Growing demand for luxury goods and better commercial practices expanded overland trade. Merchants and travelers linked East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
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Unit 02 · c. 1200–1450
Networks of Exchange
Follow the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan routes to see how trade moved goods, beliefs, technologies, and diseases.
The big picture
What to know
Follow the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan routes to see how trade moved goods, beliefs, technologies, and diseases.
Camel caravans carried gold, salt, and other goods across the Sahara. Trade helped West African states grow and linked the Sahel to North Africa and the wider Islamic world.
Compare the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan networks. Consider geography, transport, goods, and the cultural effects of trade.
Check your understanding
01 / Multiple choice · 3 questions
Choose one answer for each question. Feedback appears below it.
Question 01
Which topic helps explain this development? Growing demand for luxury goods and better commercial practices expanded overland trade. Merchants and travelers linked East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
Question 02
Which topic helps explain this development? Camel caravans carried gold, salt, and other goods across the Sahara. Trade helped West African states grow and linked the Sahel to North Africa and the wider Islamic world.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
Question 03
Which topic helps explain this development? Compare the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan networks. Consider geography, transport, goods, and the cultural effects of trade.
Select an answer to check your thinking.
02 / Write with evidence
Write a short response
What changed when distant places became more connected?
- Make a claim that answers the question.
- Use two examples from the review.
- Explain how the examples support your claim.
See a model response
Follow the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan routes to see how trade moved goods, beliefs, technologies, and diseases. Caravanserai gave merchants places to rest and trade along overland routes. The camel saddle made long journeys across the Sahara more practical.
Resources & review
Quick study check
Before opening another resource, explain these examples from memory. Reveal each explanation to check yourself.
The Silk Roads
Growing demand for luxury goods and better commercial practices expanded overland trade. Merchants and travelers linked East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
Camel caravans carried gold, salt, and other goods across the Sahara. Trade helped West African states grow and linked the Sahel to North Africa and the wider Islamic world.
Comparison of Economic Exchange
Compare the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan networks. Consider geography, transport, goods, and the cultural effects of trade.
Read / watchOER Project · Unit 2 ↗
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Video / reviewKhan Academy · World History AP ↗A second explanation when you need to see a topic another way.
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Explore every topic
TOPIC 2.1
The Silk Roads
Growing demand for luxury goods and better commercial practices expanded overland trade. Merchants and travelers linked East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
TOPIC 2.2The Mongol Empire and the Making of the Modern World
Mongol conquests created a vast empire across Eurasia. Their rule brought destruction in some places but also encouraged movement of people, goods, and knowledge.
TOPIC 2.3Exchange in the Indian Ocean
Monsoon winds and improved sailing technology supported an expanding sea trade network. Coastal cities connected East Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and China.
TOPIC 2.4Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
Camel caravans carried gold, salt, and other goods across the Sahara. Trade helped West African states grow and linked the Sahel to North Africa and the wider Islamic world.
TOPIC 2.5Cultural Consequences of Connectivity
Trade networks spread religious ideas, artistic styles, and scientific knowledge. Travelers and diasporic communities helped cultures interact and adapt.
TOPIC 2.6Environmental Consequences of Connectivity
Greater movement also spread crops and diseases. New foods changed agriculture, while the Black Death caused major population loss across parts of Eurasia and North Africa.
TOPIC 2.7Comparison of Economic Exchange
Compare the Silk Roads, Indian Ocean, and trans-Saharan networks. Consider geography, transport, goods, and the cultural effects of trade.