AP World History Unit 2 Overview

Time Period: 1200-1450

• Focus on connections between states through networks of exchange.
• Emphasis on economic, cultural diffusion, and transfer.

Major Networks of Exchange

1. Silk Roads

• Luxury Goods: Chinese silk and porcelain.
• Innovations:
  • Caravanserai: Inns for safety and cultural exchange.
  • Money Economies: Use of paper money for easier transactions.
  • Flying Money System: Deposit and withdraw system for merchants.
  • Credit Systems: Banking houses, bills of exchange.
• Key City: Kashgar.

2. Indian Ocean Network

• Goods Traded: Common goods like textiles and spices; also luxury goods.
• Technological Innovations:
  • Magnetic Compass
  • Astrolabe
  • Chinese Junk Ships
• Commercial Practices: Credit systems similar to Silk Roads.
• Key States: Swahili City States.
• Cultural Diffusion:
  • Diasporic Communities: Arab and Persian communities in East Africa.
  • Language: Emergence of Swahili.
  • Zheng He: Spread of Chinese maritime technology.

3. Trans-Saharan Trade

• Main Innovation: Camel saddle for transporting cargo.
• Key Empire: Mali Empire.
  • Mansa Musa: Monopolized trade in West Africa.

Effects of Connectivity

Cultural Consequences

• Religious Spread: Buddhism into China.
• Literary/Artistic Transfer: Greek and Roman works translated by Islamic scholars.
• Scientific/Tech Transfer: Gunpowder from China.
• Rise and Fall of Cities: Example: Hangzhou's rise; Baghdad's fall.
• Famous Travelers: Ibn Battuta's extensive travels and writings.

Environmental Consequences

• Crop Transfer: Champa rice into China, increased population.
• Disease Transfer: Bubonic plague spread through trade routes.

The Mongol Empire

• Largest Land-Based Empire: Replaced several powerful empires.
• Increased Exchange: Pax Mongolica provided safety and encouraged trade.
• Cultural Transfers:
  • Greek and Islamic medical knowledge to Europe.
  • Adoption of Uyghur script for the Mongol Empire's language of policy.

For further study, consider exploring the AP World History Heimler Review Guide and additional resources.