unit 2 notes

Networks of Exchange and Interactions Between States

Unit 2 focuses on how states interacted and connected during the same time period as Unit 1.
Unit 1 focused on state building, power dynamics, and territorial expansion.

Luxury goods were traded, mainly silk, for elite markets.
Cities along the Silk Roads: Kashgar and Samarkand, grew in power and prominence.
Innovations in transportation and commerce facilitated growth.
- Caravan Surai: Inns and guesthouses along the Silk Roads provided safety and rest for merchants.
- Development of yokes, saddles, and stirrups.
- Development of money economies (started in China) and new forms of credit.
- Paper Money: Lighter than precious metals, which facilitated increased trade.
- Banking Houses: European innovation based on Chinese models.

Most significant sea-based trade network.
Causes of growth:
- Desire for goods not found at home (e.g., Chinese porcelain, Indian cotton and pepper, spices from Southeast Asia).
- Technological innovations: latin sails, magnetic compass, astrolabe, new ship designs (Chinese junks and Arab dows).
- Spread of Islam facilitated connections among Muslim traders.
Growth of Swahili city-states in Eastern Africa:
- Acted as brokers for goods from the African interior (gold, ivory, enslaved people).
Sultanate of Malacca:
- Controlled the Strait of Malacca, leading to wealth.
Effects of growth:
- Diasporic communities:
  - Settlements created by people living apart from their homeland.
  - Arab and Persian communities in East Africa.
  - Chinese communities in Southeast Asia facilitated trade.
- Cultural and technological transfers:
  - Voyages of Zheng He (Ming dynasty) increased Chinese power and influence.

Connected North Africa/Mediterranean with interior West Africa.
Why did it grow? Innovations in transportation technologies, strategic positions.
- Introduction of the Arabian camel and saddles.
Effects:
- Increased interregional trade.
- Expanded geographical range of existing trade routes.
Rise of Empires:
- Mali: Islam introduced in the 9th century connected them commercially. Faith connected them commercially to Muslim merchants across Afro Eurasia.
- Mansa Musa: Monopolized trade, increasing Mali's wealth.

Buddhism: Entered China from India via the Silk Road, evolved into Chan Buddhism, then Zen Buddhism in Japan.
Hinduism and Buddhism: Entered Southeast Asia.
Islam: Spread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
- Swahili: Blend of Arabic and Bantu languages facilitated trade.
- Timbuktu in Mali: International center for Islamic education.
- The arrival of the Delhi Sultanate in South Asia.

Samarkand and Kashgar: Centers of Islamic scholarship and cultural flourishing along the Silk Road.
Fall of Baghdad: Sacked by Mongols leading to decline.

Ibn Battuta: a young Muslim scholar from Morocco traveled all over Dar Al Islam, and he wrote detailed notes about the places he visited

Bananas in Africa:
- Originally from Southeast Asia, introduced via the Indian Ocean trade.
- Led to the rise of powerful chiefdoms and kingdoms.
Champa rice in East Asia.

Created the largest land-based empire in history, facilitating further interconnection across Afro-Eurasia.
Facilitated trade by controlling the Silk Road network, ensuring safety and continuity.
Encouraged international trade extracting great wealth.
Increased communication and cooperation across Eurasia.
Facilitated cultural exchange by sending skilled artisans and exchanging ambassadors.

The Ilkhanate region made advances in astronomy.
- Increased accuracy of calendars.
- Improved tools like the astrolabe.
- Predicted solar and lunar eclipses.