Quick-maturing rice that can allow two harvests in one growing season. Originally introduced into Champa from India, it was later sent to China as a tribute gift by the Champa state (as part of the tributary system.)
Champa Rice
A series of holy wars from 1096-1270 AD undertaken by European Christians to free the Holy Land from Muslim rule.
Crusades
Chinese invention that aided navigation by showing which direction was north; use spread through trade networks like Silk Roads and Indian Ocean trade
magnetic compass
Known for being one of the richest men on earth. Muslim 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; one of the richest people to have ever lived
Mansa Musa
the idea that monarchs are God's representatives on earth and are therefore answerable only to God.
Divine Right
Descendants of the Prophet Muhammad's uncle, al-Abbas, they overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate and ruled an Islamic empire from their capital in Baghdad (founded 762) from 750 to 1258.
Abbasid Caliphate
Chinese credit instrument that provided credit vouchers to merchants to be redeemed at the end of the voyage; reduced danger of robbery; early form of currency
Flying Money
system of ancient caravan routes across Central Asia, along which traders carried silk and other luxury trade goods; known for spreading religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam as well as technological transfers (gunpowder, paper, the compass from China to the West) and diseases like the Bubonic plague
Silk Roads
Name for a Mongol ruler
Khan
Islamic state of Turkic speaking peoples lasting from 1453 to 1922; conquered the Byzantine Empire in 1453; based at Istanbul (formerly Constantinople); encompassed lands in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and eastern Europe; famous for their gunpowder armies and Janissaries
Ottoman Empire
a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition.
Zen Buddhism
Mississippian settlement near present-day East St. Louis, home to as many as 25,000 Native Americans
Cahokia
a central Asian city where the western and the eastern Silk Roads met; one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with modern day Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
Kashgar
group of traveling merchants and animals; facilitated trade along the Silk Roads and Trans-Saharan trade networks
caravan
elite Ottoman guard recruited from the Christian population through the devshirme system, that often converted to Islam; utilized gunpowder weapons such as muskets
Janissaries
a system in which promotion is based on individual ability or achievement in China
Meritocracy
A political system in which nobles are granted the use of lands that legally belong to their king, in exchange for their loyalty, military service, and protection of the people who live on the land
Feudalism
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
Samarkand
The period of approximately 150 years of relative peace and stability created by the Mongol Empire - provided the stability and safety necessary for Silk Road trade to thrive leading to spread of goods, ideas, technology, and disease along the Silk Roads during the 13th century.
Pax Mongolica
the system by which boys from Christian communities were taken by the Ottoman state to serve as Janissaries (elite military units)
Devshirme
A philosophy that adheres to the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. It shows the way to ensure a stable government and an orderly society in the present world and stresses a moral code of conduct.
Confucianism
An immensely popular development in Hinduism, advocating intense devotion toward a particular deity.
Bhakti Movement
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
caravanserai
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
Timbuktu
Northeast Asian peoples who defeated the Ming Dynasty and founded the Qing Dynasty in 1644, which was the last of China's imperial dynasties
Manchus