Networks of Exchange Share/Embed

Before you watch

As a reminder, skim the transcript and read the questions before viewing. Additionally, pause the video at important points.;

While you watch

1. What are caravanserai and why were they useful?
2. Where did large regional networks exist in this era?
3. How was trade conducted over the largest network in Afro-Eurasia and what goods were traded along this route?
4. How are the themes of governance and economic systems linked when studying networks of exchange in this era?
5. How did the creation of the Mongol Empire disrupt trade but also lead to building new caravanserai?
6. How did caravanserai affect many of the regions in which they were built?

After you watch

Respond to this question: Many of the things you use today come to you from far away. If you need proof, just look at the tags on your clothes or the “made in ____” labels on your pens or electronics. Using evidence from the video, what is one way that long-distance trade has changed since 1200 CE?

Before you read

Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.

While you read

Look for answers to these questions:

1. What evidence does the author mention to challenge the narrative that European peasants had miserable lives?
2. What is an artisan and where were the largest centers of artisan production in 1200 CE?
3. How does the author explain the existence of the merchant occupation?
4. What are the economic, cultural, and biological consequences of long-distance trade described by the author?

After you read

Respond to the following questions:

1. The author opens this article by suggesting that life for European peasants wasn’t all that bad, in part because they had access to new trade goods. Do you think that access to new types of goods was always beneficial for the common people? Can you think of any types of goods that might have made life worse for some people?
2. In Unit 1, you explored the diversity of the global tapestry from 1200 to 1450 CE. Unit 2 covers the same period, but focuses more on the way diverse regions were connected. After reading this article, do you think it is useful to study the world by dividing it into separate cultural or geographic regions? Why or why not?