ap world unit 2

silk roads

is a famous network of ancient land and sea trade routes that connected China and the East with the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. [1, 2]

The Mongol Khanate

A political territory or kingdom ruled by a kahn (leader)

golden horde

a medieval mongol and turkicized state that ruled much of russia, ukraine, kazakhstan, and eastern europe from the 1240s until 1502.

Sultanate of Malacca

a powerful malay martime empire based in modern day malacca.

Dhow

A traditional wooden sailing vessel with one or more masts carrying triangular lateen sails.

Zheng He

A chinese diplomat from the early ming dynasty. His explorations accross the indian ocean led to a major increase in chinas politcal and commercial influence.

Khubalai Khan

The first emperor of the mongol led Yuan Dynasty of china.

Monsoon Winds

seasonal winds over the indian ocean that merchants took advantage of when trading on the sea roads.

Ibn Battuta

A 14th century morrocan scholar and explorer who traveled around the medieval islamic world.

Indian Ocean Trade Network

A maritime trade network connecting East Asia, India, the Middle East, and East Africa, driven by seasonal monsoon winds.

Trans-Saharan Trade

An overland trade network crossing the Sahara Desert, connecting North Africa and the Mediterranean with Sub-Saharan Africa.

Caravanserai

Roadside inns or guesthouses spaced a day's travel apart along the Silk Roads where merchants rested, traded animals, and exchanged information.

Astrolabe

A navigational instrument used by sailors to calculate latitude by measuring the position of the stars and sun.

Magnetic Compass

A Chinese navigational tool that improved sea travel and orientation.

Lateen Sail

A triangular sail developed in the Indian Ocean region that allowed ships to tack (sail against the wind).

Paper money (Flying money)

the early financial innovations that replaced heavy metal coins and made long distance trade safer and easier.

Pax Mongolica

The effect of the mongols unifying eurasia and protecting silk road trade.

Empire of Mali

A major West African city in the Mali Empire that became a vital center of trans-Saharan trade, Islamic scholarship, and learning.

Disaporic Communities

• Settlements of merchants outside of their homelands (such as Arab and Persian merchant communities in Indian Ocean ports) that introduced their own cultural traditions and religions to local cultures.

Ibn Battuta & Marco Polo

Famous medieval travelers whose written journals and travelogues provided historians with detailed accounts of trade, government, and cultures across Afro-Eurasia.

Genghis Khan

The founder of the Mongol Empire.

Timbuktu

This place was a key center of learning and trade in Mali.

Marco Polo

A merchant and explorer who traveled across the silk roads.