1. CCOT Essay
Analyze continuities and changes in commerce along the Indian Ocean from 650 C.E. to 1450 C.E.
(the actual AP exam asked for up until 1750)

2. Patterns of Interaction at the Beginning of Time Period
Malay sailors began riding monsoons to go to China and India (passed knowledge to others and made connections with various people)
Desire for cotton and sugar from India
Desire for silk from China and spices from East Indies (cinnamon, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, mace)

4. What empires are driving trade during this time period?
Malay sailors use monsoons; Indian traders
650
1450
Umayyad Dynasty ( )
Abbasid Dynasty ( )
Tang Dynasty ( )
Song Dynasty ( )
Swahili City-States (formed during 700s and flourished from )
Srivijaya (controlled Strait of Malacca from )
Mongols (1200s-1300s)
Ming ( )
Europeans enter Indian Ocean trade (late 1400s)

5. Intensified interactions all across Eurasia and Africa
Spread compass, printing, and gunpowder (from China to Persia to Europe)
Spread of plague

6. Continuities What is staying the same during this time period?
Reliance on monsoon winds
Exchange of goods is constant (sugar, cotton, spices, silk, textiles)
Spread of religions is constant (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam)
Spread of advances (gunpowder, compass, printing from China; math from India)

7. Changes Trade routes (expansion) East African Swahili States
Greater inclusion of China (Tang/Song)
Dominating empires
Rise of Islam (greater inclusion of East Africa and creation of Swahili states; astrolabe and dhows made trade easier )
Reunification of China (Tang/Song) – intensified interactions and led to creation of Srivijaya; compass and junks made trade easier)
Rise of Mongols – led to increased interest in trade by Europeans
Ming – initially held off Europeans (reasserted China’s greatness), but withdrawal opened door for Europeans)
Creation of new states
Srivijaya (driven by all water route to China through Strait of Malacca)
Swahili City-States (Swahili was a mix of Arabic and Bantu)
Participation of Europeans (Portuguese and Dutch)

8. Global Context
What is going on during this time period that is allowing these changes and continuities to take place?
The construction of large and powerful states provided security for merchants and travelers, which helped long-distance commerce
Golden ages of powerful states led to the flourishing of ideas (many advances)

9. Intro with Thesis
From 650 C.E. – 1450 C.E., commerce along Indian Ocean trade routes was flourishing.

10. Thesis
While the spread of ideas and goods remained constant, the empires dominating this trade changed which led to the creation of new states as well as the eventual participation of Europeans in the Indian Ocean trade network.

11. Don’t forget to analyze!!
Make sure that you are not only stating what the changes and continuities are, but also WHY they happened.