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WHII. 5 Impact of Global Trade on Regional Civilizations
Islamic Empires: Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire emerged as a political and economic power following the
conquest of Constantinople. A Turkish clan—calling themselves Ottoman Turks settled part of
Asia Minor formerly Anatolia and began conquests to build an empire. They conquered much
of the Byzantine territory, making Constantinople their capital in 1453 and renamed it
Istanbul. Extending their Muslim empire spread through Southwest Asia, Southeastern Europe,
Balkan Peninsula, and North Africa. The Ottoman Empire maintained a strong navy in the
Mediterranean to protect the lucrative trade of coffee and ceramics they controlled there.
Suleiman (Suleyman) I the “Magnificent” an
early Ottoman ruler ruled from 1520 to 1566
receiving the name “The Lawgiver” for his works
in organizing Ottoman laws. Suleiman acted as
both the sultan, or political ruler, and the caliph
(kal-if), a spiritual leader of Islam; he enjoyed
absolute rule. Suleiman needed support to rule
effectively the bureaucracy, enforced the sultans
decisions and the Ulema, made rulings on
questions of Islamic law.
The sultan maintained an elite group of soldiers called janissaries who were a fierce and loyal
fighting force. The army conquered and controlled new territories within the empire.
The Islamic religion was a unifying force and to accommodate that accepted other
religions. Ottoman Muslims ruled diverse people including Arabs, Greeks, Albanians, Slavs,
Armenians, and Jews. To accommodate these diverse populations, the government made
special laws affecting those who did not practice Islam. Non-Muslims were allowed to practice
their faith in return for payment of a tax. Ottoman law also permitted diverse religious groups
to run affairs in their own millets, or communities.
Islamic Empires: The Mughal Empire
In the early 1500s Muslim people from Central Asia conquered the Hindu states of
northern India. Descendants of the Mongols, the Muslim Mughal (Mogul) conquered Delhi
and set up the Mughal Empire. The Mughal ruler, Akbar the Great (1542-1605), brought
peace and order to northern India. A Muslim leader he ruled over a Hindu majority and held a
policy of religious tolerance, including tolerance of Hinduism. Akbar also welcomed Jesuits to
his court and helped economic growth through the production of textiles for export to Africa
and Asia which influenced the British textile industry.
The Mughal Empire began trading with European nations: Portugal, England, and the
Netherlands competed for the Indian Ocean trade by establishing Coastal ports on the Indian
sub-continent. Muslim merchants brought gunpowder, paper, and Chinese porcelain to Mughal
India. Southern India traded silks, spices and gems. In 1609 Aurangzeb gave British merchants
permission to trade in Bengal. A century later, Britain took advantage of the weakening
Mughal Empire, gained control of all India.
Mughal rulers made their courts
centers of art and learning. Shah Jahan
built the world’s greatest tomb, created one
of the world’s most beautiful buildings—the
Taj Mahal at Agra—a magnificent example
of Muslim architecture. Muslim architects
introduced the arch and dome to India
East Asia: China
The early Ming (“brilliant”) emperors spent government money on a navy that could sail
to foreign ports and collect tribute for the emperor. In the minds of emperors, foreign trade did
not bring enough benefits to China ocean voyages were costly. They focused their efforts on the
long northern land frontier to combat threats of nomadic tribes to the north. The Ming
strengthened the Great Wall of China and encouraged soldiers to move to the frontier. The
government discouraged trade with foreign countries partly because Confucian philosophy
regarded trade as the lowest of occupations. The Ming emperors wanted economic selfsufficiency and adopted a policy of national isolation.
The Ming government became corrupt, incompetent and began to limit spending on the
country’s military. The economic problems that arose let to peasant rebellions. The rebellions
eventually destroyed the Ming dynasty and allowed the Manchu from Manchuria (northern
china) to invade and conquer a weakened China. In 1644 the Manchus set up the Qing
(CHING), or “pure” dynasty. The Qing dynasty carried on the policy of isolation. China was
thus not prepared for the rising powers of Europe in the centuries to come.
Increase in European demand for Chinese goods (tea & porcelain) motivated
Portuguese, Dutch and British traders to develop a business relationship with the Chinese. To
get adequate supplies of Chinese tea and silk European countries agree to Chinese restrictions
such as the creation of foreign enclaves and limited trade with a few approved merchants.
Imperial policy of controlling foreign influences and trade continued but the Qing Dynasty
began to lose control in 1841. The Treaty of Nanjing, China gave the island of Hong Kong to
the British.
East Asia: Japan
Japan
became
as
a
collection
of
independent
states
ruled
by
an emperor, who was considered a descent of the Sun Goddess. The emperor was controlled or
advised by a shogun the supreme military commander in service to the emperor.
Beginning in the 1540s, Portuguese merchants arrived in Japan, selling desirable goods
such as muskets (shoulder guns). Portuguese traders were followed by other European and
Catholic missionaries (initially Jesuits), who brought Christianity. Eventually the Jesuits
made a large number of converts, and the Portuguese were allowed to reside in Nagasaki and
carry on trading and missionary activities.
European missionaries were tolerated in Japan until 1614, when the Tokugawa shogun
banned Christianity. The shogun believed Christians threatened his plans to control all
Japanese society. The Portuguese were expelled and Japanese converts were executed. The
Shogunate adopted a policy of almost total isolation from the outside world, which lasted until
the mid-19th century.
As part of the Tokugawa plan to keep Japan isolated the government refused to give
shelter to ships from nations during storms. Western nations that sought commercial expansion
wanted Japan to follow China’s lead and end its isolation. In 1853 President Fillmore of the
United States sent Commodore Matthew Perry and a powerful naval force to Japan. The
negotiations between the shogun and Perry led to the Treaty of Kanagawa (kah NAH gah
wah) in 1854. Under the treaty the Japanese opened two ports to let Americans obtain fuel,
shelter, and supplies.
Africa
Europeans sailed to Africa where they established armed trading posts as part of the
triangular trade system. African exports included slaves transported across the Atlantic in
what is known as the Middle Passage and raw materials such as gold and ivory. African began
to import manufactured goods from Europe, Asia and the Americas and new food products
(corn & peanuts). Portuguese traded along Africa’s Indian Ocean coast in route to the Bay of
Bengal and trade with Arab and India trading posts.
Growth of European Nations
As European states expanded, they soon began to compete with one another for resources
and wealth the economic practice of mercantilism evolved in Europe and its colonies. Under
mercantilism, governments believed that the key to maintaining the power of a state was to
increase it supplies of gold and silver and extended to include growing valuable cash crops in
the colonies. These crops brought a great deal of wealth to the “mother,” or colonizing country.
An economic practice adopted by European colonial powers in an effort to become selfsufficient; based on the theory that colonies existed for the benefits of the mother country.
Colonial economies were limited by the economic needs (natural resources and markets) of the
mother country.
Europeans changed basic economic practices to
meet the needs of exploration. These changes
between the late 1400s and the 1700s became
known as the Commercial Revolution. The two
major developments were new money and
banking. Coins were produced with fixed value
(money) and encouraged international trade and
banking. Individual merchants joined together into
a new kind of business organization called a jointstock company to finance exploration.
WHII. 5 Impact of Global Trade on Regional Civilizations
Answer in complete sentences:
5a Ottoman Empire:
1. In what part of the world did the Ottoman Empire have its beginnings?
2. What city did the Ottomans capture and make their capital?
3. What did they rename the city?
4. What was traded in the Ottoman Empire?
5. What was the dominant religion of the Ottoman Empire?
5a Mughal Empire:
6. The Mughal Empire began in what part of the world?
7. To enshrine his wife’s memory, Shah Jahan ordered the building of a tomb “as beautiful as she was
beautiful” that is now called the
8. The Mughal Empire had to compete with European nations for trade on what body of water?
9. Which European countries traded in India?
10. What was the dominant religion of the Mughal Empire?
WHII. 5c
11. List two Chinese goods Europeans demanded.
12. China’s trade policies, designed to minimize outside influence included:
13. In the 17th and 18th century Japan adopted what policy to limit foreign influence?
14. Who negotiated a treaty with Japan which opened two ports to the US?
WHII. 5d
15. What items were exported out of Africa?
16. What items were imported into Africa?
WHII. 5e
17. According to mercantilism colonies existed for what purpose?
18. List two things colonies provided for the mother country?
19. What developed during the commercial revolution?