APWH UNIT 2 
REFERENCE SHEET
 

OVERVIEW OF  Causes of Growth of Network Effects of Growth of Network Specific Traits/Overview
TRADE ROUTES 
Silk Roads -Crusades:​ knights brought back fabrics and spices from -Cities and Oases
East, East wanted silver from West -Ex. ​Kashgar​ in China (leading to destinations
in Central Asia, India, Pakistan, and Persia),
-Rise of New Empires had lots of water and food
-Abbasid Empire: ​revived the route -Ex. ​Samarkand​ in present day Uzbekistan
-Tang China (right before Song): ​offered the (center for trading goods and cultural
trade goods that made the route popular exchange)
-Mongol Empire:​ improved roads and made -​Caravanserai:​ inns set 100 miles apart
routes safer (distance camels could go without needing
water)
-Improvements in Technology
-Caravans​ for safety -Commercial Innovations
-Better ​saddles for camels -​Money Economy​ (China developed a system Trade extending from East to West, revitalized by
-Magnetic compass of credit called ​flying cash​) inspired banks Mongols.
-Rudder
-Chinese J​ unk ship -Increase in Demand:​ demand for luxury goods like silk Major items of exchange: ​silk, porcelain, textiles, tea
and porcelain led to more supply. Also led to expansion Other important items exchanged:​ paper, gunpowder,
of iron and steel in China, motivating compass.
proto-industrialization ​there. Religions exchanged: ​Christianity. Buddhism.
Zoroastrianism, Islam

Indian Ocean -Spread of Islam:​ expansion of empire connected more -Diasporic Communities:​ settlements of people away
cities than before across land and sea, ex. ​Calicut from their homeland, usually due to merchants staying in
port cities while waiting for favorable weather and
-Increase in Demand: marrying women there
-Fabrics like cotton, carpets, high-carbon steel,
tanned leather, crafted stonework, pepper -Response to Increased Demand:
from ​India -increased demand caused trade to expand
-Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom from -Producers become more efficient, ex. Grow
Spice Islands (Malaysia and Indonesia) more crops, make more textile, manufacture
=Slaves, ivory, gold from ​Swahili City States more iron
-Silk, porcelain from ​China -Growth of ​Swahili City States​ on east coast of
-Horses, figs, dates from S
​ outhwest Asia Africa
Trade extending from SoutheastAsia all the way to East
Africa.
-Environmental Knowledge -Significant Cultural Transfers
-Ex. ​Monsoon winds​: knowing the patterns of -knowledge, culture, technology, commerce,
Major items of exchange: ​textiles, spices, porcelain, slaves
winds in the ocean helped merchants plan and religion
(Indian Ocean Slave Trade)
-Ex. Spread of Islam
 -Advances in Technology to better sail the Indian Ocean -Ex. ​Zheng He’s​ voyages for China Religions exchanged: ​largest example is Islam
-Lateen sails​ to easily catch winds
-Stern rudder​ (invented by China) to make
ships more stable
-Magnetic compass (​ invented by China)
-Astrolabe​ (invented by Muslims)

-Growth of States:​ using trade to expand economy and

power, states like ​Melaka b
​ uilt navies and imposed fees
on ships

Trans-Sahara Trade -​Technology for Travel: -Growth of Routes:

-Camels b ​ est adapted for traveling desert -Due to new technology, more trading
-Camel ​saddles ​(ex. Somali saddle that allowed partners and cultures connect
carrying 600 pounds)
-Use of ​caravans -​Wealth to Kingdoms:​ ex. Mali profits from gold trade
and tazing other trade; creation of currency, use of
-Increased Demand/Fame:​-Goods like gold, ivory, slaves military to protect routes

-​Expansion of Societies: ​growth of societies like M

​ ali ​led -Cultural Centers: ​Timbuktu ​and Gao become centers of
to more interest, strong leaders like Sundiata and Mansa trade and Islamic learning
Musa created new trading relationships
-Sundiata ​with connecting to North Africa
Trade network connecting West Africa to to North and
-Mansa Musa​ with his pilgrimage to Mecca
over to Europe.
where he gave away a lot of gold
-Major items of exchange: ​gold, ivory, slaves.
-Religions Exchanged: ​mostly Islam spread, though it did
not always replace religions in kingdoms just inspired
cultural and educational transfers.

OTHER FACTORS OF NOTE 

THE MONGOLS Overview of Empire Impact of the Mongols

-Originated as pastoral nomadic clans north of Gobi Desert. Culture included value in
warfare, horses, equality between genders. -Pax Mongolica:​ revitalized trade between Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
Strengthened Silk Roads and guarded them to make them safe for merchants.
-Leader Temujin takes charge after inspiring fear/defeating competition, at meeting of
Mongol chieftains is named ​Genghis Khan​ (ruler of all) -Culture exchanges: ​due to safety of trade routes. This includes all transfers previously
mentioned, but also fighting styles in Western Europe (ex. Knights stopped using armor
-Begin conquest:​ use siege weapons, trickery, fear. Destroy any who refuse to surrender, because it made them too slow against Mongols), and the canon.
but welcome those who do surrender as part of empire.
-Disease spread​ (bubonic plague)
-Governs empire: ​with religious tolerance, cultural inclusion. Created Pax Mongolica, or
Mongol Peace, period of stability. Once Mongols Decline:
-Long term impact on China: scholar gentry was dissolved, eventually will come back
-Grandsons extend control​ until empire has: -Long term impact on Russia: after being isolated from Western Europe (but not
-Yuan Dynasty (China) China!) Russia will try to catch up quickly to Renaissance, etc. and westernize
-Il Khanate (Islamic Empire) -Long term impact on Islamic Empire: three states emerge called the Gunpowder States;
-Golden Horde (Russia) Islamic Empire is no longer one but is fractured into three: Safavid, Ottoman, and
Mughal Empires.
-Decline due to​ rebellions that begin in China and spread (White Lotus Society)
CULTURAL Religious and Cultural Impacts - Trade Led to: Technological Impacts - Trade Led to:
EFFECTS
-Buddhism spreads to China, then (with Confucianism) to Japan,and Korea -Greek literature translated into Arabic, saving it from being lost (Islam)
-Impact: mostly on education and ideology, creation of Neo-Confucianism -Mathematics (from India)
-Buddhism and Hinduism spread to Southeast Asia, like Srivijaya Empire, Majapahit -Papermaking and printing (from China, leads to increased literacy)
Kingdom, Sinhala dynasties, and Angkor Kingdom -Medicine (advancements like surgery)
-Impact: political (Buddhist priests advising monarchs in Sinhala) -Agricultural efficiency (like Champa rice to China, leads to more people and more
-Impact: architectural (Angkor Thom’s monuments show blend of Hindu focus on producing porcelain, silk, metals)
and Buddhist artwork) -Maritime technology (lateen sails, stern rudder, astrolabe, magnetic compass)
-Islam spreads to Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia -Gunpowder and guns (will change warfare)
-Impact (Africa): Swahili, Timbuktu
-Impact (South Asia): lots of conversion due to Buddhist corruption, Islam’s Impact of Travellers:
appeal to lower-caste Hindus who saw it as opportunity for equality -Marco Polo: led Europe to become interested in China and believe it was urbanized
-Impact (South Asia): Architecture blending Hindu and Islam, Urdu and innovative
language -Ibn Battuta: had the POV of a Muslim in his journey, reflecting impact of Islam in his
-Impact (Southeast Asia): rulers combined Indian, local, and writings
Chinese-Buddhist and Confucian characteristics; Islam also seen in stories, -Margery Kempe: firsthand account of a middle-class medieval woman’s life
puppetry, and poetry

ENVIRONMENTAL Agricultural Effects Spread of Disease:

EFFECTS
-Champa Rice led to increased population and new farming techniques. Also led to -Bubonic plague spreads as infected fleas on animals spread through trade
migration of people, leading to growth of cities -This will kill ⅓ of population in Europe, leading to decline of feudalism
-Bananas led to spike in population for Sub-Saharan Africa -Will also kill 25 million Chinese and other Asians
-Sugar and citrus crops: will increase demand in trade and eventually will be a factor in -Will not spread to South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa as much because of
use of slaves in tropical plantations fewer trading ports in those regions

-Increases in population will lead to overgrazing, deforestation, soil erosion