Silk Roads & Mongols
What luxury goods were most commonly traded along the Silk Roads?
Silk, porcelain, and spices
What seasonal winds made Indian Ocean trade predictable?
Monsoon winds
What were the two main goods traded across the Sahara Desert?
Gold and salt
Which religion spread most widely through Afro-Eurasian trade networks?
Islam
What innovation allowed merchants to travel safely along the Silk Roads?
Caravanserai (roadside inns)
Which empire revitalized and secured the Silk Roads during the 13th and 14th centuries?
The Mongol Empire
Name two major port cities that thrived due to Indian Ocean trade.
Calicut and Hormuz
Which empire became wealthy from controlling Trans-Saharan trade routes?
The Mali Empire
What is syncretism?
The blending of different cultural or religious traditions
What was paper money used for?
Facilitating trade by replacing heavy coins
What term refers to the period of peace and stability across Eurasia under Mongol rule?
Pax Mongolica
What were typical goods traded in the Indian Ocean network?
Spices, textiles, ivory, timber, gold
Who was the famous Mali ruler whose pilgrimage to Mecca showed Mali’s wealth and Islamic ties?
Mansa Musa
What is an example of syncretism in architecture in Southeast Asia?
Angkor Wat (Hindu-Buddhist influences)
Name two commercial practices that expanded global trade networks.
Bills of exchange and banking
How did the Mongols contribute to the spread of technologies and ideas across Eurasia?
By maintaining safe trade routes and facilitating cultural diffusion
What is a diasporic community?
A community of merchants living abroad who shared cultural and religious traditions
Why was Timbuktu significant during this period?
It was a major center of trade, learning, and Islamic scholarship
What role did griots play in West African society?
They preserved history and culture through oral storytelling
How did new technologies promote urban growth?
They enabled more trade, attracting merchants and wealth to cities like Samarkand
Explain one way the Mongol Empire’s expansion led to both positive and negative global effects.
Positive: increased trade and innovation spread; Negative: spread of the Black Death
How did innovations like the lateen sail and astrolabe transform maritime trade?
They allowed longer, safer, and more reliable voyages across open seas
Explain how camel technology influenced the development of Trans-Saharan trade.
The camel saddle and caravans made long desert travel efficient and increased trade volume
Compare how Islam spread in West Africa versus Southeast Asia.
West Africa: through trade and rulers’ conversion; Southeast Asia: through merchant communities and peaceful exchange
Compare the impact of new commercial practices on the Silk Road vs. Trans-Saharan trade networks.
Both expanded trade through credit and banking; Silk Roads relied on paper money, Trans-Saharan on gold-based economies