1. Tropical Africa and Asia, 1200-1500
Chapter 13
AP WORLD HISTORY

2. Focus Questions
How did environmental differences shape cultural differences in tropical Africa and Asia?
Under what circumstances did the first Islamic empires arise in Africa and India?
How did cultural and ecological differences promote trade, and in turn how did trade and other contacts promote state growth and the spread of Islam?
What social and cultural changes are reflected in the history of peoples living in tropical Africa and Asia during this period?

3. The Tropical Environment
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

4. Human Ecosystems
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 , 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

5. Water Systems and Irrigation
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
Village-based irrigation systems were less vulnerable than complex irrigation systems built by governments—if damaged, they bounced back easier
Water-storage dams
Irrigation canals
Terraced hillsides

6. Mineral Resources
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

7. Mali in the Western Sudan
Mali was founded by an indigenous African dynasty that had adopted Islam
In 1076, Muslim Berbers invaded Ghana, it collapsed and Mali arose in southern Sudan
Mali, like Ghana, depended on 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

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

9. Monsoon MAriners 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

10. Africa: The Swahili Coast and Zimbabwe
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
The Swahili Coast supplied gold from inland areas to eastern Africa

11. Arabia: Aden and the Red Sea
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

12. India: Gujarat and the Malabar Coast
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

13. Southeast Asia
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

14. Architecture, Learning, and Religion
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

15. Social and Gender Distinctions
In Africa, the growth of powerful states led to an increase in domestic slavery, as well as export trade in slaves
Wives were expected to observe stricter rules of fidelity and chastity than their husbands
Hindu Women vs. Muslim Women
A woman’s status was largely determined by the status of her male master—father, husband or owner
Throughout tropical Africa and Asia, women did much of the farm work