Commerce & Culture 500-1500 Edited by: Mr. Barkhau Shamelessly stolen from: http://conaapwh.weebly.com/class-powerpoints.html

Why Trade? Different ecological zones = natural uneven distribution of goods and resources Early monopolization of certain goods Silk in China Spices in Southeast Asia I want what you have! Do you want what I have? Let’s trade!

Trade: 500-1500 Long-distance trade developed This trade shaped culture and society Trade = mostly indirect Chain of separate transactions Goods traveled father than merchants

Significance of Trade: Economic Altered consumption Ex: West Africans now able to get salt to flavor and preserve their food Changed the day-to-day lives of individuals Ex: trade specialization --> led to less self-sufficiency and more dependency

Significance of Trade: Social Traders became their own social group Sometimes viewed suspiciously --> why are they making money without making the goods? Trade became a means of social mobility Money = land = power and status Trade used by elite groups to distinguish themselves from commoners Only they could afford luxury goods from far away like silk or ivory

Significance of Trade: Political Controlling and taxing trade motivated the creation of states and kingdoms Wealth from trade sustained these states and kingdoms and facilitated their growth

What Else Was “Traded”? Religious ideas Technological innovations Disease-bearing germs Plants and animals

The Silk Roads

The Silk Roads: Growth Eurasia = often divided into inner and outer zones with different ecologies Outer Eurasia = relatively warm and well-watered China, India, Middle East, Mediterranean Inner Eurasia = harsher, drier climate Eastern Russia, Central Asia

Hides, furs, livestock, wool, amber, horses, saddles The Silk Roads: Growth Result = steppe products traded for agricultural products and manufactured goods from inner Eurasia Birth of the Silk Roads trade network Hides, furs, livestock, wool, amber, horses, saddles

The Silk Roads: Growth Construction of classical civilizations and empires added major players to this trade network Persian Empire, Greek Empire, Roman Empire, Han dynasty, Gupta Empire Result = Silk Roads continued to grow

The Silk Roads: Goods Most goods traded = luxury goods rather than staple goods Destined for an elite and wealthy market Only goods worth transporting with such high transportation costs

The Silk Roads: Goods Silk = major product in high demand China had a silk monopoly until the 500s --> then others gained knowledge of silk production Increased the supply of silk along the Silk Roads

Silk Makes the World Go ‘Round Used as currency in Central Asia Became a symbol of high status in both China and the Byzantine Empire Used in the expanding religions of Buddhism and Christianity Ex: worn by Buddhist monks Ex: silk altar covers in Christian churches

The Silk Roads: Goods Volume of trade = small But social and economic impact of trade = big Ex: peasant in China produced luxury goods instead of crops Ex: merchants could make enormous profits

The Silk Roads: Cultures Major result of trade along the Silk Roads = the spread of Buddhism From India to Central & East Asia Spread by Indian traders and Buddhist monks

The Silk Roads: Buddhism Spread to oases cities in Central Asia Voluntarily converted Buddhism gave these small cities a link to the larger, wealthy, and prestigious civilization of India Many of these cities became centers of learning and commerce Buddhist temple in Dunhuang (an oases city)

The Silk Roads: Buddhism Transformation of Buddhism Original faith = shunned the material world Now Buddhism = filled with wealthy monks, elaborate and expensive monasteries, and so on Buddhist monastery in China

The Silk Roads: Buddhism What type of Buddhism spread? MAHAYANA! Buddha = a deity Many bodhisattvas Emphasis on compassion

The Silk Roads: Disease Long-distance trade = resulted in exposure to unfamiliar diseases Athens (430-429 BCE) = widespread epidemic; killed 25% of the army Roman & Han Empires = measles and smallpox devastated both populations Mediterranean World (534-750 CE) = devastated by bubonic plague from India

The Black Death Spread due to the Mongol Empire’s unification of most of Eurasia (13th-14th centuries) Could have been bubonic plague, anthrax, or collection of epidemic diseases 1346-1350 = killed 1/3 of European population Similar death toll in China & parts of Islamic world

Sea Exchange Begins with Mediterranean Sea trade Participants = Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans Italian city of Venice = major center of commerce (during Renaissance)

Sea Exchange Begins with Red Sea trade Participants = Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Africans Alexandria = major port and city of commerce

Indian Ocean Exchange

Indian Ocean Exchange Like the Silk Roads, trade grew because of: Environmental and cultural diversities in each region Desire for goods not available at home Same goods traded from each region as on the Silk Roads Ex: silk and porcelain from China Ex: ivory and gold from the African coast Unlike the Silk Roads: transportation costs much lower Ships could carry much more at one time than camels Sea Roads carried more bulk and staple goods  not just luxury items like on the Silk Roads

Monsoons Made Indian Ocean exchange possible Monsoons = alternating wind currents Blow predictably eastward in summer months Blow predictably westward in winter months

Indian Ocean Exchange Not between countries Not between entire regions IS between individual merchant towns

Growth of Indian Ocean Trade 2 major transformations occurred between 500 and 1500 that led to major growth of the Indian Ocean trade network Economic and political revival of China Rise of Islam in the 7th century

China’s Comeback 4 centuries after the collapse of the Han dynasty Reestablished a unified government Encouraged sea trade Economic growth = allowed Chinese products to pour into trade networks Technological innovations = larger ships; magnetic compass

Rise of Islam Islam = friendly to commercial life (unlike Confucianism) Creation of an Arab Empire Stretching from Atlantic Ocean to India Brought together a wide range of economies in a single political system Powerful and wealthy empire = continued to stimulate Indian Ocean trade

Sea Roads = Change Indian Ocean trade transformed ALL of its participants in one way or another Major transformations to two regions: Southeast Asia East Africa Both regions experienced: Political change  rulers used wealth to construct larger states Cultural change  exposure to new religions

Southeast Asia & Srivijaya Southeast Asia = between India and China Its geography = allowed it to play an important role in Indian Ocean commerce 350 CE = Malay sailors opened an all-water sea route between India and China through the straits of Malacca Result = more traders and travelers in the region Result = ports along Malay Peninsula competed to attract these traders

Southeast Asia & Srivijaya From this competition emerged the Malay kingdom of Srivijaya Dominated this region of Indian Ocean commerce from 670 to 1025 Its advantages: Big supply of gold Access to in-demand spices Placed taxes on passing ships

Srivijaya: Cultural Change Influenced by Indian traders and adopted Buddhism Rulers sponsored the creation of images of the Buddha and different bodhisattvas Srivijaya = became a major center of Buddhist learning and culture

Sailendra Kindgom Another kingdom in Southeast Asia influenced by Indian culture Built huge Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments Largest Buddhist monument anywhere in the world is located here = Borobudur

East Africa & Swahili Swahili civilization = set of commercial city-states stretching along the East African coast Each city-state was politically independent with its own king Big competition between each city-state Sharp class distinctions in each city-state  big gap between the merchant elite class and the commoners

Swahili: Cultural Change Arab, Indian, and Persian merchants = always welcome there Swahili language = blend of African Bantu and Arabic Swahili civilization = quickly became Islamic Ibn Battuta = Arab scholar and merchant Described these East African cities as Muslim societies

Coastal Cities = Intermediaries Got valued goods from the interior of Africa and then sold them to others using the Indian Ocean trade network This allowed regions in the interior of Africa to become wealthy even though they were not a part of the actual trade network Example = state of Great Zimbabwe

The Sand Roads Trans-Saharan trade route Linked North Africa and the Mediterranean world with West Africa

Trans-Saharan Trade Like the Silk and Sea Roads  this trade begins as a result of environmental variation What does each region have to offer? North African coastal areas = cloth, glassware, weapons, books Sahara region = copper and salt Savanna grasslands = grain crops Sub-Saharan forests = tree crops like yam and kola nuts

Trans-Saharan Trade Made possible by the CAMEL! 1st traders = camel-owning people from desert oases Major traders became = North African Muslim Arabs What did they come to West Africa and sub-Saharan Africa for? GOLD!, ivory, kola nuts, slaves Gave in return: SALT!, horses, cloth, weapons, tools

Caravans As many as 5,000 camels Hundreds of people Travelling at night Length of journey = about 70 days 15-20 miles walked per day

Construction of Empires New wealth and resources from trans-Saharan trade allowed some regions to construct large empires or city-states Between 500 and 1600 CE Major empires = Mali, Ghana, and Songhai

West African Empires All monarchies Drew upon wealth of trans-Saharan trade Relied on slaves Females used as = domestic servants and sex slaves Males used as = state officials, craftsmen, miners, agricultural laborers

Cities Within the Kingdoms Urban and commercial centers Traders met and exchanged goods there Centers of manufacturing Items created: beads, iron tools, cotton textiles, etc. Largely Islamic Mosque in Timbuktu (in Mali)