Crash Course World History: Indian Ocean Trade

Introduction

• Presenter: John Green
• Focus: Indian Ocean trade, a system rather than individual people or dynasties.
• Shift from focusing on rulers to the actions and impact of trade networks.

Indian Ocean Trade Overview

• Similar to the Silk Road; network of trade routes.
• Connected various port cities: Zanzibar, Mogadishu, Hormuz, Canton.
• Known as the "Monsoon Marketplace."
• Major periods of flourishing: 700 CE, peak between 1000-1200 CE, and resurgence in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Participants in Trade

• Key players: Swahili coast cities, Islamic empires, India, China, Southeast Asia.
• Notably absent: Europe.
• Trade primarily managed by Muslim merchants.

Importance of Monsoons

• Monsoon winds were predictable: allowed regular sailing schedules.
• Winds significantly reduced trade risk and cost, encouraging more trade.

Commodities Traded

• Range of resources: ivory, timber, books, grain.
• Enabled bulk trade of goods like cotton cloth, timber, and foodstuffs.
• Africa: raw materials (ivory, gold); China: finished goods (silk, porcelain).
• Spread of technology: magnetic compass, astrolabe, stern-post rudders, lateen sails.

Spread of Ideas and Religion

• Islam spread significantly, especially to Indonesia through trade.
• Less spread in non-trade centers like Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam.

Trade and City States

• Trade pivotal to the rise of city-states like Srivijaya and Swahili Coast.
• Examples of economic vulnerability: Relied heavily on trade, leading to decline when trade patterns shifted.

Conclusion

• Trade was self-regulating and mostly peaceful.
• Merchants had significant influence over trade routes and city prosperity.
• Cities dependent on trade were vulnerable to economic shifts.
• Merchants could determine the rise and fall of city-states.