Networks of Exchange (1200–1450)

Three major trade networks connected the civilizations of Afro-Eurasia, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, technologies, and diseases.

1. The Silk Roads (Land-Based)

• Route: Connected China through Central Asia to the Mediterranean

• Key Goods: Silk, spices, porcelain (east → west); gold, silver, glassware (west → east)

• Cultural Exchange: Buddhism spread from India to China; Islam spread across Central Asia

• Caravanserais: Way stations providing food, shelter, and markets for merchants

• Mongol Impact: The Pax Mongolica (1200s–1300s) made overland travel safer, boosting Silk Road trade

2. Indian Ocean Trade

• Route: Connected East Africa, Arabia, India, Southeast Asia, and China

• Key Innovation: Monsoon wind patterns — merchants timed voyages to seasonal wind reversals

• Dhow ships: Lateen-rigged vessels that could sail close to the wind

• Swahili Coast cities: Kilwa, Mombasa, Mogadishu — blended Bantu and Arab cultures

• Diasporic communities: Chinese, Arab, Indian merchant communities in port cities

3. Trans-Saharan Trade

• Route: Connected West Africa to North Africa and the Mediterranean

• Key Innovation: Camel domestication enabled crossing the Sahara Desert

• Key Goods: Gold and salt — West African gold funded Mediterranean economies

• Mali Empire: Mansa Musa's 1324 hajj to Mecca displayed West African wealth to the world

• Cultural Exchange: Islam spread to West Africa through trade contacts

Comparative Analysis:

Feature	Silk Roads	Indian Ocean	Trans-Saharan
Medium	Land (caravans)	Sea (ships)	Land (camel caravans)
Key technology	Caravanserais	Monsoon knowledge	Camel saddles
Disease spread	Bubonic plague (1340s)	Limited by ocean	Limited by desert
Volume	Luxury goods	Bulk + luxury	Gold and salt

Networks of Exchange (1200–1450)

Three major trade networks connected the civilizations of Afro-Eurasia, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, technologies, and diseases.

1. The Silk Roads (Land-Based)

• Route: Connected China through Central Asia to the Mediterranean

• Key Goods: Silk, spices, porcelain (east → west); gold, silver, glassware (west → east)

• Cultural Exchange: Buddhism spread from India to China; Islam spread across Central Asia

• Caravanserais: Way stations providing food, shelter, and markets for merchants

• Mongol Impact: The Pax Mongolica (1200s–1300s) made overland travel safer, boosting Silk Road trade

2. Indian Ocean Trade

• Route: Connected East Africa, Arabia, India, Southeast Asia, and China

• Key Innovation: Monsoon wind patterns — merchants timed voyages to seasonal wind reversals

• Dhow ships: Lateen-rigged vessels that could sail close to the wind

• Swahili Coast cities: Kilwa, Mombasa, Mogadishu — blended Bantu and Arab cultures

• Diasporic communities: Chinese, Arab, Indian merchant communities in port cities

3. Trans-Saharan Trade

• Route: Connected West Africa to North Africa and the Mediterranean

• Key Innovation: Camel domestication enabled crossing the Sahara Desert

• Key Goods: Gold and salt — West African gold funded Mediterranean economies

• Mali Empire: Mansa Musa's 1324 hajj to Mecca displayed West African wealth to the world

• Cultural Exchange: Islam spread to West Africa through trade contacts

Comparative Analysis:

Feature	Silk Roads	Indian Ocean	Trans-Saharan
Medium	Land (caravans)	Sea (ships)	Land (camel caravans)
Key technology	Caravanserais	Monsoon knowledge	Camel saddles
Disease spread	Bubonic plague (1340s)	Limited by ocean	Limited by desert
Volume	Luxury goods	Bulk + luxury	Gold and salt

Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and Trans-Saharan Trade

Networks of Exchange (1200–1450)

1. The Silk Roads (Land-Based)

2. Indian Ocean Trade

3. Trans-Saharan Trade

Comparative Analysis:

Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and Trans-Saharan Trade

Networks of Exchange (1200–1450)

1. The Silk Roads (Land-Based)

2. Indian Ocean Trade

3. Trans-Saharan Trade

Comparative Analysis: