Unit 2 (1200-1450)

• Silk Roads


  Trade routes from western China to central Asia to Europe

  Nomads protected caravans from bandits in exchange for periodic payments by merchants and government officials

  East: Silk, Teas, Spices, Horses, Fruits, Rice, Ceramics, Paper

  West: Grain, Nuts, Fruits, Artwork, Luxury goods, Gold

  Chinese invented gun powder, paper, compass, astrolabe

  Buddhism introduced to China from India via Silk Road
• Causes of the Growth of Exchange Networks in the Silk Roads

  Interregional trade expanded in 1300s and 1400s as demand for luxury goods increased in Europe and Asia. The Crusade (returning European soldiers brought back goods) led to renewed interest in products from South and East Asia.
• Causes of the Growth of Exchange Trade in the Silk Roads

  • Fall of classical civilizations (Romans and Han Empire) led to decline of Silk Roads but rise of Abassids and Tang China reinvigorated routes
  • The Silk Roads peaked under the Mongol Empire (1200s - 1300s) who made the roads safer by improving roads and punishing bandits
  • Trade remained most importance motivation for travel but diplomacy and missionary activities also encouraged government officials to travel
• Effects of the Growth of Exchange Networks

  • Cities developed along the Silk Roads (sometimes where routes crossed and almost always an Oases where water existed)
  • Increased trade led to innovations in financial systems (banks)
  • System of credit developed called flying cash allowing merchants to deposit paper money in one location and withdraw somewhere else
• Mongols


  Nomadic pastoralist, horsemen and warriors from central grass land of Asia who controlled the entire length of the Silk Roads
• Genghis Khan


  • United the Mongol clans, created a disciplined army
• Kublai Khan


  • Established a Mongol dynasty in China (Yuan)
• Pax Mongolia - Golden Age of Mongolia

  • Mongols brutally conquered people and destroyed civilizations but once control was established, their rule was tolerant of diverse religions and customs as long as conquered people paid annual tribute (taxes)
  • After Genghis Khan died, the empire was divided up among his sons into political regions called khanates
• Mongol Empire


  • Too large and diverse for one power to rule over in perpetuity (khanates had little contact with people)
  • Mongols lacked history and experience with government (each khanate adopted government traditions of conquered people)-less effective compared to Genghis and Kublai Khan
  • Resentment against Mongols grew in conquered land —> rebellion
• How Mongols made Modern world

  • Stimulated interregional trade throughout Afro-Eurasia (built and maintained trade routes)
  • Cultural exchanges accelerated (Islamic scientific knowledge spread to china, medical knowledge and Arabic numbers spread to Europe)
  • Increased connectivity led to increased transmissions of disease (bubonic plague spread from Central Asia to much of Eurasia)
  • Mongol's centralized government and reliance on one legal system inspired future states in Eurasia
  • Mongols fighting techniques and technology were adopted by other states or force by these states to adapt to these changes
  • Cannons (perhaps invented by Mongols) ended Eurasian cities reliance on walls for protection
• Causes of Expanded Exchange in the Indian Ocean

  • Maritime trade routes less vulnerable to political conflicts than Silk Roads, more secure, and boats carried larger quantities of goods
  • Spread of Islam led to increased trade in Indian ocean
  • Understanding monsoons allowed sailors to complete a trip quicker
  • Shipyards on Persian Gulf, Red sea, and southern Arabian coastline constructed larger ships as trade grew on Indian Ocean
  • Shipbuilders in Red Sea replaced the square sails with triangular lateen sails (better suited to high winds of the open ocean)
  • The astrolabe perfected by Muslim merchants allowed sailors to determine their position north or south of equator
• Effects of Expanded Exchange in the Indian Ocean

  • The creation of diasporic communities (settlements of people outside going to somewhere from their homeland)
  • Hormuz (Middle East), Zanzibar, Mogadishu and Kilwa (East Africa), Calicut and Goa (India), Malacca (south east Asia) were important Indian ocean seaports
  • Seaports like Hangzhou and Guangzhou in China
  • Bantu - based languages spread to southern and Eastern Africa, blending with Arabic to create swahili
• The voyages of Zheng He

  • Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty in china Oversaw a series of naval expeditions (seeking luxury goods and expanded trade)
  • Seven expeditions led by Admiral Zheng. He visited southeast Asia, India, the Red sea, and East Africa
  • China demanded tribute from people they encountered and brought back exotic animals and plants to the emperor
  • After Yongle's death, Ming dynasty leaders ended the voyages (an ethnocentric skeptism about the value of contact with the outside world)
• Trans-saharan Trade Routes (Africa)

  • Northern Africa was western end of both the silk Roads and Indian ocean route and was highly active in interregional trade
  • Connected people living in west Africa (south of sahara desert) the sahara has many salt mines (an essential part of people's diets)
  • The camel ("ship of the desert") originally from western Asia) introduced to the Berbers (nomads who ran trans- saharan trade) allowed Berbers to ride camels and increase the load carried
• The Kingdoms of Ghana

  • Income from gold trade used to build massive army
  • Ghana controlled trade routes and take tribute
  • Ghana traded gold into the Mediterranean sea
  • Arab merchants from North Africa introduced Arabic writing, Muslim styles of art and architecture
• The Kingdom of Mali

  • Under Mansa Musa (most powerful ruler in Mali's history) Kingdom conquered much of west Africa
  • Mansa Musa converted to Islam (to improve trade relations with Muslim world)
  • Capital of Mali was Timbuktu (a center of Muslim learning and incredible wealth)
• The Kingdom of Songhay

  • Rulers of Songhay converted to Islam (Capital City at Gao in west Africa)
  • King Sonni Ali conquered Mali and cities of Jenne and Timbuktu
  • Songhay became largest kingdom in history of Africa (using army to control trade routes like previous west African Kingdoms)
  • This Muslim Kingdom had vibrant trade with Europe and Asia
  • Civil war and invasions by Muslims from Morocco (using muskets) destroyed empire
• Cultural consequences of Connectivity

  • Land and sea merchants spread Islam to south and Southeast Asia from Middle East
  • Buddhism spread to southeast Asia, China, Japan following trade routes (adapted it to their own culture and belief)
  • Cities on trade routes saw luxury goods, new technologies, religions, and cultures spread
• The Travels of Marco Polo

  • Marco Polo (an Italian merchant) completed long journey that led him to court of Mongol leader. (Kublai Khan in China)
  • Marco Polo served Kublai Khan for next 17 years before returning to Italy
  • He produced a written account of the sites, people, and events he encountered (this diary became a best seller in Europe)
• Travels of Ibn Battuta


  • Ibn Battuta ( a Muslim from Morocco in North Africa) began a journey that would last 44 years and cover 73,000 miles
  • Visited Mecca, Constantinople (Byzantine), Mesopotamia (Middle East), Persia, India, South east Asia, southern china, Spain, and Mali
  • Ibn Battuta recorded tales from his journey (a popular book that provides historians with important insights into time period)
• Environmental Consequences of Connectivity (c. 1200 - C. 1450)

  • Champa rice (from Vietnam, but perhaps originally from India) was first offered to China as tribute and quickly spread throughout China
  • Bananas (from Indonesia) traveled through Indian ocean trade network to Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Increased food supplies and increasing populations put pressure on resources and led to environmental degradation
  • Overgrazing near Great Zimbabwe led to the abandonment of the city
  • Deforestation led to famine–connect–the Mayans were forced to abandon their cities because of environmental degradation (slash-and-burn techniques and soil erosion)
• Spread of the Bubonic Plague


  • Mongols spread disease to China during their military campaigns and merchants spread it westward along Silk Road
  • Mongols laid siege to Black sea port of Kaffa (controlled by Italians from Genoa) and threw infected bodies over walls with catapults used the disease to win war
  • Many once-thriving cities were devastated, trade came to near stand still, and farming losses led to wide spread famine
  • Shortage of labor led to social unrest and rebellions (Peasant's Revolt in England in 1381 and Revolt of the Jacquerie in France in 1356)