Post-Classical Era: Trade, Empires, and Exchanges

• The Post-Classical Age, spanning from 600 CE to 1450 CE, saw significant regional and transregional interactions that spurred cultural, technological, and biological diffusion.

Key Concept 3.1: Expansion of Networks

• Improved transportation and commercial practices increased trade volume along existing routes like the Silk Roads and the Indian Ocean.
• New trading cities, such as Hangzhou, emerged.
• Luxury goods like silk, cotton, porcelain, and spices were exchanged.
• New forms of credit and monetization, including credit, checks, and banks, developed.
• State practices, like minting coins, using paper money, and constructing canals such as the Grand Canal, facilitated commercial growth.
• Expanding empires, like those in China and under the Mongols, facilitated trade.
• Movement of people led to environmental and linguistic effects.
• New environmental knowledge and technological adaptations, exemplified by the Vikings’ long ships, arose.
• Intensification or creation of trade networks resulted in cross-cultural exchanges and diasporic communities, such as Muslim and Jewish merchants in the Indian Ocean, and Chinese merchants in Southeast Asia.
• Interregional travelers like Marco Polo increased.
• Literary, artistic, and cultural traditions diffused, including Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism in East Asia, and Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia.
• Crops and pathogens spread, including new foods (like rice) and agricultural techniques.

Key Concept 3.2: State Formation

• The collapse and reconstitution of empires occurred.
• Governments were reconstituted, such as Chinese dynasties like the Sui, Tang, Song, and Yuan.
• Traditional sources of power and legitimacy persisted, including patriarchy, religion, and land-owning elites.
• New forms of governance emerged, such as Mongol khanates and Japanese feudalism.
• Synthesis of local and borrowed traditions occurred, such as Sinification in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
• Imperial systems developed in the Americas (Aztecs and Incas).
• Significant technological and cultural transfers occurred, such as in Tang China.

Key Concept 3.3: Changes in Trade Networks

• Changes in trade networks resulted from and stimulated increasing productive capacity, affecting social and gender structures and environmental processes.
• Innovations in agricultural and industrial production included new technologies like the chinampa field system and waru waru.
• Luxury crops were exchanged.
• China produced textiles, porcelain, iron, and steel.
• Urban areas declined and eventually revived due to factors like invasion, disease, and decline of agricultural productivity, followed by safe transport, rise of commerce, and greater availability of labor.
• Cities continued as governmental, religious, and commercial centers.
• Changes occurred in labor management, gender relations, and family life, including free peasant revolts (e.g., in China).
• Class and caste hierarchies persisted, such as feudal obligations in Japan.
• Increased power for women occurred in regions like Mongolia, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
• Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism affected gender relations and family life.

Asia Key Questions

• Chinese dynasties rose and fell for various reasons.
• The Chinese made intellectual and artistic achievements.
• International trade played a significant role.
• Ideas and goods were exchanged along the Indian Ocean basin.
• Confucianism and Buddhism affected society.
• Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam influenced Southeast Asia.
• Feudalism developed in Japan and can be compared to Western European feudalism.
• Japan, Korea, and Vietnam borrowed and rejected aspects of Chinese culture.
• Various ethnic and religious groups interacted.

The Mongols Key Questions

• The Mongols rapidly rose to power and facilitated trade.
• Mongol presence in China, the Middle East, and Russia affected society.
• Mongol power eventually declined.

The Americas Key Questions

• The Aztecs and Incas can be compared to the Maya and Moche.
• The Aztecs and Incas established empires utilizing innovation.

Vocabulary

• Silk Roads: Ancient network of trade routes that connected the East and West, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and culture.
• Silk: A luxury fabric produced primarily in China, highly valued for its softness, sheen, and durability, and a major trade commodity along the Silk Roads.
• Porcelain: A delicate, translucent ceramic material invented in China, prized for its beauty and durability, and traded extensively.
• Mahayana Buddhism: A major branch of Buddhism emphasizing universal salvation and the role of bodhisattvas, which spread along the Silk Roads.
• Bubonic Plague: A devastating pandemic that spread along trade routes, including the Silk Roads, causing widespread death and social disruption.
• Mediterranean Sea Trade: Maritime trade routes across the Mediterranean connecting Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• Venetian Traders: Merchants from Venice who dominated Mediterranean trade, especially with the Middle East.
• Indian Ocean Trade: Extensive maritime trade network connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
• Monsoons: Seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean region that facilitate trade by providing predictable sailing conditions.
• Cotton Goods: Textiles made from cotton, a major trade commodity from India.
• Pepper: A spice from India that was highly valued in Europe and traded extensively.
• Ivory: A valuable material from elephant tusks, traded from Africa and used for luxury goods.
• Gold: A precious metal traded from Africa and used for currency and luxury goods.
• Bulk Good Trade: Trade in large quantities of staple goods like grains, timber, and raw materials.
• Bananas: A crop introduced to Africa via the Indian Ocean trade, which enriched diets.
• Junk: A type of large Chinese sailing ship used for long-distance trade.
• Dhow: A type of sailing vessel used by Arab traders in the Indian Ocean.
• Swahili Civilization: A hybrid African-Arab culture that developed along the East African coast as a result of Indian Ocean trade.
• Ibn Battuta: A famous Muslim traveler and scholar who documented his extensive journeys across the Islamic world.
• Great Zimbabwe: A powerful kingdom in southeastern Africa that thrived on trade, particularly gold.
• Srivijaya: A powerful maritime kingdom that controlled the Strait of Malacca and dominated trade in Southeast Asia.
• Funan: An early kingdom in Southeast Asia that flourished through trade with India and China.
• Impact of Indian Ocean Trade: Significant influence on the economic, cultural, and political development of Southeast Asia.
• Angkor Wat: A massive Hindu temple complex in Cambodia, reflecting Indian influence in the region.
• Influence of India and China in SE Asia: Cultural, religious, and political influences from India and China on Southeast Asian societies.
• Sui Dynasty: A short-lived Chinese dynasty that reunified China and built the Grand Canal.
• Grand Canal: A massive waterway connecting northern and southern China, facilitating trade and transportation.
• Tang Dynasty: A golden age of Chinese civilization, marked by territorial expansion, cultural achievements, and economic prosperity.
• Song Dynasty: Another period of economic and cultural achievement in China, characterized by innovations in agriculture, technology, and commerce.
• Chinese “Golden Age”: A period of significant cultural, economic, and technological advancements in China under the Tang and Song dynasties.
• Tang/Song Bureaucracy: A sophisticated system of government administration based on meritocracy and Confucian principles.
• Economic Revolution: Significant economic growth and innovation in China during the Song dynasty.
• New Rice Varieties: Introduction of drought-resistant and early-ripening rice strains, leading to increased agricultural production.
• Hangzhou: The capital of the Southern Song dynasty and a major center of trade and culture.
• Printing: Invention of woodblock and movable-type printing, leading to increased literacy and the spread of knowledge.
• Gunpowder: A Chinese invention that revolutionized warfare and had a significant impact on global military history.
• Foot Binding: A practice in China involving the tight binding of young girls’ feet to make them smaller, symbolizing status but also restricting women's movement.
• Women in Textile Industry: Significant role of women in the production of textiles in China.
• Pastoral Nomads: Nomadic peoples who herd animals and often engaged in trade or conflict with settled societies.
• Tribute System: A system in which foreign states paid tribute to China to acknowledge its superiority and maintain trade relations.
• Xiongnu Empire: An early nomadic empire that threatened China and prompted the construction of the Great Wall.
• Uighurs: A Turkic-speaking people who played a significant role in trade and cultural exchange along the Silk Roads.
• Silla Kingdom: One of the three kingdoms of Korea, which unified the peninsula under its rule.
• Chang’an: The capital city of the Tang dynasty and a major center of trade and cultural exchange.
• Hangul: The Korean alphabet, developed in the 15th century to promote literacy and cultural independence.
• Trung Trac: A Vietnamese heroine who led a rebellion against Chinese rule.
• Shotoku Taishi: A Japanese prince who promoted Buddhism and Chinese culture in Japan.
• Kyoto: The capital city of Japan during the Heian period, known for its cultural refinement.
• Japanese Feudalism: A decentralized political system in Japan based on the relationship between lords (daimyo) and vassals (samurai).
• Samurai: The warrior class in feudal Japan, known for their martial skills and loyalty to their lords.
• The Tale of the Genji: A classic work of Japanese literature, written by Murasaki Shikibu, depicting court life in the Heian period.
• Neo-Confucianism: A revival of Confucianism in the Song dynasty, incorporating elements of Buddhism and Daoism.
• Flying Cash: Paper money used during the Tang dynasty in China.
• Wu Zhao: The only female emperor in Chinese history, who ruled during the Tang dynasty.
• Compass: A Chinese invention that enabled sailors to navigate accurately at sea.
• Sinification: The process of adopting Chinese culture and institutions.
• Chinggis Khan [Genghis]: The founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, known for his military prowess.
• Mongol World War: The series of conquests by the Mongol Empire that led to its vast expansion.
• Mongol Administration: The Mongols incorporated conquered peoples into their administration
• Mongols’ Religious Toleration: The Mongols were religiously tolerant, allowing conquered peoples to practice their own religions
• Kublai Khan: The grandson of Genghis Khan and founder of the Yuan dynasty in China.
• Yuan Dynasty: The Mongol dynasty that ruled China from 1279 to 1368.
• Persian Ilkhanate: One of the Mongol khanates, which ruled Persia (modern-day Iran).
• Khanate of the Golden Horde: One of the Mongol khanates, which ruled Russia.
• Tribute: Payments made by conquered peoples to the Mongols for their services.
• Pax Mongolica: A period of relative peace and stability in Eurasia under Mongol rule, facilitating trade and cultural exchange.
• Tenochtitlan: The capital city of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco.
• Tribute: Payments made by conquered peoples to the Aztec Empire.
• Pochteca: Professional merchants in the Aztec Empire who controlled long-distance trade.
• Human Sacrifice: A religious practice in the Aztec Empire involving the sacrifice of human beings to the gods.
• Quipus: A system of knotted cords used by the Inca to record information.
• Cuzco: The capital city of the Inca Empire, located in the Andes Mountains.
• Inti: The sun god, the most important deity in the Inca religion.
• Mita: A system of mandatory labor service in the Inca Empire.
• Gender Parallelism: Inca belief where men and women operated in separate but equivalent spheres.
• Jade: A precious stone that was highly valued in Mesoamerican cultures.
• Chinampas: Floating gardens used by the Aztecs to grow crops in Lake Texcoco.
• Calendar: Both the Mayan and Aztec cultures utilized calendars for religious ceremonies.
• Quetzalcoatl: Aztec god of wind and wisdom also seen as a feathered serpent.
• Llamas: Pack animals used in the Andes Mountains.
• Incan Roads: Extensive road system built by the Inca to connect their empire.
• Ayllu: A traditional form of community in the Andes Mountains, based on kinship and cooperation.

Explore the Post-Classical Era's defining elements. Examine the influence of transportation on trade networks and commercial growth. Also study the environmental effects of human movement and the impacts of empires such as the Mongol Empire.