Discuss The Changes And Continuities In Trade Networks

“No nation was ever ruined by trade.” This quote was said by Benjamin Franklin in the late 1700s. These words are so simple, and it seems like anyone could have said them. However, this quote has a bigger meaning in that throughout world history, trade has been so important to so many countries and it has led to many empires successes. It has occurred for a very long time, and it has progressed dramatically. Trade has changed a lot, but some parts of trade stayed the same over a long periods of time. In the era between 300 CE and 1450 CE, trade between Eurasia and Africa changed because the empires and kingdoms in power were replaced and their control over trade differed;

The thesis of this text is that African trade began to be more interconnected with Eurasia between 300 C. E. and 1450 C. E. This is clearly the thesis as it is stated in the main text with a brief story line of how trade routes have spread throughout Eurasia. Also the second paragraph tells of how and when these trade routes expanded and strength.

Even though these aspects describe the ways that change occurred with trade between Afro-Eurasia, one important part did stay the same. North Africa was consistent and always a key part of trade between the continents of Europe, Africa, and Asia. In 300, North Africa was the only area that traded with the Mediterranean. In the time of the gold-salt trade, European venders and Islamic merchants arrived in North Africa. North African merchants still traded even when Europeans started to shift the balance of trade to the Americas starting from the mid-1400s. This is how trade systems between Africa and Europe stayed the same between the years 300-1450.

1. Trade networks in the post-Classical era has seen a range variety of the established and new networks of people’s exchanges crossing several regions. Extraordinary amount of wealth and growth emerged through cultural exchanges. Advanced transportation, the many different governing policies and business practices led to the widespread connection of networks which also contributed to the cultural, biological and technological spread throughout societies.

Europeans gain access to new goods and markets, and this creates a demand for things like silk, spices, and ivory.

1. Long-distance commerce acted as a motor of change in pre-modern world history by altering consumption and daily life. Essential food and useful tools such as salt were traded from the Sahara desert all the way to West Africa and salt was used as a food preserver. Some incenses essential to religious ceremonies were traded across the world because there was a huge demand for them. Trade diminished economic self-sufficiency by creating a reliance on traded goods and encouraged people to specialize and trade a particular skill. Trade motivated the creation of a state due to the wealth accumulated from controlling and taxing trade. Trade posed the problem of if the government or private

| * Trade was very international. * Silk roads linked Eurasia, and goods traded hands many times along the roads.

Once Africa got involved with the major trading centers, trade improved and they were able

The Afro-Eurasia long distance trade brought many new changes to the world, and strengthened some old life styles.  Changes such as the spread of Empires and Religions, the innovation of technologies, and new trade routes brought new and challenging adventures to the Afro-Eurasia world.  Some continuities were, the use of the multiple trade routes, and mass produce.

Trade was one aspect of the advancement of African Kingdoms before the arrival of Europeans. Trade notably developed due to the location of Aksum, a kingdom in Eastern Africa. Aksum was elongated from the Red Sea to the mountains, in which is present day Ethiopia.

Pg. 25 - West African leaders were eager to engage in trade with Europeans because it would help their economies. The trade would bring in valued goods and income. This

With the collapse of the Great Silk Road, trade routes through the waters became more necessary. Muslims and Europeans fought over the Indian Ocean and the several prosperous ports (plus major cities and villages in Ethiopia) during the fifteenth and sixteenth century. (McKay et al., 2009) Although Muslims had controlled the Indian Ocean trade for centuries, Portugal’s ability to circumvent the southern tip of Africa led to war and Portugal’s eventual defeat of Muslim traders and their imperialism throughout the Southeast Asian market. Africa’s Swahili people and their ivory, copra and rhinoceros horns and China’s “age of commerce”, which was developing within the neighboring countries of Vietnam and Burma, multiplied the available goods for Europeans to bring back home. (McKay et al., 2009) Portugal, as with most European countries, was beginning their recovery financially after years of war and plague. With the growth of trade and the amount of people in the Indian Ocean area, religion quickly followed. (McKay et al., 2009) Again, Muslims and Europeans were in battle. But this time they fought for religious supremacy in numbers. Each faction quickly moved to convert as many people as possible. Settlements were formed, cities grew, and customs and culture began mixing in an early version of a melting pot. (McKay et al., 2009)

In the African continent, they developed an economic relationship with the European nation. There was clear signs that European needed connections. Prior to their relationship, african rulers had established trade links with the Mediterranean world, Western Asia, and Indian Ocean region. The expansion provided Europeans goods that included, cloth, iron, copper, jewelry, beads, and more. In exchange, Europeans return with textiles, carving, spices. The main trade however was

In 300 C.E., trade routes were primarily between Europe and North Africa. The way that they changed by 1450 C.E. was that they expanded southward and westward. By 1450, these trade routes went all the way through West Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Indian Ocean. One factor that was unchanged during this time period was that the northern coast of Africa was always involved in the trade between Africa and the rest of Eurasia. The trade networks between African and Eurasia remained very important during this time period by means of the trade networks contributions to the Afro-Eurasian world. The ebb and flow of trade between Africa and Eurasia during the period 300 to 1450 C.E really reflects the struggles and fortunes of the three dominant religions in the area; Christianity, Buddhism and an upstart known as Islam. Although Christianity and Buddhism were well established by this time, the growth of Islam was a catalyst to many of the changes about to occur, such as new trade partners. Christianity and Buddhism were continuities, whereas a new religion called Islam was an example of change.

During the eighth century throughout the late sixteenth century, one trade route entranced everyone involved from the Mediterranean to the Africa’s. The Trans – Saharan Trade was an important trade route that ran across the Sahara between the Mediterranean countries and West Africa. In the beginning stages of the Trans- Saharan trade many small trade routes were being used throughout the period. this is because travelling across the Sahara before the domestication of the camel was difficult. The Trans-Saharan trade route did more than attract traders. This route was an economical boost for many and also connected the West African people with the Mediterranean people.