Period 3:Regional and Transregional Interactions

c. 600 CE – c. 1450 CE Ch 7; p 81 Source: AP World History Crash Course by J.P. Harmon

Expansion of Networks of

Exchangec. 600 CE – c. 1450 CE

AKA: Post Classical Era Most Important development – Islam Re-growth of Western Europe Tang-Song China Increase in trade across the known world

Introduction

Cities along land and sea trade routes increased in number and importance in this era Important Afro-European trading cities along land routes

include Djenne, Timbuktu, Gao in West Africa Byzantium, Novgorod in Europe Baghdad southwest Asia Samarkand, Bukhara in Central Asia Chang’an in East Asia

Important seaports include Venice, Byzantium in Europe Tyre, Hormuz in Southwest Asia Zanzibar, Kilwa in East Africa Calicut, Goa in South Asia Melaka in Southeast Asia Hangzhou, Guangzhau in East Asia

Technological Changes and Trading Practices

Through these cities and trade routes many luxury and everyday items were exchanged in even greater quantities

Islam was carried into SE Asia, E Asia, SE Asia

◦ Silk remained highly prized throughout◦ New technologies, goods and ideas were added

⚫Including: gunpowder, paper, compass, astrolabe

Technological Changes and Trading Practices

New government policies allowed trade growth

When Han fell in China, trade on Silk Road & Indian Ocean declined due to political unrest and instability

Rise of Tang/Song gov’t stabilized & trade increases

Chinese merchants expand their numbers and range

Technological Changes and Trading Practices

Greatest gov’t decision: laissez-faire China’s emperors chose to let IO merchants

manage on their own IO trade was basically self-governing

◦ Merchants made rules ◦ Worked deals for port access◦ Dealt with smugglers◦ Set prices

Ming emperors launched the biggest fleet but didn’t take over

Technological Changes and Trading Practices

Coins minted used as early as Persian Empire

Chinese produced 1st paper money prior to 9th C

Much of “flying money” made of silk

14th C, Mongols brought paper money to C & SW Asia

Technological Changes and Trading Practices

Grand Canal◦ Begun by Sui, continued by Tang/Song, completed

by Yuan Links China’s major rivers in a north-south

direction Allows goods to be moved more easily Still key today

Technological Changes and Trading Practices

Other Empires connect into Trade Byzantine Empire controlled trade through

Constantinople◦ Also political and social leader

Muslim & Mongol Empires protected trade in various ways◦ Dar-al-Islam◦ Pax Mongolica

Technological Changes and Trading Practices

How the Movement of People was Both Caused

and Affected by Environment, Language

& Religion

Raided: England, France, Russia, Italy, Byzantine Empire

AKA: Northmen, Norsemen, Normans Influenced development of languages in

England & France Assimilated overtime into European Culture

by converting to Christianity Sailed to and colonized France (Normandy),

Russia, Iceland, Greenland & N. America

Vikings

Domesticated camels and introduced them to N Africa’s Sahara trade network

Perfected horsemanship

Muslim Arabs & Mongols

Syncretism – “Blending” especially religions Islam, Christianity, Buddhism – world class

religions◦ Expanded to every inhabited continent◦ Had to adapt its beliefs and practices to local

conditions

World Religions and Syncretism

Originated in India, didn’t pose questions about God, gods, or eternal life

As moved into East & SE Asia adapted to the spiritual needs of the local traditions

Became a salvationist faith promising eternal life

Known as Mayahana Buddhism

Buddhism

Incorporated some Roman polytheistic beliefs◦ Prayers to patron saints

In Americas, adapted local customs ◦ Dias de los Muertos

Christianity

Also modified customs to fit local beliefs◦ Sufi branch of Islam reflects a mystical blend in

India◦ Tolerance – “People of the Book”

⚫Originally Jews and Christians – respected and allowed to maintain their faith and not forced to convert

⚫Later Hindus and Buddhists included in this

Islam

Language MigrationsAltered environment and societies with technology

Beginning c. 1500 BCE thru c. 1000 CE in Central Africa

Speakers of Bantu-based languages migrated east and south

Carried with them knowledge of agriculture, animal herding and metal-working

Changed their new environments

Bantu Migration

Standard in Southern and Eastern Africa Anthropologists traced language migration

back from southern/eastern Africa to their roots in Central Africa

Swahili ◦ Blend of Arabic and Bantu ◦ Trading language

Bantu-based Languages

Based on the Latin of the Roman Empire Spread throughout Europe after fall of Rome

◦ French◦ Spanish◦ Italian◦ Portuguese◦ Romanian

Romance Languages

Oceania MigrationsPacific Ocean

Includes: Australia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Hawaii, etal.

Migrations began in prehistoric times from Southeast Asia

Carried with them languages, religious beliefs, foods and animals

Effected environmental changes◦ Spread coconuts, bananas

Oceania

Cross-Cultural Interactions Intensify

Merchants settled far from homelands

Jewish & Christians lived in major trade cities in China, S Asia, C Asia, N Africa, W Europe, Byz. Empire & Persian Gulf

Muslim communities established in trading cities on rim of IO, SE Asia, N Africa, W Africa, Muslim Spain, Byz. Empire, China

Settlement of Merchants

Sogdian (Persian) merchants used the Silk Roads – greatest contribution translation of religious texts

Chinese in SE Asia, and cities thru-out Indian Ocean region

All cultures drawn by the chance to make money

Governments who cooperated with merchants gained from their contacts

Settlement of Merchants

Records of ContactsProvide insight to Post-Classical Cultures

NOT the annoying game!!!! Began his travels with merchant father and

uncle in late 13th C From Venice (Italy) to SW Asia via Silk Roads

and then into E Asia Later continued on his own into SE Asia and

Indian Ocean

Marco Polo

A Description of the World gave insights into East and Central Asia

Aide to Kublai Khan Columbus used Polo’s book as inspiration

for his expedition

Marco Polo

Muslim traveler from N Africa Early 1300s began a 30 year journey

through Dar-al Islam across Afro-Eurasia “everywhere Islam is” Journaled about people, sights and customs Traveled about 75,000 miles

◦ W Africa, Muslim Spain, N Africa, Byz Empire◦ Islamic Caliphates in SW Asia, E Africa, S Asia, SE

Asia & East Asia

Ibn Battuta

King of wealthy Mali, in W Africa Traveled to Mecca on hajj in 13th C Passed thru Timbuktu, Gao & Cairo Handed out so much gold in Cairo, crashed

the economy

Mansa Musa

Era of ExchangeTechnology, ideas and diseases

From China ◦ Paper making, Printing, Compass, Gunpowder,

Cannons

From India◦ How to grow cotton and sugar

From Vietnam◦ New stains of rice

Technology

From India mathematical concepts◦ “arabic” numerals, zero, decimal point

Muslims & Byzantines preserved Greek and Roman heritage◦ Saved libraries of Greek Literature and science ◦ Europeans “rediscovered” their past and sparked

Renaissance Arts moved along Silk Roads

◦ Musical instruments – cymbals, guitar, tambourine

◦ Hindu & Buddhist sculptures

Ideas

Bubonic Plague – AKA Black Death◦ Yersinia pestis ◦ Transmitted by fleas from infected rats◦ Quickly went from blood-born to pneumonic

Worst epidemic in 1341-1350 Probably caused by expansion of trade by

Mongols Spread from C Asia thru Crimea to Italy then

through all Europe Estimated 1/3-1/2 population killed

Disease