Tropical Africa and Asia, 1200-1500

Chapter 15

Tropical lands and peoplesBecause the angle of the Earth’s axis, the

sun’s rays warm the tropics year roundThe equator is the center of the tropical zone

with the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn marking its outer limits

The Afro-Asian tropics have their own cycle of rainy and dry seasons caused by the chances in wind patterns

In the Indian Ocean region, rainy and dry seasons reflect the influence of monsoons

These wind and rain patterns are responsible for the variations in tropical lands—from deserts to rain forests

Heavy rainfall = natural vegetation is dense tropical rain forest (i.e. West Africa, Southeast Asia)

No rainfall = desert lands (i.e. Sahara Desert)

Lands between deserts and rain forests range from wet woodlands to drier grasslands

Other variations in tropical climate result from altitudethin atmospheres hold less tropical heat than

atmospheres at lower elevations

In the tropics, some people raised domesticated plants and animals, but others, like the Pygmies, relied primarily on wild food that they obtained by hunting, fishing and gathering

From 1200-1500, farming became the dominant way of life for most tropical peoples

Depending on the climate, crops such as rice, grains and legumes were harvested

The spread of farming did not always create permanent changes in the natural environmentShifting cultivation

One of the great challenges of the tropical environment in parts of Asia is the uneven distribution of rainfall during the year

To conserve monsoon rainfall during drier parts of the year communities constructedWater-storage damsIrrigation canalsTerraced hillsides

Village-based irrigation systems were less vulnerable than complex irrigation systems built by governments—if damaged, they bounced back easier

Metalworking was another way to make use of natural resources

Iron was the most abundant of the metals worked in the tropics

In Africa, copper, copper alloys and gold were important exports

Metalworking and food-producing were important to tropical peoples becauseMost people made a successful livelihood

through exploitation of their environmentLabors and skills of ordinary people made the

rise of powerful states and profitable systems possible

New Islamic EmpiresMali in West Africa and Delhi in northern

India were the two largest and richest tropical states of the period between 1200 and 1500

Mali was founded by an indigenous African dynasty that had adopted Islam through the peaceful influence of Muslim merchants and scholars

The Delhi Sultanate of northern India was founded and ruled by invading Turkish and Afghan Muslims

In 1076, Muslim Berbers invaded Ghana, causing it to collapse and the rise of Mali in southern Sudan

Mali, like Ghana, depended on its agriculture and control of the trans-Saharan trade routes

Mali was different from Ghana in two ways:It was much largerRuled by Muslims who encouraged the spread

of IslamUnder the ruler Mansa Musa, Mali’s

reputation for wealth increasedUpon his pilgrimage to Mecca, he built new

mosques and opened Muslim schools

Mansa Musa’s successors proved to be less able rulers

Rebellions broke out among the people and outsiders wanting Mali’s wealth attacked the empire

By 1500, much of Mali had been taken over by various groups and Mali had collapsed

Sudan’s former trade and intellectual life moved east to other African states

Other states started to expand and continued to spread Islam:Hausa states—cotton textilesKanem-Bornu—gained control of Saharan trade

routes

The arrival of Islam in India was more violent—Muslims invaded cities , enslaved and massacred Indians and looted Hindu and Buddhist temples

Between 1206 and 1236, Muslim invaders extended their rule over the princes and chiefs in northern India

The Delhi Sultanate became and official Muslim state which caused Muslim invaders’ to transform from brutal conquerors to somewhat benign rulers

Personal and religious rivalries within the Muslim elite and discontent with the Hindus inevitably caused the end of the Delhi Sultanate

By 1351, all of South India was independent of Delhi’s rule and much of north India was in rebellion

The weakening of Delhi’s control revived Mongol interests in that areaTimur captured and looted Delhi

The Delhi Sultanate helped develop centralized political authority in India

It established a bureaucracy, improved food production, promoted trade and economic growth and established a common currency

Indian Ocean TradeThe world’s richest maritime trading network

at this time, The Indian Ocean routes also helped spread Islam

Trade increased because:The prosperity of Islamic and Mongol empires Demand for luxuries for the wealthy roseLarger ships made shipments of bulk cargoes

possibleCollapse of the Mongol Empire in the 14th

century disrupted overland trade, increasing the Indian Ocean routes importance

The typical cargo and passenger ship of the Arabian Sea was the dhow

It had two distinctive featuresThe hulls were sew together, not nailedTriangular lateen sails made of palm leaves or

cottonCargo and passengers heading to the eastern

half of the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea relied traveled on junksThey had been developed in China and

dominated the seasJunks were built from spruce or fir planks

held together with nails

Indian Ocean trade was decentralized and commercial interests, not political authority united these distinct regions

The Swahili Coast supplied gold from inland areas to eastern Africa

The Arabian peninsula supplied horses and goods to the middle East, Mediterranean, and eastern Europe,

India received goods from the east and westThe Strait of Malacca was the meeting point

of trade from Southeast Asia, China and the Indian Ocean

Trade expanded steadily along the East African coast where the people shared a common culture and languageAfrican in grammar and vocabulary by mixed

with Arabic and Persian terms and written in Arabic script

Overtime, these people became known as “Swahili” meaning “shores of the blacks”

Oral traditions associate the Swahili Coast’s commercial expansion with the arrival of Arab and Iranian merchants—attracted by gold

In Arabia, the city of Aden had two advantages which increased tradeMonsoon winds brought enough rainfall to

supply drinking water and helped grow grain for export

Convenient locationMerchants sorted to goods from one place

and would send them out on to anotherCommon commercial interests generally

promoted good relations among the different religions and cultures of this region

In India, the port of Gujarat prospered because of its rich agriculture and long coastline

In 1298, Gujarat was forced into the Delhi Sultanate which had mixed results:the state suffered from the violence of the

initial conquests in India, but prospered from increased trade with Delhi’s wealthy ruling class

The state derived much of its wealth from its export of cotton textiles and indigo to the Middle East and Europe and cotton cloth, carnelian beads, and foodstuffs to the Swahili coast

Gujarat was also important for its commerce

The main passage into the South China Sea was through the Strait of Malacca

As trade increased, this point became the object of political rivalry

The city of Malacca’s port dominated the strait and it grew from a small fishing village into an important port as a result of alliances

Merchants liked Malacca’s security and low taxes and the city served as the meeting point for traders from India and China and an emporium for Southeast Asian trade

Social and Cultural ChangeState growth, commercial expansion, and the

spread of Islam between 1200 and 1500 led to many social and cultural changes of tropical peoples

The spread of Islam was a major influence in the architectural change of urban centersMost places exhibit blends of older traditions

and new influencesMosques, churches, and temples served as

centers of education as well as prayer

Muslims promoted literacy, primarily among their sons, so they could read the religion’s classic texts

Advanced Muslim scholars also studied Islamic law, theology, and administration as well as classical Greek works of mathematics, medicine and science

Changes in architecture and education were results of the spread of Islam as a religion

Islam spread through:Long-distance trade and marketsMarriageUpheavals in different areas

Class structure and the status of some women changed significantly—the gap between the elites and masses widened

With the rising prosperity of the elites, a growth in slavery occurred—most were the product of wars

In Africa, the growth of powerful states led to an increase in domestic slavery, as well as export trade in slaves

The status of slaves varied depending on their skill and sexThey were trained for special purposes, used as

household servants, or women were used as entertainers and concubines

Hindu women continued to suffer from social and religious restrictions

Wives were expected to observe stricter rules of fidelity and chastity than their husbands

A females status was largely determined by the status of her male master—father, husband or owner

They were not permitted to play the kind of active roles in commerce, administration, or religion

Besides child rearing, one of the most widespread female skills was food preparation, especially brewing

Throughout tropical Africa and Asia, women did much of the farm work

They took home heavy loads of food, firewood, and water for cooking balanced on their heads

Other activities included making clay pots and clothing

With the help of the spinning wheel, the cost of making yarn for weaving was reduced, which was an activity done at home

Women of some social classes found their status improved by becoming a part of a Muslim household