Networks of Exchange from c. 1200 to c. 1450

UNIT 2: NETWORKS OF EXCHANGE FROM C. 1200 TO C. 1450

Overview of Trade Expansion (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

  • Between 1200 and 1450, economic activity along existing trade routes increased significantly.

  • Key Factors in Trade Expansion:

    • Technological and commercial innovations, such as improved ship design (e.g., dhows, junks), navigational tools (e.g., magnetic compass, astrolabe), and standardized currency or credit systems.

    • Imperial expansion, particularly the Mongol Empire, which brought vast territories under a single administration, securing trade routes and fostering economic interaction.

    • Growing demand for luxury goods from affluent patrons in Europe, Africa, and other parts of Asia.

  • Resulted in accelerated cultural, biological, and technological diffusion across Afro-Eurasia.

Factors that Expanded Trade

  • Powerful States and Empires:

    • The rise of powerful states like the Mongol Empire significantly promoted trade along the Silk Roads, creating a period known as Pax Mongolica which ensured relative safety for merchants.

    • The Mongol Empire created a vast commercial network across Eurasia, extending from East Asia to Eastern Europe.

  • Trade Routes:

    • Trade routes through the Sahara and in the Indian Ocean incorporated both West and East Africa into the global network, facilitating the exchange of diverse goods and ideas.

  • Commercial Practices:

    • Improvements in credit systems facilitated larger networks of exchange. Innovations included:

    • Flying cash in China, a form of paper money, which allowed merchants to deposit money in one location and withdraw it in another, reducing the risk of robbery.

    • Bills of exchange in Europe, which functioned similarly to flying cash, enabling long-distance financial transactions.

    • Establishment of caravanserai along land routes, providing rest stops and protection for merchants and their goods.

    • Growth of trading organizations and partnerships (e.g., guilds, Hanseatic League in Europe) that streamlined commerce and reduced individual risk.

  • Demand for Luxury Goods:

    • Increased demand for goods like Chinese silk and porcelain, as well as gold from Africa, and spices from Southeast Asia fueled the expansion of trade networks.

Consequences of Trade

  • Establishment of new trading cities across Africa and Eurasia, such as Kashgar, Samarkand, Timbuktu, and Malacca, which became vibrant cultural and economic hubs.

  • Trade conditions allowed for significant cross-cultural exchanges, including:

    • Introduction of Islamic beliefs across North Africa, the Sahara, and parts of Southeast Asia, often spread by Sufi missionaries and merchants.

    • Technological advancements like paper-making (from China to the Islamic world and Europe), gunpowder (from China), the magnetic compass, and the astrolabe (enhanced by Islamic scholars) diffused widely.

    • Diffusion of scientific and mathematical knowledge, including Arabic numerals and advances in medicine and astronomy.

  • Spread of deadly diseases, notably the bubonic plague (Black Death), during periods of increased movement along trade routes, dramatically reducing populations in Afro-Eurasia and contributing to social and economic upheaval.

Historical Milestones (Chronology)

  • 1200-1450 Timeline:

    • 1235: Sundiata establishes the Mali Empire in West Africa.

    • 1258: Mongols conquer the Abbasid Caliphate, improving Silk Road trade.

    • 1324: Mansa Musa's famous pilgrimage to Mecca.

    • 1325-1350: Spread of the Black Death across Europe and Asia.

    • 1405-1417: Zheng He’s maritime voyages expand maritime trade across the Indian Ocean.

    • 1440: Cultural and educational advancements in Central Asia highlighted by the establishment of Islamic schools.

Topic Overview
Topic 2.1: The Silk Roads (Pages 77-84)

  • Causes and Effects of Growth (After 1200):

    • Increased demand for luxury goods in Europe and Africa; revival of trade routes after centuries of decline. Goods included silk, furs, spices, porcelain, tea, gems, and precious metals. The Crusades indirectly stimulated European demand for Asian goods.

    • Mongol control enhanced safety and stability along the Silk Roads, creating the Pax Mongolica. This era saw uniform laws, protection for merchants, and a standardized system of weights and measures, which significantly reduced risks and boosted trade volume.

  • Cultural Exchanges:

    • Growth of trade led to significant cultural exchanges, including religious diffusion (e.g., Buddhism from India to China, Nestorian Christianity, Manichaeism). Technologies like gunpowder, paper-making, the compass, and printing spread from East to West. Artistic motifs, architectural styles, and culinary traditions also diffused.

Topic 2.2: The Mongol Empire and the Modern World (Pages 85-94)

  • State Building and Decline in Eurasia:

    • The Mongol Empire’s expansion significantly influenced trade, communication, and the introduction of new military technologies. Their vast empire facilitated the movement of goods, people, and ideas across Eurasia. They established a highly efficient postal relay system known as the yam system, which expedited communication.

    • Genghis Khan's role in the unification of disparate nomadic tribes and his implementation of a meritocratic system were critical. Mongol rule sometimes brought about economic contributions, particularly through ensuring security on trade routes, which led to a flourishing of commerce during the Pax Mongolica.

Topic 2.3: Indian Ocean Exchange (Pages 95-102)

  • Causes and Effects of Growth:

    • Growth of trading cities in the Indian Ocean Basin facilitated new networks of exchange. Cities like the East African Swahili city-states (e.g., Kilwa, Mogadishu), Calicut (India), and Malacca (Southeast Asia) became major hubs. These cities specialized in certain goods, becoming crucial entrepôts for regional and intercontinental trade.

    • Environmental knowledge was critical for navigation and timing voyages. Merchants utilized the predictable monsoon winds for seasonal sailing. Innovations like the lateen sail, magnetic compass, and astrolabe greatly improved navigation, allowing for more efficient and longer-distance maritime journeys.

Topic 2.4: Trans-Saharan Trade Routes (Pages 103-110)

  • Trade Effects and Empire Influence:

    • Islamic influence profoundly shaped these trade routes, as Berber and Arab merchants introduced Islam to West Africa. Arabic became the language of trade and administration in many West African states. This led to the construction of mosques and the establishment of Islamic scholarship.

    • Significant economic impact on West African societies. The exchange primarily involved gold from West Africa (e.g., from Wangara) for salt from the Sahara, alongside goods like kola nuts, slaves, horses, and manufactured goods. This wealth supported the rise of powerful empires like Ghana, Mali, and later Songhai.

    • Development of cultural and religious centers like Timbuktu, which became renowned for its Islamic universities, libraries, and scholarly community, attracting students and scholars from across the Islamic world.

Topic 2.5: Cultural Consequences of Connectivity (Pages 111-120)

  • Intellectual and Cultural Exchange:

    • Spread of religions (e.g., Islam, Buddhism, Christianity) and technological innovations (e.g., printing, gunpowder, paper, agricultural techniques). Islam spread peacefully along trade routes through missionaries and Sufi brotherhoods, adapting to local cultures.

    • Intellectual advancements in cities. Centers like Baghdad, Cairo, and Córdoba in the Islamic world, and later Timbuktu, fostered immense scholarship in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy. The preservation and translation of Greek and Roman texts in these centers later contributed to the European Renaissance.

Topic 2.6: Environmental Consequences of Connectivity (Pages 121-126)

  • Environmental Changes:

    • Introduction of new crops, such as Champa rice from Vietnam to China, which significantly boosted population growth due to its quick-ripening and drought-resistant qualities. Other crops like citrus fruits, sugarcane, and cotton diffused across Afro-Eurasia, influencing agricultural practices and diets.

    • The effect of trade on land use included widespread deforestation in some regions to accommodate expanding agriculture or to provide timber for shipbuilding. Increased irrigation projects were also undertaken to support new crops, altering landscapes.

    • Spread of diseases alongside goods. The most devastating example was the bubonic plague (Black Death), which traveled along the Silk Roads and maritime routes, causing demographic catastrophes in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe between 1325 and 1350, leading to labor shortages and socio-economic upheaval.

Topic 2.7: Comparison of Economic Exchange (Pages 127-133)

  • Economic Patterns and Differences:

    • Similarities include the role of powerful states in facilitating trade, the use of credit systems, and the demand for luxury goods. Differences largely lie in the goods exchanged (e.g., silk on Silk Roads, gold/salt on Trans-Saharan, spices on Indian Ocean), modes of transport (e.g., camels on land, ships on sea), and the dominant cultural influences (e.g., Buddhist/Islamic on Silk Roads, Islamic on Trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean).

    • Developments in trade and economics highlight connections among diverse regions. The emergence of common commercial language (e.g