Major Trade Networks and Mongol Impact

Overview

This lecture covers AP World History Unit 2 (1200–1450), emphasizing the major trade networks (Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, Trans-Saharan), their technological and cultural impacts, and the rise of the Mongol Empire in facilitating global exchanges.

Networks of Exchange: Big Picture

• Unit 2 focuses on how different states connected through networks of exchange (trade routes) from 1200 to 1450.
• Trade networks enabled not only economic interactions but also cultural, technological, and religious diffusion.
• The three major trade networks were: Silk Roads, Indian Ocean Network, and Trans-Saharan Trade Network.
• All networks expanded in geographic scope during this period due to technological and commercial innovations.
• Increased connectivity led to the rise (and fall) of powerful states and cities.

The Silk Roads

• The Silk Roads primarily traded luxury goods like Chinese silk and porcelain due to high transportation costs.
• Increased demand for luxury goods led Chinese, Indian, and Persian artisans to expand production.
• Caravanserai (roadside inns) increased safety and cultural exchange for merchants.
• Introduction of paper money and new credit forms (e.g., flying money, bills of exchange) made trade easier.
• Notable trading city: Kashgar, which became wealthy by sitting at the crossroads of major Silk Road routes.

Indian Ocean Network

• Trade here relied on understanding the predictable monsoon winds.
• Bulk goods like textiles and spices were common due to ships' large cargo capacity.
• Key technologies: improved magnetic compass, astrolabe, and Chinese junk ships.
• Swahili city-states in East Africa prospered, grew wealthy, and became Islamic through trade.
• The spread of Islam and the formation of diaspora communities (e.g., Arab/Persian communities in East Africa) promoted cultural diffusion.
• Zheng He’s voyages under the Ming dynasty spread Chinese technology and promoted tributary relationships.

Trans-Saharan Trade Network

• Expanded due to innovations like improved camel saddles for transporting large cargo across the desert.
• The Mali Empire became extremely wealthy by trading gold and taxing merchants, reaching its peak under Mansa Musa.
• Conversion to Islam connected West African states to the broader Dar al-Islam trading world.

Consequences of Increased Connectivity

Cultural Effects

• Major religions (e.g., Buddhism) and philosophies spread along trade routes, especially via the Silk Roads.
• Literary and artistic works (e.g., classical texts translated in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad) transferred across regions.
• Technologies like gunpowder (from China) spread widely.
• Travelers like Ibn Battuta wrote detailed accounts, increasing cultural knowledge.

Environmental Effects

• Crops such as Champa rice (from Southeast Asia to China) boosted food supply and population.
• The Bubonic plague spread via trade routes, devastating populations in the Middle East and Europe.

The Mongol Empire and Trade

• The Mongols created the largest land-based empire, replacing powerful Eurasian states.
• Mongol rule (Pax Mongolica) made Silk Roads safer, increasing trade and cross-cultural communication.
• They encouraged international trade, paid high prices for goods, and maintained security for merchants.
• The Mongols facilitated technological and cultural transfers, including adopting the Uighur script for administration.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Network of Exchange — Systems (trade routes) that connected different regions for economic and cultural interaction.
• Caravanserai — Inns along trade routes providing safety and exchange opportunities for merchants.
• Money Economy — An economic system using paper money rather than barter.
• Diaspora Community — Group of people from the same homeland settled elsewhere.
• Pax Mongolica — Period of peace and stability across the Mongol Empire, boosting trade and communication.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review maps of the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and Trans-Saharan routes.
• Memorize key technologies and innovations for each route.
• Prepare examples for cultural and environmental effects of increased connectivity.
• Study the role of the Mongols in global trade and cultural exchange.