CHAPTER8NetworksofCommunicationandExchange.pptVIP

India: Gujarat and the Malabar Coast The state of Gujarat prospered from the Indian Ocean trade, exporting cotton textiles and indigo in return for gold and silver Gujarat was not simply a commercial center; it was also a manufacturing center that produced textiles, leather goods, carpets, silk, and other commodities Gujarat’s overseas trade was dominated by Muslims, but Hindus also benefited. Calicut and other cities of the Malabar Coast exported cotton textiles and spices and served as clearing-houses for long-distance trade The cities of the Malabar Coast were unified in a loose confederation whose rulers were tolerant of other religious and ethnic groups. Indian Ocean Trade Gujarat / Malabar Coast Delhi Sultanate wealth Trade: Cotton, linen, silk, indigo To Middle East and Europe Manufacture Leather, jewelry, carpets Cambay, Calicut Malacca South China Sea passage Political rivalries Majapahit / Chinese pirates Newer port city Alliances with Siam / China Islamic conversion Meeting point for traders from China and India Indian Ocean Trade Swahili Coast sawahil al-sudan Common language and culture Kilwa Gold Great Zimbabwe Copper, salt Aden Grain exporter Convenient stopover Commercial interests outweigh religious / political differences Africa: The Swahili Coast and Zimbabwe By 1500, there were thirty or forty separate city-states along the East African coast participating in the Indian Ocean trade The people of these coastal cities, the “Swahili” people, all spoke an African language enriched with Arabic and Persian vocabulary. Swahili cities, including Kilwa, were famous as exporters of gold that was mined in or around the inland kingdom whose capital was Great Zimbabwe Great Zimbabwe’s economy rested on agriculture, cattle herding, and trade. The city declined due to an ecological crisis brought on by deforestation and overgrazing Arabia: Aden and the Red Sea Aden had enough rainfall to produce wheat for export and a location that made it a cent