AP World UNIT 2 REVIEW (Everything you NEED to KNOW!)

Overview of AP World History Unit 2

• Time Period: 1200 to 1450

• Focus: Connection of various states through networks of exchange, rather than just trading routes.

• Importance: Networks facilitated not only economic interactions but also cultural diffusion and transfers.

• Major Networks of Exchange:

  • Silk Roads

  • Indian Ocean Network

  • Trans-Saharan Trade Network

General Developments Among Networks

• Expansion of Geographic Range:

  • All three networks existed before 1200 but expanded during this period.

• Innovations in Commercial Practices and Technology:

  • Enhanced the scope of trade and exchange.

• Wealth and Power Growth:

  • Increased connectivity led to rising wealth and power of certain states and cities.

• Rise and Fall of States:

  • Increased interaction caused some states to prosper, while others declined.

The Silk Road

• Geography and Trade:

  • Stretched across Eurasia, primarily trading luxury goods (e.g., silk, porcelain).

  • Merchants sought high-value commodities due to the difficulty of long-distance travel.

• Innovations:

  • Transportation: Caravanserai (inns along the route) that promoted safety and cultural exchange.

  • Commercial Practices:

    • Money economies (introduction of paper money, the 'flying money system').

    • Development of new forms of credit (e.g., bills of exchange, banking houses).

  • Increased trade led to powerful trading cities, e.g., Kashgar, which became wealthy due to its location.

Indian Ocean Network

• Trade Characteristics:

  • Expanded significantly post-1200, fostering a maritime trade network.

  • Bulk of goods traded included textiles and spices, along with luxury items.

• Technological Innovations:

  • Improved magnetic compass and astrolabe for navigation.

  • New ship designs, e.g., Chinese junk for high capacity.

• Cultural Impact:

  • Rise of the Swahili city-states as brokers for goods and facilitators of trade.

  • Diaspora communities emerged (e.g., intermarriage between Arab and Persian merchants and local populations).

  • Cultural diffusion led to the emergence of Swahili language from Bantu and Arabic influences.

  • Zheng He's voyages expanded China's trade influence and transferred maritime technology.

Trans-Saharan Trade Network

• Transportation Innovations:

  • Development of camel saddles for increased cargo capacity.

• Economic Outcome:

  • Participation in this trade network led to the wealth of states like the Mali Empire.

  • Mali's leadership converted to Islam, enhancing connections with Muslim trade networks.

  • Mansa Musa’s reign marked peak wealth and trade monopolization.

Consequences of Increased Connectivity

Cultural Consequences

• Religious Diffusion: Spread of belief systems (e.g., Buddhism into China via the Silk Roads).

• Literary and Artistic Transfers:

  • Translations of Greek and Roman texts into Arabic, influencing the European Renaissance.

• Scientific and Technological Transfers:

  • Spread of gunpowder from China to Islamic and European states, altering power dynamics.

Rise and Fall of Cities

• Rise: Example: Hangzhou, thriving due to trade via the Grand Canal.

• Fall: Example: Baghdad, destroyed by Mongol invasions in 1258.

• Traveling Scholars: Ibn Battuta documented his extensive travels, providing valuable accounts of life across Dar al-Islam.

Environmental Consequences

• Crop Transfers: Example: Champa rice introduced to China increased food production and population.

• Disease Transmission: The Bubonic plague spread following trade routes, decimating populations in the Middle East and Europe.

The Mongol Empire

• Empire Overview:

  • Largest land-based empire, replacing previous powerful empires.

  • Controlled much of Eurasia, enhancing Silk Road trade.

• Impact on Trade:

  • Increased safety and stimulated international trade, known as Pax Mongolica.

  • Encouraged cultural and technological exchanges (e.g., Greek and Islamic medical knowledge).

  • Adoption of the Uighur script standardized communication across the empire.

Conclusion

• All three networks of exchange—Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and Trans-Saharan—not only expanded trade but also interconnected cultures. The Mongol Empire played a crucial role in fostering these connections and facilitating the exchange of goods, religions, and technologies.