2.3 The Indian Ocean Trade Network - AP World

Indian Ocean Trade

Network of sea routes that connected various states throughout Afro-Eurasia through trade

Collapse of Mongols - Cause 1

Since they fell, the Silk Roads became unsafe and added attention to maritime trade

Commercial Practices - Cause 2

The ability to buy goods on credit made trade routes more useful

Transportation Technologies

Magnetic compass, astrolabe, lateen sail and improvements in ship building

Monsoon Winds

Blew in several directions. People had to master these winds in order to keep the facilitation of trade, and lateen sails were the way to go

Junk and Dhows

Chinese junk were massive ships that could carry a large amount of cargo. Dhow ships were used in Indian Ocean for cargo as well

Goods

Cotton textiles, grains and luxury goods

Spread of Islam

Facilitated increased trade along sea-based routes since Muhammad was a merchant, so obviously it spread here too

Swahili City States

Benefitted from trade in Indian Ocean. Exported gold, ivory and slaves to merchants on their shores. Built mosques based on Islam

Malacca

On Malay Peninsula, the Strait they had caused their economy to boom due to Indian Ocean Trade and they expanded

Gujarat in India

Was located at edge of India. Was in between East and Southeast Asia and Africa, and they had agricultural areas. Traded cotton textiles and indigo in return for gold and silver. Did same taxing of ships as Malaccans

Diaspora

Group of people from one place who form homes in another while retaining cultural customs.

Diasporic Communities

In Indian Ocean, Chinese merchants established communities in Southeast Asia and Arab and Persians in East Africa. Held ION together

Zheng He

Commissioned by China’s Ming Dynasty to go explore other states to put some in their tributary system. He had many ships with gunpowder cannons