Indian Ocean Trade vs. Silk Road Essay Sample

During the period of 600- 1450. the eastern hemisphere was connected through many trading paths. Although both the IOT and SR resulted in huge wealth being created. the IOT promoted islam through its ocean ocean trips and the SR supported Christianity through the overland paths. and it had more drastic effects on society. The SR and IOT were gaining in huge wealth due to being sole bargainers. When the Crusaders or the Christian knights from Western Europe came to the ME. in order to claim back their sanctum metropolis Jerusalem. they were awed in admiration as they saw how spices came and went. and the transfusion of many edifying thoughts took topographic point. They witnessed Arabic numbers. philosophical thoughts. and even damagess to their ain thoughts. As a consequence. they used the Arabs’ thoughts to counterbalance for the lost Greek cognition. Overall. the Italian merchandiser category flourished with wealth from the new alien spices and goods. and trade merely became stronger at that place. On the other manus. the IOT was dominated by many Arab bargainers. One advantage was that Arabs were able to entree many ports such as Calicut or the Swahili City-States. ensuing in more cultural and economic influence.

Since many spices particularly pepper originated in India. Arab merchandisers were successfully able to sell Piper nigrum at a higher monetary value because of its high demand and fad. Clearly. even though different parts and people got affected by the trade paths. they both demonstrate the huge wealth that was produced as a consequence. The IOT was an effectual tool in distributing Islam. by making other lands for trade. This is seen when looking at Indonesia. which is the world’s largest Islamic heritage state outside of the ME. Many of the Arab went to ports in Java and Bali to merchandise their goods and spread Islam. and as a consequence. such ocean trips proved to be a success by holding Islam entreaty to many aliens. Furthermore. it about wiped out the fact that Buddhism even existed in Indonesia. Not merely was Islam a “trade” . but so were lanteens. Crocus sativus. and canvass. Lanteens were triangle canvass used on dhows or little boats that were able to travel against the air current. which proved to be a important trade since most boats other than the debris were dhows which roamed the IOT.

Saffron proved to be an every bit of import trade because of the high value that was placed on it. Not merely did it add intense and fantastic spirit to nutrient. but during a clip where there were no iceboxs. Crocus sativus helped continue nutrient. Slaves. another major beginning of trade. had the strongest influence since they were the most valuable “goods” and they were the most traded/bought goods. Slavery non merely played a cardinal factor so. but would make so in centuries to follow every bit good. The SR promoted the influence of Christianity. largely because its concluding finish was Rome. After the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. a big part of Rome did so every bit good. ensuing in Rome going a Catholic province.

After many goods arrived in Rome. from topographic points every bit far as China. cultural diffusion occurred as a consequence. Besides. the Crusaders influenced the route as they ventured on recapturing Jursalem. In the SR. the major goods that were traded were silk and porcelain from China. and Equus caballuss from Persia. Silk. of all the goods listed. was the most of import. non merely because of its value. but besides its quality. which resulted in the SR being called the “SR” . However. highly unlike like the IOT. the SR had a black consequence due to Mongols go throughing off a disease called “Black Death” . It had a mortality rate of 100 % and many. many people died. Due to the SR. it spread all the manner to western Europe. and took many lives off there every bit good. Besides. there was a general sense of pestilence stalking the route since so many people used it and the minutess of diseases weren’t preventable.