By: Hannah Yao
Roles of Religion & The Expansion of Trade
College Board Themes
1. Creation, Expansion & Interaction of Economic Systems- Trade was a big part of India because it helped them export and import products to other countries. This helped many people get jobs, improve the economy, and overall aid in the relationship between the countries that they were trading with.
2. Develop & Transformation of Social Structure- The Caste system was changed because of new circumstances and geographical reasons which helped transform the social structure and develop India as a whole.
1. Creation, Expansion & Interaction of Economic Systems- Trade was a big part of India because it helped them export and import products to other countries. This helped many people get jobs, improve the economy, and overall aid in the relationship between the countries that they were trading with.
2. Develop & Transformation of Social Structure- The Caste system was changed because of new circumstances and geographical reasons which helped transform the social structure and develop India as a whole.
Roles of Religion
- Hinduism and Islam both attracted large numbers of followers and dominated the cultural and religious life in India
- Buddhism flourished in Asia but was often threaten in India because Hinduism and Islam attracted so many people to their communities
- The invasion of Turkish people caused Buddhism to disappear due to the invaders would destroy Buddhist shrines, stupas, and libraries.
Dhows and Junks
- The Dhows and Junks were the earliest voyaging in the Indian Ocean. They typically followed the coastlines but by then, mariners were already aware of the rhythms of the monsoons.
- Over time, they built larger, separate ships, which helped both of them leave the coasts and sail through the water of the Indian ocean.
- Dhows were favored by the Indians, Persians, and Arab sailors.
- Junks were used by the Chinese and Southeast Asians.
Emporia
- India was in the middle of the Indian Ocean basin, which allowed Emporia and warehouses.
- Merchants would often come from east Africa or Persia to exchange their cargo at port cities for goods to take back west with the winter Monsoons.
- Mariners from China or Southeast Asia also came to trade their cargoes for goods to ship east with the summer monsoons.
- Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and Jews who inhabited the Indian port cities did business with the counterparts from all over
- Surprisingly, merchants also built emporias outside of India
Trade Goods
- After the establishment of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties in Southwest Asia and the Tang and Song dynasties in China, trade in the Indian Ocean surged.
- There was a huge demand for silk and Porcelain from China
- Pepper, gems, pearls, and cotton were demanded from India
- Southeast Asia had a demand for spices
- Incense and horses from Arabia
- Southwest Asia was gold and ivory
- Slaves from East Africa
Specialized production
- Lands around the ocean began to engage in specialized production of commodities for the commercial market.
- Which created a demand of specific agricultural products, provided a livelihood for artisans, and helped consumers import different goods from regions that specialized in different crops and products.
- Textiles, sugar refining, leather tanning, stone carving, and carpet weaving emerged during this time
- Indian artisans became well known for the production of high-carbon steel that held a lethal cutting edge; knives and swords
- Trade encouraged specialized production of economic development in all lands that were trading within the Indian Ocean basin
Internal Trade
- Most regions of India was self-sufficient in growing foods like rice, wheat, barley, and millet.
- Iron, copper, salt, pepper, spices, condiments, and specialized crops only grew in certain regions
- From the Ganges River to the coastal regions, many commodities traveled long distances to consumers all around India.
- Sugar, pepper, and saffron were very popular to trade and even rice would trade to places where it did not grow in an abundance.
- Southern India and Ceylon benefited from trade within the region because they experiences rapid economic development.
- The Chola Kingdom provided stability for the south and they expanded in southeast Asia which opened markets for indian merchants and producers.
- Coastal towns attracted increasing numbers of residents which is why they flourished so much
Caste and Society
- The caste system adapted to new circumstances and survived which is why it became more complex and extended its geographical reach
- The caste system reflected all the intricate changes in Indian society and it adopted to the arrival of migrants
- It also accommodated the social changes brought about by trade and economic development.
- Migrants were given their own class and they had to follow codes of conduct (this helped them become integrated into Indian society)
- As merchants and manufacturers became more important, they organized powerful guilds to represent their interests. Guild members forged group identities by working within the caste system.
- Guilds were formed by merchants to represent their interests according to their specialization
- Caste distinction became prominent in northern India by the migrations of the Aryans.
- During the Postclassical era, the caste system became securely established in Southern India as well.
- Temples enforced the caste system because they were the only source of formal education