Podcast
Questions and Answers
What characterized the state of the human population around 1400?
What characterized the state of the human population around 1400?
Which regions were included in the frontiers of the Old World web?
Which regions were included in the frontiers of the Old World web?
What were the main routes connecting eastern and western Eurasia in the Old World web?
What were the main routes connecting eastern and western Eurasia in the Old World web?
Which hubs were significant for trade and cultural interaction in the Old World web?
Which hubs were significant for trade and cultural interaction in the Old World web?
Signup and view all the answers
What effect does the diversity of the Old World web have on its societal structure?
What effect does the diversity of the Old World web have on its societal structure?
Signup and view all the answers
What describes the population of those who lived outside the main trade routes in the Old World web?
What describes the population of those who lived outside the main trade routes in the Old World web?
Signup and view all the answers
What was a key feature of the world's demographics in 1400?
What was a key feature of the world's demographics in 1400?
Signup and view all the answers
What type of society did the refined world of Confucian scholars contrast with?
What type of society did the refined world of Confucian scholars contrast with?
Signup and view all the answers
What was one possible purpose of Zheng He's maritime expeditions?
What was one possible purpose of Zheng He's maritime expeditions?
Signup and view all the answers
What was significant about the ships Zheng He commanded?
What was significant about the ships Zheng He commanded?
Signup and view all the answers
What strategy did Zheng He employ to manage unfriendly rulers?
What strategy did Zheng He employ to manage unfriendly rulers?
Signup and view all the answers
Which geographic region did Zheng He explore?
Which geographic region did Zheng He explore?
Signup and view all the answers
What was the main advantage that Zheng He had over European mariners during the same period?
What was the main advantage that Zheng He had over European mariners during the same period?
Signup and view all the answers
What was depicted in the map made by Wang Qi in 1607?
What was depicted in the map made by Wang Qi in 1607?
Signup and view all the answers
What was a major development in European navigation by the thirteenth century?
What was a major development in European navigation by the thirteenth century?
Signup and view all the answers
Which was a common characteristic of Zheng He's expeditions?
Which was a common characteristic of Zheng He's expeditions?
Signup and view all the answers
What technological advancement aided European navigators in determining latitude?
What technological advancement aided European navigators in determining latitude?
Signup and view all the answers
Which ship type was commonly used by European explorers during long-distance voyages?
Which ship type was commonly used by European explorers during long-distance voyages?
Signup and view all the answers
What was a primary motivation for Atlantic Europeans to venture out to sea?
What was a primary motivation for Atlantic Europeans to venture out to sea?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following locations were discovered by European mariners by the fourteenth century?
Which of the following locations were discovered by European mariners by the fourteenth century?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of the following motivations is NOT mentioned as driving European exploration?
Which of the following motivations is NOT mentioned as driving European exploration?
Signup and view all the answers
How did European navigators connect their cultural heritage to their exploratory endeavors?
How did European navigators connect their cultural heritage to their exploratory endeavors?
Signup and view all the answers
What role did merchants from Italian city-states play in the early European trading routes?
What role did merchants from Italian city-states play in the early European trading routes?
Signup and view all the answers
Which group is identified as the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands?
Which group is identified as the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands?
Signup and view all the answers
What was one of the main objectives of Vasco da Gama's expedition?
What was one of the main objectives of Vasco da Gama's expedition?
Signup and view all the answers
How did Vasco da Gama's expedition benefit from Bartholomew Dias' earlier voyage?
How did Vasco da Gama's expedition benefit from Bartholomew Dias' earlier voyage?
Signup and view all the answers
What strategy did da Gama and his crew employ to navigate along East Africa's coast?
What strategy did da Gama and his crew employ to navigate along East Africa's coast?
Signup and view all the answers
What evidence did da Gama find that indicated he had reached the Indian Ocean?
What evidence did da Gama find that indicated he had reached the Indian Ocean?
Signup and view all the answers
Which city did da Gama attempt to reach during his voyage?
Which city did da Gama attempt to reach during his voyage?
Signup and view all the answers
What was the cargo that the Portuguese Crown hoped to acquire through da Gama's expedition?
What was the cargo that the Portuguese Crown hoped to acquire through da Gama's expedition?
Signup and view all the answers
What misconception might the artist of a Flemish tapestry have made about Calicut?
What misconception might the artist of a Flemish tapestry have made about Calicut?
Signup and view all the answers
What major political advantage was sought by Vasco da Gama's expedition?
What major political advantage was sought by Vasco da Gama's expedition?
Signup and view all the answers
What was the purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas?
What was the purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas?
Signup and view all the answers
What motivated Spain to attempt crossing the Pacific Ocean?
What motivated Spain to attempt crossing the Pacific Ocean?
Signup and view all the answers
Which explorer is known for circumnavigating the globe?
Which explorer is known for circumnavigating the globe?
Signup and view all the answers
What significant cultural items did Portuguese sea captains introduce to Japan?
What significant cultural items did Portuguese sea captains introduce to Japan?
Signup and view all the answers
What was one unintended consequence of global exploration during this period?
What was one unintended consequence of global exploration during this period?
Signup and view all the answers
Who created a map showing Magellan's route across the oceans?
Who created a map showing Magellan's route across the oceans?
Signup and view all the answers
What did the Molucca Islands excite European imaginations as?
What did the Molucca Islands excite European imaginations as?
Signup and view all the answers
What practice did the Portuguese undertake in Japan until the trade ended around 1600?
What practice did the Portuguese undertake in Japan until the trade ended around 1600?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
The World in 1400
- At the beginning of the 15th century, the world's population was relatively small, with roughly 350-450 million people. Despite this, humanity remained diverse with thousands of languages, hundreds of religions, and political rulers.
- The world was not a unified community, and even within regions like the Old World, considerable cultural and political fragmentation existed.
- The Old World web spanned from Greenland to Japan and from Indonesia to West Africa, encompassing over three-quarters of humanity.
The Old World Web
- It was a network of interconnected regions maintained by caravan routes, navigable rivers, and sea routes.
- Trade hubs like Malacca, Calicut, Hormuz, Cairo, Constantinople, and Venice facilitated the exchange of goods and cultures, connecting diverse regions.
- Many people lived isolated from this network, residing in remote areas like the deep forests of Siberia or the high Himalayas.
Chinese Maritime Expeditions
- The Ming dynasty, led by Emperor Yongle, organized massive maritime expeditions led by Zheng He, beginning in 1405.
- Yongle's motives for these expeditions were to demonstrate China’s wealth and power, as well as to potentially capture his escaped nephew.
- Zheng He’s flotilla comprised 300 ships carrying 28,000 men, exceeding the population of any city they visited.
- Their largest ships were gigantic, surpassing the size of any other ship at that time.
Chinese Exploration & Knowledge
- Zheng He’s expeditions sailed well-traveled seas from China into the Indian Ocean, establishing Chinese dominance and influence.
- By 1607, Chinese cartographers had created maps depicting the world, including Eurasia, Africa, the Americas, and Antarctica, showcasing their geographical knowledge.
European Atlantic Voyaging
- While the Ming dynasty focused on the Indian Ocean, Europeans began exploring the Atlantic, driven by desires for wealth, fame, and religious glory.
- European exploration started by sailing south, seeking access to West African gold or Asian spices and silks, bypassing existing trade networks.
- Navigational skills improved due to the combination of sailors’ experience, Arabic mathematics, and astronomy.
The Portuguese Caravel
- European mariners, particularly the Portuguese, used smaller sailing ships called caravels for their explorations.
European Mariners’ Motives
- The pursuit of wealth, fame, and the expansion of Christianity motivated European mariners to venture into uncharted seas.
- The Reconquista, a centuries-long struggle between Christians and Muslims in Iberia, instilled a culture of adventure and heroism, encouraging daring ventures.
- European mariners sought to establish a direct route to the source of spices, bypassing Venetian control and seeking economic and political power.
The Atlantic Exploration
- By the 14th century, European and Moroccan mariners were familiar with the islands of Canary, Madeira, and Azores.
- The Canary Islands were inhabited by indigenous Guanches originating from North African Berber settlers.
- In the 15th century, Iberians developed techniques for using the Atlantic winds to navigate long distances.
Da Gama’s Journey to India
- In 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama led an expedition of four ships and 170 men, aiming to reach India.
- Using newly acquired navigational knowledge, they sailed around the tip of Africa, utilizing the Southern Hemisphere’s westerly winds to reach the Indian Ocean.
- Encountering no Christian allies in Calicut, India, Da Gama focused on acquiring spices, inadvertently setting the stage for European involvement in the spice trade.
The Treaty of Tordesillas
- In 1494, Portugal and Spain signed a treaty dividing newly discovered lands west of the Americas, leaving Spain in control of lands to the west of a dividing line and Portugal to the east.
- This agreement triggered Spain’s desire to establish a direct route across the Pacific to access spices, driven by their claim to lands west of the Americas.
Magellan's Circumnavigation
- Exploring the Pacific in pursuit of the Spice Islands, Ferdinand Magellan successfully circumnavigated the globe.
- European navigational knowledge, honed through centuries of exploration, enabled the creation of detailed maps depicting the world's coastlines.
Namban Screen
- This six-fold Japanese screen from around 1600 is likely a depiction of a Portuguese merchant ship arriving in Japan.
- Portuguese merchants engaged in the trade of goods and unfortunately the enslavement of Japanese people, exporting them to Portuguese enclaves until the trade ceased around 1600.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the intricacies of the world in the early 15th century, highlighting the cultural, political, and economic diversity of the time. This quiz delves into the interconnected regions of the Old World, their trade hubs, and the significance of Chinese maritime expeditions. Gain insights into a period marked by both unity and fragmentation.
