Notes

From the establishment of new cities to the spread of religion, trade affected most of Afro-Eurasia. Merchants learning how to use the monsoon in the 1200s to move goods more quickly and efficiently and the invention of the astrolabe, a proto compass that used the constellations and other celestial bodies to help guide sailors, aided the Indian Ocean trade. In turn, the Indian Ocean trade spread Islam and the globalization of many regions in the Indian Ocean.
Foremost, the connection of countries through trade led to globalization. Originally, the majority of countries only had knowledge of their direct neighbors. Through trade they became more aware of the larger outside world. Europeans learned about Africans and Asians and vice versa. Countries began to learn of new goods they never had access to before. India gained silk from China and China gained cotton from India. Europe, previously mostly ignorant of spices, was exposed to cinnamon, saffron, pepper, and many more. Through the trading of goods only found in their respective countries, these nations were forever tied together by the shared need for these newly introduced items as they permanently impacted their societies. Presently, throughout Europe, people go to Indian stores for spices and Chinese stores for fabrics.
Furthermore, the Indian Ocean trade started with the arrival of Muslim traders. The Islamic Prophet Muhammed was a merchant, which encouraged many Muslims to follow his path, and they spread Islam wherever they did business. During the Mughal Empire in India, the increase in trade heightened the country’s wealth and Islamic faith. In modern times, most of the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean trade routes are Muslim.
In conclusion, trade in Afro-Eurasia from 1200 to 1450 resulted in many things. It spread religion with Muslim merchants around the Indian Ocean and blended cultures through globalization from all the interacting nations. The modern world was greatly shaped by trade in this time period.