AP World History Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (1200-1450)

Overview

• Focus on connections between states through networks of exchange
  • Not just trade, but also cultural diffusion and technology transfer
• Three major networks:
  • Silk Roads
  • Indian Ocean Network
  • Trans-Saharan Trade

General Developments

• Expansion of geographical range and scale
• Innovations in commercial practices and technology
• Growth of powerful states and cities; collapse of others

Silk Roads

• Mainly luxury goods (e.g., Chinese silk, porcelain)
• Expansion driven by demand for luxury goods
• Innovations:
  • Caravanserai for safety and cultural exchange
  • Money economies (paper money introduced in China)
  • New forms of credit (e.g., bills of exchange, banking houses)
• Rise of trading cities like Kashgar

Indian Ocean Network

• Bulk goods (e.g., textiles, spices) due to larger ship cargo
• Key innovations:
  • Magnetic compass for navigation
  • Astrolabe for determining latitude/longitude
  • Ship designs (e.g., Chinese junk)
• Rise of Swahili city-states through trade of African goods
• Diaspora communities like Arab and Persian settlements in East Africa

Trans-Saharan Trade Network

• Expansion driven by camel saddle innovations
• Empire of Mali became wealthy through gold trade and taxation under leaders like Mansa Musa

Effects of Increased Connectivity

Cultural Consequences

• Spread of religions (e.g., Buddhism via Silk Roads)
• Literary and artistic transfers (e.g., translations at House of Wisdom)
• Scientific and technological transfers (e.g., gunpowder spread)
• Rise and fall of cities (e.g., Hangzhou's growth, Baghdad's fall)
• Travelers documenting experiences (e.g., Ibn Battuta)

Environmental Consequences

• Crops: Transfer of Champa rice to China leading to population growth
• Disease: Spread of the Bubonic plague along trade routes

The Mongol Empire

• Largest land-based empire
• Facilitated connectivity and commerce:
  • Encouraged trade and ensured safety on the Silk Roads
  • Pax Mongolica: Period of stability and increased trade
• Technological and cultural transfers:
  • Medical knowledge from Greece and Islam to Europe
  • Adoption of Uighur script for policy and diplomacy

Conclusion

• Continued study and review through resources like the AP World Heimler Review Guide
• Importance of understanding these networks for the AP World History exam