Chapter 7: Commerce and Culture

What is the Silk Roads known for?

Being one of the world's most extensive and sustained networks of exchange.

How did the geography of Eurasia influence trade on the Silk Roads?

Eurasia is divided into inner and outer zones with different ecologies, affecting the types of goods exchanged.

What role did large states play in the success of trading networks?

They provided security for trade, which was crucial for commerce.

What type of goods primarily traveled along the Silk Roads?

Luxury goods for the elite, as the high cost of transport limited staple goods movement.

What was the significance of silk in the context of the Silk Roads?

Silk symbolized the Eurasian exchange system and was used as currency in Central Asia.

How did Buddhism spread along the Silk Roads?

It spread through Central and East Asia, appealing to merchants and converting people in oasis cities.

What impact did long-distance trade have on disease patterns?

It exposed populations to unfamiliar diseases, leading to major epidemics like smallpox and the bubonic plague.

What was the Black Death and how did it spread?

A devastating epidemic that spread due to the Mongol Empire's unification of Eurasia, killing up to half of Europe's population.

What was the role of the Mediterranean Sea in commerce?

It served as a major avenue for trade, linking Europe to the Indian Ocean trade network.

What made the Indian Ocean trade network significant until after 1500?

It was the world's most important trade network due to environmental and cultural diversity, and cheaper sea transportation.

What were the two major factors that encouraged Indian Ocean exchange?

The economic and political revival of China and the rise of Islam.

How did ocean commerce transform Southeast Asia?

It stimulated political change and introduced foreign religious ideas.

What was the significance of the Malay kingdom of Srivijaya?

It emerged from trade competition and dominated trade from 670 to 1025 C.E. due to its access to resources.

What was the impact of trade on the production of goods in southern China?

Peasants began producing market goods like silk and porcelain instead of just crops.

What was the cultural significance of the Silk Roads beyond the exchange of goods?

Cultural transmission was more important, influencing religions and ideas across regions.

What characterized the trading networks of the third-wave civilizations?

The network of long-distance commerce was a notable feature, facilitating various exchanges.

What was the relationship between trade and social mobility?

Trade sometimes provided opportunities for social mobility for individuals involved in commerce.

What were the main goods transported via the Indian Ocean trade network?

Bulk goods such as textiles, pepper, timber, rice, sugar, and wheat.

How did the understanding of monsoons affect Indian Ocean trade?

Merchants learned to navigate monsoon winds, which facilitated maritime trade.

What was the role of oasis cities in the spread of Buddhism?

They became centers of learning and commerce, heavily influencing the conversion to Buddhism.

What was the significance of the Byzantine Empire in trade during the seventh and eighth centuries?

It created a belt of strong states that facilitated trade across the Silk Roads.

What was the economic impact of the Mongol Empire on the Silk Roads?

It controlled almost the entirety of the Silk Roads, enhancing trade and exchange.

What was the primary resource that allowed the Srivijaya kingdom to dominate trade from 670 to 1025 C.E.?

Gold, access to spices, and taxes on ships.

Which inland states participated in trade based on rice production?

Funan, Khmer kingdom of Angkor, and Champa.

What cultural influences spread to Southeast Asia from India?

Indian alphabets, artistic forms, political and religious ideas, especially Buddhism.

What was the significance of the Sailendra kingdom in central Java?

It was influenced by India and saw massive building of Hindu and Buddhist centers.

How did the process of 'Indianization' occur in Southeast Asia?

It was a voluntary process where traditional practices mixed with new Indian ideas.

What was the Swahili civilization, and how did it develop?

A blend of Bantu culture with the commercial life of the Indian Ocean, especially Islamic trade.

What were the main products traded by the Swahili civilization?

Gold, ivory, quartz, leopard skins, some slaves, iron, and wood products.

What was the political structure of Swahili city-states between 1000 and 1500 C.E.?

Each city was politically independent and ruled by a king.

What role did Islam play in the Swahili civilization?

There was widespread conversion to Islam, and Swahili culture incorporated Arabic elements.

What was the impact of trade on the emergence of Great Zimbabwe?

Trade with the interior for gold led to its flourishing between 1250 and 1350 C.E.

What environmental factors influenced trans-African trade in West Africa?

North Africa manufactured goods, the Sahara had copper and salt deposits, and agricultural peoples grew crops and mined gold.

How did the introduction of the Arabian camel change trade across the Sahara?

It allowed for regular trans-Saharan commerce by enabling travel for up to 10 days without water.

What were the major states that emerged in West Africa due to trade?

Ghana, Mali, Songhay, and Kanem.

What social hierarchies emerged in West African trade societies?

Hierarchies included royals, elites, merchants, artisans, military and religious officials, free peasants, and slaves.

What was the role of women in West African societies during trade expansion?

Regular women were central to agriculture and weaving, while royal women held political importance.

What characterized the trade networks in the Americas compared to Afro-Eurasian networks?

American trade networks were less dense, with limitations such as lack of large domesticated animals and wheeled vehicles.

What evidence suggests indirect contact among cultures from the Great Lakes to the Andes?

Cahokia was at the center of a widespread trading network, and there were exchange networks along rivers.

How did the Inca manage their trade network?

The Inca distributed supplies from great state storehouses and maintained a vast network of roads.

What are some key differences between premodern trade networks and modern economic globalization?

Premodern networks had less wage labor, a smaller range of goods exchanged, and most people produced for their own consumption.

What was the significance of the Aztec merchants known as pochteca?

They were professional merchants who facilitated trade across the Aztec Empire.

What was the primary function of the trade routes in Mesoamerica?

To connect various cultures and facilitate the exchange of goods and cultural elements.

What were the major products traded by the Maya and Teotihuacán?

They traded goods by land and sea, including textiles and food.

What role did the environment play in shaping trade in ancient civilizations?

Environmental variations influenced the types of goods produced and traded in different regions.

How did cultural traditions spread in the Americas compared to the Eastern Hemisphere?

Cultural traditions spread less widely in the Americas due to geographical and environmental obstacles.

What was the impact of trade on social structures in ancient civilizations?

Trade encouraged the development of new political structures and social hierarchies.

What were the characteristics of urban centers in West Africa?

They became substantial commercial centers, some evolving into manufacturing hubs with established Islam.