Summary
Highlights
AP World History Unit 2 focuses on how various states were connected through networks of exchange between 1200 and 1450 CE. These networks facilitated not only economic interaction but also cultural diffusion and transfers of religion, language, and technology. The three major networks are the Silk Roads, the Indian Ocean Network, and the Trans-Saharan Trade. General developments include the expansion of these networks, innovations in commercial practices and technology, the rise of wealthy and powerful states, and the collapse of others.
The Silk Roads, stretching across Eurasia, primarily traded luxury goods like Chinese silk and porcelain due to the arduous and expensive travel. Increased demand for these items led to expanded production by Chinese, Indian, and Persian artisans. Innovations include the 'Caravan Sarai' (inns for safety and exchange) and commercial practices like money economies (paper money, 'flying money system') and credit forms (banking houses, bills of exchange) which eased trade.
The Indian Ocean Network expanded significantly, driven by an understanding of monsoon winds. Unlike the Silk Roads, it traded a large volume of common goods like textiles and spices, alongside luxury items, thanks to larger ship capacities. Technological innovations included improved magnetic compasses, astrolabes for navigation, and new ship designs like the Chinese junk. Commercial practices mirrored those of the Silk Roads, with various forms of credit.
The expansion of the Indian Ocean Network led to the growth of states like the Swahili city-states on Africa’s East Coast. These independent cities acted as brokers for African interior goods, leading to their wealth and power. Increased Muslim merchant influence led to the Islamization of these states and connection to Dar al-Islam. Diaspora communities formed, fostering intermarriage and the spread of Islam, exemplified by the emergence of the Swahili language. Zheng He's voyages also facilitated the transfer of Chinese maritime technology.
The Trans-Saharan Trade Network also expanded due to transportation innovations, notably the improved camel saddle, which allowed for larger cargo transport. Participation in this network led to the rise of powerful states like the Mali Empire, whose leadership converted to Islam in the 9th century, integrating them into the prosperous Dar al-Islam merchant network. Mali grew wealthy through gold trade and taxing merchants, reaching its peak under Mansa Musa, who monopolized trade and further expanded wealth and influence.
Increased connectivity had significant cultural consequences, including the transfer of belief systems such as Buddhism to China via the Silk Roads. Literary and artistic transfers occurred, with Islamic scholars translating Greek and Roman classics, influencing the European Renaissance. Scientific and technological innovations, most notably gunpowder (invented in China), spread to Muslim empires and then to Europe, fundamentally altering the balance of power.
Environmental consequences included the transfer of crops like Champa rice to China, leading to population growth. Diseases, such as the Bubonic Plague, spread along trade routes via rats and fleas on merchant ships and camels, causing widespread fatalities. The Mongol Empire played a crucial role in facilitating these connections. They established the largest land-based empire, and under their rule, networks of exchange, particularly the Silk Roads, flourished due to increased safety and continuity for merchants, fostering unprecedented communication and cooperation (Pax Mongolica). The Mongols also facilitated technological (Greek and Islamic medical knowledge) and cultural (adoption of the Uyghur script) transfers.