Networks of Exchange (c. 1200 to c. 1450)

Improved commercial practices led to an increased volume of trade and expanded the geographical range of existing trade routes, promoting the growth of powerful new trading cities.

Innovations & Commercial Technologies

The growth of interregional trade in luxury goods (like silk and porcelain from China) was encouraged by innovations in transportation and commercial technologies:

• Caravanserai: Roadside inns along the Silk Roads that allowed travelers and their animals to rest, facilitating safer and longer journeys.
• Forms of Credit: The development of money economies, such as Bills of Exchange, banking houses, and the use of Paper Money (flying cash) in China, reduced the danger of carrying heavy metal coins over long distances.

Empires collapsed in different regions of the world, and in some areas were replaced by new imperial states, most notably the Mongol Khanates. The Mongols established the largest contiguous land empire in history.

The Pax Mongolica (Mongol Peace)

Once the Mongols conquered a territory, they established stability and protected trade routes. This era of peace led to a massive revitalization of interregional trade along the Silk Roads.

Technological and Cultural Transfers

The expansion of the Mongol Empire facilitated profound interregional contacts and transfers:

The Indian Ocean basin became the world's most robust maritime trading network, connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia. It traded both luxury goods (spices, ivory) and bulk goods (timber, textiles).

The growth of interregional trade was encouraged by innovations in existing transportation technologies across the Sahara Desert.

Innovations

The harsh desert environment was overcome by the introduction of the Camel Saddle, which allowed camels to carry heavier loads, and the organization of large Caravans. The primary goods traded were Gold, Salt, and enslaved people.

Expansion of Empires

The expansion of empires facilitated Afro-Eurasian trade and communication. In West Africa, the Empire of Mali grew incredibly wealthy by monopolizing the gold trade and taxing trade routes. The legendary pilgrimage (Hajj) of Mansa Musa to Mecca showcased Mali's immense wealth to the Islamic world and Europe.

Increased cross-cultural interactions resulted in the diffusion of literary, artistic, and cultural traditions, as well as scientific and technological innovations.

Famous Travelers

As exchange networks intensified, an increasing number of travelers within Afro-Eurasia wrote about their travels, providing vital historical records:

• Ibn Battuta: A Moroccan Muslim scholar who traveled throughout Dar al-Islam, leaving detailed accounts of Islamic societies worldwide.
• Marco Polo: A Venetian merchant who traveled to the court of Kublai Khan (Yuan Dynasty) in China, sparking European interest in Asian wealth.
• Margery Kempe: An English Christian mystic who documented her pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, and Spain.

There was continued diffusion of crops and pathogens, with epidemic diseases, including the bubonic plague, spreading along the trade routes.

Diffusion of Crops

The interconnectedness of the world allowed agricultural products to reach new environments, drastically altering local diets and populations:

• Champa Rice: From Vietnam to China; allowed for multiple harvests per year, causing a population explosion in the Song Dynasty.
• Bananas: Brought by Indonesian sailors to Sub-Saharan Africa; provided a caloric boost and allowed Bantu-speaking peoples to migrate to forested regions where yams did not grow well.
• Citrus & Sugar: Spread by Islamic merchants throughout the Mediterranean basin.

Disease: The Bubonic Plague (Black Death)

The Mongolian conquests and the revitalization of the Silk Roads inadvertently spread the Yersinia pestis bacteria. The plague devastated populations in China, the Middle East, and Europe. In Europe, the massive loss of life (up to 1/3 of the population) led to a severe labor shortage, which ultimately helped dismantle the feudal system.

To master Unit 2, you must be able to synthesize the similarities and differences among the various networks of exchange from c. 1200 to c. 1450.