Trade Timeline

The Arab-Persian Trading Cities of East Africa

2000 BCE

Around 2000 BCE Speakers of the Bantu language began migrating southward into North Africa It gave them a common language to speak which facilitated trade and exchanges. With their new art(iron working) they expanded their trade market and brought more business. Shipments came by ships from the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf, bringing imported and exported goods between the East Indies, China, India, the Arab lands, Persia, and East Africa.

Aztec Empire

1431 BCE

The Aztec empire kept expanding and ended up taking over most of the region by 1431 CE. They went on to go through a couple of emperors and kept their empire stable for a couple hundred years.

East African Indian Ocean Trade

1414 BCE

During the early fifteenth century Emperor Yung- lo ordered that Admiral Cheng Ho or Zheng He (c. 1371-c. 1433) go on expeditions to Africa(Malindi) to get places to showcase wealth and power of China. Having artifact for the chinese in Africa was a plus for China and Africa, it brought new and more people to their city to see what they have. It was great for their economy by getting people to trade their wealth increased. They sent gifts, including ostriches, zebras, giraffe, lions, and tigers.

Timur and the empire of Samarkand

1368 BCE

Between the years 1368 and 1404 C.E., The Mongol Conqueror Timur, who was a descendent of Genghis Khan established the empire of Samarkand. The empire became an important trade center along the Silk Road. Timur also led a campaign that destroyed Sarai and Astrakhan. His campaign lead to the destruction of the Golden Horde’s economy based on the Silk Road.

The spread of the Black Death

1361 BCE

Between 1361 and 1400 C.E., traders and merchants unknowingly spread the Bubonic plague to areas in Western Asia and Europe. Rodents and fleas carried the disease and spread it to people who traveled along the Silk Road in caravans. The bubonic plague had a major impact in Europe and the world. The plague killed between 30-60% of Europe’s population and reduced the world population by millions.

Aztec Civilzation

1345 BCE

The main Aztec civilization expanded and developed more in Mesoamerica, in 1345 CE. They used the Mayan trade route to supply themselves and also conquered some other civilizations. Then they went on to expand the trade route further.

Mansa Musa Mali

1307 BCE

Mansa Musa ruled from 1307-1332 and established peace in Mali by creating armies and creating the biggest growth in Mali. Musa made Timbuktu, the capital of ancient Mali, become a center of learning for scholars throughout the Muslim world in Africa by invited Arab scholars to come to Mali and study. Musa did that to to encourage the knowledge and the teachings of the Islamic world he was also the first King to introduce the Islamic faith to anywhere in Africa.

Ghana, Mali, Songhay Empires and Trade

1240 BCE

Around 1240 Sundiata brought together the Kafus people by rallying the people of Mali against Sumanguru. To bring together the people of Mali to bring riches, which started up the interregional trade network of Mali. He found a way to obtain salt which was very imperative to the Mali people and their culture.

Tulum People

1200 BCE

In about 1200 CE, the Tulum people were highly influenced by the main trade route, mostly started by the Mayan people. They used the route to enrich, expand, and supply their people.

Earliest information about compass

990 BCE

In 990 CE there was the first reference to the chinese creation of the compass. The compass is vital to today’s society because people use it for finding locations and exact locations of where they are. This was even more important to earlier times because they didn’t have the technology that we have today;therefore they would’ve used the compass for shipping/sailing.

Trans saharan gold trade

900 BCE

From 7-11 centuries the Trans- Saharan trade was the major trading port/city in North/West Africa for its export of gold and import salt. In current day Mali they had seven primary north-south routes, six principal forest routes, and two west-east routes used camel to cross the desert. They traded with peoples of the forest, savanna, Sahel, and Sahara. They also traded with parts of the Mediterranean that demanded gold.

Death of Al Yaqubi

897 BCE

In 897 CE Al Yaqubi, the historian and geographer, died. He also was an author of a History of the world. Al Yaqubi was under the patronage, or control, of the Iranian dynasty of the Ṭāḥirids.

Baghdad claimed as capital/advances of Basra

764 BCE

In 764 CE Baghdad was established as the capital of Abbasid by Caliph al Mansur. This was significant because it is still today a capital, but of Iraq rather than Abbasid. Also during this time the city of Basra made quite a few advances as a port city on the Tigris near the Persian Gulf.

Paper along the Silk Road

751 BCE

In the year 751 C.E., The processes of making paper that the Chinese invented began to spread to the rest of the world through the Silk Road. Paper had been widely used in China. The Silk Road, allowed the invention of paper to spread to other cultures. Paper was one of the great invention of the world because it allowed events to be recorded in history and increased literacy throughout the world.

Abandoned Cities

750 BCE

In around 700 CE to 800 CE, they had to abandon some of the cities in the south because of drought and deforestation. The two main cities that were left, and where historians believe most of the people went, were Uxmal and Chichen-Itza in the north.

Srivijaya Empire

683 BCE

The rise and flourishing of Srivijaya in Sumatra from 683 to 1025 CE. The empire of Srivijaya was located in modern day Indonesia and was significant because it controlled the Strait of Malacca. Srivijaya’s power came mostly from international trade and established relations with other land areas.

Dynasty of Umayyad

665 BCE

The dynasty of Umayyad ruled from 665 to 750, in Damascus as the capital of Caliphate which is modern day Syria. This was significant because the Umayyads were the first great muslim dynasty. The dynasty was lead by Abū Sufyān and were considered a “largely merchant family” of the Quraysh tribe.

Xuanzang travels to India using the Silk Road

620 BCE

In 620 C.E., A Buddhist monk Xuanzang left Chang’an and traveled to india along the Silk Road. He wanted to go to india to study the Indian sutras. Xuanzang was concerned about the incomplete and misinterpreted Buddhist texts that had reached China. Xuanzang translated the sacred scriptures of Buddhism from Sanskrit to Chinese. He also founded the Buddhist Consciousness Only School in China.

Tang Dynasty

618 BCE

In the years between 618 - 907 C.E., the Tang Dynasty established a thriving trade network along the Silk Road. The Dynasty set up a protectorate general to manage the northern route of the Silk Road. The Tang Dynasty used the Silk Road extensively because they were open to trade, managed their empire well, and the states surrounding the Tang Dynasty were open to trade with the Tang Dynasty. The Silk Road allowed the exchange of new ideas, art forms, and religion.

Major trade route in current day Central America

250 BCE

The Mayan Region was created in 250 CE and had a main trade route that connected all the main cities together; Chichen Itza, Palenque, Tikal, Copan, & Uxmal, by 950 CE.