Ap World History Research Paper

Historian Janet Abu-Lughod would argue that international trade was not eurocentric and Europe was not the start of international trade, and her point is accurate. The Silk Road arose during the period of the Han Dynasty, and it can be defined as an ancient network of trade routes in which was, for centuries, central to the cultural interaction of societies all over the world. This trade network would reach its peak from the 2nd century C.E. to the 13th century, in which it would widen its reach and strengthen its purpose. During these years, the Silk Road would reach from the east Mediterranean to the western parts of Europe, and the spread of trade, ideas, and disease would flood through each trade system. China would produce silk for foreign

East and West Africa from 1000 to 1500 CE had profound differences in forms of government, with West Africa being kingdom based, and East Africa city-state based. The conversion of Eastern and Western African ruling elites compacted trading between themselves and Islamic traders from Mesopotamia, China, India, and as far away as Oceania. The relatively stable political environment from 1000-1500 CE in Sub-Saharan Africa attracted displaced peoples from the Abbasid empire in Northern Africa, with West Africa utilizing Trans-Saharan trade, and East Africa utilizing mariner trade routes. The East and West developed in clearly different ways, but paralleled each other in a way in which the political, social, and economic environments facilitated stable trade in the region, as well as a distinct blend between Islamic culture and African tradition.

The history of spice trade between Europe and Asia is one riddled with influences in the political, economic, and cultural area. It was only in the 16th century that the European ships actually sailed regularly to the Asian market. As the Portuguese where the first in the late 15th century to find a trading route around the Cape of Good Hope to get to Southeast-Asia. All distribution of goods from Southeast-Asia was done from Lisbon. To avoid the Portuguese monopoly, the Dutch tried to find North-East passage to the Asian continent. After their unsuccessful attempts finding an alternative route the Dutch eventually overcame their hesitance to follow the same route as the Portuguese. The hesitance was a result of the war which the Dutch Republic

Extensive trans-cultural commerce occurred as well. Inventions such as crossbows, paper, and gunpowder were traded across the majority of Afro-Eurasia. Many cities, including Tashkent and Kalgan, relied on the business that travelers from the Silk Roads brought. Additionally, many regions shared languages, cultural attitudes, and religious motifs. The Silk Roads truly connected Afro-Eurasia, bringing new recourses and innovations to each

Ancient China was cut off from much of the rest of the world by dry deserts to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the East and impassible mountains to the south until the Silk Road was established during the Han Dynasty circa 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. (Department of Asian Art). As a result, China’s geography isolated Chinese societies from the rest of the world and had a significant impact on the development of Chinese societies throughout history.

The new themes of encounter and exchange did not come without the warfare, violence and confusion that plagued China as the Sung dynasty struggled to fight back against the Mongols. After the suicide of the last Southern Sung emperor, all of China was united by Mongol rule (Gernet 717). The tragic death of one man marked the beginning of a new era. For the first time ever, foreign people conquered the entirety of China. Never before had the Chinese government been completely replaced by an unknown system ruled by outsiders (Fitzgerald 181). The grandiose dynasty created by Kublai Khan was one of the best in the 13th century. As Marco Polo described it, “I repeat that everything appertaining to this city is on so vast a scale, and the Great

One day the Chang 'an empire wanted something from someone 's else, but did not want to fight. Instead, they offered something for what they wanted, and trade was created. Others caught on to the idea, and a path slowly began to form as horses and camels treaded on it for thousands of years.

Between Europe and Asia, there is a great geographical divide, a rocky and mountainous area known as the Himalaya mountain range. In addition, the Taklimakan desert also encases the divide between these two areas. For many years, these geographical challenges separated the two continents from ever meeting. Other routes were unknown to either civilization, and neither knew of the others existence. However, when ancient Chinese civilizations started to explore and conquer these areas, they came to the conclusion that those in the west had many valuables and interesting technology to share with those of the Chinese empire. As time continued, eventually a standard trading route was formed for people to use to cross between the two continents in order to buy, sell, and trade. The Silk Route quickly became the most easily accessible route between the two civilizations. It truly revolutionized the interactions between China and western European civilizations because it was the first major route to connect the two areas of the world.

As the empires expanded, trade networks were created by merchants and travelers, linking Eurasia and northern Africa, and the networks created what is known as the silk roads, named after China’s silk production. Caravans were used on land in the silk roads from China to the Roman empire. The silk roads integrated numerous societies and linked them by trade. The road went west from Chang’an to Taklamakan, splitting into two main branches. The roads also went through Bactria ,Taxila, northern India, and Palmyra. The silk roads also included sea routes which maintained maritime trade and commerce. Sea lanes passed through the Arabian Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Red Sea. Many manufactured products became the objects of trade during the silk road trading. Silk and spices traveled west from southeast Asia. Silk came from China because they developed good techniques for sericulture. Spices such as clove, nutmeg, mace, and cardamom came from southeast Asia. Ginger was from China, cinnamon was from China and southeast Asia, pepper from India, and sesame oil from India, Arabia, and southwest Asia. Spices were very important because they served as condiments, flavoring agents, drugs, anesthetics, aphrodisiacs, perfumes aromatics, and magical potions. India also shipped cotton textiles and exotic items. Central Asia had horses and jade. The Roman empire had glassware,

The silk road caused a major spread of world religion such as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam but the silk road also spread diseases that killed millions of people. Not only did the silk road spread religion but the Trans- Saharan trade di to. The tran- saharan spread islam in sub- saharan africa and people began to learn how to write but they also increase the rate of slavery. the indian ocean trade exports goods like gold, ivory, and slaves and it caused conflicts and competition. With all the competition the european sailed to the new world and that lead to the decimation of native americans.

Today, I left the Mediterranean and headed west on a voyage to the silk roads. In this journal, I would like to write down the important information I learned along the way. I am going to begin by explaining how the silk roads got there name. As contact between people from other lands increases, the Chinese are realizing how valuable their silk was in trade. Ancient people value silk because it is strong, light weight, and beautiful. Traders make fortunes carrying Chinese silk to the west, because of this; these routes are called the silk roads. Chinese business expands along the silk roads to most of Asia, through India, all the way to Rome. Not just silk is traded along the silk roads, many other goods and ideas are carried on this route

Laila was a trader from the Arabian Peninsula, she was a Bedouin woman that used to travel in caravans to Mesopotamia all the way to Turkey and back to the Arabian peninsula. She would gather many items such as pottery, weaved rugs, silks cloth, and spices as well as jewelry made in the Arabian peninsula what is now known as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the other gulf states. These desert lands were harsh and dangerous to transverse. She had crossed deserts by camel caravans that comprised of up to thirty to four camels and a group of merchants that traveled together for protection and support to make it through the dangerous and difficult terrain. The crew she traveled with comprised of professional, skilled travelers who were experts in astronomy and could navigate their way through the desert 's sandy mountains and had only the stars to help them find their way through the never-ending sand that changed with the blowing winds, as well as their memory of the paths leading to other cities and countries. Her travels took place in the thirteenth century.

Introduction: This essay argues what were the motivations of Europeans to enter into Asian commercial networks in 15th and 16th centuries. These include the desire for important spices “aphrodisiacs” and other goods of the East. Another reason was returning the power of the European civilization after the “Black Death” disaster in the fourteen century. However, transporting products slowly from the Indian commercial network through the Middle East into the Mediterranean

The silk road was an ancient trade route which was stretching from Japan and connected East Asia and Europe. The trade route was named after the trade of silk and horses, which was begun in the Han (207 BCE – 220 CE) dynasty. The Han dynasty took great interest keeping the trade route safe, expanding the Great Wall to protect their goods and traders. The trade played a significant role in the development of Chinese, Gogureyo (Korean) kingdom, Japan, India, Persia, Europe civilization. Other than silk, goods, philosophy, and technology also traded, playing a great role in the development of civilizations. But the silk road not just transmitted trade of good, also transmitted cultural exchanges. Zoroastrianism,

Rapid communication and price convergence rarely characterised global interactions before the late eighteenth century, when the unparalleled position of Britain made it a global Empire, as it dominated international trade and production, secured by its overwhelming military power . However, earlier interactions still generated effects linking economic and political changes around the globe – these changes were different but no less transformative than those accompanying the modern globalisation . Soon after Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India (1497-1499), the Portuguese established commercial routes with pepper-trading states and opened factories across the world. Benefiting from its strong maritime power, Portugal managed to dominate the spice trade in the sixteenth century and was, according to many historians,