The Silk Road
The famous Italian explorer who traveled along the Silk Road to meet Kublai Khan.
Who was Marco Polo?
This type of annual, predictable weather pattern made traversing the Indian Ocean a lucrative place for trade.
What are monsoons?
The desert that travelers had to navigate to trade.
What is the Sahara?
The guy who started it all.
Who was Genghis Khan?
This legendary disease made a massive spread across Mongol-controlled Silk Road.
What was the Black Death?
After the Silk Road came under Mongol protection, the world entered this era of peace for approximately 100-150 years.
What was the Pax Mongolica?
A powerful trading empire based in Sumatra. These guys had one of the first thalassocracies, or maritime empire.
What was Srivijaya?
The two goods that were the main drivers of Trans-Saharan Trade.
What are gold and salt?
During the Pax Mongolica, the Mongols gained control over this major trade route, allowing it to prosper.
What was the Silk Road?
This version of faster-growing drought-resistant rice was introduced to China from another kingdom.
What is Champa rice?
Places for merchants of the Silk Road to rest along their journey.
What were caravanserai?
A legendary Muslim Chinese explorer who led 7 voyages under the Ming Dynasty.
Who was Zheng He?
The kingdom ruled by the filthy rich Mansa Musa.
What is Mali?
The Yuan Dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan, was eventually taken down by a revolt of peasants, resulting in the rise of this dynasty.
What were the Mings?
These two versions of Buddhism spread due to the increased level of interconnection during this time. One promoted a more universal method, while the other promoted more strict personal beliefs.
What are Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism?
Name at least 2 economic innovations that allowed for better travel across the Silk Road.
What were banking houses, bills of exchange, paper money?
Name 3 specific goods traded EXCLUSIVELY on the Indian Ocean Trade network.
What are ivory, timber, books, grain, textiles, slaves, horses, spices, pepper, glassware?
This invention allowed for travelers to better cross the demanding Sahara.
What was the camel saddle?
The number of Khanates that the Mongol Empire split into. (Bonus points if you can name them!)
What is four? (Ilkhanate, Golden Horde, Yuan Dynasty, and Chagatai)
A famous journey taken during this time that resulted in the ruination of many Sub-Saharan African economies due to an influx of gold and salt.
What was Mansa Musa's Hajj?
These two cities became extremely powerful trading hubs because of their close connection to China, India, Persia, and the Mediterranean.
What were Kashgar and Samarkand?
The two cultures that merged into Swahili.
What is Arabic and Bantu?
The one sultanate that defeated the Mongols.
Who were the Mamluks?
The battle that the Mamluks defeated the Mongols at.
What was the Battle of Ain Jalut?
During their conquest of the world, the Mongols burned this legendary place of study.
What was the Baghdad House of Wisdom?