Major Global Trade Networks and the Mongol Empire'

Major Networks of Exchange

  • Three major networks: Silk Roads, Indian Ocean Network, Trans-Saharan Trade.
  • Increased geographic scale leading to more connections.
  • Expanded range due to commercial and technological innovations.
  • Wealth and power growth for participating states; collapse for others.

Silk Road

  • Stretched across Eurasia, mainly luxury goods traded (Chinese silk, porcelain).
  • Luxury goods were prioritized due to travel costs.
  • Increased demand led to higher production by Chinese, Indian, and Persian artisans.
  • Peasants in Yangtze River Delta shifted from food to luxury goods production.
  • Innovations:
    • Caravan surae: Inns providing safety and cultural/technological transfers.
    • Money economies: Paper money (developed in China).
    • Flying money system: Deposit and withdraw funds in different locations.
    • New forms of credit: Banking houses (spread to Europe).
  • Kashgar: Powerful trading city due to its location at the Silk Road's convergence.

Indian Ocean Network

  • Expanded significantly, relied on understanding of monsoon winds.
  • Common goods (textiles, spices) traded due to ship cargo capacity, plus luxury goods.
  • Innovations:
    • Improved magnetic compass.
    • Improved astrolabe.
    • New ship designs (Chinese junk).
    • Various forms of credit.
  • Swahili city-states: Grew powerful by brokering goods (gold, ivory, slaves) and became Islamic.
  • Diasporic communities: Arab/Persian communities in East Africa fostered spread of Islam and Swahili language.
  • Zheng He: Ming Dynasty voyages facilitated technological and cultural transfers.

Trans-Saharan Trade Network

  • Expanded due to improved camel saddles for larger cargo.
  • Mali Empire: Grew wealthy through gold trade and taxing merchants.
  • Mansa Musa: Further monopolized trade, increasing Mali's wealth.

Consequences of Increased Connection

  • Cultural:
    • Transfer of religion: Buddhism spread to China via Silk Roads.
    • Literary and artistic transfers: Islamic scholars preserved Greek/Roman classics.
    • Scientific and technological innovation: Gunpowder spread from China.
    • Rise and fall of cities: Hangzhou rose, Baghdad destroyed.
    • Travelers' accounts: Ibn Battuta documented travels in Dar al-Islam.
  • Environmental:
    • Transfer of crops: Champa rice led to population growth in China.
    • Transfer of disease: Bubonic plague spread along trade routes.

Mongol Empire

  • Largest land-based empire, replacing existing empires.
  • Networks of exchange increased under Mongol rule.
  • Pax Mongolica: Encouraged international trade, increased safety, communication, and cooperation.
  • Facilitated technological and cultural transfers (Greek/Islamic medical knowledge to Europe, Uighur script adoption).