WHAP unit 2 vocab

Silk Roads

Ancient trade routes that connected China with the Mediterranean, facilitating exchange of goods, culture, and ideas.

Indian Ocean Trade

A vast maritime trade network connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Trade route across the Sahara Desert linking West Africa with North Africa and the Mediterranean.

Magnetic compass

A Chinese invention that allowed sailors to determine direction, revolutionizing navigation.

Stern rudder

A device on the back of a ship that improves steering and maritime control.

Lateen sails

Triangular sails that allowed ships to sail against the wind, improving navigation in the Indian Ocean.

Junk ship

Large, sturdy Chinese ships used for long-distance trade during the Song and Ming dynasties.

Astrolabe

A navigation tool that measures the position of stars to determine latitude at sea.

Kashgar

A key trading city on the Silk Roads where cultures, religions, and goods blended.

Samarkand

A major Silk Road city in Central Asia known for trade, architecture, and cultural exchange.

Constantinople

The capital of the Byzantine Empire and a key trade hub between Europe and Asia.

Paper money

Currency made of paper, first developed in China to replace heavy metal coins.

Money economy

An economy based on the use of currency rather than barter for goods and services.

Flying cash

A form of credit in Tang China that allowed merchants to deposit money in one place and withdraw it elsewhere.

Banking houses

Institutions where merchants could exchange bills and store money, similar to early banks.

Bill of exchange

A written order used in international trade to pay a set amount to a merchant in another location.

Caravanserai

Roadside inns along trade routes where travelers and merchants could rest and resupply.

Hanseatic League

A commercial alliance of northern European cities that dominated trade in the Baltic and North Seas.

Porcelain

A fine, high-quality ceramic product from China that was highly sought after in global trade.

Monsoon winds

Seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean that enabled and shaped trade patterns across the region.

Spice Islands

A term for the Moluccas, islands in Southeast Asia rich in valuable spices like cloves and nutmeg.

Diaspora

The dispersion of people from their homeland, often leading to cultural and commercial exchange in new areas.

Dhow ships

Arab sailing vessels with lateen sails used in the Indian Ocean trade network.

Mali

A powerful West African empire known for wealth, trade, and Islamic scholarship.

Mansa Musa

The wealthy ruler of Mali who famously traveled to Mecca and spread gold and Islamic culture.

Timbuktu

A city in Mali known for its Islamic universities, libraries, and role in trans-Saharan trade.

Mecca

A holy city in Islam and major pilgrimage destination; also a trading center in the Arabian Peninsula.

Songhai / Songhay Kingdom

A West African empire that succeeded Mali, known for controlling trans-Saharan trade and promoting Islam.

Camel saddle

A technological innovation that allowed for greater control and efficiency when riding camels across deserts.

Caravan

A group of traders traveling together, often across deserts or trade routes for safety and efficiency.

Sundiata

The founder of the Mali Empire and subject of a famous West African epic.

Khan

A title for a Mongol ruler or leader.

Khanates

Regional Mongol kingdoms ruled by descendants of Genghis Khan after the empire split.

Genghis Khan

The founder of the Mongol Empire who united the Mongol tribes and launched vast conquests.

Siege weapons

Tools like catapults and trebuchets used by Mongols and others to break through city walls.

Cannon

A powerful weapon that uses gunpowder to launch projectiles; used in warfare after being spread via the Mongols.

Uyghur alphabet

Writing system adapted by the Mongols to help with record keeping and administration.

Mongol Empire

The largest contiguous land empire in history, founded by Genghis Khan and expanded by his successors.

Pax Mongolica

“Peace of the Mongols”; a period of stability and trade across Eurasia under Mongol rule.

Golden Horde

The Mongol khanate that ruled over Russia, parts of Eastern Europe, and Central Asia.

Moscow

A city that rose in importance under Mongol rule and later resisted and overthrew the Golden Horde.

Il-Khanate

The Mongol khanate that ruled over Persia and parts of the Middle East.

Yuan Dynasty

The Chinese dynasty established by Kublai Khan, part of the Mongol Empire.

Kublai Khan

Genghis Khan’s grandson who ruled China and founded the Yuan Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty

The Chinese dynasty that succeeded the Mongols and promoted traditional culture and maritime exploration.

Bubonic plague / Black Death

A deadly disease that spread along trade routes, devastating populations in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Gunpowder

An explosive substance invented in China and spread by the Mongols; revolutionized warfare globally.

Ibn Battuta

A Muslim traveler and scholar who visited much of the Islamic world and recorded his journeys.

Marco Polo

A Venetian merchant who traveled to the Yuan Dynasty and described his experiences in China to Europeans.

Margery Kempe

An English Christian mystic known for her pilgrimages and the first English autobiography.

Swahili city-states

Independent trading cities on the East African coast that blended African and Islamic cultures.

Zheng He

A Chinese admiral who led large naval expeditions during the Ming Dynasty to promote trade and tribute.

Calicut

A major Indian Ocean port city on the southwest coast of India; a center of spice trade.

Gujarat

A wealthy region in western India known for its trade and manufacturing during the Indian Ocean trade era.

Indian Ocean slave trade

A trade network in which enslaved people were transported across the Indian Ocean to various regions.

Malacca / Melaka

A powerful trading city-state on the Strait of Malacca that controlled maritime trade routes.

Diasporic communities

Merchant or migrant communities living outside their homeland that spread culture and built trade networks.

Oases

Fertile areas in deserts that supported trade routes by providing water and rest stops.

Sahara Desert

The vast desert in North Africa crossed by caravans in the trans-Saharan trade.

Arabian Desert

A desert on the Arabian Peninsula that was part of trade routes connecting the Islamic world.

Champa rice

A fast-growing rice from Vietnam that allowed more harvests and supported population growth in China.

Bananas

A crop introduced to Africa from Southeast Asia, increasing food supply and supporting population growth.

Environmental degradation

Damage to the environment caused by overuse of resources, deforestation, or overgrazing, often linked to expansion.