Name:______________________________________________________________________Date:________Class:______

APWH|Unit Two Sections 2.1 “The Silk Roads” and 2.2 “The Mongol Empire and the Modern World”
Directions: For each reading section define the important vocabulary words and answer the reading questions that follow using
specific details. It is imperative that you complete your readings thoughtfully and independently. Students who do not do their
reading will not do well in this course.

UNIT 2.1| The Silk Roads

Key term/event Definition (Think - Who, What, When, Where…) and Significance (Why this term matters)

1. Silk Roads A network of trade occurring in Eurasia starting in the second century and clsojg in the 15th century.

2. Kashgar A trading center

3. Samarkand A city in Uzbekistan

4. Caravanserai A inn with a courtyard for travelers

5. Flying cash Certificates issued by China’s government to pay merchants

6. Hanseatic League A German organization for protection of mutual trading.

Objective Key Developments

Explain the A. The first ‘golden age’ of the Silk Roads came to an end after the collapse of classical civilizations like the Roman
causes of and Han empires. How were they revived?
growth of
networks of The Silk Roads were revived by Arab merchants from the Abbasid Empire.
exchange
after 1200. B. What was China’s role in bringing about the ‘second gold age’ of the Silk Roads?

China was interested in precious metals from Europe.

C. How did the Mongol empire significantly impact the expansion of trade?

Mongol leaders favored merchants and were very tolerant with the growth of trade within their empire.

D. Describe how each of the following technological advancements led to growth in the expansion of trade
networks:

● Caravans:
They provided a way to move goods over a long distance

● Saddles:

Made riding animals accessible for merchants.

● Magnetic compass:
Provided a way to return to areas and find new ones with coordinates

● Rudder:

Made trade boats easier to steer and control

● Junk ships:
Carried goods along rivers and canals or by sea

Explain the A. Why did cities become thriving centers of trade during the growth of exchange networks?
effects of Many people visited cities on their trips through the Silk Road.
growth of ● Explain the significance of Kashgar, or why it was important to travelers:
networks of
exchange It was a trading center for merchants and travelers
after 1200.
● Explain the significance of Samarkand, or why it was important to travelers:
It was a central point for trade

B. Another effect of trade networks was the use of inns known as caravanserai. How were these different from
cities and why were they important to travelers?

Inns were much more frequent than cities and acted as rest stops for travelers.

C. China developed a new financial system, although it was already considered a money economy.
● What was the system: The credit system
 ● Why did they need it:

China needed it to help prevent crimes

● How did it impact European cities in the 1300s:

Locations of the flying cash changed.

D. The growth of trade networks also led to the creation of the Hanseatic League.
● Why did it form:
To help protect trading rights

● What was its impact:

It was Europe's most influential trade

● Why did it end:

Economic depression,power of merchants outside the Hanseatic league, and a depletion of resources

E. How did the increase in demand for luxury goods impact places like China?

An increase of supplies due to an increase of production

UNIT 2.2| The Mongol Empire and the Modern World

Key term/event Definition (Think - Who, What, When, Where…) and Significance (Why this term matters)

1. Mongol Empire An empire founded by Geghis Khan in 1206 in Central Asia

2. Temujin Mongol empire whose empire stretched from the Black Sea to Pacific Ocean

3. Khan A medieval sovereign of China

4. Khanate The state of a Khan

5. Pax Mongolica A period of stability of the Mongolian Empire in Eurasia

6. Golden Horde Russian designation for the Ulus Juchi, the western part of the Mongol empire, which flourished from the
mid-13th century to the end of the 14th century.

7. Karakorum A ruined city in Mongolia

8. Il-Khanate A khanate built in the southwest section of the Mongol empire

9. Yuan Dynasty The first foreign ruled dynasty in China(1279-1368)

10. White Lotus A religious movement that symbolizes mental purity

Society
Objective Key Developments

Explain the A. What was life like for the Mongols north of the Gobi Desert? How did their environment impact their culture?
process of
state building
and decline in
Eurasia over B. Who was Genghis Khan? How did he become the leader? How did he earn his reputation as a brutal leader?
time.

C. Mongols at War
● What made Mongolian soldiers so efficient?

● What strategies did they commonly use?

● What happened to those who did not surrender to the Mongols?

● How did the Mongols use siege weapons and the pony express to their advantage?

D. How were Mongol women treated within the empire?

Explain how A. As the Mongolian empire expanded people were surprised by his leadership. Why?
the
expansion of
empires
influenced
trade and B. What was Pax Mongolica? What important developments or social policies emerged from it?
communicati
on over time.

C. What role did Genghis Khan and his soldiers take with the Silk Roads? How did they change them?

Explain the A. How was the Mongol Empire divided after Genghis Khan died?
significance
of the
Mongol
Empire in
larger B. The Golden Horde
patterns of ● What was it/when was it established:
continuity
and change.
● Who was in charge:
 ● What was the immediate impact:

● Why did the Mongols stop expanding into Europe:

● How did the Mongols rule Russia:

● How did Russia rebel:

● What were the long term impacts of Mongol rule there:

C. The Il-Khanate
● What was it/when was it established:

● What was the immediate impact:

● How was it governed:

● What were the long term impacts of Mongol rule there:

D. The Yuan Dynasty

● What was it/when was it established:

● What were the immediate and long term impacts:

● How did the Yuan Dynasty rule:

● How did the Yuan Dynasty decline:

E. How did the Mongol decline in China echo the decline of the overall empire?

F. Fill in the blank for Mongolian Long-Term impacts:

● Mongols conquered a larger area than the _________________, being the largest continuous land
empire in history

● During Pax Mongolica, Mongols revitalized:_________________________________________________

● What cultural exchanges occurred:

○ ____________________________ from Islam to China

○ ____________________________from China to the world

○ ____________________________went to Western Europe

 ● Mongol conquests spread the ________________________________ or Black Death from China to West

● The Mongols used _____________________________ power

● Mongol fighting techniques led to the use of ______________________________ in Western Europe

● ___________________________________ came to an end in Europe due to the cannon and siege tactics
of the Mongols

G. In your own words, list the various continuities and changes of the Mongol Empire below:

● Continuities:

● Changes:

Multiple Choice Responses (Record them here!)

Section 2.1 1. ______ 2.______ 3.______

Section 2.2 1. ______ 2.______ 3.______

Short Answer Question Responses

List any information that would help you to craft a well informed response.

2.1 SAQ
Question #2

2.2 SAQ
Question #2
Name:______________________________________________________________________Date:________Class:______

APWH|Unit Two Sections 2.3 “Exchange in the Indian Ocean” and 2.4 “Trans-Saharan Trade Route”
Directions: For each reading section define the important vocabulary words and answer the reading questions that follow using
specific details. It is imperative that you complete your readings thoughtfully and independently. Students who do not do their
reading will not do well in this course.

UNIT 2.3| Exchange in the Indian Ocean

Key term/event Definition (Think - Who, What, When, Where…) and Significance (Why this term matters)

1. Calicut A city in the west coast of India that became a thriving center of trade because of the interactions with

merchants in east Africa and Southwest Asia.

2. Spice Islands Modern- day Malaysia and Indonesia would become known as Spice Islands because of the things they

exported like cinnamon,cloves, and cardamom

3. Monsoon Winds Monsoon Winds are essential for trading because they would take the travelers from place to place as the

travelers think about when the winds will come.

4. Lateen Sails The lateen sails are triangular sails that easily catch winds that come from many different directions.

5. Melacca A muslim city-state which became wealthy by making a navy and taxing ships that passed through the

strait of Malacca.

6. Diaspora People that were away from their homeland.

7. Swahili City-States The Swahili CIty-States were small city states that traders from around would enter and trade with each

other.

8. Zheng He He is a muslim admiral who was sent by the Ming emperor on seven great voyages.
Objective Key Developments

Explain the The Indian Ocean Basin’s location allowed thriving trade with regions like South Asia. Note important
causes of the information about the causes of expanded exchange in the Indian Ocean below using specific details and
growth of complete sentences.
networks of
exchange after 1. Spread of Islam:
1200.
A. How did the expansion of Islam expand the Indian Ocean Trade network?
It connected more cities that ever before and made more trading partners with each other
B. What trading partners are connected?
It connected societes from North Africa to South Asia.

C. Who were the Muslim Persians and Arabs, and what was their role?
They were dominant seafarers and were instructed with trading goods to port cities across the Indian
Ocean

D. Why is Calicut an important example of a bustling port city?

They were a city that would sell spices to merchants from places like southern India, Arabia, and
china.

2. Increased Demand for Specialized Products:

A. List the items that India offers:

Fabrics, cotton, carpets, high carbon steel, tanned leather, artisan-crafted stonework.

B. List the items that Malaysia and Indonesia offer:

Fragrant nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom

● What are they called and why?

They are called Spice Islands because of the things and spices they offer to trade.

C. List the items that Swahili Coastal cities offer:

Slaves, Ivory, and gold

● Name two of these cities:

Mombasa and Sofala

D. List the items that China exported:

Silks

E. List the items that Southwest Asia exported:

Horses, figs, and dates

F. Summarize the slave trade prior to the West/Central African slave trade in the 1500s (where were they
taken, what was life like). Use specific details.

The slave trade played a role in exchanges in the Indian Ocean. While most slaves went to America after the
1500 came from west and central Africa and they were sold to buyers from northern Africa, The Middle East,
and India. Many would be transported to the islands off the southeast coast of Africa, like Madagascar.
 3. Environmental Knowledge

A. Explain the importance of monsoon winds:

The monsoon winds was important to travelers because they depended one the direction the win was going
to go place to place

4. Advances in Maritime Technology:

A. Explain the significance of:

● Lateen Sails:
Triangular shaped sails that can catch winds from multiple directions
● Stern Rudders:
Gave the ships more stability and easier to dominate
● Astrolabes:
Allowed sailors to see how far north or south they were from the equator

5. Growth of States:
A. How did the growth of states lead to further growth of trade?
They helped institutionalize the revenue from trade

B. Explain how Melacca is an example of this.

They would tax ships that came past them

Explain the Some of the factors that caused expansion of trade networks also became effects. Note important information
effects of the here using specific details and complete sentences.
growth of
networks of A. Diasporic Communities:
exchange after ● What is ‘diaspora’:
1200. Settlements of people away from their place of birth.

● Why did many Arab and East African merchants stay in Indian port cities?
Because the married women they met there.

○ How did this impact Southern Asia?

It introduced Dar al-Islam through intermarriage

B. Response to Increased Demand:

● How did increased demand lead to the increased role of the state (government)?
Made them oversee the efforts at efficiency and raise more money through customs

○ How was Gujarat an example of this?

The got a lot of revenue since they were the go-between for trade among the East and West

C. Swahili City States

● What were the Swahili City States? What were they referred to as in Arabic?

Its a place where traders from the Zanj Coast trade with their Arab trading partners and the
city states mean coasters in Arabic.
 ● What was the role of these city states - what did they trade/bring to the network?

They would offer things they had and let people trader with them

● These city states became extremely wealthy - what evidence do we have of this?
They had many things to trade and they had acquired Chinese porcelain, Indian cotton, and
manufactured ironwork

D. Significant Cultural Transfers

● What does the chapter mean by ‘significant cultural transfers’ - what are those?
The transfer of knowledge, culture, technology, commerce, and religion.

● Who was Zheng He? What was the purpose of his voyages?
He was a Muslim admiral, and the purpose of his voyages was to display the might of the
Ming Dynasty to the rest of the world.
● How did the voyages impact China and the Chinese government?
The voyages won prestige for the Chinese government and opened new markets for Chinese
goods.
● Why did his voyages end?
Some critics looked down on other cultures and others thought that these voyages were too
expensive.
● The end of his voyages marked strict isolation by the Ming Dynasty - what evidence do we
have of this?
Zhu Gaozhi made building a ship with more than two masts a punishable offense.

● How can you use Zheng He’s voyages as an example of cultural transfers?
There was a transfer of knowledge, culture, technology, commerce, and religion from the
rest of the world beyond China.

Explain the 1. Answer the following question about the role of the environment in the expansion of networks of exchange.
role of
environmental A. Describe the role of environmental factors (geography, monsoon winds, etc) in expanding trade
factors in the networks.
development The exchange of long-distance trade routes often depended on environmental knowledge, and
of networks of advanced knowledge of the monsoon winds.
exchange
1200-1450.

UNIT 2.4| Trans-Saharan Trade Route

Key term/event Definition (Think - Who, What, When, Where…) and Significance (Why this term matters)

1. The Sahara Desert A desert that few societies had inhabited because its arid climate made it nearly impossible to farm. It
became a path for trade for Muslim merchants.

2. Oases Places where human settlement is possible because water from deep underground is brought to the
surface making the land fertile.

3. Camel Saddles Many different types of saddles were made to sit on camels for different purposes, like to make travel
easier, to have better visibility in battles, and to have more control over the camel.

4. Trans-Sahara Trade Trade throughout North Africa, brought wealth to the societies in Africa. By the end of the 8th century,
the Trans-Sahara Trade had become famous throughout Europe and Asia.

5. Mali Wars with neighboring states weakened the Ghanaian state which led to the rise of many other trading
societies the strongest of which was Mali.
6. Timbuktu Accumulated the most wealth and developed into a center of Islamic learning. It became a
world-renowned center of Islamic learning.

7. Sundiata He was the founding ruler of Mali. He was a Muslim and used his connections with others of his faith to
establish trade relationships.

8. Mansa Musa Was Sundiata’s grand-nephew who brought fame to the region. He was known for his religious leadership
than his political or economic.

9. Songhay Kingdom Took Mali’s place once it fell and became the powerhouse in West Africa. It became larger and richer than
Mali.

Objective Key Developments

Explain the A. What was life and trade like in the Sahara Desert prior to the early 1200s?
causes of the There were few societies that inhabited the land and eventually turned into a trade route for Muslim
growth of merchants
Trans-Sahara
trade. B. Why did Muslim merchants travel on camels? Why were they better for travel than horses?
They were accustomed to living in the harsh, dry climate of the desert and they adapted well to living in the
Sahara. Compared to horses they can consume large amounts of water and not need more for a long time.

C. Which saddle had the greatest impact on trade - why?

The one that had the greatest impact on trade was the one made by the Somalis in Eastern Africa developed.
They needed to carry their possessions, so they designed a saddle that could carry up to 600 pounds.

D. How many trade routes were there across the Sahara Desert - what was their significance?
There was 7 north to south trade routes and 2 east to west. These let people get in touch with many other
cultures and trading partners.
E. Certain commodities became famous along these routes. What was the most famous, and what else was
traded along this route?
The most famous was gold. Other things being traded were ivory, slaves, salt, textiles, and horses.

● How did trading these items impact West Africa, particularly Ghana, and Mali?
It brought wealth to the West African societies, which led them to become bigger and wealthier societies.

Explain the A. Why did Ghana decline? What took over?

effects of the Ghana declined because it was weak from wars between neighboring states. Mali took over after Ghana
growth of the declined.
Trans-Sahara
trade. B. Why did Mali become more prosperous than Ghana ever had been?
Mali profited from the gold trade, but it also taxed nearly all other trade entering West Africa, which led them
to become more prosperous than Ghana had ever been.

C. Although most in Ghana were farmers cultivating sorghum and rice, other cities grew in prominence. Explain
the significance of Timbuktu to Mali.
Timbuktu along with Gao accumulated the most wealth and developed into a center of Muslim life. Timbaktu
in particular became a world-renowned center of Islamic learning.

D. How did the growth of trade and wealth give rise to an expanding role of states?
It needed to administer and maintain, a currency needed to be made that would be understood by everyone,
and each expansion drew more people into the empire’s economy.
 E. Who was Sundiata and why was he important? Give contextual information about this leader.
He was the founding ruler of Mali and he was Muslim. “He learned to fight as a warrior anyway and was forced
into exile by his enemies.” He returned to his kingdom, defeated his enemies, and reclaimed the throne. He
cultivated a thriving old trade and brought Mali wealth.

F. Who was Mansa Musa and why was he important? Give contextual information about this leader.
He was Sundiata’s grand-nephew. He was better known for his religious leadership than his political or
economical. “A devout Muslim, Mansa Musa began a pilgrimage in 1324 to Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.” His
pilgrimages displayed Mali’s wealth to the outside world.

G. How did Mansa Musa impact Mali through Islam?

He established religious schools in Timbuktu, build mosques in Muslim trading cities, and sponsored those who
wanted to continue their religious studies.

H. What was the Songhay Kingdom, and how did it become more powerful than Mali?
The Songhay kingdom was the kingdom that took Mali’s place after its fall. It became the powerhouse of West
Africa. It followed the processes that Mali went through, but it became larger and richer than Mali.

Explain how A. Using the information from this section, explain how the expansion of empires influenced trade and
the communication over time, particularly with the Trans-Sahara trade route.
expansion of Strengthened trade routes that allowed the diffusion of cultural and technological advancements. Expansion of
empires empires including Mali, facilitated trade and communication as new people were drawn into the economies
influenced and trade networks.
trade and
communication
over time.

Multiple Choice Responses (Record them here!)

Section 2.3 1. A 2. B 3. D

Section 2.4 1. C 2. A 3. D

Short Answer Question Responses

List any information that would help you to craft a well-informed response.

2.3 SAQ A. Caused Zhu’s decision
Question #1 for a new law, prohibiting
the building of boats with
more than two masts.
B. Chang believed that
everyone had to do their own
part to keep the circulation of
things going.
C. He believed that the
foreingner were uncooperative.
He believed that interaction
with them would trouble the
social order.
 2.4 SAQ A. The increase in people
Question #2 trading with Muslim
merchants allowed an
increase in trade,
supporting the area
economically.
B. By using camels more often,
Muslim trader indluenced other
traders to use camels too.
C. The Trans-Saharan trade
and the SIlk Road both,
contributed to the spread of
religion, culture, and
technology.

Name:______________________________________________________________________Date:________Class:______

APWH|Unit 2 Sections 2.5 “Cultural Consequences of Connectivity,” 2.6 “Environmental Consequences of

Connectivity,” and 2.7 “Comparison of Economic Exchange”
Directions: For each reading section define the important vocabulary words and answer the reading questions that follow using
specific details. It is imperative that you complete your readings thoughtfully and independently. Students who do not do their
reading will not do well in this course.

UNIT 2.5| Cultural Consequences of Connectivity

Key term/event Definition (Think - Who, What, When, Where…) and Significance (Why this term matters)

1. Diffusion (Definition not in the book) Spread of something (typically a cultural aspect like religion) from its place of
origin

2. Zen Buddhism Combination of buddhism and taoism Created by buddhists monks in china. And started to spread from
960-1270. Zen Buddhism is significant because many people in the Song dynasty adopted its ideals and
lived their lives based on its beliefs.

3. Neo-Confucianism Moral and ethical Chinese philosophy influenced by confucianism. Neo confucius originated in china
during the tang dynasty and developing more in the song dynasty. Neo-Confucianism was important
because it spread with the abstract ideas of taoism and buddhism and became very widespread. So much
so that it became Korea's official ideology.

4. Black Death A bubonic plague pandemic that occured in Europe and africa. The epidemic spread from 1347 and 1351
from trading routes and killed millions. Black death was a very important part of history because it took
the life of millions of people in Europe which had a major impact on the feudal system.

5. Marco Polo An Italian native from Venice who traveled the world as a merchant for many years. He traveled from
1271 to 1295 throughout asia. Marco Polo was a significant person because he came back and told
Europeans the wealth and riches of china. And inspired many to travel to his destinations.
6. Ibn Battuta Muslim scholar from morocco who set out to see the world he read so much about. He traveled for 30
years throughout central asia, southeast asia, south asia, china, spain, north africa, and mali. And he
wrote about the wonder he saw and his experiences in a book. He was significant because he helped
people know about places beyond the islamic world.

7. Margery Kempe English mystic known for writing through dictation. She wrote a book from 1373-1440 CE about her
pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, Germany, and spain. Also the book she wrote about was a firsthand
account of middle-class medieval women's life. She was an important figure because she is said to have
written the first autobiography in the English language.

Objective Key Developments

Explain the 1. Religious, Cultural, and Technological Impacts of Interaction

intellectual A. Generally, in what ways did cultural diffusion in c. 1200-1450 effect places?
and cultural Goods, ideas, and religion traveled through the network of exchange in eurasia and africa. Along with
effects of the technological developments were diffused through trades. Along with that things such as cultural, literature,
various and art were also being diffused and were documented any manu travelers.
networks of B. Buddhism in East Asia
exchange in ● How did it spread to China?
Afro-Eurasia
from c. 1200 to From India through the silk roads.
c. 1450.
● What was Zen Buddhism and why was it so popular?
When buddhist doctrines fused taoism and buddhism into one religion now known as zen
buddhism. Also it was popular because it was a fusion of abstract ideas of both taoism and
buddhism.
● How did printing impact Buddhism in China? How was literature itself impacted?
Development of printing made the Buddhist scriptures more available to confucian scholars.
Also literature was impacted because buddhist writers were writing in vernacular rather
than the formal language of confucian scholars. And so over time it became more
widespread.
● What does it mean that Japan and Korea were “countries in China’s orbit”? Why would they
adopt Confucianism and Buddhism at this time (think back to the Song Dynasty).
It means Japan and Korea were heavily influenced by China and adopted many of their
beliefs and traditions.

● In Korea, who studied which religion and why?

Confucian classics were studied by the elites in korea. And Buddhist doctrine attracted more
peasants because it provided them a way to climb the social rank unlike confucianism.

● How was Neo-Confucianism significant to East Asia?

It fused the abstract ideas of Taoism and Buddhism and became very widespread in Vietnam and japan. It
even became Korea's main ideology.

C. Spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia

● How did it spread to Southeast Asia?

It spread through trade.

● What evidence do we have that Buddhism had a strong influence?

We know that Buddhism had a strong influence because Buddhist priests often advised the
kings about the matters of the government.

● How does the Khmer Empire (Angkor Wat) evidence religious diffusion?
The royal monuments, hindu artwork and sculptures of hindu gods along with buddhist
sculptures and artwork as well. In the same buildings.
D. Spread of Islam
● How and where did Islam spread?

It spread through merchants, missoirans, and conquests. In Africa, South Asia, and Southeast
Asia.

● List TWO specific impacts for each region below:

○ Africa:
■ The famous city of mail, timbuktu became a islamic learning center.

■ The introduction of the new swahili language. Which is still spoken to this
day.

○ South Asia:
■ Buddhism and Hinduism were the most famous religions before islam was
introduced to the region.

■ Islam attracted many people from the lower castes in hopes of climbing
social ranks.

○ Southeast Asia
■ Muslim rulers combine mughal indian features, traditions, and chinese
buddhist and confucian.

■ Traditional Japanese traditions absorbed muslim characters and techniques.

E. Scientific and Technological Innovations

● How did technology spread?

They spread through the trade routes.

● List FIVE examples of technology that spread through diffusion:

○ Math
○ Agricultural innovations
○ Seafarming technique
○ Gunpowder and guns
○ Astronomy studies

● What did Marco Polo’s writings show?

Marco Polo's writing showed us what the city of Hangzhou was like.

● How was Hangzhou similar to Timbuktu/Calicut in being a center of trade?

It was a center of cultural exchanges.

● What factors contribute to the growth of cities?

Leaders, trade, and cultural diffusion.

● What factors contributed to the decline of cities like Constantinople and Kashgar?

Conquests, crusades, and plagues.

 F. Effects of the Crusades
● What was the Black Death?
A bubonic plague that broke out between 1347 and 1351 and killed roughly 25 million
europeans.

● What was its impact on the world of this time?

Greatly reduced the population, economic activity, and shortage of workers which greatly
affected the feudal system in place at the time.

2. Traveler’s Tales
A. How did traveler’s tales become popular?

Paper and printing technology helped the travelers' tales spread.

B. Marco Polo
● Where was he from and where did he travel to?

Venice, Italy and he traveled to china.

● What was his Point of View?

He believed that China was a wealthy country. He saw a lot of urbanization in the 13th
century.
● What was the impact of his writing?

His writing led to other Europeans believing that China was prosperous and innovative.

C. Ibn Battuta
● Where was he from and where did he travel to?
He was from Morrocco and he traveled to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China,
Spain, North Africa, and Mali.

● What was his Point of View?

His point of view was that of a Muslim devoted to his faith.

● What was the impact of his writing?

His writings informed people about the places he visited and their cultures.

D. Margery Kempe
● Where was he from and where did he travel to?

She traveled to Jerusalem, Rome, Germany, and Spain.

● What was his Point of View?

It was a firsthand account of a middle-class medieval woman’s life.

● What was the impact of his writing?

She converys both the intense spiritual visions and feelings of her mystical experiences and
the trials of everyday life for a woman with 14 children.
UNIT 2.6| Environmental Consequences of Connectivity
Key term/event Definition (Think - Who, What, When, Where…) and Significance (Why this term matters)

1. Champa Rice Cheapest rice was a drought resistant flood resistant and capable of yielding to crops a year and was
widely distributed in China to meet the needs of the growing population and turn contributing to
population growth.

2. Overgrazing This is when animals eat so much of the land that they damage the soil and therefore make it unable to
yield crops.

Objective Key Developments

Explain the 1. Agricultural Effects of Exchange Networks

environmenta
l effects of A. Generally speaking, what was the impact of new crops (the good and the bad)?
the various
networks of In some areas people found ways to sustain abundant production; in others, overuse of the land led to
exchange in environmental degradation.
Afro-Eurasia
from c.
1200-1450. B. Champa Rice
● Where do we think Champa Rice originated? How did it get to China?

Introduced by Vietnam, a Hindu state and then was offered to China as tribute. Some people
think that is was originated from India.

● How did it impact China’s:

○ Population: It contributed greatly to population growth.

○ Land use: Champa rice was grown in many parts of China where once land was
thought unusable for growing rice.

○ Migration: People tended to migrate southward to the original rice growing region.

C. Bananas
● Who introduced this crop to Sub-Saharan Africa?

Indonesian seafarers across the Indian Ocean.

● What was the major impact of bananas in this region?

The nutrition-rich food led to a spike in populations.

D. Sugar, Cotton, and Citrus Crops

● Who spread cotton, sugar, and citrus beyond the Arabian Peninsula?

Caliphs

● Explain how cities like Samarkand were also involved in the spread of these items.

Because they introduced the ideas of new fruits and vegetables

● How does sugar impact the 1500s?

The demand was so high that it had a massive impact on the enslaved people
 E. Environmental Degradation
● How did increases in population impact the environment?

It put pressure on resources.

● How in turn did overuse of land impact places like Great Zimbabwe and the Mayans?

They would have to abandon their city

2. Spread of Epidemics through Exchange Networks

A. How did the Mongols and caravanserai help spread the plague?
The Mongols spread it from Southern China to Central Asia, and from there Southeast Asia and then to
Europe. The caravanserai would house animals and people together making it more likely to spread.

B. How was the impact of the plague on Europe negative and positive?
It negatively impacted Europe because it killed over ⅓ of the population but because of it it brought
out new relationships between workers and those they worked for.

C. Where else did the Black Death make an appearance? How did South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa avoid
the Black Death?
It also showed up in North Africa, China, and Central Asia. South Asia and Sub-saharan Africa had few
trading ports making it hard for the plague to get in in the first place.

UNIT 2.7| Comparison of Economic Exchange

Objective Key Developments

Explain the A. Summarize how the Silk Roads, Trans-Sahara Route, and Indian Ocean trade are similar via origins, purpose,
similarities and effects.
and
differences All of the trading networks shared similarities. They all flourished out of existing trade routes of the past but
among the evolved as kingdoms and empires expanded. Stable kingdoms, empires and city states assured merchants that
various they could trade without their cargo being stolen and also supported technological upgrades that made trade
networks of profitable. Furthermore, all of the trading networks shared the common economic purpose of exchanging what
exchange in people produced and grew for what they wanted or needed to trade other items. But people exchanged more
the period c. than products as missionaries and diplomats traveled along these networks to negotiate alliances and seek
1200-1450. converts thus exchanging ways of life. Lastly, the trade routes gave rise to trading cities which gave rise to
centralization. Trading cities in each route underwent similar developments using their wealth to keep the
routes and cities safe including the desire for a standardized currency.

B. Summarize how the Silk Roads, Trans-Sahara Route, and Indian Ocean trade are different via the goods
exchange, technologies they inspired, and the religions they spread.

The Silk roads traded silk, tea, spices, dyes, porcelain, rice, paper and gunpowder from East to West, horses,
fruit, domestic animals, honey, textiles, horses and camels from West to East and inspired technologies like
saddles and caravanserai. The Silk roads helped to spread the religions of Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism and
Islam. On the other hand the Indian Ocean network traded goods like gold, ivory, quartz and animal skins from
East Africa, citrus, fruits, dates and books from Southeast Asia, textiles, pepper and pearls from Southern India
and inspired technologies like the stern rudder, the lateen sail, the astrolabe, dhows( two masted arab sailing
vessel ), Junks ( Chinese sailing vessel )and the magnetic compass. The Indian Ocean network helped to spread
religions like Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism, Islam and Christianity. Lastly, the Trans Saharan trade network
traded horses, books and salt from North to South, gold ivory, cloth and slaves through moving caravans and
walking groups of people and spread the technology of saddles to increase load bearing. The Trans Saharan
trade network also helped spread the religion of Islam.
 C. Summarize the social implications of networks of exchange in labor.

As demand for new products grew, so did the demand for slaves. Previous forms of slavery continued including
free peasant farmers, craft workers or artisans in cottage industries, people forced to work to pay off debts,
and people forced to labor through enslavement. Slavery was most popular in the Indian ocean and Trans
Saharan routes. Also big scale projects like irrigation canals, military defenses and great buildings, which were
often coordinated by Kinship ties, increased the demand for the work of thousands of organized laborers

D. Summarize the social and gender structures of the networks of exchange.

Typically social structures during the period of 1200-1450 were defined by class or caste and societies were
mainly patriarchal. There were some exceptions in which women had more power and influence, for example
Mongol women who could move freely and refused the burka from the west and footbinding from the east and
were sometimes great advisors to the great Khan. In Europe, women worked as farmers, and artisans and had
their own guilds and in Southeast Asia were skilled in marketplace practices and controlling marketplaces as
representatives of powerful families. Outside of these limits women had fewer opportunities and freedoms.

Multiple Choice Responses (Record them here!)

Section 2.5 1. A 2. D 3. C

Section 2.6 1. A 2. B 3. C

Short Answer Question Responses

List any information that would help you to craft a well informed response.

2.5 SAQ A. One way in which the
Question #2 diffusion of Buddhism to
the southeast was evident
during the period c. 1200-c.
1450 was its rejection of
the caste system. Because
Buddhism rejected the
caste system, it attracted
people of the lower classes
to convert to Buddhism
because they were
desperate. This resulted in
the widespread adoption of
Buddhism.
B. One way in which the arrival
of Islam influenced African
culture during the period c.
1200-c. 1450 was that it
emphasized unity and
brotherhood. At that time,
African people were spread
across large areas and did not
have much interactions, but
muslim merchants spread
Islam, its idea of unity helped
the people unite and form
important city states like
Timbuktu. Thus Islam
influenced African culture
beneficially.
C. One important travel writer
of the period c. 1200-c. 1450,
and one of the most famous of
all time was Marco Polo, an
Italian native from Venice.
Because of the Pax Mongolica,
Marco Polo managed to travel
to visit the court of Kublai Khan
and other Chinese cities. He
was so impressed about what
he had seen outside of Europe
that he wrote a book about his
travels. It wasn't until other
merchants from Europe
traveled to these places, that
the European people accepted
the extent of wealth and
development in China. That’s
why Marco Polo was essential
to the spread of the greatness
of the Chinese empire.

2.6 SAQ A. One pattern that is B. One way the Black Death C. The black plague had a
Question #1 shown by the Black Death spread during this period was significant impact on the
is the well death brought by the Mongols. The Mongols environment. The Black Plague
along with it. In every place would catapult the infected laid waste to cities and
where the Black death
spread death followed as
many people reported
almost more than half of
soldiers and civilians died
because of the black death.
Corpses into cities and hope
that it would kill everyone
inside. Because of these
actions this only increased the
spread of the Black Death
across Western Europe and
everywhere that the Mongols
conquered.
buildings, Roads and Whey
signs were obliterated,
settlements and mansions
became empty, dynasties and
tribes were weaker. This shows
how big of an impact that the
black plague not only had on
the population but also the
environment around the
people.