The Rise of World Trade

Trade in the Ancient World Rivers and oceans served as primary trade routes of the ancient world Linked ancient empires and allowed trade to develop in Mediterranean by 1500 BC Minoans and Phoenicians were masters of this Greek and Romans later dominated the trade routes in the Mediterranean

Mediterranean Trade Routes

Mediterranean Trade Two types of trade Local trade – within 300 miles Focused on grain and similar products Long distance trade Focused on luxury goods but included metals Linked various parts of the Mediterranean world Phoenicians – purple dye, papyrus Minoans – wine, olive oil Greeks/Romans – wine, olive oil, slaves Britain – tin China – silk, jade

Silk Road By 100 BC the first international trade route emerged The Silk Road Linked China, India, and the Mediterranean world No set trade route Composed of links Various empires in Central Asia saw profit in protecting the route

Early Silk Road

Syncretism Trade routes also led to cultural exchange – syncretism the joining together of ideas Buddhist religion spread from India to SE Asia and China along the Silk Road Spread and changed – syncretism Incorporated new ideas with the religion Christianity spread along the trade routes of the Mediterranean

Second Crisis of Civilization Between 300 AD and 500 AD – all of the empires along the Silk Road collapsed for the same reasons Plague Economic problems Civil wars Barbarian invasions Goths, Huns Originated in central/east Asia Hit empires in Europe, India, and China

Second Crisis of Civilization Led to the end of international trade Silk Road continued to exist, but in a different form

Indian Ocean Trade Network Began as part of Silk Road Network By 400 AD a trade in spices developed in SE Asia By 800 AD this trade linked together the Indian Ocean World Linked SE Asia, India, and East Africa

Indian Ocean Trade Network

Indian Ocean Trade Network Spices and religion were the major trade products Islam peacefully spread from SW Asia to Indonesia because of Arab traders - syncretism Largest peaceful religious conversion in world history Created a multi-racial world in E. Africa

Indian Ocean Trade Network Arab traders sailed east on the monsoon winds Sailed west on the seasonal winds Linked SW Asia, India, SE Asia, and E Africa

Re-emergence of Silk Road By 1200 a new empire arose in Asia – the Mongol Empire Created through conquest Largest land empire ever created Lasted only a few decades, later broke into 4 smaller empires Enforced law and order across Asia - allowed trade to resume Major products were silk and porcelain

Mongol Empire

European Trade Long distance trade began to re-emerge after 1000 AD NW Europe focused on wool production After 1200 linked to Silk Road and Indian Ocean Trade Network

Problems Wealth began to go one way Europe had no product that Asians wanted If European wanted silk or spices, they had to pay cash Eastern Mediterranean states dominated trade routes

Shifting of World Trade 1400’s – Portuguese began to search for new routes to Asia Discovered a route around Africa in 1498 They immediately took over the Indian Ocean trade route because of gunpowder 1492 – Columbus’ voyage Created a new trade route with Americas Merged all routes into a true world trade system