Networks and Exchange in the Islamic World
Networks and Exchange in the Islamic World By Eman M. ElshaikhFrom Malacca to Timbuktu, a vibrant Islamic network emerged during Era 4. Through trade, pilgrimage, and missionary work, a global Islamic community came together.1150L
2Networks and Exchange in the Islamic World Eman M. ElshaikhLocating the Islamic worldWe often hear the phrase, the “Islamic world,” or “Muslim world.” But where, exactly, was the Islamic world in Era 4? Was it everything within the borders of the early caliphates (Muslim empires)?1200 Miles1200 Kilometers60000600Alliance USATrevor R. Getz | States and Empires of West Africa | ISBN: ???Map 1 - 09/26/19 - First ProofExpansion under Muhammad 622-623 CEExpansion under the Rashidun Caliphate 632-661 CEExpansion under the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750 CEA map showing the expansion of Muslim-ruled states throughout Afro-Eurasia from 622-750 CE. Dark red shows expansion under Muhammad, 622-623. Orange shows expansion under the Rashidun Caliphate, 632-661. Yellow shows expansion under the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750. By WHP, CC BY-NC 4.0.1200 Miles1200 Kilometers60000600Alliance USATrevor R. Getz | States and Empires of West Africa | ISBN: ???Map 2 - Abbasid Caliphate at its greatest extent, c.850 CE09/26/19 - First ProofAbbasid Caliphate at its greatest extent, c.850 CEAbbasid Caliphate at its greatest extent, c.850 CE. By WHP, CC BY-NC 4.0.
3Networks and Exchange in the Islamic World Eman M. ElshaikhThat’s one potential answer. But then what happens when these caliphates break up? The map gets messy. After these massive empires become fragmented, we’re left with several Muslim states spanning Afro-Eurasia. And even if we trace around all of their borders—fuzzy and shifting, as dynasties rose and fell—are we leaving anyone out? What about Muslims living outside the bounds of Muslim states, in communities along trade and pilgrimage routes, or even farther afield?Map of former Abbasid territories in 1050. By WHP, CC BY-NC 4.0.These questions push us to think about what, exactly, pulled the Muslim world together, given that it’s made up of so many different political communities. We’ll talk about how trade, pilgrimage, and religious institutions energized the flow of ideas, things, and people across Afro-Eurasia. We’ll find out what created the spirited network that came to be known as “the Islamic world.”The Islamic trade zoneTrade and the Islamic world are tightly intertwined, because trade is the main way that Islam spread across so many regions. True, the political and military expansion of Muslim caliphates led to many new Muslims. And later, smaller dynasties spread Islamic teachings at the local level. But really it was merchants, teachers, pilgrims, and mystics1who spread the message—and they traveled far beyond the borders of the caliphate. Some scholars even argue that just by looking at the Afro-Eurasia trade routes that existed before Islam, you can see where Islam was headed.And that makes sense: the Islamic world was at the center of many overlapping Afro-Eurasian trade zones. After about 700 CE, anyone traveling along the Silk Road, across the Sahara, or sailing across the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean would go through places where Muslims ruled or traded. Hubs like Baghdad, Cairo, and Samarkand were smack dab in the middle of it all, connected by land routes and sea lanes. These linked up and expanded beyond Muslim-ruled states. Indeed, Abbasid coins made their way to Scandinavia, and Chinese papermaking technology made its way to Arab lands—most likely along these routes.1 A mystic is a person who engages in mysticism; mystics attempt to gain religious or spiritual knowledge through prayer and deep thought.
4Networks and Exchange in the Islamic World Eman M. ElshaikhThe majority of people traveling along these routes were men, especially merchants. However, in West Africa and Southeast Asia, both men and women worked as merchants. Women around the globe played an important role in creating networks. As male merchants traveled, they often married local women, creating new connections to their family networks and gaining valuable knowledge of local trade practices. Women were often involved in the production of goods. In addition, women often used their personal property to finance trade expeditions and loaned money to their male relatives.Muslim merchants brought more with them than their religion. They also spread the Arabic language, and many Muslims learned the language to understand Islamic sources. Arabic—and later Persian, too—became a lingua franca, meaning a bridge language that people spoke alongside their own indigenous languages. Across vast Muslim empires, common currencies like the dinar made it easy to exchange goods and services. They also brought new laws and technologies to help them to trade. Checks and bills of exchange2 were a lot easier and safer to move across trade routes than heavy coins, so Muslim traders began to use these new tools. Mathematical innovations, some adapted from Indian thinkers, made it easier to crunch numbers, especially currency conversions and investment returns.A dynamic communityBut a far simpler technology had a huge impact: the caravan. Caravans were basically traveling communities that used pack animals, especially camels, to carry cargo and people across long distances. People of all professions, not just merchants, traveled in caravans for many reasons. They cooperated with each other. And caravans were slow—covering only a dozen miles a day or so before stopping at a medieval rest area called a caravanserai. The constant motion of caravans made communities fluid and dynamic. People were always coming and going. New communities were always springing up around the many caravanserai.The dynamic, connected community of the Islamic World also relied on the movement of people who weren’t merchants. Pilgrims were super important. The annual hajj brought thousands of Muslim pilgrims from faraway corners of Afro-Eurasia to worship at the Ka’aba at Mecca in Arabia. Along the way, people bought and sold all kinds of goods and services. It’s because of the holy pilgrimage to Mecca that we have important stories like the one where Mansa Musa literally destroyed the value of gold for a while. Or the many tales of Ibn Battuta’s fascinating travels. Both started with pilgrimages.2 Bills of exchange were informal documents that allowed a merchant to order a banker in another location to make a payment on his behalf to a merchant for goods or services.One of the first mosques, in Kerala India, was reportedly built during the life of the Prophet Muhammad. Shahinmusthafa, CC BY-SA 3.0.