Continuity And Change Between 600 CE To 1450 CE

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Between 600 CE to 1750 CE, the process by which trade was conducted on the Indian Ocean changed dramatically. With the new maritime knowledge in the Indian Ocean, larger ships were able to connect Africa to the rest of the Indian Ocean network, leading to merchant Diaspora which continued throughout the era. From 1000 CE to 1400 CE, African city-states began to grow and led to an intensified trading network throughout the Indian Ocean. With this increase in cross-cultural interaction, new technology, ideas and diseases were exchanged.
The advancement of shipbuilding technology was instrumental in the growth of maritime trade in the Indian Ocean. The invention of the Dhow by the Chinese, which was a large, stable ship with masts that could carry a lot more tonnage than previous ships, and the use of Chinese Junks which was also an enormous ship, allowed long distance voyages to occur. These ships allowed for easier travel along the Indian Ocean, and began to connect Africa to the rest of the Indian Ocean trade network. Due to the advent of this new technology, merchants were …show more content…

The chinese were a big player in the trade industry and they focused on paper-making, printing and most importantly gunpowder and cannons. China favored stability over innovation, and throughout this era they continued to have a dominant and strong economy because of the constant demand for chinese goods, especially gunpowder being one of their biggest trading goods. However, throughout this period they were not only continuing to send technology, but they were receiving it too. Although trading was very beneficial during this period it also led to a lot of disease. The Bubonic Plague was the deadliest disease that spread from Europe all over north Africa and Asia, due to the sheer volume of trade that was taking place during this time