1.1: Early Modern Globalization

The World System in 1500

We begin our exploration of modern world history in 1500. It was a time in which a larger segment of the global population than ever was integrated into a still loose, but fairly robust system of interaction and exchange that stretched across large portions of Afro-Eurasia. Even within this connected world many, if not most, people could continue to live their lives unaware of or unaffected by the existence of this system. Yet, many others built livelihoods based on the existence of large-scale networks of interaction.

These networks shifted more than goods around this world. Along with the textiles, spices, metals, animal products, and slaves, people also moved knowledge and information, technology, styles and foodstuffs while also inspiring new desires and new ambitions. In cities like Timbuktu, Bruges, Alexandria, Jeddah, Aden, Calicut, Malindi, Malacca, Samarkand, or Hangzhou residents survived, and even thrived, by engaging with this system. Major languages included Greek, Arabic, and Mandarin Chinese. Additionally, Europe, China, and India were part of an international monetary system based on gold and silver. For the most part, gold and silver were an agreed upon form of exchange for two people who did not speak the same language. It was common to use the currencies from India, Spain, Venice, or the Ottoman Empire. Such currencies would have an official stamp on them.

Overall, long-distance trade surged, because it was supported by a highly sophisticated legal framework. Traders drew up elaborate contracts and when contracts were breached, merchants took their cases to courts. Each religious group had their own court in place. Therefore, traders were confident that agreements made in India would be honored in Southeast Asia, Egypt and North Africa. Major religions included Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism. In general, religious toleration was the norm.

Although merchants from different religious groups traded all over the Eastern Hemisphere, Muslim merchants were the world’s premier traders during the 1400s. The Islamic Middle East became the crossroads of Afro-Eurasian trade, but Muslim merchants were found all over the Eastern Hemisphere. The spread of Arabic and Islamic law enabled businessmen of many different ethnic backgrounds to flourish. Islamic judges were very knowledgeable of trade. Figure 1.1.1 shows the Muslim trading routes of the Eastern Hemisphere. There are land and see routes that stretch from the Atlantic Ocean in Africa to the Pacific Ocean.

The world of 1500 was a world without a center. Essentially there were three large transcontinental commercial circuits, namely European, Middle Eastern, and Asian. The European network linked the areas along the Atlantic Coast with many parts of the Mediterranean. The Middle Eastern network linked the areas between the eastern Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. The Asian network connected the Indian subcontinent with China and Southeast Asia. The Pacific remained out of bounds to Asian sailors, because it had a wind system and currents that made it extremely difficult to sail in the direction of the Americas.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Modification of work “World map blank shorelines” by Maciej Jaros/Wikimedia Commons, Rice University, Open Stax, in the Public Domain

Regional Specialization

For the most part, East Asia played a very prominent role within the East Hemisphere trading system. China’s exports have historically been dominated by two articles in high demand: silk textiles and fine porcelain. Chinese porcelain was valued for its shape, material, color, and glazes. The desire for rare articles not obtainable in China was one reason why overseas trade remained open. China imported incense, perfumes, spices, precious metals, and horses. Southeast Asia was ruled by local princes, and the area has had strong Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist influences. It was a major spice producer which included mace, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. In the southeast Asian port of Malacca there were Arabs, Indians, Armenians, Jews, East Africans, Persians, and eventually Western Europeans.

In the center of this trading system was India and the Middle East. India was a major exporter of high-quality cotton and silk textiles. It got precious metals from the Middle East and spices and aromatics from the east. The Indians of the west coast of India were Muslim while the Indians in the east coast were more Hindu and Buddhist. On the west coast of India, ships came from the Middle East and east Africa while on the east coast, came ships from Indonesia and China. For the most part, the Middle East was a large area of consumption which imported more than it exported to India and China. Horses as well as gold and silver flowed out of the Middle East.

Most of the world’s gold came from Africa, and gold from Africa was being injected into the Indian Ocean economy. East Africa increased the export of gold, ivory, and slaves for goods as far as China. Currency in Africa was often cowries, which were a species of seashell found in the Maldives Islands of the Indian Ocean. The east coast of Africa was largely Muslim and had a strong Arabic influence.

In 1500, Europe played a relatively minor role in this Eastern Hemisphere trading system. Olive oil, glassware, flax, and metal goods were its main exports. There was also a small but steady demand for heavy European woolen products. This European wool was used for floor coverings and for heavy ceremonial tents. Muslims had little interest in the goods which Europe had to offer. Europe was mostly Christian and northern Italians, especially the Venetians, controlled foreign commerce in western Europe.

Review Questions

• How was there regional specialization in the Eastern Hemisphere trading system?
• What were the major cultures of the Eastern Hemisphere trading system?