Key Trade, Technology, and Cultural Exchanges in Medieval Asia and Africa

Chinese luxury goods

silk, porcelain, tea were top exports.

Export patterns

China → luxury goods, Southwest Asia → fruits, nuts, textiles.

Caravans

with hundreds of men and camels = safer, more reliable travel.

Caravanserai

inns every 100 miles (distance camels could travel before water).

Flying cash

merchants deposit at one location, withdraw at another.

Bills of exchange

written order promising payment (early banking).

Banking houses

merchants could store wealth, like modern banks.

Paper money

replaced bulky coins.

Effects of trade

Growth of cities (Kashgar, Samarkand).

Samarkand

center for Islamic learning, art, religion, and cultural exchange.

Kashgar

fertile food production, key trading stop.

Mongols

valued horseback riding, courage in hunting, warfare.

Temujin → Genghis Khan

unified Mongols by defeating rival groups.

Mongol armies

strong riders, short bow experts, disciplined.

Conquered lands

Russia, Abbasid Caliphate, China.

Religious tolerance

unlike many empires.

Silk Roads under Mongols

safer, revived trade.

Siege tactics

engineers, Chinese siege weapons, gunpowder use.

Yuan Dynasty

(China under Kublai Khan): foreign rule, tolerated religions.

Pax Mongolica

Mongol peace; rebuilt cities, protected trade routes.

Adopted technologies

siege weapons, paper, gunpowder, medical knowledge.

Marco Polo

European traveler who praised Mongol rule in China.

Indian Ocean

most important trade network in 1200-1450.

Goods exchanged in Indian Ocean

India → cotton, fabrics, spices, pepper; Swahili Coast → ivory, gold, enslaved people; China → silk, porcelain; Middle East → horses, figs, dates.

Monsoon winds

sailors had to plan voyages carefully.

Lateen sail

triangular sail, caught winds from multiple directions.

Stern rudder

improved ship control.

Astrolabe

determined latitude at sea.

Junk ship

massive Chinese vessel, strong and stable for long journeys.

Diasporic communities

Muslim, Jewish, Chinese merchants stayed in foreign ports and blended cultures.

Trans-Saharan Trade

Camels = adapted for desert travel (don't need water often, long endurance).

Camel saddles

over 15 types, developed by different groups.

Caravans in Trans-Saharan Trade

thousands of camels, up to 100 people.

West Africa exports

gold, ivory, enslaved people.

North Africa/Arabia exports

salt, textiles, horses.

Major trade cities

Timbuktu, Gao.

Mali Empire

became wealthy from taxing trade.

Sundiata

Mali's founder; Muslim, promoted trade.

Mansa Musa

famous for pilgrimage to Mecca, distributed gold (showed Mali's wealth).

Zen Buddhism

blend of Buddhism + Daoism in China.

Neo-Confucianism

revived Confucianism with Daoist + Buddhist ideas.

Spread of Islam

spread peacefully through trade & Sufis (mystics).

Sufis

adapted Islam to local traditions, helped spread it faster.

Diaspora communities

blended languages, foods, and customs.

Swahili language

mix of Bantu + Arabic.

Paper-making from China

spread → more books, literacy, education.

Gunpowder

spread westward (Mongols carried it).

Printing technology

(woodblock, movable type) spread beyond China.

Champa rice

fast-ripening, drought-resistant; supported population growth in China.

Bananas

spread from SE Asia → Sub-Saharan Africa; encouraged Bantu people to migrate.

Sugar & citrus

introduced to Middle East, Mediterranean via trade.

Overgrazing in Great Zimbabwe

weakened soil, contributed to decline.

Deforestation in Europe

from population growth, led to soil erosion.

Soil erosion in feudal states of Europe

due to overuse of land.

Spread of Black Death

(bubonic plague): along trade routes (Silk Roads, Mongols, ships).

Effects of plague

Killed 1/3 of Europe's population; Economic decline → fewer workers, higher wages; Decline of feudalism (serfs gained bargaining power).

Similarities of all trade routes

Depended on state support for safety; Led to growth of cities (Samarkand, Timbuktu, Calicut); Spread of religion, language, tech, crops.

Differences in trade routes

Silk Roads → luxury goods (silk, porcelain); Indian Ocean → bulk goods (cotton, pepper, timber); Trans-Saharan → salt, gold, enslaved people.

Empires supporting trade

Mongols (Silk Roads), Mali (West Africa), China (Indian Ocean expeditions).

Connectivity

world more interlinked, setting stage for 1450-1750.