Death

The bubonic plague that ravaged Europe from 1346 to 1351, killing nearly half of the population and profoundly impacting societies across the continent.

Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

Trade networks linking North Africa and the Mediterranean with the interior of Africa, facilitating the exchange of goods like salt, gold, and agricultural products.

Indian Ocean Trade

Maritime trade network that connected coastal regions from China to East Africa, notable for its exchange of bulk goods and facilitated by monsoon winds.

Swahili Civilization

A series of commercial city-states along the East African coast that emerged in the 8th century, noted for trade in gold and ivory and the influence of Islam.

Caravanserai

Travelers' inns along the Silk Roads where merchants could rest, contributing to the spread of ideas and diseases.

Neo-Confucianism

A philosophical movement in China during the Song and Ming Dynasties that blended Confucianism with Daoism and Buddhism.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim traveler whose journeys throughout the Islamic world in the 14th century provided important insights into the cultures and societies he encountered.

Magnetic Compass

An invention that improved navigation by allowing sailors to determine direction more accurately, significantly impacting maritime trade.

Terrace Farming

A method of agriculture that involves creating steps on hillsides for planting, which helps prevent soil erosion and allows for more effective cultivation on sloped land.