By 1000-1500 CE, extensive trade networks had developed connecting Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In Africa, Muslim Arab traders played a key role in developing networks transporting goods across the Sahara by camel caravan. The Inca Empire in South America linked over 32 million people and 15,000 miles of road. In Asia, Malay sailors established routes across the Indian Ocean using monsoon winds, while the Ming Dynasty in China constructed a powerful navy to manage sea trade. By the 15th century, these networks connected major population and production centers globally, establishing patterns of world trade that would continue to evolve and expand.
By 1000-1500 CE, extensive trade networks had developed connecting Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In Africa, Muslim Arab traders played a key role in developing networks transporting goods across the Sahara by camel caravan. The Inca Empire in South America linked over 32 million people and 15,000 miles of road. In Asia, Malay sailors established routes across the Indian Ocean using monsoon winds, while the Ming Dynasty in China constructed a powerful navy to manage sea trade. By the 15th century, these networks connected major population and production centers globally, establishing patterns of world trade that would continue to evolve and expand.
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By 1000-1500 CE, extensive trade networks had developed connecting Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In Africa, Muslim Arab traders played a key role in developing networks transporting goods across the Sahara by camel caravan. The Inca Empire in South America linked over 32 million people and 15,000 miles of road. In Asia, Malay sailors established routes across the Indian Ocean using monsoon winds, while the Ming Dynasty in China constructed a powerful navy to manage sea trade. By the 15th century, these networks connected major population and production centers globally, establishing patterns of world trade that would continue to evolve and expand.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
The Geography and Philosophies of Early Economic Systems Trade and Traders
-Trade diasporas-networks of interconnected commercial communities living and working in
major trade cities throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia -In the W. Hemisphere 2 major trade networks developed: -Northern network served Mexico -Southern network ran north to south both along the Pacific Coast and inland along the Andes Mtns. -Little traffic between N. and S. America and none between the W. and E. hemispheres -Leif Eriksson—Viking explorer who reached Newfoundland in 1000 CE -Incas consolidated empire in the 15th century: mtn ppls generated extensive trade -Linked together 32 million ppl -Highland ppl specialized in gold working and crafts -Trade important up and down mtn sides with peaks of up to 20,000 feet -Under Inca rulers from the 1400s-the Spanish conquest in 1535, 15,000 miles worth of road was only available to gov’t officials -Yucatan Peninsula of C. and N. America: Mayan ppl flourished from 200 BCE-900 CE -Traders flourished independently; disproportionate spread of wealth -Spanish arrived in the 1520s: Maya had weakened; Aztecs dominated -Aztec marketplace: Tenochtitlan -Under tight gov’t control -Officers kept peace, collected taxes, and checked accuracy of weights/measures -Pochteca were a guild of traders hired for international trade -Goods were transported by animal and boat -Africa S. of Sahara was well integrated in trade relationships -W. Africa: traders dispatched caravans of goods on camel back across the Sahara; linked forest cultivators and miners in S. with merchants and rulers of Mediterranean Coast -Dates were a major commodity of trade -Muslim traders of 8th century leave records -Ghana (700-1100) empire; Mali (1100-1400); Songhay (1300-1600) -E. Africa: traders along the coast produced gold and ivory and sold them to seafaring merchants of the Indian Ocean -Kingdom of Axum in Christian Ethiopia dominated traded of the Red Sea to Arabian Sea -Arab traders gained control with rise of Islam and restricted Ethiopian power -After the 9th century Arab merchants provided main trading link to Indian Ocean -Muslim Arab traders played critical role in the development of African trade networks -Religion and ethnicity formed trust needed to conduct business -Islam encouraged trade -Trade flourished with the hajj -Jews carried on international trade from China to W. Europe and Africa -1250: trade networks connected main population and production centers of Asia, Africa, and Europe -The Polynesians are Austronesian-speaking ppls who migrated from S. China to Taiwan, the Philippines, and E. Indonesia -Greatest sailors in history -Est. contact with Hawaii and Easter Island -Malay sailors of S. China left cargo ships: jongs (or Junks); balance-lug square sails; learned patterns of seasonal monsoon winds and learned to sail with them; made regular 3000 mile voyages across the Indian Ocean -1100-1500: Indian Ocean major crossroad of world’s shipping lanes -Arab Muslim sailors were masters of sailing the Indian Ocean -By 1500 China was the most economically advanced region in the world -Internal trade outweighed external trade because of size of empire -Ming dynasty overthrew the Mongols and forbade China to trade overseas -Ocean traders came to China -China constructed a powerful navy and merchant marine to deal with sea trade -Ming dynasty: Emperor Yung-lo dispatched 7 voyages under the Muslim eunuch, Zheng He through the Indian Ocean -Ming gov’t limited contact with foreigners and prohibited private overseas trade by Chinese merchants -1275: Marco Polo arrives in China -Described China as the richest, most technologically progressive, and largest politically unified country in the world -Agricultural improvements, innovations in iron and coal industry, and textile production inspired trade revolution -Common ppl became involved in production of goods -Currency was the most important medium for trade -Printed the 1st paper money in the world -Luxury products (silk, porcelain, and tea) attracted Muslim Arabs, Germans, Lombards and French -Mongol Empire: largest land empire ever known; traffic on silk routes revived -2 million Mongols divided into warring tribes, lead by a khan -“Pax Mongolica”—intercontinental trade could flourish across reopened silk routes -Ibn Battuta of Morocco and Marco Polo give insight into exotic trade route -Before Chinggis Khan there were no written records of the Mongol Empire -Chinggis Khan Temujin (Genghis Khan) sought to unify the Mongols -Skilled at negotiation, infamous for brutality -Conquered Chinese capital and killed thousands -Est. Mongol dynasty in China (1276-1368) -Kamikaze: divine winds; prevented Mongol fleet from sailing -Conquered Tashkent, Samarkand, Punjab (Indus R in India), Khwarizm, Tabriz, and Tbilisi -Killed many people -After death, his four sons continued to expand empire -Conquered Moscow and destroyed Kiev -Internal quarrels brought Mongol expansion to Europe to a halt -Captured and destroyed Baghdad and killed caliph of Abbasid dynasty -1279-1360: Mongols ruled China, Russia, Iran, Iraq, and Central Asia -Khanates were sub-empires: four of them throughout Mongol empire -Disease followed trade routes -The Black Death devastated Eurasia’s population in the 1300s -Cause of Mongol Empire’s decline -Ming dynasty overthrew Mongol empire and population increased sharply -During Mongol dynasty 90% of ppl lived in the south -South produced 3 of China’s most valuable products -After Mongol dynasty ppl started moving to the North -1500s marked turning point in world trade patterns -Trade routes became interconnected -Europe seized control of the Americas -Introduced new regimes of trade and domination into world history