chapter 7

Silk Roads: Exchange across Eurasia

A. Silk Roads form one of world’s most extensive and sustained networks of exchange.

1. largely a relay trade
2. provided a unity and coherence to
3. Eurasian history

B. The Growth of the Silk Roads

1. Eurasia is often divided into inner and outer zones with different ecologies
• outer Eurasia: relatively warm, well- watered (China, India, Middle East, Mediterranean)
• inner Eurasia: harsher, drier climate, much of it pastoral (eastern Russia, Central Asia)
• steppe products were exchanged for agricultural products and manufactured goods
2. creation of second-wave civilizations and imperial states in the last five centuries.C.E. included efforts to control pastoral peoples
3. trading networks did best when large states provided security for trade
• when Roman and Chinese empires anchored commerce
• in seventh and eighth centuries, the Byzantine Empire, Abbasid dynasty, and Tang dynasty created a belt of strong states
• in thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Mongol Empire controlled almost the entirety of the Silk Roads

Sea Roads: Exchange across the Indian Ocean

4. The Mediterranean Sea was an avenue for commerce from the time of the Phoenicians.
• Venice was a center of commerce by 1000C.E.
• controlled trade of imports from Asia
• linked Europe to the much greater trade
• network of the Indian Ocean
5. The Indian Ocean network was the world’s
6. most important until after 1500.
• trade grew from environmental and cultural diversity
• transportation was cheaper by sea than by land
• made transportation of bulk goods
• textiles, pepper, timber, rice, sugar, wheat
• commerce was possible thanks to
• monsoons (alternating wind currents)
• commerce was between towns, not states

It was interesting learning about the sand, sea and silk roads and how they affected around them and the differences between them.

Sand

• In africa - west africa where a lot of shipments were
• gold , slaves,
• Merchandise goods
• Camels and horse/donkeys
• Slaves
• More advanced commercial centers
• Hierarchy and larger political structure
• Created relationships with more people
• Improving relationship w those of the desert

Sea

• The indian oceans was around africa, china, arabia, and the mediterranean basin
• Sea road was important where you couldn't get walking
• It was in islands
• It brought hinduism in southeast asia
• There were porcelain, spices and the idea^
• Can transport bigger items like timber, textiles, rice and sugars
• Boats to help trade
• More destinations cause ports, they would stop in bigger popular areas (the ports)
• There were many opportunities
• Female wouldn't like it because boat full of sailors
• Transport bigger items for less

Silk

• In eurasia and had guides on land and on sea
• Silk
• Products for elite
• Porcelain, gold, paper
• Food
• Spices, nuts
• Rats, fleas
• Black death
• Wasn’t a real road
• Trading network
• Increase in trade