CULTURAL CONSEQUENCES OF CONNECTIVITY

• Did most people in Afro-Eurasia travel extensively between 1200 and 1450?

  • No
  • Farmers stayed in one place
  • Pastoralists travelled as far as their seasonal herds let them
  • The few people that did travel carried ideas with them that would transform the lives of several people they met along the way
• In this same period, what two main regions/cultures of Afro-Eurasia made the most remarkable contributions to technology throughout other regions?

  • China and the Islamic world
• What were some of the major technological contributions made by China and the Islamic world in this period, 1200 to 1450?

  • muslim merchants developed math that used astronomy, that understood and divided up the circle, and that included fractions
  • arab scholars developed a book called al-jabar that became the basis of modern algebra
  • china made the magnifying glass, the compass, gunpowder, built a huge system of exchange (mongols), and paper-making
• What different religious traditions came together in Southeast Asia in this period?

  • islam, hinduism, and buddhism
• Islam

  A religion of muslim merchants that soon spread throughout the trading ports of Southeast Asia
• Many ports among the islands of Southeast Asia had a majority of Muslim population


  Thirteenth century
• Sufi brotherhoods

  • Important in the spread of Islam through the African regions
  • Emphasized ideas of mysticism and a relationship to God that were particularly suited to many of the nomadic, pastoral people of West Africa
  • Helped pastoralists come together to create political strength and solve problems
  • Beliefs and ideas still allowed enough flexibility for local culture and existing religious figures to remain
• Sufi version of Islam

  Attracted many people who were used to a mystical form of Hinduism in South Asia
• Spread of Islam in South Asia

  1. Large-scale conquest that created major states like the Delhi Sultanate

  2. States had to rule many Hindus, and usually tolerated the practice of both religions

  3. Hinduism and Islam in these states remained largely separate
• Explain the intellectual and cultural effects of the various networks of exchange in Afro-Eurasia from c. 1200 to 1450?

  • Many technological innovations were introduced because of intellectual ideas. The gunpowder, for one, helped many empires later on destroy other territories and rule over vast land. Additionally, many countries syncretized as culturals interacted with one another. New languages formed and other religions passed through regions.
• Reasons people adopted ideas from other places

  • Economic gain
  • Knowledge acquisition
  • Power enhancement
  • Cultural enrichment
• Economic prosperity

  New technologies and goods introduced through cultural exchange could improve productivity, trade, and quality of life, offering economic advantages to those who adopted them
• Knowledge and intellectual curiosity

  People were often eager to learn about new ideas, philosophies, and scientific advancements from other cultures, recognizing the potential for personal and societal growth
• Power

  Adopting innovations in warfare, governance, or diplomacy from other regions could strengthen a society's position and help it compete effectively in the geopolitical landscape
• Cultural and societal enrichment

  People were drawn to the diversity of ideas, art, and beliefs from other cultures, appreciating the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and enrich their own cultural heritage
• transfer of religion or belief systems

  • buddhism enter China through Silk Road carried by merchants and missionaries
• literary & artistic transfer

  house of wisdom translated greek and roman classics into arabic

  • made extensive commentaries on works including their own developments in philosophy and medical practices
  • works were later transfered to Europe which eventually led to the Renaissance
• Scientific & Technological Innovations

  • gunpowder
• rise & fall of cities

  • Hangzhou rose in the trades
• travelers wrote about their experiences