This article attempts to uncover the many discrepancies found in the byzantine accounts of India, and attempts to clarify the actual locations of these historical references. With the number of regions in Africa, Arabia, and Asia, having been identified by the Byzantines as “India”, it’s no wonder there is some confusion about what regions these writers were actually talking about. The article begins by pointing out that although many regions are involved in the Byzantine accounts of India, there is little to no mention that they are actually speaking about more than one India. This is however, well known to the historians that have studied trade between Rome and the East. In his book, The Commerce Between the Roman Empire and India, Warmington …show more content…
While the perception of India being located in South Asia was preserved by some writers like Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330-395) and Procopius of Caesarea (c. 500-post 565), others completely missed the mark. Cosmas Indicopleustes, an Alexandrian merchant, described India as a large region containing India proper, Ceylon, and parts of China. The term “Inner India” was used by Cosmas, to designate the silk rich country of Tzinitza, or China. The roman monk Rufinus (c. 345-410), spoke of how Bartholomew, an apostle of Jesus, had been assigned to “Nearer India” which was a region adjacent to Ethiopia. More examples are found in the texts of John Malalas (c. 491-578). He details a struggle between the Axumites and the Himyarites, or African Indians and Asian Indians. In reality, these two groups were likely near modern day Ethiopia and Egypt. Theophanes, Epiphanius, and Choricius, all documented how Indian goods were being brought into the Roman Empire in the mid-third and fourth centuries. The ports of Aila, Berenice, and Clysma are mentioned, but these are all located in northern Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Making it more likely, according to Vasiliev’s paper, that these ports were receiving goods from Ethiopia and other African regions, rather than
Changes and continuities in commerce in the Indian ocean region from 650 to 1750 C.E.
Both traded along the Indian Ocean using maritime trade. As the Ming traded along the Indian Ocean, they attained luxuries, for example silver, in exchange for Chinese exports such as cotton, silk and porcelain. The Ming Emperor, Zheng He, also sailed across the Indian Ocean. He is best known for the 7 sailing expeditions, which navigated across the Indian Ocean and the Southeast Asian archipelago. Zheng He's ships carried export goods; silks and porcelains, and he also brought back foreign luxuries such as spices and tropical woods. As for the Ottoman Empire, they also traded along the Indian Ocean; however, with items they had already attained. Armenians and Jews would often go to the port of Izmir, along the Ottoman Empire, and bring wool, beeswax, cotton and silk, causing great traffic. The Ottomans then traded these items in exchange for other luxurious items. Another similarity between the Ottoman and the Ming was why they traded along the Indian Ocean. Both traded along the Indian Ocean due to geography. The Ottomans were located closely to the Indian Ocean; they also had the right technology to trade along it, including ships and compasses. The Ming also traded along the Indian Ocean due to their geography. They were located nearest to the Indian Ocean, which then caused them to trade along it; also Zheng He had also laid out the groundwork for the Chinese to start trading
The Byzantine Empire and Western Europe originally were part of the Roman Empire, but by the middle Ages(medieval times), they were very different, even though they did share some common traits, but by the 300's, the Byzantine Empire had far surpassed Western Europe in trade and economics and political unity, while both empires were having arguments over religion.
People say that the Byzantine Empire is compared to an accordion. Well, it is. Comparing all of the civilizations and empires we learned about, I find that the Byzantine has a history, where people living in that empire rise at on time and fall inconsiderably during another time. The Byzantine Empire is an empire ruled by Emperor Justantine, and Constantinople was the imperial capital of the Byzantine world until it was invaded by the Turks in 1453. Now, how does the imperial capital, Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, Justinian, and the Crusaders involve in the Byzantine Empire? I find that geography and the achievements of the Empire can be two strong reasoning’s on how and why we should study the Byzantine Empire.
The Gupta Empire wasn’t always there. It never became an empire until after 500 years of invasion and turmoil. That was when a heroic leader arose, Chandra Gupta, and created the Gupta Empire.
Last but not least, the crusades led to the decline of the Byzantine Empire by demolishing their economy. The Annales Herbipolenses demonstrates the Christians were so desperate for help, they took any and every person to fight, they did not require any person to be skilled. The crusades weakened the economy making people want to fight due to how poor they lived their lives especially those who held low social status such as serfs or peasants. The need for monetary support in the West left them vulnerable and ultimately led to the sacking of Constantinople (Doc 3.) This writer is anonymous but by the location of the writer, the writer must have had a Germanic nature, therefore the information must be valid because Germany was a Catholic nation,
The Romans used commerce to consolidate the provinces and territories of their vast empire. Being a part of the Empire was of great economic benefit to almost all of the members; insomuch as the Romans built roads and protected sea routes, and inasmuch as the Roman Empire was so large, the Roman Empire’s subjects benefited from what amounted to a massive free trade zone. Roman commerce was a major factor in preserving the Empire for so long.
Before 1450 The Byzantine and Islamic Empires both had their similarities and differences in the way they governed. Islamic caliphates and the Byzantine Empire both appointed their political leaders as religious leaders why? Because they both have more power over their people. They would control the areas laws and duties but also their religion. The big difference of the two empires was their religious practices, The Islamic caliphates consisted of Islam and Muslims but the byzantine empire believed in orthodox Christians.
During the 17th to 18th century, The Roman Empire had gone through a cultural and religious metamorphous. Throughout this time, the roles of religion in the Islamic, Byzantine and Western European worlds altered the period of 600-750 with their similarities adhering to monotheism for one, and differences in regards to perspectives. These three cultures were all pretty diverse but they also shared some of the same roots and became heritors of the Roman Empire, built on different ideologies. The different ideologies of the Islamic, Byzantine and Western European worlds, consisted of different founders, places, and elements of worship, thus portraying how religion was indeed prominently central to governmental and social structures because of the large impact towards political laws.
know that the Byzantine changed the course of history. You should study the Byzantine Empire
Document 2, the empire stretched from Greece in the west to India in the east. Persian
In northern India, politics became chaotic and nomadic Turkish speaking peoples from central Asia took advantage of that unsettled state of affairs to cross the Kyler pass and force their way into India
How did the Guptas and other Indian Empires connect to places outside of their empire?
In 1492, when Christopher Columbus began to sail, he wanted to go to India because centuries ago, Marco polo have brought back gold, silk, and spices from his journey to Asia. However, the Turks had conquered
The Byzantine Empire at its peak was the most advanced in its culture, economic structure and military. With its many expanding and contracting moments during its period of growth it was centered around, and a major part of the Roman Empire. It was called the New Rome, and was influenced by Greeks, Romans, and the Roman Catholic Church.(Bauer, 11) It mainly was the purpose of retrieving much of the old Roman Empire. It was located there because it was surrounded by water and had an excellent harbor. The Byzantine Empire withstood a long, treacherous history that ended after 1000 (476 ad-1453 ad) years. 1453 is the