AP World History Unit 2 Notes

Networks of Exchange (1200-1450)

Unit 2 focuses on how various states were connected through networks of exchange during the period of 1200-1450.
These networks weren't just trade routes; they facilitated cultural diffusion, the spread of religion, languages, and technologies.

Three primary networks to study:
- The Silk Roads
- The Indian Ocean Network
- The Trans-Saharan Trail

Several common developments applied to all networks:
- Geographical Expansion: All networks expanded geographically during 1200-1450, increasing connections between states.
- Innovations: Expansion was due to innovations in commercial practices and transportation technologies.
- Wealth and Power: States participating in these networks grew wealthy and powerful.
- Rise and Fall: Increased interconnectivity led to the rise of some states/cities and the collapse of others.

Stretched across Eurasia.
Primarily traded luxury goods like Chinese silk and porcelain.
Reasoning for Luxury Goods: It was expensive and difficult to travel the routes, so merchants focused on high-value items.
Increased demand for luxury goods led to increased production by Chinese, Indian, and Persian artisans.
Peasants in areas like the Yangtze River Delta shifted from food production to luxury goods production.

Two categories of innovations:
- Transportation Technologies
- Commercial Practices

Caravan Serai:
- Inns and guesthouses located about a day's journey apart along the routes.
- Provided safety for merchants hauling valuable goods.
- Brought merchants from diverse cultures together, leading to cultural and technological exchange.

Money Economies:
- Use of paper money, first developed in China, to facilitate exchange.
- Revolutionized trade compared to barter economies.
- The Chinese called it the flying money system.
- Merchants could deposit bills in one location and withdraw the same amount in another, increasing ease and security.
New Forms of Credit:
- Bills of exchange allowed merchants to receive payment from banking houses.

Increased trade led to the growth of powerful trading cities along the routes.
Kashgar:
- Located at the convergence of two major Silk Road routes.
- Built around a river and lush valley that made it an attractive stop.
- Grew in power and wealth as trade expanded.

Existed for centuries before 1200, but expanded significantly during this period.
Enabled by understanding of monsoon winds.
Traded more common goods like textiles and spices, in addition to luxury goods.

Swahili City-States:
- Collection of independent city states along Africa's East Coast.
- Brokered goods from the African interior (gold, ivory, enslaved people).
- Grew in power and wealth.
- Became Islamic under the influence of Muslim merchants, connecting them to Dar al Islam.

Settlements of ethnic people in locations outside their homeland.
Arab and Persian communities established in East Africa, leading to intermarriage.
Spread of Islam and the growth of Swahili states.
Emergence of the Swahili language as a mixture of Bantu languages and Arabic words.

Voyages led to technological and cultural transfers.
Chinese maritime technology (navigation tools, shipbuilding) spread to visited places.

Improved Camel Saddle: Allowed for transporting larger cargo loads across the desert.

Participation in the network led to increased wealth and power for various states, including the Empire of Mali.
Conversion of Mali's leadership to Islam in the 9th century connected it to Dar al Islam's merchant network.
Mali grew wealthy through gold trade and taxes on merchants, reaching its peak under Mansa Musa in the 14th century.

Transfer of Religion/Belief Systems:
- Buddhism spread into China via the Silk Roads, carried by merchants and missionaries.
Literary and Artistic Transfers:
- Islamic scholars in Baghdad's House of Wisdom translated Greek and Roman classics into Arabic.
- These works were later transferred to Europe, contributing to the Renaissance.
Scientific and Technological Innovation:
- Gunpowder invented in China spread to Muslim empires and later to Eastern Europe.
Rise and Fall of Cities:
- Hangzhou in China grew wealthy due to its location on the Grand Canal.
- Baghdad was destroyed by Mongol armies.
Travelers' Accounts:
- Ibn Battuta, a Muslim scholar from Morocco, traveled throughout Dar al Islam and wrote detailed notes about his experiences.

Transfer of Crops:
- Champa rice introduced to China via the tribute system, leading to increased food production and population growth.
Transfer of Disease:
- The bubonic plague spread from China along trade routes, carried by rats and fleas on camels and ships.
- Caused widespread death in the Middle East and Europe.

Expansion:
- Established the largest land-based empire of all time.
- The Song Dynasty and the Abbasid Empire fell to the Mongols.
- By the second half of the fourteenth century, Mongols ruled this entire area through four Khanates
Increased Trade:
- Under Mongol rule, networks of exchange increased significantly.
- The Silk Roads flourished due to the safety and continuity provided by the large empire.
- The Mongols vigorously encouraged international trade and extracted wealth by facilitating commerce on the Silk Road.
- Pax Mongolica (Peace of the Mongols) led to increased communication and cooperation across the empire.
Cultural Transfer:
- Facilitated the transfer of Greek and Islamic medical knowledge to Western Europe.
- Mongols adopted the Uighur script as the language of policy, diplomacy, and exchange.