AP World History - Important Explorers & Merchants

Ibn Battuta
- Region/Empire: Islamic World (North Africa, Middle East, India, Mali)
- Importance: Traveled across the Muslim world; his writings show cultural connections across Dar al-Islam.
Marco Polo
- Region/Empire: Venice → China
- Importance: Visited China under Kublai Khan; inspired Europeans to trade with Asia.
Zheng He
- Region/Empire: Ming China
- Importance: Led large naval expeditions to the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and East Africa to promote Chinese trade & power.

Prince Henry the Navigator
- Country: Portugal
- Importance: Sponsored exploration of Africa's coast; helped start the Atlantic slave trade.
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Vasco da Gama
- Country: Portugal
- Importance: First to sail directly from Europe to India (1498).
Christopher Columbus
- Country: Spain
- Importance: 1492 voyage to Americas; started the Columbian Exchange.
Ferdinand Magellan
- Country: Spain/Portugal
- Importance: Led the first circumnavigation of the world (1519-1522).
Hernán Cortés
- Country: Spain
- Importance: Conquered the Aztec Empire (Mexico).
Francisco Pizarro
- Country: Spain
- Importance: Conquered the Inca Empire (Peru).
John Cabot
- Country: England
- Importance: Explored the North American coast.
Henry Hudson
- Country: England/Netherlands
- Importance: Explored Hudson River & Bay areas by accident and thought he found the “Northeast Passage

Indian Ocean merchants
- Region: Arabs, Persians, Indians
- Importance: Dominated trade of spices, textiles, etc. across the Indian Ocean before/with Europeans.
Swahili Coast merchants
- Region: East Africa
- Importance: Traded gold, ivory, and slaves with Indian Ocean networks.
Muslim merchants (Trans-Saharan)
- Region: North & West Africa
- Importance: Traded gold, salt, and slaves across the Sahara using camel caravans.
Venetian merchants
- Region: Mediterranean
- Importance: Controlled trade between Europe and the Middle East before Atlantic exploration.