WHAP Unit 2 Networks of Exchange (traveler's) ~8-10% 1200-1450

Key take aways-

• Demand for luxury goods increased in Afro-Eurasia. Chinese, Persian, and Indian artisans and merchants expanded their production of textiles and porcelains for export; the manufacture of iron and steel expanded in China.

• Changes in trade networks resulted from and stimulated increasing productive capacity, with important implications for social and gender structures and environmental processes.

• The growth of interregional trade in luxury goods was encouraged by innovations in previously existing transportation and commercial technologies, including the caravanserai, forms of credit, and the development of money economies. Improved commercial practices led to an increased volume of trade and expanded the geographical range of existing trade

  routes—including the Silk Roads—promoting the growth of powerful new trading cities.

• A deepening and widening of networks of human interaction within and across regions contributed to cultural, technological, and biological diffusion within and between various societies.

Silk Road

• China

  • exports: porcelain, tea, silk, paper, compass

  • Mongols- conquered China and Abbasid empire

    • improved trade safety

  • inventions: magnetic compass, rudder, Chinese Junk

  • Money economy instead of bartering with goods

  • Hangzhou: city of culture artists

• Key cities

  • Kashgar: rest stop, fertile land, market, water and food, Islamic scholars

  • Samarkand: rest point between China and Mediterranean, diverse religions, cultural exchange

  • caravanserai: rest stop for animals and travelers inns

Mongols

• Skilled horse riders

• conquerers

• Genghis Khan

• siege weapons: catapults

• Pax Mongolica religious tolerance

• Uyghur alphabet

• Batu- Goldern Horde Russia’s region

• The Mongols didn’t conquer W. Europe due to Great Khan successor dying and armies retreating to discuss succession

• Hulegu Islamic heartlands- kingdom called Il-Khanate

• Kublai Khan- Yuan China- religious tolerance brought trade and prosperity

• Mongols discriminate against Chinese- unrest- fail to conquer Japan Burma Java Indochina- more unrest

• White Lotus Society- Zhu Yuanzhang buddhist monk led revolt to end Yuab dynasty- MIng Dynasty

• Mongols helped spread the Bubonic plague

Indian Ocean

• Spread of Islam

• Key cities

  • Calicut: port city> South India spices exchange goods East and West

• India: fabric

• Malaysia and Indonesia: Spice Islands: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves

• Swahili Coast: Ivory, gold, slaves- African culture spread

• China: silk, porcelain

• SW Asia horses, figs, dates

• Monsoon winds

• Arab Sailors- Lateen sails

• Chinese-stern rudder

• Muslim- improved astrolabe

• Malacca- wealthy by taxing Strait of Malacca

Travelers

• Zheng He- from Ming dynasty, Seven Great voyages: Indonesia, Ceylon, Arabia, S. African coast., purpose to display might of Ming. Brought exotic treasure: Giraffes Clashed with Confucian agrarianism, foreign culture threatened Chinese, Barbaric culture, too expensive, Zhu Gaozhi ended Chinese sailing away from China- briefly stopped pirates near China

• Marco Polo- from Venice. visited Kublai Khan. Told Europe about China. told of inventions and urbanization in China. cultural exchange

• Ibn Battuta- from Morocco. C. Asia, SE Asia, S. Asia, China, Spain, N. Africa, Mali. Devouted Muslim and was keen to learn more about Islam. A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Traveling in-depth look about the places and culture

• Margery Kempe- English Mystic pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, Germany, and Spain. Spiritual visions. The Book of Margery Kempe first-hand account of medieval woman’s life

Trans-Saharan

• Arabian desert

• camels: camel saddle promoted easier riding and greater visibility in battle. Somali developed saddle to carry more load> easier trade

• Mali

  • gold trade

  • farmers sorghum and rice

  • Timbuktu- center of Islamic learning

  • Sundiata- king trade relations with Arab and African merchants

  • Mansa Musa-religious- pilgrimage to Mecca showed riches, established religious schools in Timbuktu, built mosques

  • Songhai became powerhouse of W. Africa

  Spread

• Buddhism spread from India to China, Chinese adopted Buddhism fused with Daosim>Korea and Japan. Neo-Confucianism: Daosim and Confucianism

• Khmer Kingdom-Angor Wat kept Hindu elements when Buddhist

• Srivijaya Empire- Hindu kingdom

• Majapahit- Buddhist kingdom

• Islam- learning in Timbuktu, leaders went to Mecca, Islam attracted lower caste Hindus, architecture blend Hindu and Islam, Urdu Hindi, Arabic and Farsi, Bhakti poets Hinduism and Islam, Muslim art and characters

• technology and science- Islamic scholars transcribed Greek texts

  • Population growths

  • Champa rice Vietnam> China

  • Bananas Indonesia >Sub-Saharan Africa

Black Death spread via trade routes to Europe and Constantinople fell to Ottomans weakened by Crusaders