Ap world Unit 2 vocab
Commercial Practices – Methods and systems used in conducting trade and business, including standardized trading procedures and financial mechanisms that facilitated exchange.
Caravanserai – A roadside inn or fortified trading post that provided shelter and facilities for merchants and traders traveling along trade routes.
Bills of Exchange – Financial instruments that allowed merchants to transfer money across distances without physically transporting currency, facilitating long-distance trade.
Banking Houses – Commercial institutions that provided financial services including money lending, currency exchange, and credit to merchants engaged in trade.
Money Economies – Economic systems based on the use of currency and monetary exchange rather than barter, which expanded trade capabilities.
Paper Money – Currency made from paper rather than metal, used in money economies to facilitate trade and commerce.
Luxury Goods – High-value, non-essential commodities such as textiles, porcelains, spices, and precious items that were highly desired and traded across long distances.
Trading Cities – Urban centers that grew wealthy and powerful through their role as hubs for commercial exchange and merchant activity (e.g., Kashgar, Samarkand).
Textiles – Woven fabrics and cloth produced by Chinese, Persian, and Indian artisans for export through trade networks.
Porcelains – Fine ceramic goods produced primarily by Chinese artisans and exported as luxury items through trade networks.
Iron and Steel – Metals whose manufacture expanded in China during this period, reflecting increased productive capacity and trade demand.
Interregional Trade – Commercial exchange of goods across vast geographic distances, connecting multiple continents and regions during the early modern period.
Networks of Exchange – Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450.
Trade Routes – Established pathways—both maritime and overland—along which merchants transported goods, ideas, and cultural practices between regions.
Forms of Credit – Financial instruments and practices, such as letters of credit, that facilitated long-distance trade by allowing merchants to conduct transactions without physically transporting large amounts of currency.
Pax Mongolica – The period of stability and relative peace across Mongol-controlled territories that significantly lowered risks for long-distance travelers and boosted trade on the Silk Roads.
Sogdian Merchants – A key intermediary group who organized trade routes, acted as cultural and commercial brokers, and spread information and credit practices along the Silk Roads.
Mongols – A vast transcontinental empire established by Mongol conquests in the 13th and 14th centuries that facilitated extensive interregional contacts and exchanges.
Genghis Khan – The founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, who united the Mongol tribes in 1206. His birth name was Temüjin.
Khan – A ruler or leader of a Mongol tribe or khanate.
Khanates – The regional divisions of the Mongol Empire, each ruled by a khan and representing distinct territorial and political units.
Pax Mongolica – Also known as the "Mongol Peace," it was a period of relative stability and security across Eurasia facilitated by the Mongol Empire that encouraged unprecedented levels of trade and travel.
Kublai Khan – A grandson of Chinggis Khan who established the Yuan Dynasty in China.
Yuan Dynasty – The Mongol-led dynasty in China, established by Kublai Khan. It controlled China, Mongolia, Korea, and parts of Southeast Asia from 1271 until it was overthrown by the Ming Dynasty in 1368.
Ming Dynasty – The Chinese dynasty that overthrew Mongol rule in 1368 and went on to rule China.
Zhu Yuanzhang – The founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, a peasant leader who rose to power after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty.
Batu – A grandson of Chinggis Khan who established the Golden Horde in Russia.
Golden Horde – The Mongol khanate that controlled Russia and parts of Eastern Europe, established by Batu Khan.
Moscow – A Russian principality that rose to prominence during the period of Mongol rule, eventually leading the movement to overthrow the Golden Horde.
Il-khanate – The Mongol khanate that ruled over Persia (modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and parts of Turkey). It was established by Hulegu, a grandson of Chinggis Khan.
Hulegu – A grandson of Chinggis Khan who established the Ilkhanate in Persia.
Siege Weapons – Military technologies, including catapults and battering rams, which the Mongols adapted and incorporated from conquered peoples to effectively attack fortified cities.
Cannon – A large artillery weapon that fires projectiles. Gunpowder weapons like the cannon spread from China westward with Mongol armies.
Uyghur Alphabet – A writing system originally used by the Uyghur people that was adopted by the Mongols for writing the Mongolian language, allowing them to create administrative records and communicate at an imperial scale.
Gobi Desert – A large desert in Central Asia, part of the harsh Mongolian plateau where the Mongols originated as scattered tribes.
Bubonic Plague – A devastating epidemic disease, also known as the Black Death. The pandemic of the 1340s devastated Mongol territories and that "some evidence suggests it originated in Mongol-controlled regions" and "the integrated trade networks the Mongols had created helped spread the disease."
White Lotus Society – A secret religious sect in China that led a rebellion in the mid-14th century that helped overthrow the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty.
Sultanate of Malacca – A maritime trading state in Southeast Asia that controlled strategic trade routes in the Indian Ocean.
Gujarat – A region in South Asia that became a powerful trading state through its participation in Indian Ocean commerce.
Swahili Coast – A region of East Africa along the Indian Ocean where city-states developed as major trading centers.
Monsoon Winds – The predictable movements of ocean winds and water currents that facilitated efficient maritime routes for ships.
Diasporic Communities – Groups of merchants and settlers from one region who established themselves in distant locations along trade routes, maintaining their own cultural traditions while interacting with local populations.
Zheng He – A Ming admiral who led seven massive naval expeditions (1405-1433) with fleets of hundreds of ships, showcasing Chinese technology and power.
Astrolabe – An astronomical instrument used for navigation and determining latitude by measuring the position of celestial bodies.
Calicut – A key trading city in southern India that dominated the spice trade with the Middle East.
Lateen Sails – A type of sail that improved ship speed and maneuverability.
Stern Rudder – A steering device mounted on the stern (rear) of a ship that made steering more precise and reliable.
Indian Ocean Trading Network – The interconnected system of maritime trade routes and commercial connections centered on the Indian Ocean that linked Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Spice Islands – The Maluku Islands in Indonesia, the world's only source of valuable spices like clove and nutmeg, making them a major destination for global trade routes.
Indian Ocean Slave Trade – The trade of enslaved people from East African Swahili coastal cities to various destinations across the Indian Ocean world.
Swahili – A Bantu language and culture from East Africa, shaped by centuries of trade and interaction with Arab, Persian, and Indian merchants.
Mali – A West African empire that expanded during the medieval period and played a major role in facilitating trans-Saharan trade and communication networks.
Camel Saddle – A specialized equipment designed to carry cargo on camels, enabling more efficient transport of goods across desert trade routes.
Caravans – Organized groups of merchants and pack animals traveling together along trade routes for protection and efficiency.
Trans-Saharan Trade – Trade networks and commercial routes that crossed the Sahara Desert, connecting sub-Saharan Africa with North Africa and the Mediterranean world.
Sundiata – The founder of the Mali Empire who united the Malinke people and built a powerful empire using his dominant cavalry.
Mansa Musa – The ruler of Mali who led a famous pilgrimage to Mecca, distributing so much gold that it caused inflation in Cairo, and made Mali legendary for its wealth.
Songhai Kingdom – The largest West African state of the fifteenth century, founded by Sunni Ali, which controlled major trans-Saharan trade routes.
Timbuktu – A city on the Niger River that became a major center of trans-Saharan trade and Islamic learning, with famous universities and libraries.
Mecca – The birthplace of Muhammad and the destination of the Islamic pilgrimage (hajj), located in the Arabian peninsula.
Sahara Desert – The largest hot desert in the world, covering most of North Africa.
Oases – Fertile, well-watered spots in the desert that serve as resting places for caravans.
Arabian Desert – The largest desert in Asia, occupying almost the entire Arabian Peninsula.
bubonic plague – A devastating epidemic disease, also known as the Black Death, that spread through trade routes and caused massive population loss across Afro-Eurasia during the 14th century.
Swahili – A language from Africa that was a blend of Arabic and Bantu, created through trade and cultural fusion.
Urdu – A language derived from Sanskrit-based Hindi, along with Arabic and Farsi (a Persian language).
Marco Polo – An Italian traveler from Venice who visited Kublai Khan's court in the late 13th century and wrote a book describing China's grandeur, though many doubted him until later travelers agreed.
Ibn Battuta – A Muslim scholar from Morocco who traveled extensively through Muslim lands (Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, Spain, North Africa, and Mali) and wrote a book detailing the role of Islam in different cultures.
Margery Kempe – An English mystic who wrote a book about her pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, Germany, and Spain, offering a unique perspective on the challenges and spirituality of a medieval woman.
Hangzhou – A city in China that prospered due to political stability, commerce, safe transportation, and increased agricultural output.
Samarkand – A key trade route city in Uzbekistan and a center of Islamic scholarship and trade.
Kashgar – A key trade route city in China and a center of Islamic scholarship and trade, though it soon declined.
Constantinople – A major city that declined due to political instability, disease, and agricultural reduction.
lateen sail – A seafaring technology that improved navigation by allowing ships to sail against the wind.
stern rudder – A seafaring technology that improved steering and maneuverability of ships.
astrolabe – A seafaring technology that allowed sailors to determine latitude by measuring the position of the sun or stars.
magnetic compass – A seafaring technology that allowed sailors to determine direction even when clouds obscured the sun or stars.
bubonic plague – A devastating epidemic disease, also known as the Black Death, that spread through trade routes and caused massive population loss across Afro-Eurasia during the 14th century.
Champa rice – A fast-ripening and drought-resistant strain of rice from Vietnam that was introduced to China. It allowed farmers to harvest two crops per year, increasing food production and supporting population growth.
bananas – A crop that originated in Southeast Asia and spread to Africa via Indian Ocean trade routes. Bananas became a staple food in Africa, increasing agricultural productivity and supporting population growth.
citrus crops – Fruits such as lemons, oranges, and limes that spread from their origins in Southeast Asia and China to the Middle East and Europe via trade networks.
overgrazing – The practice of allowing too many animals to graze on land, which removes vegetation and leads to soil erosion and desertification.
deforestation – The clearing of forests for agriculture, fuel, or construction. Increased trade and population growth during 1200-1450 led to widespread deforestation across Afro-Eurasia.
soil erosion – The wearing away of topsoil by wind or water, often caused by deforestation, overgrazing, and intensive farming. Soil erosion reduced agricultural productivity in many regions.
sugar – A crop that was cultivated on large plantations, often using slave labor. The spread of sugar cultivation had significant environmental and social consequences, including deforestation and soil depletion.