2.1 The Silk Roads

What were the causes of the growth of exchange networks?

Crusades helped expand Silk Road, lords and armies would bring back fabrics and spices

What happened with the Silk Road?

Fell with the fall of classical civilizations, Abbasid empire revived it in 8th/9th centuries

China exports

Porcelain, tea, silk

China imports

Cotton, precious stones, pomegranates, dates, horses, grapes

Inventions of Tang China

Compass, paper, gunpowder

Mongols

Conquered Abbasid Empire in 1257, China in 14th century, controlled entire Silk Road, culture respected merchants and enforced laws making Silk Road safer and punishing bandits

How was the quality of life of survivors of the Mongol conquests?

Benefitted from new trade, opened trade with Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa

Caravans

Safer to travel with someone else in the caravan

Different camel saddles

Could carry more weight

Inventions of Han Dynasty in China

Magnetic compass, rudder improvements, junk ship

Magnetic compass and rudder improvements

Aid navigation and control

Junk ship

Strong, less likely to sink, similar to dhow, many sails as long as 400 ft, hull was divided into compartments

Kasghar

Western edge of China; lead to Central Asia, India, Pakistan, Persia; wheat, rice, fruits, abundant in food and water; produced textiles, rugs, leather goods, pottery; once Buddhist, became center of Islamic learning

Samarkand

Present-day Uzbekistan; stopping point between China and Mediterranean; produced artisans and elaborate mosques; Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Islam

Caravanserai

Inns, kind of like gas stations, 100 miles apart, travelers and their animals could rest, as well as get new animals, comes from Persian words for caravan and palace

Money economy

Started in China; used copper coins as currency, but this could not be transported through trade routes

Flying economy

Started in China; used paper money, deposit in one location, withdraw same amount in another

Banking houses

Started in China, showed up in Europe; presented bill of exchange, document saying owner was promised a certain amount of money on a specific date, provided convenience and stability in trade

Hanseatic League

13th century, north Germany and Scandinavia, Baltic Seas; Lubeck, Hamburg, Riga were members; produced timber, grain, leather, salted fish, picked up goods from Arab caravans; drove out pirates

How did the Hanseatic League fall?

Nations became strong enough to protect their merchants and disbanded 17th century

Where was there a demand for luxury goods?

Afro-Eurasia, China, Persia, India; silk, textiles, porcelain for export

What was China doing at this time?

Proto-industrialization, manufactured iron and steel