| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| banking houses | Commercial institutions that provided financial services including money lending, currency exchange, and credit to merchants engaged in trade. |
| bills of exchange | Financial instruments that allowed merchants to transfer money across distances without physically transporting currency, facilitating long-distance trade. |
| caravanserai | A roadside inn or fortified trading post that provided shelter and facilities for merchants and traders traveling along trade routes. |
| commercial practices | Methods and systems used in conducting trade and business, including standardized trading procedures and financial mechanisms that facilitated exchange. |
| forms of credit | Financial instruments and practices, such as letters of credit, that facilitated long-distance trade by allowing merchants to conduct transactions without physically transporting large amounts of currency. |
| interregional trade | Commercial exchange of goods across vast geographic distances, connecting multiple continents and regions during the early modern period. |
| iron and steel | Metals whose manufacture expanded in China during this period, reflecting increased productive capacity and trade demand. |
| luxury goods | High-value, non-essential commodities such as textiles, porcelains, spices, and precious items that were highly desired and traded across long distances. |
| money economies | Economic systems based on the use of currency and monetary exchange rather than barter, which expanded trade capabilities. |
| networks of exchange | Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450. |
| paper money | Currency made from paper rather than metal, used in money economies to facilitate trade and commerce. |
| porcelains | Fine ceramic goods produced primarily by Chinese artisans and exported as luxury items through trade networks. |
| textiles | Woven fabrics and cloth produced by Chinese, Persian, and Indian artisans for export through trade networks. |
| trade routes | Established pathways—both maritime and overland—along which merchants transported goods, ideas, and cultural practices between regions. |
| trading cities | Urban centers that grew wealthy and powerful through their role as hubs for commercial exchange and merchant activity. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Afro-Eurasian trade | Commercial networks and exchange of goods connecting Africa, Europe, and Asia, facilitated by imperial expansion and conquest. |
| communication | The exchange of information, ideas, and cultural practices between different peoples and regions through trade and contact. |
| conquerors' economies | Economic systems and structures established and controlled by imperial powers in conquered territories. |
| cultural transfer | The movement and adoption of ideas, beliefs, practices, and knowledge systems from one region or civilization to another. |
| empires | Large political units that extended control over diverse populations and territories through conquest or colonization. |
| Greco-Islamic medical knowledge | Medical theories and practices developed through the synthesis of Greek and Islamic scholarship that were transmitted to western Europe during the medieval period. |
| imperial expansion | The process by which empires extended their territorial control and political authority over new regions and populations. |
| interregional contacts | Connections and interactions between different geographic regions and their peoples, often resulting in the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies. |
| Mongol Empire | A vast transcontinental empire established by Mongol conquests in the 13th and 14th centuries that facilitated extensive interregional contacts and exchanges. |
| Mongol khanates | The regional divisions of the Mongol Empire, each ruled by a khan and representing distinct territorial and political units. |
| networks of exchange | Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450. |
| numbering systems | Mathematical systems for representing quantities, including the Hindu-Arabic numerals that were transferred to Europe through Mongol-era contacts. |
| state building | The process by which political entities establish and strengthen their governmental institutions, territorial control, and administrative systems. |
| technological transfer | The movement and adoption of tools, techniques, and innovations from one region or civilization to another. |
| Uyghur script | A writing system used by the Uyghur people that was adopted by the Mongols and influenced writing systems across their empire. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| astrolabe | An astronomical instrument used for navigation and determining latitude by measuring the position of celestial bodies. |
| commercial practices | Methods and systems used in conducting trade and business, including standardized trading procedures and financial mechanisms that facilitated exchange. |
| compass | A navigational instrument using magnetic properties to determine direction, essential for oceanic navigation. |
| cultural transfer | The movement and adoption of ideas, beliefs, practices, and knowledge systems from one region or civilization to another. |
| diasporic communities | Groups of merchants and settlers from one region who established themselves in distant locations along trade routes, maintaining their own cultural traditions while interacting with local populations. |
| environmental knowledge | Understanding of natural conditions and patterns, such as wind systems and ocean currents, that enabled the development and maintenance of trade networks. |
| Gujarat | A region in South Asia that became a powerful trading state through its participation in Indian Ocean commerce. |
| Indian Ocean trading network | The interconnected system of maritime trade routes and commercial connections centered on the Indian Ocean that linked Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. |
| interregional contacts | Connections and interactions between different geographic regions and their peoples, often resulting in the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies. |
| interregional trade | Commercial exchange of goods across vast geographic distances, connecting multiple continents and regions during the early modern period. |
| luxury goods | High-value, non-essential commodities such as textiles, porcelains, spices, and precious items that were highly desired and traded across long distances. |
| maritime activity | Trade, exploration, and military operations conducted by sea. |
| networks of exchange | Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450. |
| ship designs | Innovations in vessel construction that enabled longer ocean voyages and increased cargo capacity. |
| Sultanate of Malacca | A maritime trading state in Southeast Asia that controlled strategic trade routes in the Indian Ocean. |
| Swahili Coast | A region of East Africa along the Indian Ocean where city-states developed as major trading centers. |
| technological transfer | The movement and adoption of tools, techniques, and innovations from one region or civilization to another. |
| trade routes | Established pathways—both maritime and overland—along which merchants transported goods, ideas, and cultural practices between regions. |
| trading cities | Urban centers that grew wealthy and powerful through their role as hubs for commercial exchange and merchant activity. |
| transportation technologies | Innovations in methods and tools for moving goods and people, such as improved ships and navigation instruments, that increased the efficiency and volume of trade. |
| wind and currents patterns | The predictable movements of ocean winds and water currents that facilitated efficient maritime routes for ships. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Afro-Eurasian trade | Commercial networks and exchange of goods connecting Africa, Europe, and Asia, facilitated by imperial expansion and conquest. |
| camel saddle | A specialized equipment designed to carry cargo on camels, enabling more efficient transport of goods across desert trade routes. |
| caravans | Organized groups of merchants and pack animals traveling together along trade routes for protection and efficiency. |
| commercial practices | Methods and systems used in conducting trade and business, including standardized trading procedures and financial mechanisms that facilitated exchange. |
| communication | The exchange of information, ideas, and cultural practices between different peoples and regions through trade and contact. |
| empires | Large political units that extended control over diverse populations and territories through conquest or colonization. |
| interregional trade | Commercial exchange of goods across vast geographic distances, connecting multiple continents and regions during the early modern period. |
| Mali | A West African empire that expanded during the medieval period and played a major role in facilitating trans-Saharan trade and communication networks. |
| networks of exchange | Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450. |
| trans-Saharan trade | Trade networks and commercial routes that crossed the Sahara Desert, connecting sub-Saharan Africa with North Africa and the Mediterranean world. |
| transportation technologies | Innovations in methods and tools for moving goods and people, such as improved ships and navigation instruments, that increased the efficiency and volume of trade. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| artistic traditions | The visual, musical, and performative cultural practices and styles characteristic of a society. |
| Buddhism | A major world religion and philosophical tradition that spread throughout Asia via trade networks. |
| cultural effects | The influence of trade and exchange networks on the customs, traditions, and practices of societies. |
| diffusion | The spread of cultural traditions, ideas, technologies, and innovations from one region or society to another. |
| gunpowder | An explosive mixture used in firearms and cannons that became a crucial military technology for imperial expansion. |
| Hinduism | A major world religion originating in South Asia, characterized by diverse beliefs, practices, and a complex pantheon of deities. |
| intellectual effects | The impact of exchange networks on ideas, knowledge, and ways of thinking across cultures. |
| interregional contacts | Connections and interactions between different geographic regions and their peoples, often resulting in the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies. |
| Islam | A monotheistic religion founded in the 7th century based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and the Quran. |
| literary traditions | The body of written works, storytelling practices, and written cultural expressions of a society. |
| networks of exchange | Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450. |
| paper | A Chinese technological innovation used for writing and communication that spread throughout Afro-Eurasia. |
| scientific innovations | New discoveries and advances in knowledge about the natural world. |
| technological innovations | New tools, techniques, and designs that improved efficiency in navigation, shipbuilding, and other productive activities. |
| urbanization | The process of population concentration in cities and the growth of urban areas as a result of migration and industrialization. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Afro-Eurasian trade | Commercial networks and exchange of goods connecting Africa, Europe, and Asia, facilitated by imperial expansion and conquest. |
| bubonic plague | A devastating epidemic disease transmitted along trade routes that caused massive mortality in Afro-Eurasia during the medieval period. |
| diffusion of crops | The spread and adoption of plant species across different regions through trade networks and cultural exchange. |
| diffusion of pathogens | The transmission and spread of disease-causing organisms across regions through trade routes and human contact. |
| epidemic diseases | Diseases that spread rapidly through a population, affecting large numbers of people across wide geographic areas. |
| networks of exchange | Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| biological diffusion | The movement and spread of plants, animals, and diseases across different regions through trade and human interaction. |
| caravanserai | A roadside inn or fortified trading post that provided shelter and facilities for merchants and traders traveling along trade routes. |
| cultural transfer | The movement and adoption of ideas, beliefs, practices, and knowledge systems from one region or civilization to another. |
| forms of credit | Financial instruments and practices, such as letters of credit, that facilitated long-distance trade by allowing merchants to conduct transactions without physically transporting large amounts of currency. |
| iron and steel | Metals whose manufacture expanded in China during this period, reflecting increased productive capacity and trade demand. |
| luxury goods | High-value, non-essential commodities such as textiles, porcelains, spices, and precious items that were highly desired and traded across long distances. |
| money economies | Economic systems based on the use of currency and monetary exchange rather than barter, which expanded trade capabilities. |
| networks of exchange | Interconnected systems of trade and cultural interaction spanning vast distances, developed during the period c. 1200 to c. 1450. |
| porcelains | Fine ceramic goods produced primarily by Chinese artisans and exported as luxury items through trade networks. |
| productive capacity | The ability of a society or region to produce goods, which increased due to expanded trade networks and technological innovations. |
| Silk Roads | Major trade routes connecting East Asia, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean world, facilitating the exchange of goods, technologies, and ideas from c. 1200-1450. |
| technological transfer | The movement and adoption of tools, techniques, and innovations from one region or civilization to another. |
| textiles | Woven fabrics and cloth produced by Chinese, Persian, and Indian artisans for export through trade networks. |