APWH: Unit 2 Networks of Exchange (1200-1450)

Mongols

central Asian nomadic peoples; captured Baghdad in 1258 and killed the last Abbasid caliph

Malacca

flourishing trading city in Malaya; established a trading empire after the fall of Shrivijaya

Ibn Battuta

Arab traveler throughout the Muslim world

East African trading ports

urbanized commercial centers mixing African and Arab cultures; included Mogadishu, Mombasa, Malindi, Kilwas, Pate, and Zanzibar

Flying money

Chinese credit instrument that provided vouchers to merchants to be redeemed at the end of a venture; reduced danger of robbery; an early form of currency

Genghis Khan

born in 1170s; elected supreme Mongol ruler (khagan) in 1206; began the Mongols rise to world power; died 1227

Shamanistic religion

Mongol beliefs focused on nature spirits

Batu

grandson of Genghis Khan and ruler of Golden Horde; invaded Russian in 1236

Golden Horde

one of four regional subdivisions of the Mongol Empire after death of Genghis Khan; conquered and ruled Russia during the 13th and 14th centuries

Il-khanate

one of four regional subdivisions of the Mongol empire after the death of Genghis Khan; included much of Abbasid empire

Hulegu

grandson of Genghis Khan and rule of Il-khanate; captured and destroyed Abbasid Baghdad

Kublai Khan

grandson of Genghis Khan; conquered China; established Yuan dynasty in 1271

White Lotus Society

secret religious society dedicated to overthrow of Yuan dynasty

Ethnocentrism

judging foreigners by the standards of one's own group; leads to problems in interpreting world history

Timbuktu

trade center of Mali, cosmopolitan city that saw the blending of many different cultures and people

Marco Polo

traveler/merchant from Europe who spend 17 years at court of Kublai Khan

Junks

Chinese ships, particularly from the 1400s. It had a sturdy Chinese ship design and the largest of its kind were treasures ships that could carry a thousand tons of cargo.

Kashgar and Samarkand

major trading cities on the silk roads

Pax Mongolia

Also known as the mongol peace. A time when global trade expanded due to the political stability provided by mongol rulers.

Mongol Khanates

Regions held under control of Mongol Khans following the death of Genghis Khan including Khanates of Chaghati, Golden Horde (Russia), the Great Khan and Il-khanate of Persia.

Gujarat

Region of western India famous for trade and manufacturing.

Swahili city-states

Warring states that were always competing for control of trade routes and each other. Established by Swahili., many of these city-states were Muslim and very cosmopolitan.

Diasporic communities

merchant communities that introduced their own cultures into other areas. Examples included Arab and Perisan communities, Chinese merchant communities in Southeast Asia, and Malay communities in the Indian Ocean basin

Mali

The kingdom in West Africa that followed the Kingdom of Ghana; its wealth is also based on trans-Saharan trade; this kingdom encouraged the spread of Islam.

Camel Saddles

with the advent of these, camels could now be used to transport iron technology, slaves, salt, and gold across the Sahara, and could be used in battle. It also facilitated the spread of Arabic language systems into Northern Africa

Mansa Musa

Emperor of the kingdom of Mali in Africa. He made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca and established trade routes to the Middle East. Increased contact between Eurasian world and Africa

monsoon winds

seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia, blowing from the southwest in summer and from the northeast in winter. (in India and nearby lands) the season during which the southwest monsoon blows, commonly marked by heavy rains; rainy season. any wind that changes directions with the seasons

bulk goods

a large quantity of goods being traded

ivory

hard white material made from elephant tusks

Astrolabe

An instrument used by sailors to determine their location by observing the position of the stars and planets

Lateen Sail

Triangular sail that was developed in Indian Ocean trade that allowed a ship to sail against the wind.

compass

an instrument containing a magnetized pointer that shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it.

Caravanserai

an inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa.

Yuan Dynasty

(1279-1368 CE) The dynasty with Mongol rule in China; centralized with bureaucracy but structure was: Mongols on top, then Persian bureaucrats, then Chinese bureaucrats.

Syncretism

a blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into one faith

Bubonic Plague

disease brought to Europe from the Mongols during the Middle Ages. It killed 1/3 of the population and helped end feudalism.

Demographics

statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.

Westernization

An adoption of the social, political, or economic institutions of Western—especially European or American—countries.

Southernization

idea that it was the innovations and developments from the global south which transformed the world in 600-1450 periodization. It contrasts with the idea of "westernization".

Champa Rice

Quick-maturing rice that can allow two harvests in one growing season. Originally introduced into Champa from India, it was later sent to China as a tribute gift by the Champa state (as part of the tributary system.)

sugar cane

a plant from which sugar is made

Gunpowder

The formula, brought to China in the 400s or 500s, was first used to make fumigators to keep away insect pests and evil spirits. In later centuries it was used to make explosives and grenades and to propel cannonballs, shot, and bullets.

Afro-Eurasian Trade

system of trade routes that stretched across land and water from China throughout the Middle East and ending in either Africa or Europe. The network ultimately was derived from the Silk Road, with most merchants traveling the harsh routes to attempt to gather precious resources from China or India who were both abundant in resources and powerful. This system opened up communication for ideas, religion, and goods, allowing the spread of religions such as Islam and allowing nobility in the west to receive goods such as silk.

porcelain

a ceramic made of fine clay baked at very high temperatures

silk

a valuable cloth, originally made only in China from threads spun by caterpillars called silkworms