AP World History Unit 2 Overview

Time Period: 1200-1450

• Focus on the connections between states and empires through networks of exchange.
• Networks facilitated not just economic interaction but also cultural diffusion.

Major Networks of Exchange

1. Silk Roads

   • Traded primarily luxury goods (e.g., Chinese silk, porcelain).
   • Expansion reflected increased demand for luxury items.
   • Innovations:
     • Caravanserai: Inns for safety and cultural exchange.
     • Money Economies: Development of paper money (e.g., Flying money system in China).
     • New forms of credit: Banking houses, bills of exchange.
   • Rise of trading cities like Kashgar.

2. Indian Ocean Network

   • Maritime trade expanded scope due to understanding of monsoon winds.
   • Traded bulk goods (textiles, spices) and luxury items.
   • Technological Innovations:
     • Improved magnetic compass.
     • Astrolabe for navigation.
     • Chinese junk ship designs.
   • Growth of Swahili city-states.
   • Diaspora communities: Cultural blending (e.g., Arab, Persian communities in East Africa).
   • Notable figure: Zheng He and his voyages.

3. Trans-Saharan Trade Network

   • Expansion aided by improved camel saddles.
   • Increased wealth of states like Mali.
   • Mali’s wealth grew under Mansa Musa.

Consequences of Increased Connectivity

Cultural Consequences

• Spread of Religions: Buddhism spread to China via the Silk Roads.
• Literary and Artistic Transfers: Translations in Baghdad's House of Wisdom; laid groundwork for European Renaissance.
• Scientific and Technological Transfers: Spread of Gunpowder from China.
• Travelers' Accounts: Ibn Battuta's documentation of Dar al-Islam.

Environmental Consequences

• Crop Transfer: Champa rice in China led to population growth.
• Disease Transfer: Bubonic plague spread through trade routes.

The Mongol Empire

• Facilitated connections across the largest land empire.
• Pax Mongolica: Encouraged and protected trade along Silk Roads.
• Facilitated communication, cooperation, and technological/cultural transfers.
  • Example: Adoption of Uighur script for Mongol diplomacy.

Conclusion

• Understanding the networks of exchange is crucial for grasping the global interactions from 1200 to 1450.
• Mongol Empire played a significant role in facilitating these connections.