Networks of Exchange and Cultural Transfers (1200 to 1450)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, trading cities, technological and cultural transfers, and interregional travelers during the 1200 to 1450 period.

Cultural diffusion

The exchange of ideas and cultural traits caused by the increasing connectivity among states between 1200 and 1450.

Syncretism

A blending of ideas, such as combining Buddhist teachings with indigenous Chinese Taoism to form new belief traditions.

Chan Buddhism

A form of Buddhism that developed in China by explaining Buddhist teachings in terms of Chinese Taoism, becoming popular among lower classes.

Zen Buddhism

A form of Buddhism that developed in Japan after Chan Buddhism was exported from China and changed again.

Swahili civilization

A series of independent city-states on Africa's East Coast that grew powerful through trade and connected into the larger Islamic network by adopting Islam.

Swahili (language)

A language created from a blend of Bantu, indigenous to Southern Africa, and Arabic, brought in by Muslim traders.

House of Wisdom

An institution in Baghdad where Muslim scholars translated and commented upon classical works of Greek and Roman philosophy.

Hangzhou

A major Chinese trading city situated at the southern end of the Grand Canal that experienced significant urbanization due to trade.

Samarkand and Kashgar

Two cities situated along strategic routes on the Silk Roads that grew in power and influence by facilitating trade.

1258

The year the Mongols sacked Baghdad, leading to the city's significant decline and bringing the Abbasid Empire to an end.

Constantinople

The political and religious capital of the Byzantine Empire that was sacked by the Ottoman Empire in 1453 and renamed Istanbul.

1453

The year the Ottoman Empire sacked Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul.

Ibn Battuta

A young Muslim scholar from Morocco who traveled all over Dar'al Islam for about thirty years and documented detailed notes about the places, rulers, and cultures he encountered.

Marco Polo

A European traveler from Italy who traveled to China and the Indian Ocean, writing about his experiences in the Chinese court of Kublai Khan and the wealth of China.

Marjorie Kemp

An illiterate Christian mystic who made pilgrimages to holy sites in Jerusalem, Rome, and Spain, dictating her travel observations and spiritual journey to others.