Which of the following is true of commerce in the indian ocean during the time period 1000-1450?

Exchange and Trade in the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean became the largest sea-based trade network in this time frame. I know we tend to think of the Silk Roads and luxury items being sold when we picture trade routes. However, the bulk of actual trade happened on the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean traded “regular goods”, in bulk and at a lower cost. Why could bulk goods be carried on water, you ask? Simple. It’s much easier to carry huge quantities of high-demand goods (such as timber) on water than on a camel’s back on land. A couple of these goods included timber, frankincense, ivory, and sandalwood.

Root Causes of Indian Ocean Trade

Obviously, the biggest difference between this trade and the Silk Road was that it occurred on the sea. This meant they faced all kinds of unexpected obstacles, like unpredictable wind patterns, monsoons, etc. In fact, knowledge of monsoon winds (when they blew at what times) was huge in making Indian Ocean trade happen. Once sailors could utilize where the monsoons were blowing at what times, they could make those winds blow their sails to wherever they wanted to go!

Of course, sailing presents its own unique obstacles. But as always, technology helped people through! Improvements of maritime technologies like lateen sails (the first triangle-shaped sails, allowing ships to be far more maneuverable), dhow ships and the astrolabe (an instrument that vastly increased accurate navigation by measuring the stars), helped sailors navigate safely and consistently throughout the Indian Ocean.

Dhow Ship with Lateen Sails. Image Courtesy of Wikipedia

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Effects of the Indian Ocean on Trade

The two major effects of the Indian Ocean are the 2C’s-- community and contact.

Communities: Diasporic communities were set up by merchants  to introduce their own cultural traditions into other cultures. A couple key examples are Arab and Persians in Eastern Asia, Chinese merchants in Southeast Asia, and Malay communities in the Indian Ocean basin.

On a more consolidated note, states formed from the Indian Ocean trade on the edge of the water. Along the Swahili coast, city-states not far departed from the Greek ones of yore formed and grew rich from trade, along with the state of Gujarat in India and the sultanate of Malacca. The last one is particularly key-- Malacca, being an island forming a very thin strait in between itself and East Asia, controlled this strait and became incredibly wealthy, since Chinese merchants often had to travel through it to get to the riches of the Indian Ocean Basin.

Contact: As all trade networks did, the Indian Ocean trade fostered the exchange of ideas, such as Buddhism to Southeast Asia, and Islam across Eurasia. Additionally, many famous travelers such as Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, and eventually Ming Admiral Zheng He utilized these key routes, and their records would soon spread to much of the world.

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Review Time

After studying on your own, invite some friends to a study with me online session to discuss the main points of the lesson and review anything that you may be confused on. It is a great way to for everyone to feel supported while studying!

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Unit 2 Test1.Which of the following statements most accurately reflects a major difference between Arab expansionin the seventh century and Viking expansion in the ninth century?a)Arab expansion relied most heavily on diplomacy, while Viking expansion relied most heavilyon military mightb)Viking expansion tended to occur in areas with few large urban centers, while the Arabexpansion occurred in areas with comparatively larger urban centersc)Arab expansion was financed by religious tithing, while Viking expansion was financed byprofit from the silk traded)Viking expansion was limited to Ireland, Scotland, Iceland and Greenland, while Arabexpansion was limited tothe Arabian Peninsula and Persiae)Arab expansion relied heavily on the technology of the cannon, while Viking expansion reliedheavily on dragon boats

2.Which of the following is true of commerce in the Indian Ocean during the time period 1000-1450?

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3.Which of the following lists three places Ibn Battuta, the fourteenth-century Muslim traveler, visisted?

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4.Which of the following had the greatest manufacturing capacity during the time period 1000-1450?

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5.The term “samurai” describes men in feudal Japan who were most like the men in feudal Europe knownasa)lords of the manorb)Catholic bishopsc)serfsd)knightse)merchants

6.In the period between 1000 and 1450, which of the following were two occupations pursued by largenumbers of African and European women?

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7.Trade spurred the introduction of both Islam and Hinduism to what is now called

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Which of the following best describes Middle Eastern trade in the period 1000 to 1450?

Which best explains the causes of the growth of trade networks between 1200 and 1450?

What made Indian Ocean commerce possible?

Which of the following best describes the effect of the spread of Islam on Indian Ocean trade?