World Before Exploration

• Europe– Byzantines?

– High Middle Ages?

– Late Middle Ages?

– Renaissance?

Review: World Before Exploration

• Arabs– Islam?

– Abbasid Dynasty?

– Crusades?

Review: World Before Exploration

• China– Song Dynasty?

– Mongols?

– Yuan Dynasty?

– Marco Polo?

– Ming Dynasty?

Review: World Before Exploration

• The world during the fourteenth century consisted of three great trading systems:– East Asia System (dominated by Chinese)– Middle East-Mongolian system (dominated by Arabs)– European system (dominated by Italians)

• These trading systems were all linked together.– Allowed a “world system” of trade to develop.

• Functioned without a central controlling or dominating force.– No one controlled the whole system.– Each system could prosper.

• As a result, the world is polycentric.– “More than one center”– Each has its own wealthy center of population surrounded

by population providing raw materials.

What could destroy this “balance?”

• By late 13th century, a group of Turks begin to build power.– Ottoman Turks

• By 1453, the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople.– Change name to

Istanbul.

• Eventually conquer much of former Islamic Empire.

Rise of the Ottomans

• With the Ottomans now controlling the important crossroads between Europe and Asia, the Europeans begin looking to the seas for trading routes to Asia.– Lead the Europeans to Africa and the Americas.– Will change the “polycentric” nature of the world.

A new route to Asia?