AP World History Unit 2 Overview (1200 - 1450)

Big Picture

• Time period: 1200 to 1450
• Connected states and empires through networks of exchange (not just trade routes)
  • Economic interaction and cultural diffusion

Major Networks of Exchange

1. Silk Roads

   • Traded luxury goods: Chinese silk, porcelain
   • Innovations:
     • Caravanserai: inns for merchants providing safety and cultural exchange
     • Money economies: use of paper money, "flying money" system in China
     • Banking houses: bills of exchange (like checks)
   • Rise of trading cities: e.g., Kashgar

2. Indian Ocean Network

   • Maritime trade, expanded significantly; used understanding of monsoon winds
   • Traded bulk goods: textiles, spices, luxury goods
   • Innovations:
     • Magnetic compass, improved astrolabe
     • Chinese junk ships
   • Swahili city-states: gold, ivory trade, Islamic influence
   • Establishment of diaspora communities (e.g., Arab and Persian in East Africa)
   • Zheng He: spread China's maritime technology and cultural transfers

3. Trans-Saharan Trade Network

   • Expanded due to camel saddle improvements
   • Mali Empire: wealth from gold trade, leadership converted to Islam
   • Mansa Musa: monopolized trade in West Africa, expanded networks

Consequences of Increased Connectivity

Cultural Consequences

• Spread of religions and belief systems: Buddhism into China via Silk Roads
• Literary and artistic transfers: Greek and Roman classics translated, influencing Renaissance
• Technological innovations: spread of gunpowder, altering global power dynamics
• Rise/Fall of Cities:
  • Rise: Hangzhou (China), urbanized due to trade
  • Fall: Baghdad destroyed by Mongols
• Travelers documenting experiences: Ibn Battuta's journeys across Dar al-Islam

Environmental Consequences

• Transfer of crops and diseases:
  • Champa rice: introduced to China, increased food production
  • Bubonic plague: spread along trade routes, especially by Mongols

Mongol Empire

• Largest land-based empire, replacing powerful empires (Song, Abbasid)
• Increased networks of exchange (Silk Roads safety)
• Facilitated communication and cooperation across the empire
  • Example: Persian and Chinese courts
• Technological and cultural transfer:
  • Greek and Islamic medical knowledge to Europe
  • Adopted Uighur script for administration

Resources

• AP World History Heimler Review Guide: comprehensive review videos and materials for exam preparation.

These notes aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the key elements and consequences of the major networks of exchange during 1200-1450, along with the significant role played by the Mongol Empire in facilitating global connections.