AP World History Unit 2 Notes

Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (1200-1450)

Overview

• Time period: 1200-1450.
• Focus: How states were connected through networks of exchange.
• Networks of exchange: Not just trade routes; also conduits for religion, languages, and technology.
• These networks drove both economic and broader cultural interactions.

Expansion of Networks

• All three networks (Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, Trans-Saharan) existed before but expanded geographically during this period.
• Expansion was due to:
  • Increased demand.
  • Innovations in commercial practices.
  • Technological innovations.

The Silk Roads

• Eurasian network.
• Primarily traded luxury goods (Chinese silk and porcelain).
• High cost and difficulty of travel justified trade in premium goods only.
• Increased demand led to increased production by Chinese, Indian, and Persian artisans.
• Focus on luxury goods brought different cultures together, enabling cultural and technological transfers.

Commercial Innovations

• Development of money economies (paper money) in China.
• Money economies facilitated exchange, unlike barter systems.
• Metal-based money was heavy; paper money allowed merchants to deposit/withdraw funds, easing travel and increasing transaction security.
• This was known as the "flying money" system in China.
• Introduction of new forms of credit, also pioneered by the Chinese.
• New forms of credit ensured that trading partners in different states were trustworthy. This ensured successful transactions and fostered trust through distant trade agreements and partnerships.

Indian Ocean Trade

• Connected East Africa, Middle East(Southwest Asia), South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
• Unlike Silk Roads' luxury focus, Indian Ocean trade involved common goods (textiles, pepper, timber, rice, sugar, etc.) due to lower transportation costs.
• Technological innovations:
  • Improved ship designs (lateen sail, stern rudder).
  • More accurate astronomical charts and navigational tools (compass).

Diasporic Communities

• Settlements of ethnic groups in locations outside their homeland.
• Example: Arab and Persian communities in East Africa.
• Intermarriage between tradesmen and local women fosters trust, as a form of cementing trade relationships with blood ties.
• Cultural intermingling led to spread of Islam and growth of Swahili states in East Africa.
• Emergence of Swahili language. This further enabled trade through a common language.

Transfer of Knowledge

• Islamic scholars in Baghdad's House of Wisdom translated Greek and Roman classics into Arabic.
• They also made commentaries and advancements in philosophy and medicine.
• These works were later transferred to Europe and formed the basis for the Renaissance.
• Transfer of scientific and technological innovations was significant.

Environmental Consequences

• Transfer of crops and diseases.
• Champa rice introduced to China via the Champa Kingdom as part of the tribute system.
• China harnessed Champa rice to increase food production for its growing population.
• Spread of diseases like the Bubonic Plague via trade routes.

The Mongol Impact

• The Silk Roads flourished most when large empires controlled them, providing safety and continuity.
• The Mongol Empire facilitated trade by ensuring safety along the Silk Roads.
• The Mongols paid high prices for goods, encouraging trade, and secured trade routes.
• Mongols facilitated increased communication and cooperation across their empire.
• Persian and Chinese courts exchanged medical knowledge(Greek and Islamic) which had impact on Western Europe.
• Mongols adopted the Uighur script, which became the language of policy, diplomacy, and exchange within their empire.

Ibn Battuta

• A Moroccan Islamic scholar.
• Traveled extensively across the Islamic world during the 14th century.
• Documented his travels, providing a firsthand account of life across Dar Es Salaam.