Tropical Africa and Asia, 1200-1500 Chapter 15

Tropical lands and peoples Because the angle of the Earth’s axis, the sun’s rays warm the tropics year round The 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

No rainfall = desert lands (i.e. Sahara Desert) 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 altitude thin 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 environment Shifting 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 constructed Water-storage dams Irrigation canals Terraced 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 because Most people made a successful livelihood through exploitation of their environment Labors and skills of ordinary people made the rise of powerful states and profitable systems possible

New Islamic Empires Mali 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

Mali was different from Ghana in two ways: 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 larger Ruled by Muslims who encouraged the spread of Islam Under the ruler Mansa Musa, Mali’s reputation for wealth increased Upon 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 textiles Kanem-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

The weakening of Delhi’s control revived Mongol interests in that area 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 area Timur 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 Trade The 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 rose Larger ships made shipments of bulk cargoes possible Collapse 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 features The hulls were sew together, not nailed Triangular lateen sails made of palm leaves or cotton Cargo and passengers heading to the eastern half of the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea relied traveled on junks They had been developed in China and dominated the seas Junks 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 west The 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 language African 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 trade Monsoon winds brought enough rainfall to supply drinking water and helped grow grain for export Convenient location Merchants sorted to goods from one place and would send them out on to another Common commercial interests generally promoted good relations among the different religions and cultures of this region

Gujarat was also important for its commerce 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 Change State 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 centers Most places exhibit blends of older traditions and new influences Mosques, 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 markets Marriage Upheavals in different areas

The status of slaves varied depending on their skill and sex 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 sex They 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