HIS 111 Lecture 15: History111Oct16
Document Summary
Too expensive: wanted to focus on interior frontier (fears of attacks from nomadic groups from the asian steppes such as the mongols) Private shipping and timber trade flourished regionally, just did not need massive treasure fleets to accomplish this: chinese demand for silver fueled revival of trade across indian ocean and tradi- tional overland routes. The ming moved the capital from nanjing to the prosperous city of bei- jing. The reconstruction of the grand canal improved north-south transporta- tion networks for trade: despite official ming restrictions on trade merchants and coastal cities remained active, silver was the basis of the ming monetary system. India geographic center and economic center of numerous trade routes. Indian population expanded almost as quickly as china"s. Bengal exported textiles and rice throughout s and sw asia. Contact commerce and colonization: wave of explorations" that opened up new territories with resources and potential converts, magellan, 1519 first circumnavigation of the globe, christopher columbus, 1492.
