2.1 Silk Roads

Crusades

Series of religious wars (1096–1204) launched by European Christians to reclaim the Holy Land; indirectly increased trade and cultural exchange between Europe and the Middle East

Chinese innovations

Technologies like gunpowder, paper, magnetic compass, and printing that spread westward via the Silk Roads

Kashgar

Major Silk Road trading city in western China, known for fertile oasis agriculture and as a hub for cultural and goods exchange

Samarkand

Key Silk Road city in Central Asia, known for Islamic learning, architecture, and artisanship

Caravanserai

Roadside inns along trade routes where travelers and caravans could rest, resupply, and trade; facilitated exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas

Money economy

System where money (coins or paper currency) replaces barter; encouraged Silk Road trade

Commercial innovations

Techniques like bills of exchange, letters of credit, and banking houses that increased long-distance trade efficiency

Hanseatic League

Commercial alliance of northern European trading cities (13th–17th centuries) that controlled trade in the North and Baltic Seas

Mongols

Nomadic steppe people who unified under Genghis Khan; created the largest land empire and revived Silk Road trade with increased safety (Pax Mongolica)

Caravans

Large groups of merchants and animals traveling together for safety; key to moving goods across long distances

Craftworkers

Specialized artisans producing luxury goods (silk, porcelain, textiles) in urban centers for trade along the Silk Road