Unit 2

Question 1

Silk Roads

Answer 1

A system of ancient caravan routes across Central Asia, along which traders carried silk and other trade goods; known for spreading religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam as well as technological transfers and diseases like the Bubonic plague

Question 2

Indian Ocean Trade

Answer 2

connected to Europe, Africa, South Asia, and China.; worlds richest maritime trading network and an area of rapid Muslim expansion, spread of goods, ideas

Question 3

Trans-Saharan Trade

Answer 3

route across the Sahara Desert; traded for gold and salt, created caravan routes, economic benefit for controlling dessert, camels and camel saddles were crucial in the development of these trade networks; facilitated the spread of Islam

Question 4

magnetic compass

Answer 4

Chinese invention that aided navigation by showing which direction was north

Question 5

rudder

Answer 5

Steering device, usually a vertical blade attached to a post at, or near, the stern of the boat; improved sea trade

Question 6

junk ship

Answer 6

A very large flat-bottom sailing ship produced in the Tang and Song Empires, specially designed for long-distance commercial travel and participation in the tribute system

Question 7

Kashgar

Answer 7

Also known as Kashi, a central trading point at which the western and the eastern Silk Road met; It is one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with modern day Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.

Question 8

Samarkand

Answer 8

During the rule of Timur Lane was the most influential capital city, a wealthy trading center known for decorated mosques and tombs; a key trading city along the Silk Roads

Question 9

paper money

Answer 9

legal currency issued on paper; it developed in China as a convenient alternative to metal coins; facilitated trade

Question 10

Caravanserai

Answer 10

an inn with a central courtyard for travelers in the desert regions of Asia or North Africa; allowed caravans and their camels to rest in a protected environment, encouraging trade

Question 11

Hanseatic League

Answer 11

an organization of north German and Scandinavian cities for the purpose of establishing a commercial alliance; facilitated trade and commercial growth in the 1200-1450 time period

Question 12

porcelain

Answer 12

a thin, beautiful pottery invented in China

Question 13

monsoon winds

Answer 13

seasonal wind in India, the winter monsoon brings hot, dry weather and the summer monsoon brings rain

Question 14

Spice Islands

Answer 14

Europeans’ name for the Moluccas, islands rich in cloves and nutmeg - highly valued spices often traded in the Indian Ocean trade network

Question 15

diaspora

Answer 15

A dispersion of people from their homeland; merchant communities of Muslim spread Islam throughout Southeast Asia

Question 16

Dhow Ships

Answer 16

Arab sailing vessels with triangular or lateen sails; strongly influenced European ship design; facilitated trade in the Indian Ocean networks

Question 17

Mansa Musa

Answer 17

Ruler of Mali (r. 1312-1337). His extravagant pilgrimage through Egypt to Mecca in 1324-1325 established the empire’s reputation for wealth in the Mediterranean world.

Question 18

Timbuktu

Answer 18

Mali trading city that became a center of wealth and learning thanks to its location in the trans-Saharan trade networks; universities, mosques, and libraries

Question 19

Camel Saddle

Answer 19

An invention which gives camel riders more stability on the animal and its invention and basic idea traveled along the Trans-Saharan Caravan Trade Route. Invented somewhere between 500 and 100 BCE by Bedouin tribes.

Question 20

caravan

Answer 20

group of traveling merchants and animals

Question 21

Sundiata

Answer 21

the founder of Mali empire. He crushed his enemies and won control of the gold trade routes along the trans-Saharan trade networks

Question 22

Khan

Answer 22

Name for a Mongol ruler

Question 23

Khanates

Answer 23

Four regional Mongol kingdoms that arose following the death of Ghengis Khan.

Question 24

Pax Mongolica

Answer 24

The period of approximately 150 years of relative peace and stability created by the Mongol Empire.

Question 25

Golden Horde

Answer 25

Mongol khanate founded by Genghis Khan’s. It was based in southern Russia and quickly adopted both the Turkic language and Islam.

Question 26

Il-Khanate

Answer 26

Mongol empire that ruled over Iran (Persia) & the Middle East

Question 27

Yuan Dynasty

Answer 27

(1279-1368 CE) The dynasty with Mongol rule in China; centralized with bureaucracy but structure is different: Mongols on top->Persian bureaucrats->Chinese bureaucrats; did not emphasize Confucianism and the civil service exams

Question 28

Bubonic Plague

Answer 28

Also called the Black Death; the deadly disease that spread through Asia and Europe and killed more than a third of the population in some areas; hit Europe (peak 1347-1351) especially hard due to unsanitary living conditions and overcrowded cities; spread thanks to increased trade along the Silk Roads

Question 29

Gunpowder

Answer 29

Invented within China during the 9th century, this substance was became the dominate military technology used to expand European and Asian empires by the 15th century; spread from East to West via trade networks like the Silk Roads and help from the Pax Mongolica

Question 30

Ibn Battuta

Answer 30

(1304-1369) Moroccan Muslim scholar, the most widely traveled individual of his time. He wrote a detailed account of his visits to Islamic lands from China to Spain and the western Sudan. His writings gave a glimpse into the world of that time period.

Question 31

Marco Polo

Answer 31

(1254-1324) Italian explorer and author. He made numerous trips to China and returned to Europe to write of his journeys. He is responsible for much of the knowledge exchanged between Europe and China during this time period.

Question 32

Margery Kempe

Answer 32

Wrote the Book of Margery Kempe - considered the 1st autobiography in the English language. Chronicles her pilgrimages to holy sites in Europe and Asia. Claimed to have vision that called her to leave the vanities of the world

Question 33

Swahili city-states

Answer 33

City coasts that actively participated in Indian Ocean trade along the East coast of the African continent

Question 34

Zheng He

Answer 34

(1371-1433?) Chinese Ming Dynasty naval explorer who sailed along most of the coast of Asia, Japan, and half way down the east coast of Africa before his death; facilitated China’s role in the tribute system in the Indian Ocean trade network