# Lesson 3: On the Eve of Globalization

## China and the 'Old World' on the Eve of Globalization

### Silk Road

- Early contact between Rome and Tang China

- Tang Dynast and Middle East empires reopen routes

- Islam from ME and Buddhism from the east start spreading

- Empires start to fall apart at this time

- Mongols take over trade route, leave you alone if you leave them alone

- Trading mostly consists of materials, gold, luxuries and ofc silk

> Where theres trade, technology and ideas spread

![Image](https://upload.cafenono.com/image/slashpageHome/20240227/202425_2uNAHXkWZmgwOlTuwN?q=75&s=1280x180&t=outside&f=webp)

![Image](https://upload.cafenono.com/image/slashpageHome/20240227/202426_hHUUwgJ9WVPGNtFpu1?q=75&s=1280x180&t=outside&f=webp)

### Indian Ocean Trade 750 - 1500 CE

> A monsoon is **a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest, winds of a region**.

- Ships followed monsoon winds

- China → S.E. Asia → India → East Africa

- Arab & Indian merchants dominated ocean trade

> Although the both the rudder and compass was invented in China, the Chinese do not like to travel, they preferred for other traders to come to China.

| **Africa** | **Asia** |
| --- | --- |
| Iron | Silk |
| Ivory | Porcelain |
| Gold | Sugar |
| Coffee | Cotton |
| Spices | Spices |
| Slaves | Precious woods |

> Trading of African slaves on the Indian Ocean Trade between Asians and Arabs predate the European slave trade.

---

### China Rises

- Ruled by Mongols, treated Hans as second class men

- Zhu Yuanzhang leads rebellion to drive out mongols in 1368, founds Ming Dynasty as Hongwu Emperor.

# 朱元璋

# 鄭和

# 朱棣

Leader of rebellion against Mongols

10 year old sone of a minor Mongol official

Captured and castrated 1381

Sent to serve Zhu Di

Crowned Commander of Ming fleets by Zhu DI

Commanded fleets sailed as far as east Africa

Zhu Di seizes Ming throne in 1402 and becomes YongLe Emperor with help of Zheng He. 

Plans the reintroduce China back to world stage, builds fleets of ships, puts ZhengHe as commander

![Image](https://upload.cafenono.com/image/slashpageHome/20240227/202428_hfz5u1Okbmmn0SLMxq?q=75&s=1280x180&t=outside&f=webp)

![Image](https://upload.cafenono.com/image/slashpageHome/20240227/202428_lCI41V6jT7p6iJLz9v?q=75&s=1280x180&t=outside&f=webp)

![Image](https://upload.cafenono.com/image/slashpageHome/20240227/202429_unxCGGc9NjTz8Ol4MY?q=75&s=1280x180&t=outside&f=webp)

### Ming flexes its muscles

- Yongle wants to reassert authority

- continues batter with northern mongol tribes

- try to re-establish power in north Vietnam (failed)

- supports newly-founded sultanate of malacca (modern day Malay/Singapore)

- (1405-1433) 7 voyages for trade & tribute total

> Zhu Di build an astounding amount of boats to demonstrate the strength and power of the Ming Dynasty

First Ming voyage has 317 and over 27000 men ( Boats had good conditions for time period)

---

### Treasure Voyages

> Ming Dynasty also recieved many tributes and gifts on voyages, including several giraffes that were bring to Nanjing and caused a sensations, as they were believed to be 麒麟

| Ivory/Horns | Spices | Precious Woods |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Textiles & Bild plumes | Gems | Pearls |
| Incense / herbs | Medicines | Sulfur& Metals |

### Militarized Voyages

Militarized voyages were also conducted to clear out pirates, intervine in civil wars, and to welcome and return ambassadors of foreign countries

---

### Trade Spreads Ideas & Technology

| Chinese | Other |
| --- | --- |
| Paper | Indian/Arabic Numerals |
| Gunpowder | Cartography (Babylonia) |
| Compass | Windmills (Persia) |
| Lateen sails/ rudders |  |
| Astrolabe |  |

![Image](https://upload.cafenono.com/image/slashpageHome/20240227/202430_09A3NHLvxnhAeAFCce?q=75&s=1280x180&t=outside&f=webp)

For the site tree, see the [root Markdown](https://slashpage.com/atwnotes.md).