AP world unit 2 1200-1450

networks of exchange

trade routes

What changed c. 1200-c. 1450 when looking at trade routes in general?

They expanded which led to further connections among states in Afro-Eurasia due to new trade technology and commercial practices. This led to the growth of various states and cities.

What were the main trade goods found on the Silk Road and why?

Luxury goods like Chinese silk and porcelain because it was an expensive and difficult journey, so they only wanted to sell goods that would make a big profit.

What was the impact of increased trade on the Silk Road?

Increased demand led to increased production of goods. For example, in China some farmers scaled back on food production to make more luxury goods to sell.

What transportation innovations led to increased trade on the Silk Road?

For transportation innovations: Caravanserai, which were inns or guesthouses on the Silk Road a day’s travel apart for merchants. They kept goods and merchants safe & allowed for cross-cultural interactions.

What technological innovations led to increased trade on the Silk Road

For commercial practices that were innovations: The development of a money economy, like the use of paper money in China which made carrying cash easier. The Chinese also created the Flying Cash/Money System which also made it easier to deposit money in one place, and withdraw the same amount in another place. In Europe, banking houses developed to help manage credit through bills of exchange. Bills of exchange were like checks.

How did the Silk Road lead to the growth of cities?

Cities along the trade routes, like Kashgar, that had sources of water were a good stopping point for merchants to rest. Kashgar was located where two major routes of the Silk Roads came together, and as more merchants stopped there Kashgar grew richer and more powerful.

What did Indian Ocean merchants need to know about the monsoon winds?

They blew in one direction or the other at predictable times of the year.

What were the main trade goods found on the Indian Ocean and why?

Bulk items were traded along trade routes like textiles and spices because the hull of a ship can hold a lot of cargo. Luxury goods were also traded though.

What technological innovations led to increased trade on the Indian Ocean?

For technological innovations: improvements of the magnetic compass so merchants knew what direction they were going. Improvements to the astrolabe that helped sailors to know what latitude they were at. New ship designs like Chinese junks that had big cargo holds.

What commercial innovations led to increased trade on the Indian Ocean?

For commercial practices: The same things that stimulated the Silk Road, like credit

How did Indian Ocean trade lead to the growth of cities and states?

By becoming important ports for trade and becoming linked to Dar al-Islam, many cities grew. For example, the Swahili City-States on the east coast of Africa.

How did increased trade on the Indian Ocean impact cities culturally?

Diasporic Merchant communities were established in many places like East Africa. Arab and Persian merchants created communities there and married African women. This led to the spread of Islam and the development of the Swahili language (a mix of Bantu & Arabic words).

Who was Zheng He and why was he significant in the Indian Ocean c. 1200-1450?

Zheng He was a sailor sent by the Ming Dynasty to bring more states into China’s tributary system. This led to a number of transfers of technology and culture, for example navigation tools and ship building methods spread to places he visited.

What innovations led to increased trade on the TransSaharan trade networks?

Camel Saddles were improved to carry larger cargo loads across the desert.

How did Trans-Saharan trade lead to the growth of cities and states?

The Empire of Mali grew very rich through its connections to Dar alIslam, the gold trade, and taxing trade routes in West Africa. An example of this power and wealth can be found in Mansa Musa who monopolized trade routes making Mali grow very rich and leading to expanded trade networks.

What cultural transfers were the result of increased connections c. 1200-c. 1450?

Religion spread. For example, the spread of Islam and Hinduism into Southeast Asia. Buddhism spread from South Asia to China on the Silk Road through merchants and missionaries.

Literary & Artistic transfers. For example, the works of ancient Greece and Rome were translated into Arabic in Baghdad’s House of Wisdom and later transferred back to Europe helping to spur the Renaissance.

What was the most significant innovation or technological transfer that took place due to increased trade c. 1200-c. 1450?

The most significant was gunpowder which traveled from China all the way west by Muslims and Mongols.

What are some examples of cities that saw increased urbanization and growth due to trade, and what is an example of a city that declined c. 1200-c. 1450?

A city that grew was Hangzhou in China. Because of its location at the end of the Grand Canal it grew wealthy and urbanized. A city that went into decline was Baghdad which fell in 1258 when it was destroyed by the Mongols.

Who were some of the travelers that left a record of their travels c. 1200 to c. 1450 and why were they significant?

Marco Polo and Margery Kempe work here, but Ibn Battuta was a Muslim scholar from Morocco who traveled for 30 years all over Dar al-Islam writing about the different cultures he saw. His account gave scholars a first hand account of what life was like in this time period.

What were some environmental effects of increased trade c. 1200 to c. 1450?

Champa rice came to China via the tribute system leading to population growth, and the Bubonic Plague traveled from China all along the Silk Road to the Middle East and Europe killing huge numbers of people.

Why were the Mongols included in Unit 2 instead of Unit 1?

One of the most important things about the Mongols was that their huge empire facilitated the connections discussed in this unit.

What kind of political impact did the Mongols have?

They created the largest land-based empire of all time. They caused the fall of the Song Dynasty in China and the Abbasid Empire in the Middle East. They ruled through states called Khanates ruled by Khans.

Why did trade flourish within the Mongol Empire?

The Mongols encouraged trade by paying high prices for goods from other countries and kept the Silk Road safe. This was called the Pax Mongolica, or peace of the Mongols.

What are some examples of cultural and technological transfers that occurred, in part, due to the Mongols?

The conditions for the transfer of Greek and Islamic medical knowledge to Western Europe were created by the Mongols. The Mongols adopted the Uyghur script (from Central Asia) to create their own written language