Unit 2 Most Important Concepts Flashcards
What goods were traded on the Silk Roads?
Luxury goods like silk, porcelain, spices, and precious metals.
What technologies facilitated Silk Road trade?
Caravanserai, paper money, credit, and bills of exchange.
What religion spread via the Silk Roads?
Buddhism, especially Mahayana Buddhism.
What city was a major Silk Road trading hub?
Samarkand in Central Asia.
What kind of goods were traded in the Indian Ocean network?
Bulk goods like spices, textiles, ivory, and timber.
What technology aided Indian Ocean navigation?
Lateen sails, compass, astrolabe, and understanding of monsoon winds.
Which city-states thrived in Indian Ocean trade?
Kilwa, Malacca, Calicut, and Srivijaya.
What religions spread through the Indian Ocean trade network?
Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
What enabled trade across the Sahara Desert?
Camels and the camel saddle.
What key goods were traded across the Sahara?
Gold, salt, and slaves.
What major West African empire was involved in Trans-Saharan trade?
The Mali Empire, under rulers like Mansa Musa.
What religion spread into West Africa via the Trans-Saharan trade route?
Islam.
Who unified the Mongol tribes and founded the Mongol Empire?
Genghis Khan.
What is ‘Pax Mongolica’?
A period of relative peace and stability across Eurasia under Mongol rule.
How did the Mongols affect trade?
They revived and protected the Silk Roads, increasing cross-cultural contact.
What tactic made the Mongol military so effective?
Highly mobile cavalry, psychological warfare, and use of foreign engineers.
What disease spread along trade routes in this era?
The Black Death (bubonic plague).
How did the Black Death impact societies?
Killed millions, weakened feudal systems, and led to social and economic changes.
What are diasporic communities?
Communities formed by merchants who settled in foreign areas.
What is an example of cultural diffusion in this period?
Islamic architecture in Africa and Buddhist art in Central Asia.
Who was Marco Polo?
Venetian merchant who visited the Mongol court and wrote about China.
Who was Ibn Battuta?
Muslim traveler who journeyed across the Islamic world, from North Africa to India and beyond.
Who was Margery Kempe?
English Christian mystic who wrote one of the first autobiographies and described her pilgrimages.
