Silk Roads & Mongol Empire
This military innovation by the Mongols helped them overwhelm walled cities with ease.
What are siege weapons?
This coastal Indian city became a major hub due to monsoon winds and spice trade.
What is Calicut?
This precious metal was Mali’s most valuable export.
What is gold?
This form of Buddhism blended Daoism and attracted Chinese and Japanese followers.
What is Zen Buddhism (Chan Buddhism)?
This rice innovation from Vietnam led to population booms in Song China.
What is Champa rice?
(DAILY DOUBLE) This document was used for long-distance banking on the Silk Roads and influenced modern banking.
What is a bill of exchange?
(DAILY DOUBLE) These seasonal winds determined maritime travel schedules across the Indian Ocean.
What are monsoon winds?
This traveler documented his journey through Mali, describing cities like Timbuktu and Gao.
Who is Ibn Battuta?
This language developed in Muslim India and shows cultural blending of Arabic, Hindi, and Farsi.
What is Urdu?
This disease was spread by trade routes and killed millions across Eurasia.
What is the Black Death?
This city at the crossroads of Silk Roads became a hub for Islamic scholarship and diverse religions.
What is Samarkand?
This strait helped Malacca become rich by controlling passage between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
What is the Strait of Malacca?
This camel-mounted innovation allowed greater cargo transport across the Sahara.
What is the Somali saddle?
(DAILY DOUBLE) This Islamic legal school and spiritual tradition was key in spreading Islam peacefully.
What is Sufism?
(DAILY DOUBLE) These travelers' writings recorded diverse cultures and helped spread ideas between civilizations.
Who are Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta?
This ruler united Mongol tribes and began their vast empire’s expansion.
Who is Genghis Khan?
This admiral led voyages under the Ming Dynasty, showcasing Chinese maritime power.
Who is Zheng He?
This Mali emperor’s lavish pilgrimage helped spread Islamic influence in West Africa.
Who is Mansa Musa?
This Hindu-Buddhist complex in Cambodia reveals deep religious syncretism.
What is Angkor Wat?
This environmental impact forced abandonment of cities like Great Zimbabwe.
What is overgrazing?
This Mongol khanate ruled over the Islamic heartlands and eventually converted to Islam.
What is the Ilkhanate?
These settlements arose from long-term merchant presence and blended cultures and religions.
What are diasporic communities?
(DAILY DOUBLE) This city was both a trade hub and a center of Islamic learning in Mali.
What is Timbuktu?
This scholar translated Greek texts and advanced astronomy and medicine in the Muslim world.
Who is Nasir al-Din al-Tusi?
This labor system persisted due to rising production demands across Afro-Eurasia.
What is coerced or forced labor?