History - Unit 2 Vocab

Silk Roads

Silk Roads

A system of ancient caravan routes across Central Asia, along which traders carried silk and other trade goods; known for spreading religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam as well as technological transfers and diseases like the Bubonic Plague

Indian Ocean Trade

Connected to Europe, Africa, South Asia, and China; world’s richest maritime trading network and an area of rapid Muslim expansion, spread of goods, ideas

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade routes across the Sahara Desert; traded gold, enslaved peoples, ivory, and salt; camels, caravans, and camel saddles were crucial in the development of these trade networks; facilitated the spread of islam and linked West Africa to Mecca for participation in the hajj

Magnetic Compass

Chinese invention that aided navigation by showing which direction was north

Rudder

Steering device, usually a vertical blade attached to a post at, or near, the stern of the boat; improved sea trade

Junk Ship

Large flat-bottom sailing ship produced in the Tang and Song empires, specially designed for long-distance commercial travel and participation in the tribute system

Kashgar

A central Asian city where the western and the eastern Silk Roads met; one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with modern day Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan

Samarkand

During the rule of Timur Lane was the most influential capital city, a wealthy trading center known for decorated mosques and tombs; a key trading city along the Silk Roads

Paper Money

Legal currency issued on paper; it developed in China as a convenient alternative to metal coins; facilitated trade

Hanseatic League

An organization of north German and Scandinavian cities for the purpose of establishing a commercial alliance; facilitated trade and commercial growth in the 1200-1450 time period

Porcelain

Thin, beautiful pottery invented in China; highly desired luxury good traded along the Silk Road and Indian Ocean trade networks

Monsoon Winds

Seasonal wind in India, the winter monsoon brings hot, dry weather and the summer monsoon brings rain

Spice Islands

Europeans’ name for the Moluccas, islands in Southeast Asia rich in highly desired spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg which were often traded in the Indian Ocean trade network

Diaspora

A dispersion of people from their homeland; merchant communities of Muslim spread Islam throughout Southeast Asia

Dhow Ships

Arab sailing vessels with triangular or lateen sails; strongly influenced European ship design; facilitated trade in the Indian Ocean networks

Mansa Musa

Ruler of Mali (r. 1312-1337); his extravagant pilgrimage through egypt to Mecca in 1324-1325 established the empire’s reputation for wealth in the Mediterranean world

Caravanserai

An inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa; allowed caravans and their camels to rest in a protected environment, encouraging trade

Timbuktu

Mali trading city that became a center of wealth and learning thanks to its location in the trans-Saharan trade networks; universities, mosques, and libraries

Camel Saddle

An invention which gives camel riders more stability on the animal and its invention and basic idea traveled along the Trans-Saharan Caravan Trade Route; invented somewhere between 500 and 100 BCE by Bedouin tribes

Caravan

Group of traveling merchants and animals

Sundiata

The founder of Mali empire; crushed his enemies and won control of the gold trade routes along the trans-Saharan trade networks

Khan

Name for a Mongol ruler

Khanates

Four regional Mongol kingdoms that arose following the death of Ghengis Khan

Pax Mongolica

The period of approximately 150 years of relative peace and stability created by the Mongol Empire

Golden Horde

Mongol khanate founded by Genghis Khan’s; based in southern Russia and quickly adopted both the Turkic language and Islam

Il-Khanate

Mongol empire that ruled over Iran (Persia) and the Middle East

Yuan Dynasty

(1279-1368 CE) The dynasty with Mongol rule in China; centralized with bureaucracy but structure is different: Mongols on top → Persian bureaucrats → Chinese bureaucrats; did not emphasize Confucianism and the civil service exams

Bubonic Plague

Also called the Black Death; the deadly disease that spread through Asia and Europe and killed more than a third of the population in some areas; hit Europe (peak 1347-1351) especially hard due to unsanitary living conditions and overcrowded cities; spread thanks to increased trade along the Silk Roads

Gunpowder

Invented in China during the 9th century, this substance became the dominant military technology used to expand European and Asian empires by the 15th century; spread from East to West via trade networks like the Silk Roads and help from the Mongol Empire

Ibn Battuta

(1304-1369) Moroccan Muslim scholar, the most widely traveled individual of his time; wrote a detailed account of his visits to Islamic lands from China to Spain and the western Sudan; writing gave a glimpse into the world of that time period

Marco Polo

(1254-1324) Italian explorer and author; made numerous trips to China and returned to Europe to write of his journeys; responsible for much of the knowledge exchanged between Europe and China during this time period

Margery Kempe

Wrote the Book of Margery Kempe - considered the 1st autobiography in the English language - chronicles her pilgrimages to holy sites in Europe and Asia; claimed to have a vision that called her to leave the vanities of the world

Swahili City-States

Cities along the coast of East Africa that actively participated in Indian Ocean Trade: showed syncretism in their language and religion, blending traditional central African beliefs with Islam and Arabic

Zheng He

(1371-1433) Chinese Ming Dynasty naval explorer who sailed along most of the coast of Asia, Japan, and half way down the east coast of Africa before his death; facilitated China’s role in the tribute system in the Indian Ocean trade network