Overview
This lecture covers AP World History Unit 2 (1200-1450), focusing on networks of exchange (trade routes) and their economic, cultural, and environmental effects across Eurasia and Africa.
Major Networks of Exchange
- The period 1200-1450 saw the expansion of three main trade routes: Silk Roads, Indian Ocean Network, and Trans-Saharan routes.
- These networks enabled not just trade of goods but also the spread of religions, cultural practices, and technologies.
- Expanded connectivity brought wealth and power to participating states and cities and sometimes led to the decline of others.
The Silk Roads
- Stretched across Eurasia, mostly trading luxury goods like silk and porcelain.
- Expansion led to growth in production of luxury items by Chinese, Indian, and Persian artisans.
- Innovations included caravanserai (roadside inns) and the development of paper money (“flying money”) and credit systems.
- Rise of powerful trading cities such as Kashgar due to their location along trade routes.
Indian Ocean Trade Network
- Maritime trade expanded greatly during this period, enabled by understanding monsoon wind patterns.
- Traded both luxury and common goods (textiles, spices) due to ships’ large cargo capacities.
- Key innovations: magnetic compass, improved astrolabe, and large ships like the Chinese junk.
- Swahili city-states rose in East Africa as trade brokers; Islamic influence grew.
- Establishment of diaspora communities (e.g., Arab and Persian traders in East Africa) led to cultural blending and new languages like Swahili.
- Zheng He’s voyages spread Chinese technology and culture.
Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
- Expanded due to better camel saddles, increasing volume and efficiency of desert trade.
- Mali Empire gained wealth and power by trading and taxing gold and other goods.
- Islam spread into West Africa, especially under rulers like Mansa Musa.
Consequences of Increased Connectivity
- Religions (like Buddhism into China), artistic works, and scientific/technological innovations (e.g., gunpowder) spread across networks.
- Literary and philosophical works from Baghdad’s House of Wisdom influenced Europe and the Renaissance.
- Rise (e.g., Hangzhou) and fall (e.g., Baghdad) of cities often depended on network stability and invasions.
- Travelers like Ibn Battuta documented diverse cultures, enabled by trade route safety.
Environmental Effects & Disease Transmission
- Crop transfer: Champa rice introduced to China, boosting food supply and population.
- Disease spread: Bubonic plague moved along trade routes, causing massive population loss in Eurasia.
The Mongol Empire and the “Pax Mongolica”
- Mongols created the largest land empire, replacing dynasties like Song China and Abbasids.
- Ensured safety and stability, increasing trade and communication across Eurasia.
- Encouraged cultural and technological exchange, adopting innovations like the Uyghur script.
- The “Pax Mongolica” describes this era of peace and intensified exchange under Mongol rule.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Networks of exchange — Routes connecting states for trade and cultural exchange.
- Caravanserai — Inns along Silk Roads providing rest and safety for merchants.
- Flying money — Early Chinese paper money system.
- Diaspora communities — Groups living outside their homeland, maintaining cultural identity.
- Pax Mongolica — Era of relative peace and increased trade under Mongol rule.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review key cities: Kashgar, Swahili states, Mali (Mansa Musa), Hangzhou, Baghdad.
- Study technological innovations and their impact on trade.
- Be able to explain causes and effects (economic, cultural, environmental) of increased connectivity.
- Prepare examples of cultural diffusion and significant travelers (Ibn Battuta).