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Unit 2: Networks of Exchange (c. 1200–1450)

Trade Networks & Cultural Diffusion

Trade routes moved far more than goods — they spread religions, technologies, and diseases across vast distances.

Overview

The Silk Roads spread Buddhism into China and beyond; Indian Ocean trade spread Islam along the East African coast and into Southeast Asia; Trans-Saharan trade linked West African gold/salt to the Mediterranean world. The key AP skill: connecting a specific trade route to a specific cultural or economic consequence, not just naming the route.

Practice Quiz

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Which is a documented long-term consequence of Indian Ocean trade networks in this period?