They established trading posts in Cairo, Damascus, and a number of Black Sea ports, where they acquired goods bought by Muslim merchants from India, China, and Southeast Asia. While the northern Italian cities were busy trading
While the basic purpose of the Silk Road remained mostly the same, its’ goods and destinations went through many changes. The road started as a small transport route for Eurasian merchants, but later turned into an important economical and cultural necessity. Once Asian products, like spices and fabrics, were used by Europeans, they became dependent on them. This also occurred in Asia, and it began to shape both cultures. Also, due to the large amount of political changes that occurred during this expanse of time, the Silk Road also traveled through the new countries that began when the Roman Empire collapsed.
Christopher Columbus’ I have determined to a reliable narrator due to the fact that he was an experienced voyager of the sea as described in his history where it is mentioned that “His series of four voyages between 1492 and 1504 …… “. In the two letters he addressed, the first letter (the letter to “Luis de Santangel”) regarding the first Voyage and the second letter (the letter to Ferdinand and Isabella) regarding the fourth Voyage I can see many similarities and differences. The letters show much similarities and differences in the description of the surroundings such as vegetation and location. But there are also major differences such as the tone set for both letters. In the first Letter Christopher Columbus demonstrates a passionate tone providing a greater value to his accountability and reliability to his letters.
This increase in power made many countries and governments hungry for more power and would do anything to find it. The only thing that stood between Europe and the East were the Muslims. Europeans had been searching for a cheaper and easier route to the East for quite some time but when Marco Polo came back from his almost twenty year journey to China, their desire to find this new route became even more intense. Marco Polo brought back with him tales of luxurious items like rose-tinted pearls and golden pagodas. they realized more than ever that they needed to find this new route to the East.
The famous explorer Marco Polo was born in the year 1254 to a family of merchants. Even then, the city where he was born--Venice--was a center for commerce and trading in the Mediterranean region. Because Marco's family was wealthy, he received a good education, learning about classical authors, the theology of the Latin Church, and both French and Italian. He also developed an interest in history and geography that would stay with him for the rest of his life. When Marco was only six years old, his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo left for a journey to Cathay (China).
China, for example, supplied West Asia and the Mediterranean world with silk, while spices were obtained principally from South Asia. These goods were transported over vast distances— either by pack animals overland or by seagoing ships—along the Silk and Spice Routes, which were the main arteries of contact between the various ancient empires of the Old World. Another important trade route, known as the Incense Route, was controlled by the Arabs, who brought frankincense and myrrh by camel caravan from South Arabia. Cities along these trade routes grew rich providing services to merchants and acting as international marketplaces. Some, like Palmyra and Petra on the fringes of the Syrian Desert, flourished mainly as centers of trade supplying merchant caravans and policing the trade routes.
Also long distance trade became more effortless in carrying cargo weighing in the tons. As more possibilities opened up and other cultures picking up the developments of other cultures trade by sea became the standard. As a result of this there now spawned these major trading cities (or entrepots) where people would trade their goods. Three major entrepots during this era was the Quilon in Indai, Alexandira in Cairo, And Quanzhao in China. It was at these stations that ships from all over Afro-Eurasia docked to pick up and give goods.
The Growing Spice Trade In every home dining room or in most every eating establishment across the world, one phrase will inevitably be heard. "Can you please pass me the pepper?" Long ago pepper was a well sought after commodity and highly valued. In Southeast Asia, where pepper and other spices originated, the demand for spices by other countries would have a great impact and influence over the economic growth and cultural development for years to come. There were two main factors not originating in Southeast Asia that contributed to the economic development of Southeast Asia, the Crusades and the policy of the Chinese government.
Between 1420 and 1542 there was so much exploration occurring across many oceans (Pacific/Atlantic). The map of European exploration (Document 2) shows the areas explored and settled by Portuguese, and Spanish. This helps to show how over the centuries growth and expansion, had in fact, grown and expanded. This map only shows the travels of only the Portuguese and Spanish. It could be used to show how certain people under these rulers and how they benefited their rulers' search for conquest but took away everything from the natives.
Up to this time, the Italian merchants traveled widely throughout the East, bringing goods back in hopes of making a profit. They needed little by way of mathematics. Only the elementary needs of finance were required. * Determination of costs * Determination of revenues After the crusades, the commercial revolution changed this system. New technologies in ship building and safety on the seas allowed the single merchant to become a shipping magnate.