AP World History Unit 2: Networks of Exchange
Global Context and Networks of Exchange (1200–1450)
Continuity of States: The time period of to involves many of the same states and empires established in earlier periods, but the primary focus shifts to their interconnectedness.
Definition of Networks of Exchange: These are more than mere "trading routes." They are categorized as networks of exchange because, in addition to physical goods, merchants facilitated the movement of: * Religions * Languages * Technologies
Dual Function of Networks: * Economic interaction across the globe. * Cultural diffusion and transfers between disparate civilizations.
Three Major Networks: * The Silk Roads * The Indian Ocean Network * The Trans-Saharan Trail
General Developments Across All Networks
Geographical Expansion: While all three networks existed prior to , they significantly increased in geographic scale during this period (–), leading to deeper connections among states.
Drivers of Expansion: Growth was fueled by innovations in commercial practices and technological advancements.
Wealth and Power: Increased connectivity allowed participating states to grow significantly more wealthy and powerful.
Urban Impact: The rise of powerful cities and states often occurred because of these networks, while the shift in trade routes or connectivity also caused the collapse of other centers.
The Silk Roads
Geography: This network stretched across Eurasia.
Primary Trade Items: Focused mainly on luxury goods. Key examples include: * Chinese Silk * Porcelain
Economic Rationale for Luxuries: Travel across Eurasia was expensive and arduous. Merchants specialized in high-value luxury goods because common items would not sell for high enough premiums to justify the transport costs.
Merchant Proverb: "If it don't make the boom boom, I ain't got the room room" (a rough translation reflecting the refusal to carry low-profit goods).
Impact on Production: Growing demand for luxury items led Chinese, Indian, and Persian artisans to increase production. * The Yangtze River Delta Example: Peasants scaled back on food production to focus on producing luxury goods (silk and porcelain) for distant markets.
Transportation Innovations: * Caravanserai: A series of inns and guesthouses established roughly a day’s journey apart. * Safety: They provided protection against theft for merchants hauling luxury goods. * Cultural Exchange: They acted as hubs where merchants from different backgrounds interacted, fostering transfers of culture and technology.
Commercial Innovations: * Money Economies: Transitioned from barter economies to paper money systems. * China’s "Flying Money": Since metal-based money was too heavy for long-distance travel, China developed paper money. Merchants could deposit bills in one location and withdraw an equivalent amount in another. * Credit and Banking: * Bills of Exchange: Documents stating the name of a merchant and the amount owed to him. * Banking Houses: Introduced in Europe to handle these exchanges, similar to modern checks.
Key Trading City: Kashgar: * Located at the convergence of two major Silk Road routes. * Surrounded by inhospitable terrain, but built around a river with a lush valley, making it a critical stop for merchants.
The Indian Ocean Network
Nature of Trade: This maritime network expanded significantly in scope between and .
Environmental Knowledge: Monsoon Winds: Understanding seasonal wind patterns (blowing one direction in one season and the opposite in another) made regular maritime trade possible.
Types of Goods: Unlike the Silk Road, the Indian Ocean carried both luxury and common/bulk items. * Bulk Goods: Textiles and spices. * Capacity: Ship hulls could hold significantly more cargo than a camel's back.
Technological Innovations: * Magnetic Compass: Improved navigation for directionality. * Astrolabe: Used for measuring stars against star charts to determine latitude and longitude. * Chinese Junk: Massive ships with large cargo holds capable of transporting heavy loads.
Growth of States: Swahili City-States: * Located on Africa’s East Coast. * Acted as brokers for goods from the African interior (Gold, Ivory, enslaved people). * Conversion to Islam: Influenced by Muslim merchants, these states became Islamic and integrated into the broader trade world of Dar al-Islam.
Diasporic Communities: Settlements of ethnic people in locations outside their homeland. * Example: Arab and Persian communities in East Africa. Intermarriage with local women ensured trustworthy trading partnerships between states. * Cultural Result: Further spread of Islam and the emergence of the Swahili language (a blend of native Bantu languages and Arabic).
Zheng He (Ming Dynasty): * Led a massive fleet throughout the Indian Ocean to enroll states in China’s tributary system. * Impact: Facilitated technological and cultural transfers, spreading China's maritime technology (navigation tools and shipbuilding) across the region.
The Trans-Saharan Trade Network
Geography: Trade routes across the Saharan Desert in Africa.
Technological Innovation: The Camel Saddle: New improvements allowed for transporting much larger loads of cargo across the desert environment.
Empire of Mali: * Converted to Islam in the Century, connecting it to the prosperous Dar al-Islam merchant network. * Wealth: Grew extremely wealthy by trading gold and taxing merchants across West Africa. * Mansa Musa: Mali's wealth peaked in the Century under his leadership. He monopolized trade between North Africa and the interior, increasing Mali's influence and expanding trade networks.
Consequences of Increasing Connectivity
Cultural Consequences
Spread of Religion: * Buddhism: Originated in South Asia but entered China via the Silk Roads through merchants and missionaries. * Hinduism: Spread into Southeast Asia. * Islam: Spread across all three trade networks.
Literary and Artistic Transfers: * House of Wisdom (Baghdad): Islamic scholars translated Greek and Roman classics into Arabic and added commentaries on philosophy and medicine. * Impact on Europe: These works were eventually transferred to Europe, forming the foundation of the Renaissance.
Scientific and Technological Transfers: * Gunpowder: Invented in China; spread to Muslim empires and then to Eastern Europe via the Mongols. This fundamentally altered the global balance of military power.
Rise and Fall of Cities: * Rise: Hangzhou, China: Prospered due to its location at the end of the Grand Canal, leading to increased urbanization. * Fall: Baghdad: Destroyed in (specifically December) by Mongol armies.
Travelers and Account Writing: Ibn Battuta: * A Moroccan Muslim scholar who traveled for approximately years across Dar al-Islam. * His detailed writings on cultures, rulers, and people provided later scholars with firsthand accounts of the Islamic world.
Environmental Consequences
Crop Transfers: Champa Rice: Introduced to China from the Champa Kingdom (Vietnam) via the tribute system. * Impact: Fast-growing grain produced more food, leading to substantial population growth ("More food equals more babies").
Spread of Disease: Bubonic Plague: * Erupted in China in . * Vectors: Carried by fleas on rats; fleas hitched rides on camels (Silk Road) and rats on merchant ships (Indian Ocean). * Demographic Impact: Killed massive portions of the population in the Middle East and Europe.
The Mongol Empire
Facilitator of Connectivity: The Mongols are studied in the context of trade because their empire enabled unprecedented interaction between regions.
Scale: The largest land-based empire in history. * Replaced: The Song Dynasty and the Abbasid Empire. * Organization: Divided into four Khanates (states ruled by a Khan) by the second half of the century.
Impact on the Silk Road: * The Silk Road flourished under Mongol control because they provided safety and continuity across the entire route. * While Mongols produced no goods and did not trade themselves, they encouraged international commerce to extract wealth as facilitators. * They paid high prices for foreign goods and ensured the safety of merchants.
Pax Mongolica: A period of relative peace and stability under Mongol rule that facilitated communication and cooperation (e.g., interaction between Persian and Chinese courts).
Technological and Cultural Transfers: * Medical Knowledge: Facilitated the transfer of Greek and Islamic medical knowledge to Western Europe. * The Uighur Script: Originally, the Mongols had no written language. They adopted the Uighur script from a Turkic Muslim group to use for policy, diplomacy, and exchange across the empire.
Networks of Exchange: Complex systems facilitating the movement of goods, ideas, religions, and technologies across regions.
Cultural Diffusion: The spread of cultural beliefs and activities from one group to another.
Caravanserai: Inns or guesthouses established along trade routes, providing shelter and safety for merchants.
Diasporic Communities: Settlements of ethnic groups living outside their original homelands, often resulting in cultural exchanges.
Pax Mongolica: A period of relative peace and stability during Mongol rule, enabling trade and cultural exchange.