Silk Road Trade and its Impact

• People have always traded environment-specific products, some monopolized by settlers due to surpluses and deficits.
• Trade altered diets, lives, changed jobs to favor producing goods for trade rather than local needs
• Trade lessened market independence, leading to reliance on non-local items, discrimination against merchants emerged, and people were able to be increasingly socially mobile
• States formed to capitalize on wealth from trade routes, debates arose over private vs. governmental control, and cultural exchange led to the spread of diseases and foreign species.

Silk Roads: Exchange across Eurasia

• Eurasia's Silk Road was named after its most popular commodity, where goods were relayed across multiple people.
• The Silk Road relied on Eurasia's geography and historical context
• Agricultural "Outer Eurasia" (China, Mediterranean) exchanged goods with pastoral "Inner Eurasia" (Russia, Central Asia).
• Second-wave civilizations expanding militarily indirectly fostered trade
• Pastoral societies acted as intermediaries, trade thrived when merchants were protected by larger states.
• Valuable goods, especially silk, traveled via terrain-resistant camels during prosperous times while common goods were not commonly traded long distance due to safety concerns
• China initially monopolized silk production with men trading and women producing it, rural people remained poor due to taxes and production demands
• Elites used silk for status, governments traded it for horses, people across Eurasia wanted it for comfort and fashion, angering Roman writers who felt silk production wasted mass resources
• Silk production spread out of China by 6 CE after its discovery in 3000 BCE, smuggled out and taught in India, Korea, etc., leading to diverse silk varieties.
• Central Asian silk was used as currency and China and the Byzantine Empire viewed silk as a status symbol.
• Buddhists used silk as gifts to monasteries and received purple silk robes from the Tang Dynasty, Christians used silk decorations to show religious piety.
• Western Europe depended on imported silk until the 12th century, Arabic passages were inscribed on silk, and it was introduced to Africa by the 12th century.
• Silk trade led farmers to prioritize silk production over agriculture and created opportunities for profit through long-distance trade.
• Buddhism spread along the Silk Road into Asia, appealing to merchants due to fewer job restrictions than the Caste System, some areas blocked its spread, while others allowed it.
• Sogdians spread Buddhism by translating texts and using their prominent language, Buddhism attracted people due to its connection with India's wealth, monasteries and learning centers were built.
• Buddhism spread slowly beyond oasis cities, reaching Central Asian pastoral peoples, the Jie people, who ruled China after the Han Dynasty, endorsed and spread Buddhism further.
• Mahayana Buddhism flourished on the Silk Roads, connecting materialism to expansion through monasteries and trade, Buddhism incorporated and was incorporated into, other religions.
• The spread of diseases through trade routes led to outbreaks in areas lacking immunity.
• Bubonic Plague killed half of Europe's population with some disease outbreaks facilitating westward expansion due to European resistance.

Sea Roads: Exchange across the Indian Ocean

• The Sea Roads connected distant areas in the Eastern Hemisphere
• Venice resold Asian goods, connecting maritime trade to the Indian Ocean and accumulating wealth
• The Indian Ocean was the largest maritime trade network before 1500 from China to Asia, driven by the desire for goods like Chinese porcelain, Indian cotton, and Arabian incense.
• Sea Roads had cheaper transportation, facilitating bulk trade, the Silk Road traded wealth goods, and predictable monsoons enabled efficient travel.

Weaving the Web of an Indian Ocean World

• Sea trade began in the first wave, with trade routes existing between Mesopotamia and the Indus River Valley.
• Ancient Egyptians traded along the Nile River Valley
• Austronesian people traded with Madagascar, introducing new crops
• As monsoons were learned, compasses and improved sails helped lead to the rise of the Indian Ocean trade system, Rome traded with, and had settlements in, India.
• Christianity spread to Africa and China reached India
• India had large ports for trade and Indian communities emerged in places like Egypt and Southeast Asia.
• China's rebirth increased trade, popularity, and maritime tech, Islam's Arab Empire encouraged trade and Islam spread.
• People within it built trading communities.
• Arabs were sent to reclaim Fertile Crescent, leading to 15 year revolt

Sea Roads as a Catalyst for Change: Southeast Asia

• Southeast Asia and East Africa experienced significant religious and political changes due to trade routes
• Southeast Asia was crucial for Indian Ocean commerce development, with city-states emerging on Southeast Asian islands during the third-wave era, shaped by the trade route.
• Srivijaya emerged because of competition for traders, used gold and spices to attract traders, taxed ships, and created militaries
• Inland Southeast Asian islands focused on rice production and traded goods, Funan accommodated merchants and travelers and Roman coins have been found there, Angkor traded forest products for Chinese and Indian goods.
• Champa conducted piracy when trade was slow, straining relations with China and Southeast Asian neighbors
• Indian culture spread to Southeast Asia via the Indian Ocean Trade Route, influencing writing, art, literature, and architecture, the ideas of Hinduism and the Caste System influenced Karma and Reincarnation.
• Palembang blended cultures, using Buddhist supernaturality to improve their magic, Buddhist sculptures and schools made Palembang a hub for Buddhist teachings.
• The Sailendra Kingdom partnered with Srivijaya to build Buddhist monuments and Hindu temples.
• Borobudar was then the largest Buddhist monument in the world.
• The Angkor kingdom practiced Hinduism, building a monument known as the Angkor Wat, this cultural diffusion became 'Indianization' due to the wants of Southeast Asian residents and Southeast Asia had pre-existing culture.
• Women had the right to divorce and own land, and were involved in trade and politics.

Sea Roads as a Catalyst for Change: East Africa

• Swahili emerged because of these trading routes and consisted of many city-states.
• The Swahili people originally were farmers, practiced Bantu culture, and traded with neighbors.
• The rise of Islam dramatically increased demand for trade, sparking the origin of the Swahili.
• Swahili produced ores, crystals, woods, and slaves, traded them with India and the Middle East.
• Merchant and king classes emerged, Swahili states flourished along the Eastern Coast, each state competed with each other.
• Swahili began creating their own products to trade for exotic ones, leading to stratified societal classes.
• Swahili also provided for traders, exchanging homes and places to stay in exchange for having access to their goods, swahili adopted their own language, instead of the traditional Arabic one, Swahili was also fairly cosmopolitan.
• Swahili became a hotspot for Islamic culture due to widespread acceptance among East Africans, which helped spread Islam there, this also divided Swahili from their neighbors because Islam was much more widely practiced in Swahili, these outside areas, such as Great Zimbabwe, exported valuable goods and resources.

Sand Roads: Exchange across the Sahara

• Sand Roads trade routes linked Africa to the Mediterranean World.
• African coasts produced cloth, glass, weapons, and books. Sahara oases had copper, salt, and fruit. Sahara has textiles and ores. Non-Sahara had farm and forest goods.

Commercial Beginnings in West Africa

• Sudan traded along the Niger River, leading to areas like Jenne-Jeno emerging, facilitating goods transfer from donkey to boat or vice versa.

Gold, Salt, and Slaves: Trade and Empire in West Africa

• The camel was a turning point in African trade because camels can survive more than 10 days, Arabian's used the caravans with them for trade.
• Traders sought gold from African grasslands and forests, transporting it via donkeys, ships, and camels.
• The Sahara transitioned from a barrier to a trade route, caravans finished the 70 day trip, linking people to the North.
• Certain African societies became better and more organized, and the forest and desert peoples of Western and Central Sudan constructed more elaborate societies.
• These societies constructed monarchial city states, with good court and military systems, that went from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Chad
• They taxed and traded at local businesses
• International commerce heightened how civilizations function, along with the gender and class systems
• Societies like these were more commonly patriarchal replacing matriarichy ones soon.
• Women did play important roles in weaving and agriculture.
• Slavery mostly consisted of women, who were domestic servants and concubines.
• As societies got bigger, male slaves were given governmentally appointed jobs
• Around 5,500 slaves traveled across the Sahara to work for wealthy Islamic North African people.
• States developed many different urban centers
• Some areas were good places for trade and manufacturing, creating tools and textiles
• These areas were cosmopolitan and practiced Islam.
• This single-humped camel was bred to be a good rider.
• Camels were originally valued only for their milk, soon becoming ways of transport and trade in the deserts
• Camels were then given saddles, for heavier loads, and can eat desert plants.
• Their ability to not need carts made from scarce woods also helped them to gain popularity
• The Arabian camels were good for the Silk Road; The Two-Humped Bactrian camel was good for the cold Gobi Desert.
• With camels, goods were able to get across the Saharan Desert
• Originally, camels were used for agricultural purposes in the Roman-Egypt area, camels spread into Sub-Saharan Africa and were the most popular, also allowing for Islam to enter the scene.

An American Network: Commerce and Connection in the Western Hemisphere

• Before Christopher Columbus, the Americas evolved separately from Afro-Eurasia, aside from maybe some minimal Polynesian contact
• There were fewer connections within American societies compared to Afro-Eurasia
• This was mainly because there were less animals to transport goods
• Environmental factors along with climates also made it harder for plants to adapt
• Those all limited trade and the spread of different cultural and religious traditions throughout America
• Maize and a rubber ball game diffused throughout the area, spreading culture in the process
• Cahokia was a trading center, had goods such as shells, Buffalo Hides, Obsidian, etc.
• Canoes were commonly used for travel
• Mesopotamia acquired tons of shells and feathers, and traded liquid chocolate and turquoise through those routes.
• The Mayans and Mexicans traded with each other, and canoes were commonly used.
• Primarily luxurious goods were traded
• The Pochteca had usually traded within their empire, and were private merchants.
• The Aztec area had mostly private merchants, while Incans were state-ran
• Incans kept track of goods with quipus, and rode llamas/humans to trade
• Many roads spanned different biomes, and local exchange took place

Thorfinn Karlsefni, Viking Voyager

• Vikings conquered Greenland and Iceland.
• Thorfinn Karlsefni led 160 people on the voyage to Vinland (North America) after finding a wife and incentive in Greenland.
• Harsh winter met them in Newfoundland, and God did not immediately answer their prayers.
• Native Americans came to barter furs and skins for cloth and porridge
• A bull harmed the locals, and angry fighting began with the Vikings.
• In fear, the Vikings departed back to their homeland, killing many natives along the way and had no permanent foothold..