Trade Networks of Africa and Asia

1. Trade Networks of Africa and Asia Chapter 2, Section 3 • Why did trade flourish in the Muslim world? • What trading states rose in Africa and what was life like for people in many African cultures? • How did China’s overseas trade expand in the early 1400s?

2. Trade Flourished in the Muslim World Chapter 2, Section 3 In Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, long-distance trade and travel grew dramatically in the 1400s, marking the beginning of the first global age. • Arabia is at the center of trade routes linking the Mediterranean world with Asia and Africa. Arab merchants played a role in the growing trade. • The religion of Islam emerged in Arabia in the early 600s. Muslims, or Islam’s followers, believe that their holy book, the Quran, contains the word of God as revealed to Muhammad. Muslim traders carried their religion to people along their trade routes. • Muslim sailors developed expert knowledge of the Indian Ocean. They sailed to the many ports of Africa and India. • Muslim traders also traveled overland across Central Asia. The Central Asian routes linking China and the Middle East are known as the Silk Road. Because the Silk Road was dangerous, traders formed caravans—groups of people who traveled together for safety.

3. City-states of East Africa (Kilwa, Sofala) Gold was carried to African coastal cities and across the Indian Ocean to India and China Wealth from trade helped East African rulers build strong city-states—large towns that have their own governments and control the surrounding countyside. Many rulers became Muslims. A new language, Swahili, blended Arab words and African languages. Trading kingdoms of West Africa (Mali, Songhai) Several trading kingdoms grew up in a region of grasslands called the savanna. Many rulers adopted Islam. The Trading States of Africa Chapter 2, Section 3

4. Ways of Life in Africa Chapter 2, Section 3 Where people lived • Most people of Africa lived in small villages away from the powerful trading states. How they earned a living • Most people made a living by herding, fishing, or farming. Family life • Family relationships were important. Many people lived within an extended family—several generations living in one household. Importance of kinship • Ties of kinship, or sharing a common ancestor, linked families. People related by kinship owed loyalty to one another. Religious beliefs • Beliefs varied widely. However, common beliefs included the idea that links among family members lasted even after a person died. Africans honored the spirits of their ancestors as well as the forces of nature.

5. China’s Overseas Trade in the 1400s Chapter 2, Section 3 • China was ruled by an emperor. • An emperor who came to power in 1402 was eager for trade. He ordered a fleet of more than 300 ships to be built. The fleet was commanded by Admiral Zheng He. • Zheng He made seven voyages. His fleet traded in Southeast Asia, India, Arabia, and East Africa. • After Zheng He’s death in 1435, China’s overseas voyages abruptly ended. No one is sure why.

6. Section 3 Assessment Chapter 2, Section 3 Which statement best describes Islam in the 1400s? a) Islamic traders would trade only with other Muslim merchants. b) Islam’s followers believed in many gods. c) Islam was spread by the Chinese admiral, Zheng He. d) Islam began in Arabia and spread across a vast area including North Africa. Which statement best describes Chinese trade in the 1400s? a) Eventually a Chinese fleet crossed the Pacific and rounded the tip of South America. b) In the early 1400s, a large Chinese fleet traded in many foreign ports; then, after thirty years, it suddenly stopped. c) In the 1400s, the Chinese built a new fleet patterned after the many Chinese fleets before it. d) The Chinese established several trading cities on the west coast of Africa. Want to connect to the American Nation link for this section? Click here.

7. Section 3 Assessment Chapter 2, Section 3 Which statement best describes Islam in the 1400s? a) Islamic traders would trade only with other Muslim merchants. b) Islam’s followers believed in many gods. c) Islam was spread by the Chinese admiral, Zheng He. d) Islam began in Arabia and spread across a vast area including North Africa. Which statement best describes Chinese trade in the 1400s? a) Eventually a Chinese fleet crossed the Pacific and rounded the tip of South America. b) In the early 1400s, a large Chinese fleet traded in many foreign ports; then, after thirty years, it suddenly stopped. c) In the 1400s, the Chinese built a new fleet patterned after the many Chinese fleets before it. d) The Chinese established several trading cities on the west coast of Africa. Want to connect to the American Nation link for this section? Click here.