world vocsb 2

Silk Roads and Eurasian Exchange

• Silk Road

  • Definition: A network of overland routes connecting East Asia to the Mediterranean; a system of trade corridors across Central Asia and the Middle East.

  • World Region: East Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, Mediterranean Europe.

• Black Death

  • Definition: A devastating pandemic (bubonic plague) that spread along trade networks in the 14th century.

  • World Region: Eurasia (spread along trade networks like the Silk Road).

• Stirrups, Saddle, Yoke

  • Definition: Stirrup shoe helped riders stabilize on horseback; Saddle provided rider security and weight distribution; Yoke is a harness for pulling loads or animals.

  • World Region: General, significant in Eurasian trade networks.

• Steppe

  • Definition: Extensive grassland belt across Eurasia feeding nomadic and semi-nomadic communities.

  • World Region: Eurasia.

• Samarkand

  • Definition: A major oasis city on the Silk Road.

  • World Region: Central Asia.

• Banking Houses, Flying Cash, Paper Money, Currency

  • Definition: Banking Houses are early financial institutions; Flying Cash is an early credit or transfer system; Paper Money is commodity-backed or state-issued currency; Currency is standardized money.

  • World Region: Primarily East Asia (China) for Flying Cash and Paper Money; broader trade networks for Banking Houses and Currency.

• Caravanserai

  • Definition: Roadside inns at intervals along caravan routes where caravans could rest, resupply, and protect goods.

  • World Region: Primarily Silk Road regions (Central Asia, Middle East).

• Relay Trade, Caravan

  • Definition: Relay Trade is a system where goods moved in stages; Caravan is a group of traders traveling together for safety and efficiency.

  • World Region: Primarily Silk Road and Trans-Saharan trade routes (Eurasia and Africa).

• Indian Ocean, Indian Ocean Sea Lanes

  • Definition: A maritime world of interconnected ports and sea routes around the Indian Ocean.

  • World Region: East Africa, Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, China (Indian Ocean basin).

• Monsoon Winds

  • Definition: Seasonal wind patterns that enabled predictable sailing schedules in the Indian Ocean.

  • World Region: Indian Ocean.

• Lateen Sails, Dhow, Junks

  • Definition: Lateen Sails are triangular sails; Dhow is a traditional asymmetric sailing vessel; Junk is a Chinese-origin sailing ship.

  • World Region: Indian Ocean for Lateen Sails and Dhow; East Asia and Indian Ocean for Junks.

• Hangzhou, Baghdad

  • Definition: Hangzhou is the capital of the Song dynasty and a major economic hub; Baghdad is a major urban and commercial center of the Abbasid Caliphate and a crossroads for trade.

  • World Region: East Asia (Hangzhou); Middle East (Baghdad).

• Sogdian Merchants

  • Definition: Traders from Sogdiana who acted as middlemen on the Silk Road.

  • World Region: Central Asia (Sogdiana).

• Swahili City States, Kilwa, Swahili Language, Swahili Diaspora

  • Definition: Swahili City States are a string of coastal city-states in East Africa; Kilwa is a powerful Swahili city-state; Swahili Language is a Bantu-based lingua franca; Diaspora/Entrepots are communities and port hubs for merchants.

  • World Region: East Africa (Swahili City States, Kilwa), Indian Ocean.

• Gujarat, Sultanate of Malacca, Great Zimbabwe, Malay

  • Definition: Gujarat is a western Indian region with major port cities; Sultanate of Malacca is a strategic Malay polity controlling the Strait of Malacca; Great Zimbabwe is a powerful urban center in southern Africa; Malay refers to people and culture linked to maritime Southeast Asia.

  • World Region: South Asia (Gujarat); Southeast Asia (Sultanate of Malacca, Malay); Southern Africa (Great Zimbabwe).

• Southernization

  • Definition: Concept describing the diffusion of Southern Asian cultural, technological, and economic practices into other regions through sustained trade.

  • World Region: Southern Asia (influencing Eurasia and Africa).

• Junks, Eunuchs, Magnetic Compass, Astrolabe, Star Compass, Stern Mounted Rudder

  • Definition: Junks are large Chinese sailing ships; Eunuchs are court officials who influenced maritime expeditions; Magnetic Compass is a navigational device; Astrolabe is an instrument for measuring altitude of stars; Star Compass is a method of celestial navigation; Stern Mounted Rudder improved steering.

  • World Region: East Asia (Junks, Eunuchs, Magnetic Compass); broadly Indian Ocean and global for navigational technologies.

• Zheng He

  • Definition: Chinese admiral and envoy of the Ming dynasty who led several large-scale maritime expeditions.

  • World Region: East Asia (China) and Indian Ocean (voyages).

• Trans-Saharan Trade

  • Definition: Trade routes crossing the Sahara Desert connecting West Africa to North Africa and the Mediterranean.

  • World Region: West Africa, North Africa, Mediterranean (Sahara Desert).

• Oases, Timbuktu, Sahara Desert, Sahel

  • Definition: Oases are vital water sources; Timbuktu is a major urban and scholarly center within the trans-Saharan system; Sahara Desert is a vast barrier; Sahel is an ecological belt south of the Sahara.

  • World Region: North Africa, West Africa (Sahara, Sahel, Timbuktu).

• Gold-Salt Trade

  • Definition: Core economic exchange between gold-rich West Africa and salt-rich desert regions.

  • World Region: West Africa, North Africa.

• Berbers

  • Definition: Indigenous North African populations who engaged in trade, caravan logistics, and cultural exchange across the Sahara.

  • World Region: North Africa (Sahara).