Trade Routes in Post Classical Times

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Trade Routes in Post Classical Times
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Silk Road

• Beginning around 2nd century BCE, between
  Parthian empire and Han China
• Connects northern China with Mesopotamia and
  cities on the Mediterranean coast
• Trade conducted by Central Asian peoples, mostly
  nomads (camels, horses)
• Caravan cities along the route between China and
  Black Sea (Samarkand, Buchara)

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Silk Road

• Goods exported from China silk, pottery, paper
• Goods imported horses, precious stones, jade,
  gold and silver
• Exchange of plants to China grapes, walnuts,
  spinach
• Plants from China Peaches, apricot

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Silk Road

• Technology stirrup invented by Kushan 1st cent.
  CE, travels to Europe (knights) and China
• Religion Nestorian Christianity, Buddhism, first
  adopted by Central Asians, spread to China
• Iranian peoples replaced by Turkic speaking
  peoples by 6th century

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• Blue-eyed Central Asian Buddhist monk, with an
  East-Asian colleague, Tarim Basin, China,
  9th-10th century.

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• Westerner on a camel, Tang dynasty

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• Silk Road comes under Muslim influence with
  spread of Islam (Battle of Talas 751- Abbasid
  army defeats Tang army)
• By 10th century majority Muslim
• European travelers in 13th, 14th century (Marco
  Polo) bring knowledge about China and Chinese
  knowledge to Europe
• Intensified exchange under Mongol empire
  (printing, gun powder, astrolabe, compass spread
  from China)
• Silk Road loses importance after disintegration
  of Mongol empire and the European explorations in
  the 16th century

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Indian Ocean

• Trade in Indian Ocean since Sumerian times (with
  Harappa culture)
• First reports about trade in Indian Ocean in
  Europe in Greek times (Herodot, 4th century)
• People from Indonesia travel along Indian Ocean
  coast to settle Madagascar (bring bananas and
  yams to Africa)

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• - Large distances covered, made possible by
  monsoon
• dhows with lateen sails, grow from 100 tons in
  1200 to 400 tons in 1500
• In Eastern part junks up to 1500 tons and 12
  masts in 1400
• Larger cargo allows trade of bulk goods (timber,
  grains)
• Trade volume increases at the end of
  postclassical times (collapse of Silk Road)

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• A dhow with a lateen sail

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Goods traded

• From Arabia incense, myrrh, carpet, horses,
  goods from Mediterranean
• From India precious stones, spices, cotton
  textiles
• From Africa gold, ivory, slaves
• From Indonesia spices
• From China silk, porcelain

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• Cultural diffusion Arab communities in Canton,
  Jakarta, and along the Coast of East Africa,
  Indian and Javanese communities in Mesopotamia,
  Jewish communities in India
• Traders mostly single men, intermarry and found
  bicultural families
• Many religions, but Islam becomes more and more
  influential
• Indian numerals adopted by Arab merchants

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Impact on Africa

• new states due to gold trade in inland Africa
  (Great Zimbabwe)
• Swahili culture along coast of East Africa (Bantu
  mixed with Arabic, Islam)
• New foods like rice, bananas, yams)
• Spread of literacy due to Islam

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Impact on India

• states on Western coast based on trade (Gujarat,
  Calicut)
• Islam gains influence
• Both Muslim and Hindu traders
• Manufacturing industry stimulated
• Spread of new technology (paper making)

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Impact on South East Asia

• Malacca becomes an important port
• Islam is spread by Arab and Indian traders,
  replaces Buddhism and Hinduism in Malaysia and
  Indonesia

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Trade across the Sahara

• Camel allows trade across Sahara
• Caravans with sometimes thousands of animals,
  follow oases, lead by Berbers and Tuareg
• Starting in Roman times, declines with decline of
  Roman empire
• Regular trade in 8th century
• Berbers, Arabs in the North, mostly Bantu
  speaking peoples in the South

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Trade Routes
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• African Kingdoms ann

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• Goods traded North to South salt
• South to North Gold, slaves, forest products
  (palm oil, nuts)
• First empire in West Africa Ghana, replaced by
  Mali, then Songhay
• Others Kanem Bornu, Hausa states
• Islam became dominant religion, African
  traditional religions still strong

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Cultural Impact

• Spread of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa (Timbuktu
  becomes famous for its mosques and Muslim
  scholars)
• Spread of literacy
• Mixing of population
• Use of camels

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Ibn Battuta
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Ritual

• Mali
• These people are Muslims, punctilious in
  observing the hours of prayer, studying books of
  law, and memorizing the Koran.

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Women in Non-Arab Muslim Counries

• Turkish women
• A remarkable thing which I saw in this country
  was the respect shown to women by the Turks, for
  they hold a more dignified position than the men.
  When she (a turkish princess) reached the amir
  he rose before her and greeted her and sat her
  beside him, with the maidens standing round her.

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• Women in Mali
• Their men show no signs of jealousy whatever no
  one claims descent from his father, but on the
  contrary from his mother's brother. their women
  show no bashfulness before men and do not veil
  themselves, though they are assiduous in
  attending the prayers. One day at Iwalatan I
  went into the qadi's house, after asking his
  permission to enter, and found with him a young
  woman of remarkable beauty. When I saw her I was
  shocked and turned to go out, but she laughed at
  me, instead of being overcome by shame, and the
  qadi said to me "Why are you going out? She is my
  companion."