Trade in Africa

(Photo from: http://www.solarnavigator.net/animal_kingdom/animal_images/ Camel_Jordanian_Desert.jpg)

The introduction to the camel to North Africa revolutionized trade across the continent. Camels are revered for their ability to endure harsh conditions for days at a time. Because of their stamina, camels were used to make the trek across the Sahara desert from West Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.

With new trade routes open, connections were made across the continent and beyond. Most notably, West Africa was impacted. The desert was no longer impossible to traverse which allowed for new items and new technology to reach across the continent. The sand roads, as they were called, stretched from West Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Along the roads, new towns sprung up; eventually city-states, states, and empires were also created. And as the towns developed, the need for organization soon became apparent. Monarchies became commonplace and relied on wealth from the trade routes. In fact, “an Arab traveler…described the ruler of Ghana as “the wealthiest king on the face of the planet because of his treasures and stocks of gold, (p.234).Slavery also became common along the sand roads: “…male slaves were put to work as state officials, porters, craftsmen…, (p.234). Many of the slaves came from southern Africa and were sent to work in Islamic households.

With the opening of sand roads, commodities, technologies, and lifestyles were transported from one side of the continent to the other. Different cultures were able to take what they gained from the sand roads back to their cities and incorporate the new ideas into their own culture. Local government and exposure to different religions were a stepping stone for early African civilizations to begin developing and to continue to develop more metropolitan areas.

Source consulted: Robert Strayer, Ways of the World, a Brief Global History - Volume I: to 1500. pg 233-235.

Ramisht

Cross-cultural contact has many benefits, but some of the individuals who profit most are traders. They capitalize off interactions between communities and cultures, increasing their own wealth. Ramisht was a Persian merchant who turned trading into a huge profit.

Much of what we know about Ramisht comes from the Arabic historian Ibn alAthir, who describes Ramisht as "one of the merchants who traveled to India and had great wealth." Ramisht traded between Aden and India, and operated both shipping and trading businesses, as did most merchants of the time. He owned multiple ships, and sold his merchandise on land.

Ramisht made so much money, he was able to replace the Ka'ba cover in Mecca, the Islamic capital. He used only the most exquisite and expensive cloth, and his cover cost eighteen thousand dinars. In modern conversion, that's only about fifteen and a half dollars, but in 1138 that was a fortune. In addition to the cover, Ramisht also donated a gold waterspout to the city. In fact, Ramisht was so generous with his wealth that he was known as "the benefactor of Mecca."

Trade between Aden and India, as well as other places, offered merchants the chance to become wealthy. This cross-cultural contact provided an immediate and personal change in the lives of traders, instead of the broad, long-term changes usually perceived.

Source: Aden & the Indian Ocean Trade: 150 years in the Life of a Medieval Arabian Port by Roxani Eleni Margariti

Conquering a Language

If you can read this post, the Norman Invasion of 1066 has impacted your life. This conquest permanently and significantly altered the English language, bringing it from its German roots into the more Romantically influenced language we know today.

English has its roots in Anglo-Saxon, an offshoot of German. (In fact, this is where the term English comes from, "Angle-ish".) Old English is very close to Anglo-Saxon, and is indecipherable to the modern reader today, requiring translation in order to read Old English literature such as Beowulf.

Old English evolved on its own for many centuries, until in 1066 something drastically changed the course of the language. William the Conqueror took over, and imposed Norman rulership on the British Isles. For many years, English rulers were actually French, and French became the language associated with privilege. The aristocracy spoke French, while the common people spoke English. As lines blurred, and middle class people learned to speak both, there emerged a common language, a combination of the two. English had a structure and basic vocabulary rooted in German, but many new words came from French, and conventions began to change a little.

Over time, this cross-cultural contact has caused English to evolve into its present form. Foreign language students find Germanic and Romantic languages similar to English, and often find them easier to learn than other languages. This is due to the German roots and French influences that shaped English. Additonally, cross-cultural contact is the driving force behind many of our new words; borrowing from other languages is the source of many new terms.

Source: Lecture notes by Dr. Ashley Shannon and Dr. Kathryn Remlinger.

The Importance of Trade

Trade is one of the most important events in cross cultural relations. Without it, countries all over the world would not have half of the resources they need and use today. Think about it, the clothes people wear today are generally made from foreign countries, mainly China, Taiwan, and Korea. Foods, spices, materials, and technology have been able to advance through other countries' success, and without trading certain tools, several areas of the world would be underdeveloped.

None of this, however, could have been accomplished without the establishment of crucial trade routes during ancient times. Trade routes such as the Silk Road, enabled the "sharing" of several valuable resources to foreign lands. Although trade was common among earlier civilizations, there was a limit on the extent of travel and resources. Through protected routes that cut across thousands of miles between diverse cultures, people were able to create further developments in their lifestyles.

Not only were goods and spices traded along these routes, but an intermixing of culture and religion spread throughout the regions. Eventually, these customs, languages, and religions influenced the countries that are present today. Religions such as buddhism, islam, Confucius, and Christianity, were all huge aspects of the merging traders.

We tend to take things for granted nowadays. Things seem so easy and convenient whenever we need something. Not everything was this simple. Travel was in the form of crossing the sea by boat or venturing across thousands of miles by camel, horse, and cart. Cultures have been able to be passed down from generations through the intermixing of customs, languages, and goods through international trade routes. Without these ancient pathways, the world would be an extremely different and enclosed place.

sources:

Lecture notes

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/history/trade/

The Origin and Spread of Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world. The religion was founded by a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, who set out on his own to try and find enlightenment after growing up isolated from the realities of the world. At the age of thirty five, he sat beneath the Bodhi tree and finally achieved enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama became known as the Buddha meaning "the awakened one." The religion originated in India along the Gangi River, and stayed in India's boundaries for quite some time. Nearly three centuries later, Buddhism finally spread beyond it's country of origin. 

The Buddha began to travel to nearby kingdoms and share his insights. He also instructed his monks to travel and present his teachings. His goal was not to get people to convert to his religion, but rather to establish his own religion. His main goal was to help people overcome their unhappiness and suffering through his teachings. People began finding his teachings useful, and started sharing their experiences with others.

The Silk Road served as a carrier which spread the religion throughout central Asia. Monks began to live along the route, presenting the religion. From India, Buddhism first spread to Bengal and then Sri Lanka. A Han Chinese emperor became enthusiastic about Buddhism. He sent an envoy to learn about this new religion, returning with sacred texts and paintings, and even priests to explain the teaching of the religion. After spreading to china, Buddhism reached Korea, Japan, and lastly, Tibet.  

The Silk Road served as a carrier which spread the religion far and wide. The spread of Buddhism changed the lives and cultures of many places in the world. It is amazing that one man created this religion from his own path in life; to find enlightenment. The teachings of one man spread far, and many people adopted his creation. It only takes one person can have an influence in the world, which can be proved by the Buddha. Buddhism originated around 500 BCE, and is a religion that is still practiced in many countries today. 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13229/buddhisms_origin_and_development.html?cat=34

http://www.silk-road.com/artl/buddhism.shtml

http://www.buddha101.com/h_spread.htm

7 Cross Cultural Trade Routes

The many cross cultural trade routes allowed for the exchanging of goods, ideas, religions, and different aspects of life. There were many different types of trade routes, and as they were used, new, more effective forms of trade were developed.

7 Important Trade Routes in  World History: 

1.    Maritime Trade: Trading through sea travel can be dated back to the 4^th and 3^rd millennia. Sumerians used this form of trade, and the Egyptians had trade routs through the red sea, mostly importing spices. Trade could soon be seen crossing the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Maritime trade started out with small navigations along coasts, but soon developed into much larger routs.

2.    Incense Route: This route consisted of trade through a channel connecting South Arabia and the Mediterranean.  It allowed trade between Indian, Arabian, and East Asian goods. Control of the route changed over time, and so did the route itself, eventually spreading in many directions.

3.    Inca Road System: This trade route ran across the Andes Mountains, connecting regions of the Inca empire, from northern Quito-Ecuador, past the southern, modern day city, Santiago, Chile.  When the road first began, the Incan had not made use of the wheel, so trade was done by foot. The Inca used the trail as a way to pass on messages, using books, and memory, and for transportation of goods.

4.    Silk Road: This is one of the most well known trade routes to ever exist. It was one of the first routes to connect the eastern and western worlds. The east and west learned a lot about each other through this route. The Chinese opened these land routs. Goods traded through the silk road were silk from China, spices, cotton textiles, pearls, coral and ivory from India, horses and jade from India, and glassware, jewelry, art, an much more from Rome. Along with goods traded, ideas, culture, and religion, such as Buddhism were carried throughout the silk road.

5.    Grand Trunk Road: This route connected Culcutta, India to Peshawar, Pakistan. It is one of South Asia’s oldest and longest roads. Part of this road, in Pakistan, coincided with the Silk Road. This road still exists today as a highway route.

6.    Amber Road: This route was a European route that dealt with the transport and trade of amber. The road led from Europe to Asian and back, and from Europe to the Mediterranean Sea.

7.    Via Maris: One of the most important trade routs in the Middle East during ancient times.  In Latin, it literally means, “way of the sea.” This route linked Egypt with Syria, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia. It was crossed by other trade routes, so through this, trade could be done from Africa to Europe, or from Asia to Africa.

 

These trade routes paved the way for resources, religions, and ways of life to be spread and created a more international market. Without the early use of these trade routes, relationships between different parts of the world wouldn’t have developed, and who knows where we would be today. They opened our world up to giving and accepting new and creative goods, and ideas.

 

http://www.virtualperu.net/incaroadsystem.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_route

facts about silk

Silk is a very smooth cloth and feels pleasant on the skin when worn. Many people wear silk, but what do you really know about silk? People may know little common facts such as silk comes from the cacoon of larvae from insects and moths. But there are many more facts about silk that will make you think twice before you wear silk again.

Silk culture has been practiced for over 5,000 years in China. A silkworm's diet is mostly mullberry leaves. A female silkworm lays about 400 eggs at a time. So 100 moths can deposite more than 40,000 eggs which is only the size of a pinhead. The female silkworm will die immediatly after laying her eggs and the male silkworm will die shortly after. Silkworms will reach their maximum size in only six weeks. A cacoom is made of a single continuous thread that stretches to about 2/3 of a mile in length. Between 2,000 to 3,000 cacoons makes about a pound of silk which can stretch if tied together over 1,000 miles. Silk is the strongest natural made fiber known to man.

Even though many people wear silk every day, they may not know all of the facts about silk and where it comes from. Maybe now people will appriciate the time and effort put into the shirt that they wear once every two weeks.

Incas in the Andes Mountains

With harsh wind, cold winters, and steep slopes, most people would think that establishing a civilization would be impossible. The Incas, however, settled in the Andes mountains and their region grew to 2,500 miles in length in the fifteenth century. The Incas were not the only civilization to settle in the Andes mountains, but they were the most well known and successful civilizations to settle the Andes. Beginning in the mountains of Peru in the early 13th century and lasted until the 15th century. Unfortunately, civil war and exposer to European diseases brought the Inca Empire to an end.

The Andes mountains is one of the longest stretch of Mountain in the world. The mountain stretches to 4,400 miles in length. Found in South America, the Andes mountains stretches from Venezuela all the way south to the bottom tip of Argentina. The average altitude of the Andes is around 13,000 feet but at some places the mountain can peak as high as 20,000 feet.

Will the world end in 2012?

In reading an article from USA Today about the Mayan calendar 2012 situation, it is interesting to find out many peoples view on Will the world come to an end in the year 2012? This mystery stems from the ancient Meso- America tribe, the Mayans. Historical evidence seems to indicate the presence of the Mayan culture was in present day Mexico as far back as 1800 BCE, but their greatest influence was exerted between 200 B.C. and A.D. 1000. Among them were great achievements and advanced ways of culture which included; advanced writing skills as well as also being gifted mathematicians who independently developed the concept of zero. They also had astronomers who deduced that a solar year was slightly more than 365 days.They were a culture of great wisdom which is why many people today are worried that there calendar, which shows the end of the world in the year 2012, could be legitimate.

The Mayan calendar, discontinued by later Spanish culture, showed a 5,000 year cycle which then would reset at zero. It was big achievement for Mayan culture to make it through a whole cycle. This obviously never happened because the year 2012 marks that year. This whole mystery comes from there advances in astronomy and the starts. Its is estimated that on the winter solstice, December 21, 2012 at 11:11p.m. universal time the sun will be aligned with the center of the milky way. This basically means that the energy that usually in directed at the Earth will be redirected. Scientist predict that this will cause many changes in the Earth. However, it is important to note that, because it was so long ago that the Mayans flourished Mesopotamia, they could not have possibly known exactly what was going to happen, Scientists feel that the tools you need and knowledge you need to figure out these thing, even though this ancient civilization was very smart and advanced, they would not have had.

It is very interesting to think about that the world coming abruptly to an end. Many stem this from the bible and the Apocalypse. This environment scare, many think will either make people aware or connect them with the ongoing environmental issues. Garrett of USA Today states; "Part of the appeal of these earth religions is that notion that we need to reconnect with the Earth in order to save ourselves." This is a very interesting way of looking at the subject. I think that we should all take this issue a bit more seriously!

sources used:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-03-27-maya-2012_n.htm
http://www.mayacalendar.com/mayacalendar.html