Silk Roads and Cultural Exchange

A system where government jobs are given based on ability, not connections. People took exams to prove their knowledge and get a government position.

This exam helped choose government officials in China. People studied hard to get a good score, which would give them a better job.

The Song Dynasty helped spread Chinese ideas like Buddhism (religion) and Confucianism (philosophy) to other Asian countries like Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

The Song Dynasty made a lot of goods. They sold them in China and other parts of Eurasia, helping the economy grow.

This type of rice could be grown quickly and in different places, leading to more food and more people in China.

This long canal helped transport goods and people across China, making trade easier and faster.

These three inventions helped improve life in China. Paper allowed for more writing, gunpowder was used for fireworks and weapons, and moveable type made printing easier.

Belief systems like Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism had a big impact on how people lived, ruled, and made art in the world.

During this time, many powerful empires were led by people from Turkic groups, not just Arabs. This changed the map of the world.

The Silk Roads were a network of trade routes connecting the East and West for centuries. The demand for luxury goods like silk and porcelain drove trade along these routes, despite the expensive travel.

Caravanserai were inns or guest houses that provided lodging and services for travelers along the Silk Roads. They facilitated cultural and technological exchanges.

The use of paper money along the Silk Roads made it easier for merchants to buy and sell goods without carrying heavy amounts of coins.

Flying money enabled merchants to deposit money in one location and withdraw it in another, even if they were traveling long distances.

Credit was a way for merchants to receive payment later for goods they sold. Banking houses arose to provide credit and facilitate these transactions.

Kashgar was a wealthy city on the Silk Roads that benefitted from its strategic location between two major routes. Its location allowed it to control trade and prosper.

The Silk Roads played a crucial role in the spread of religions. Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity spread from their origins to new regions thanks to the networks of trade.

The Silk Roads facilitated the spread of various technologies, inventions, and ideas between the East and West, leading to innovation and progress.

The spread of knowledge, ideas, goods, and technologies between regions, often through trading networks.

The movement of goods, ideas, and people across long distances, often connecting different parts of the world.

Trade routes in the Indian Ocean, connecting Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Inventions and knowledge spread from one region to another, leading to advancements in various fields.

Improvements in navigation and transportation that enabled merchants to sail greater distances and trade more efficiently.

The understanding of seasonal wind patterns (monsoons) that aided trade in the Indian Ocean.

Large cities or states that acted as intermediaries in trade, facilitating the movement of goods and ideas.

Groups of people who migrate and establish communities in new regions, often bringing their culture and traditions with them.

The spread of Islam, often associated with trade networks and interactions between different cultural groups.

Chinese explorations in the Indian Ocean led by Zheng He, focused on maritime trade and establishing diplomatic relations.

The process of developing industries and manufacturing on a large scale, leading to significant economic and social changes.

The availability of natural resources like coal, timber, and iron played a vital role in powering industries and creating manufactured goods.

The Columbian Exchange led to the introduction of new crops and food sources from the Americas to Europe, contributing to population growth and increased agricultural productivity.

The availability of waterways made transportation of manufactured goods easier and more efficient, contributing to industrial growth.

Access to foreign resources like cotton and timber allowed for the accumulation of capital and the expansion of industries.

Improved agricultural techniques, such as crop rotation and the seed drill, led to increased food production and a population boom.

Coal deposits in Britain, used to power steam engines and produce iron, were crucial for the development of heavy industries.

The abolition of slavery in Great Britain in 1807 contributed to the growth of industrialization by creating a larger free workforce and promoting the use of machines.

The introduction of the potato from the Americas to Europe significantly diversified their diets, especially for impoverished populations, leading to improvements in health.

Due to the advancements in technology and mechanization in agriculture, fewer people were needed in rural areas. This resulted in a large migration of people to urban centers.

The legal protection of private property ensured that entrepreneurs and businesses could operate with the assurance that their investments and property would not be stolen or taken without due process, encouraging economic development.

Industrialization, starting in Europe, spread to other regions due to factors such as technological advancements, access to raw materials, availability of labor, and demand for manufactured goods.

The transition from agrarian societies focused on agriculture to industrial societies based on manufacturing and technology led to significant changes in production methods, living conditions, and social structures.

Mongol rule, lasting from the 13th to 14th centuries, saw increased trade across Eurasia, particularly along the revitalized Silk Roads.

The Mongol Empire facilitated the transfer of knowledge between different civilizations, for instance, leading to the spread of Greek and Islamic medical knowledge to Western Europe.

The Pax Mongolica, a period of relative peace and stability under Mongol rule, fostered increased trade, religious tolerance, and communication across Eurasia.

The Ottoman Empire, a major land-based empire from the 14th to 19th centuries, expanded through the use of gunpowder weapons, which spread from China along trade routes.

The Safavid Empire, a Shia Muslim empire in Persia during the early modern period, also relied on gunpowder technology for expansion.

The Mughal Empire, a powerful empire in India from the 16th to 18th centuries, similarly used gunpowder weapons for its expansion, founded by Babur and significantly expanded by Akbar.

The Manchu Dynasty, the last dynasty of Imperial China, utilized gunpowder weapons for its expansion, gaining control after overthrowing the Ming dynasty.

The Safavid and Mughal Empires clashed over territory in Afghanistan, demonstrating an example of conflict between empires.

Rulers used various methods to legitimize and consolidate their power, including divine right of kings, imperial portraits, and the Sun Temple.

The Roman Catholic Church, though undergoing reforms through the Council of Trent, remained a significant institution during the period from 1450 to 1750.

The Protestant Reformation, a challenge to the Catholic Church, retained core Christian teachings but rejected specific Catholic practices.

The Sunni-Shia split, a fundamental division within Islam, was further amplified by the Safavids, who adopted Shia Islam as their official religion.

Sikhism emerged as a syncretic religion, blending elements of Hinduism and Islam.

European maritime powers, like Spain, Portugal, Britain, France, and the Netherlands, expanded their influence through exploration and colonization, controlling vital trade routes.

Economic strategies employed by empires during this period included mercantilism, colonial exploitation, slave labor, and state-controlled economies.