Connectivity 2.5

Importance of Connectivity (December 0 - 1450)

• The period witnessed significant connectivity among states, resulting in extensive cultural diffusion.

• Merchants played a crucial role in this exchange, spreading both their own culture and acquiring influences from other regions.

Categories of Cultural Transfers

• Cultural Transfers along Trading Routes

  • Significant spread of belief systems, notably Buddhism.

    • Buddhism spread from India to East Asia via the Silk Roads around the 2nd century CE.

    • Merchants and monks translated Buddhist teachings through the lens of Chinese Taoism, leading to a syncretic form known as Pan Buddhism in China, popular among lower classes.

    • Buddhism later adapted to Japan as Zen Buddhism.

  • The spread of Islam was influential in connecting various trading networks and encouraging conversions.

    • Example: Swahili Civilization on the East African coast adopted Islam, blending Bantu and Arabic into the Swahili language due to trade.

• Literary and Artistic Transfers

  • Muslim scholars at Baghdad's House of Wisdom translated and commented on classical Greek and Roman works.

  • These works were eventually reintroduced to Southern Europe, triggering the Renaissance.

• Scientific and Technological Innovations

  • Papermaking technology spread from China to Europe by the 13th century, increasing literacy through movable type.

  • The spread of gunpowder, initially from China, was adapted by Islamic and later European empires, significantly altering military power dynamics.

Rise and Fall of Cities

• Cities on the Rise

  • Increased trade led to urbanization and wealth in trading cities:

    • Hangzhou: Located at the Grand Canal’s southern end; became a crucial trading hub.

    • Samarkand and Kashgar: Strategic Silk Road cities that grew powerful by facilitating trade.

• Cities in Decline

  • Decline occurred for cities impacted by military conflicts:

    • Baghdad: Once a cultural capital, it fell to the Mongols in the 13th century, leading to a significant decline and the end of the Abbasid Empire.

    • Constantinople: The Byzantine capital, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453, leading to its renaming as Istanbul.

Facilitation of Interregional Travel

• Increased safety on trade routes due to political stability fostered travel and exchange of ideas.

  • Notable Travelers:

    • Ibn Battuta: A Muslim scholar from Morocco who traveled extensively, documenting his experiences, facilitating a greater understanding of diverse cultures.

      • His travels included merchant ships along the East African coast and caravans across the Sahara Desert.

    • Marco Polo: Travelled from Italy to China and throughout the Indian Ocean, reporting on the wealth of China under Kublai Khan. His writings initially seemed fantastical but were later substantiated by other travelers.

    • Marjorie Kemet: A Christian mystic who visited sacred sites and dictated her observations about her spiritual journeys, providing insights into varying practices of Christianity.