Heimler’s History: Trade Routes in Afro-Eurasia (1200-1450)

Overview

• Focus on major trade routes in Afro-Eurasia during 1200-1450.
• Key trade routes:
  • Silk Roads (land-based)
  • Indian Ocean trade routes (sea-based)
  • Trans-Saharan routes (land-based)
• Trade routes greatly influenced cultural changes and the emergence of new cultures.

The Silk Roads

• Description:
  • Land-based route stretching from China to Europe and North Africa.
  • Established before 1200, flourished under large empires (e.g., Mongols).
• Goods Traded:
  • Mostly luxury goods due to high transport costs.
  • Chinese silk was a highly sought-after commodity.
• Cultural Influence:
  • Spread Buddhism, which adapted and syncretized along the way (e.g., Mahayana Buddhism).
  • Carried diseases like the Black Death, impacting populations (e.g., Europe).

Indian Ocean Trade Routes

• Description:
  • Sea-based routes connecting China, India, Southeast Asia, and East Africa.
  • Largest sea-based communication system until the Atlantic crossings.
• Goods Traded:
  • Greater variety of goods due to lower shipping costs (luxury and bulk goods).
  • Examples include porcelain, spices, cotton, ivory, wheat, sugar, and rice.
• Technological and Cultural Developments:
  • Monsoon winds facilitated navigation and trade.
  • Innovations included the magnetic compass, astrolabe, and Chinese junks.
  • Rise of the Srivijaya Kingdom in Southeast Asia and Swahili Civilization in East Africa.

Trans-Saharan Trade Routes

• Description:
  • Linked North Africa and the Mediterranean with West Africa.
  • Different regions produced varied goods, driving trade.
• Goods Traded:
  • North Africa: manufactured goods (cloth, glasswork, books).
  • Southwest Africa: agricultural (grain crops, yams, kola nuts).
• Cultural Influence:
  • Arabian camel revolutionized desert trade, enabling long-distance travel.
  • Political changes led to the rise of the Kingdom of Mali, which controlled trade and developed a social hierarchy.

Conclusion

• Major trade routes played a crucial role in shaping cultures and economies from 1200-1450.
• Cultural exchanges and technological innovations were significant byproducts of trade.
• The routes facilitated the spread of goods, cultures, technologies, and even diseases.