# 2.5/2.6 - Cultural Consequences & Connectivity

## Essential Question
"What are the intellectual and cultural effect of the trade networks from c.1200 to c.1450"

## Religious, Cultural Interaction
We get to see religions spread further than ever before, Like Islam going from spain all the way to india and even southeast asia because of these networks.

### Religious Diffusion
Religious Diffusion would end up having a lot of effects such as relative peace throughout the Indian Ocean Trade Route. An Example of this would be the Arab Muslim traders and would have a common set of ideas and would allow for safety to occur.

Religions would end up mixing and influencing art and literacy. An example of this would be some architecture in Spain where there would be a mix of of Islam and Christianity.

For example the Elites in Korea are going to study Confucianism because they're neighbors with China and have to give them tributes. Compared to the lower class, usually farmers, they're reason to live would have a better place in Buddhism compared to Confucianism.

> Neo-Confucianism - A mix of Confucian and Hinduist Ideas.

Neo-Confucianism would end up going to places like Japan and Vietnam.

## Cultural Influences of Islam in Afro-Eurasia

| Region | Influences|
|:-------------- |:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Africa | Swahili language is a blend of Bantu and Arabic and is still widely spoken today -- Timbuktu became a center of Islamic learning -- Leaders of African states deepened Islamic ties through pilgrimages to Mecca|
| South Asia | Before Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism were popular - After Islam arrived, Buddhists converted more readily than Hindus because they were disillusioned by the corruption among Buddhist priests -- With its emphasis on equality, Islam also attracted lower-caste Hindus -- Architure blended Hindu designs with Islamic patterns -- Urdu Language had influences from Sanskrit-based Hindi, as well as from Arabic and Farsi, a Persian language -- Bhakti poets and missionaries sought links between Hinduism and Islam |
| Southeast Asia | Muslim rulers on Java combined Mughal Indian features, local traditions, and Chinese-Buddhist and Confucian traits -- Traditional Javanese stories, puppetry and poetry absorbed Muslim characters and techniques|

### Teacher's Thoughts on Cultural Influences of Islam in Afro-Eurasia

#### Things that led to cities growing
If you had political stability and less people invading you would start to see cities start to grow. If you had that stability you wouldn't have to worry about people attacking you because you had that safety.

A good example of this would be the Mongols, who would have this big centralized government and would help protect the silk road that would help the trade route be successful.

Disease would be a big part in influencing Europe and a large part of the world. The plague would start it's way in China, cross Asia, make its way to Europe then destroy europe. When things like this would hit these cities, population would decline, hence would a decent amount of jobs.

## Travelers' Tales - Marco Polo
An Italian traveller who ends up making his way to chia. He would visit Kkublai Khan. He would end up traveling a fairly large distance before returning to Europe in 1295. They would bring back stories about how big cities in china would be, at this point cities like Paris and Loudoun wouldn't even be comparable to how big the Chinese cities were. But people wouldn't believe them because they would be coming out of the dark ages. Eventually people would gain a desire for Chinese Goods.

"They used paper money as currency, The men as well as the women are fair skinned and handsome. Most of them always dress themselves in silk, as a result of the vast quantities of that material produced in hangzhou, exclusive of what the merchants import from other provinces."

## Travelers' Tales Ibn Battuta
He would be a Muslim Scholar for Morroco.

He would get to see where people would make adaptations from Islam to the local traditions. He would point out that the things that locals were doing wouldn't necessarily be in line with Islamic Law. An example of this would be that some women would still be dressed without being as covered as other Islams would be.

> He would be looking at these things from the perspective of a devouted Islam.

"I set out alone, having neither fellow-traveller in whose companionship I might find cheer, nor caravan whose part I might join, but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long-cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries."


## From Freemanpedia - Good to know
- Trade routes aren’t just highways for trading stuff
- As people from different places run in to one another, they will share stuff from their cultures.
- Big takeaway here:Religions spread (Islam, Hindu, & Buddhism). Tech spreads (Mostly Chinese stuff making it’s way to the west)
- People have traveled before this. BUT, they didn’t write much down. Two prolific travelers: Ibn Battuta and Macro Polo. One religious pilgrim: Margery Kempe
- As cultural stuff spread, it altered from its original form (Islam in Mecca is different than Islam in Timbuktu...Same for Buddhism in Central India vs. Northern Japan) This is called Syncretism.

## Essential Question
What were some of the environmental effects of trade in Afro-Eurasia from c. 1200 to c. 1450?

## From Freemanpedia
- These new Networks of Exchange also delivered natural things (plants, diseases)
- Disease is obvious but check that map real quick...Look how fast the plague spread
- Most of the foods they mention (bananas, citrus) originate in SE Asia
- These foods slowly move from Oceania to SE Asia, but quickly move across - -Afro-Eurasia with the advent of ISlam and Islamic Merchants in the Indian Ocean Trade

## Agricultural Effects of Exchange Networks.
Don't forget about how Champa rice would move away from Vietnam to China.

Bananas would provide people with rich nutrients. They would help support the population when they would eat them. Bananas would also have the ability to be grown in places where Yam wouldn't, this would be beneficial because Yam was the primary food at the time. Banana trees would also be portable and could be taken along various journeys.

New Arabian crops would lead to an increase of people wanting slaves to help harvest.

## Trading Table
| Routes | Trading Cities |
|:------------- |:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Silk Roads | (Chang’an (present-day China) -- Samarkand (present-day Uzbekistan) -- Aleppo (present-day Syria) -- Mosul (Present-day Iraq) |
| Indian Ocean | Malacca → present-day Malaysia -- Calicut → present-day India -- Hormuz → present-day Iran -- Mombasa → present-day Kenya -- Alexandria → present-day Egypt |
| Trans-Saharan | Gao → present-day Mali -- Timbuktu → present-day Mali -- Marrakesh → Morocco -- Cairo → present-day Egypt |

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###### tags: `AP World` `Unit 2`