AP World History Unit 2: Trade Networks, Technologies, and Cultural Diffusion (1200-1450)

Silk Roads

One of the three major trade networks during 1200-1450.

Indian Ocean

One of the three major trade networks during 1200-1450.

Trans-Saharan

One of the three major trade networks during 1200-1450.

Network of exchange

A system of routes through which goods, ideas, religions, and technologies move among societies.

Caravanserai

Day-stop inns providing safety, lodging, and a place for cultural exchange.

Camel saddle (improved)

Allowed transport of larger cargo loads across deserts.

Money economy

An economic system that uses standardized currency (paper or metal) rather than barter.

Kashgar

Situated at the junction of two major Silk Road routes; its river valley made it a vital commercial hub.

Mastery of monsoon winds

Allowed predictable seasonal sailing routes in the Indian Ocean.

Magnetic compass

Provided reliable directional guidance on open water.

Astrolabe

Measured star positions for latitude/longitude navigation.

Swahili city-states

Acted as middlemen for gold, ivory, and slaves from the African interior; adopted Islam and developed the Swahili language.

Diaspora communities

Arab and Persian settlements in East Africa fostered intermarriage and the spread of Islam.

Improved camel saddle

Enabled heavier loads across the Sahara desert.

Mali Empire

Gained wealth from gold taxation; peak under Mansa Musa (14th c.), who monopolized north-south trade.

Gold, ivory, and enslaved persons

Main commodities exchanged in the Trans-Saharan trade network.

Buddhism spread

From South Asia into China via Silk Road merchants and missionaries.

House of Wisdom (Baghdad)

Translated Greek and Roman classics into Arabic; commentaries later reached Europe, seeding the Renaissance.

Gunpowder

Invented in China; transmitted to Muslim empires and then to Eastern Europe through Mongol movements.

Hangzhou

Rise - Situated at the southern terminus of the Grand Canal, becoming a wealthy commercial center.

Baghdad

Fall - Destroyed in 1258 by Mongol armies.

Ibn Battuta

14th-century Moroccan scholar who documented extensive journeys throughout the Islamic world.

Champa rice

A fast-maturing, drought-resistant strain introduced from Champa to China as tribute.

Bubonic plague

Originated in China (~1331); spread via rats and fleas on caravans, ships, and along trade routes.

Pax Mongolica

Created by the Mongol Empire, securing the Silk Roads through a single, expansive land empire.

High demand

Mongols paid premium prices for foreign goods, encouraging merchants.

Medical knowledge

Greek and Islamic texts traveled westward under Mongol patronage.

Uyghur script

Adopted by Mongols as the empire-wide administrative language, enhancing diplomatic and commercial communication.