-
Period: 1200 to 1450
The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a network of trade routes which connected the East and West, and was central to the economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between these regions from the 2nd century BCE to the 18th century. -
1206
The Rise of The Mongol Empire
Europe's High Middle Ages the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in history, began to emerge. ... The empire grew rapidly under his rule and then under his descendants, who sent invasions in every direction. -
1258
The Indian Ocean Trade
Indian Ocean Trade has been a key factor in East–West exchanges throughout history. Long distance trade in dhows and proas made it a dynamic zone of interaction between peoples, cultures, and civilizations stretching from Java in the East to Zanzibar and Mombasa in the West. -
1324
Trans Saharan Trade
Trans-Saharan trade requires travel across the Sahara (north and south) to reach sub-Saharan Africa from the North African coast, Europe, to the Levant. -
1401
Impact of Culture on This Time Period
The spread of religion, aided by the increase in trade, often acted as a unifying social force. Throughout East Asia, the development of Neo-Confucianism solidified a cultural identity. Islam created a new cultural world known as Dar al-Islam, which transcended political and linguistic boundaries in Asia and Africa. Christianity and the Catholic Church served as unifying forces in Europe. -
1450
Impact of the Environment in This Time Period
The Black Death first entered Europe in 1347 and was widespread across the continent by 1350. The disease was carried by infected fleas on the backs of rats onto various ships in Asia, which in turn entered European ports and then spread from person to person along nearly every one of Europe’s major trade routes. The greater the volume of human contact during any sort of connected economic transactions, the greater the transmission and the faster the spread of the disease.
