Blog Post #10 - Chapter 7

This chapter focused on 3rd wave civilizations and the effect long distant trade had on society. Trade allowed for the exchange of goods such as salt from West Africa for gold. It made societies more reliant on each other and also allowed for the spread of ideas and religions.Along with that sickness. It also gave people a way to display social status as people who were wealthy could afford the foreign goods. The biggest trade network was in Eurasia known as the Silk Road. This was established because the inner part of Eurasia's land, which was not suitable for agriculture. People relied on trade with agricultural neighbors. Most of the items exchanged on the silk road were luxury goods due to the high transportation cost. The demand for silk was high by elite Chinise men and women. China relied on men for the physical trade of silk but it was mostly rural women who were making the fabric. Despite this most rural families were very poor. Other women wanted silk for its comfort and what it meant as a fashion statement. Roman writers wrote about how this translated to a drain in resources and the moral impacts of wearing silk, it was seen as indecency. Soon other peoples learned how to produce silk. Silk became a symbol for different things in different societies. In Central Asia it was currency, in China and the Byzantine Empire it was a symbol of high status and it also become associated with the spread of religion. Trade helped the spread of Buddhism to cities of Central Asia. But Buddhism spread slowly to the pastoral people of Central Asia because of their nomadic lifestyle, along with the lack of a written language. But for the most part Buddhism remained a religion for foreign merchants and foreign rules. The religion of Buddhism changed also as things from different cultures were added to it. Such as Zoroastrian fire rituals and statues of Buddha with greek influences in the Northwest of India which were influenced by invasions of Alexander the Great. Trade exposed many civilizations to disease they had never dealt with before. Things such as smallpox, measles and the plague killed hundreds. Weakening civilisations that may have helped in their down fall. It also strength the practice of religion as faith helped the sick and dying population. Beyond the Silk Road, oceans also known as the “Sea Roads” were used to help ship goods. But this time things such as textiles, pepper, rice timber, sugar and wheat. Because cargo ships could support the weight of heavier cargo that camels couldn’t. The use of the Red Sea for trade was also utilized by 1st civilizations such as the ancient egyptians. But this most likely were short routes. Expect for Malay Sailors who traveled from modern day Indonesia to Madagascar. Bringing their language and crops (banana, coconuts and taro) with them.Indian Ocean Commerce grew greatly with the growth of Chinese economy. Along with technology advances in larger ships and magnetic compass. Indian Ocean Commerce also grew with the rise of Islam as it was a culture that was nice to merchants and commercial life. To want to reclaim the land of Mesopotamia to producesugar created a slave trade from East Africa. Thousands of Africans worked in salt mines in Southern Iraq. Trade though the Sea Roads  in Southeast Asia created political change aspiring rulers gain wealth through commerce. Indian traditions and Buddhist religions concepts influenced the civilization. Such as people believing the rulers were reincarnation of a hindu deity or Buddha. These influences were voluntary and were practiced peacefully alongside other religious beliefs and traditions. Such as Southeast Asia was far less patriarchal,