Asian+Transitions+in+an+age+of+Global+Change

The Asian Trading World and the Coming of the Europeans MI- The Asian sea trading network was a peaceful trade system between the Arabs, India, China and various islands in between the 3 key parts.
 * **Asian sea trading network** broken down into 3 main parts
 * Arab zone - glass, carpets, and tapestries
 * India - cotton textiles
 * China - paper, porcelain and silk textiles
 * Japan, mainland kingdoms/islands in south east Asia and east Africa provided raw materials
 * broadest demand and highest price paid for spices
 * navigation -> sailed near shoreline - Arabs and Chinese had compasses and large ships but preferred set routes
 * two characteristics of the trading system crucial for Europeans to dominate it
 * no central control
 * military force absent from commercial exchanges
 * diff merchants found over the world looking to profit themselves or for people that fund them
 * peaceful trading b/c people always wanted goods the other person has

Trading Empire: The Portuguese Response to the Encounter at Calicut MI- The Portuguese attempted to control parts of the trading network
 * Portuguese not prepared to abide to informal rules of trade
 * through eyes of mercantilists, trading seemed bad b/c other kingdoms would benefit = more power
 * Portuguese decide to use force to obtain goods from other countries
 * Chinese junk fleets only thing able to stop Portuguese
 * force not as effective so they attempt to control the towns in those areas
 * Captured **Ormuz** on southern end of Persian Gulf and **Goa** on western Indian coast
 * da Gama force ports in Africa & India to submit -> combined Egyptian and Indian fleets together
 * aim of empire was to est. Portuguese monopoly control over Asian products
 * combination of licensing system & monopoly = control of a portion of Asian trading network

Portuguese Vulnerability and the Rise of the Dutch and English Trading Empire MI- Unlike the Portuguese, both the Dutch and the English used a more peaceful approach to try and gain profit from the trading network.
 * Portuguese did not have enough ships to control their monopoly or licensing system so rivals able to trade
 * resistance of Asian rivals, poor military discipline, corruption in the crown officials and shipping losses = heavy toll on empire
 * Portuguese no match for the Dutch or the English, the Dutch became victorious
 * Dutch captured key Portuguese ports and built their own at **Batavia** on Java island
 * focused on certain spices rather than the whole trade
 * Dutch trading empire made up of
 * fortified towns and factories, warships on patrol, and monopoly control
 * removed or wiped out island people who grew spices not under the Dutch
 * Dutch found that greatest profit was peacefully be worked into the trading system
 * relied on fees from transporting goods and resold items for higher prices

Going Ashore: European Tribute Systems in Asia MI- European power was at it’s peak when they were on sea but as they moved inland move, this power slowly decreased.
 * ships and guns allowed Europeans to force way into trading system but as they moved inland more, their force was weakened
 * Dutch moved inland to discover perfect area to grow coffee
 * Spanish invaded Philippine Islands and conquered **Luzon**
 * Spanish's fails on conquering **Mindanao** showed that European did not have power
 * controlled settlements making them pay tributes in a form of agricultural products

Spreading the Faith: The Missionary Enterprise in South and Southeast Asia MI-
 * Roman Catholicism fundamental part of global mission of Spanish and Portuguese
 * major clashes between Islam and Christianity believing peoples
 * dream of Christian Asia joining Iberian crusade against Muslims
 * India was a promising field for conversion to many religions
 * Franciscan and Dominican missionaries as well as Jesuit **Francis Xavier** helped the low-caste peoples
 * **Robert di Nobili** developed conversion strategy by trying to convert the high-caste down
 * high-caste peoples refused to be on same level as lower caster
 * beyond socially stigmatized groups such as the untouchables, conversion of pop. occurred in isolated areas

Summary - The Asian sea trading network originally consisted of three major areas, the Arabs, India and China along with various areas in the Indian Ocean that produced spices. There was much peace between these areas due to goods wanted by both sides. This changed as the Portuguese believed that by using brute force, they would gain profit while not allowing other countries to gain power or profits. The brute forced used by the Portuguese to create a monopoly and control a portion of the trading network backfired on them because they lost power as resistance increased while their military power decreased. The Dutch and English has a more peaceful and effective method to being part of this trading system which proved to be more profitable. Also unlike the Portuguese trying to monopolize all spices, the Dutch chose certain ones. European power was more feared when they were on ships but as these countries moved more inland, they lost more power over Asian countries.

Do now - 2/9/11

What was the nature of the relationships b/w traders in the Indian Ocean trading network before the Portuguese arrived? What opportunities did this create? Easily to use military to dominate, used their fleets to try and regulate trade with licenses Spread of Christianity difficult b/c of Islam and Hinduism Trade monopoly – spices, (able to est. factories) There was a peaceful relationship between the many countries in the India Ocean because different areas provided goods that other areas want in return. IE. India known for their cotton textiles whereas the Chinese traded silk textiles and other areas has spices. There was the opportunity. Social norm traders followed, no central control, no military (fragmented) or force Individual traders – self interest -> support family __not__ country Dependent on one another -> mutual benefits in trade


 * China || Japan  ||
 * * Yuan dynasty overthrown and Zhu began a "quest" to rid China of all Mongol things
 * Confucian learned scholars appointed highest
 * examinations made more difficult for scholars
 * completely changed from before
 * clear limit on influences of administration
 * Hongwu might have improved living standards of common people b/c he was peasant
 * there was more land owning by mostly everyone
 * neo-Confucian thinkers believed that during Ming Dynasty, it was more influenced than under Song and Tang (youth to elders and women to man)
 * underground activities from students and women increased b/c no way to speak out
 * China received most silver than any other society b/c wide range of goods
 * merchants in China gained moeny not from long-distance trade but from land loaning
 * Zhenghe began to expand China through the sea, had initial fleet of 62
 * connected China with rest of Indian Ocean, ships were great compared to Europeans
 * China changed from great power overseas back to being an isolated empire
 * Europeans also tried to convert peoples to Christianity through missionaries
 * || * three military leaders to restore unity and peace in area w/ much civil wars
 * **Nobunaga** – “cruel”, first to use firearms
 * deposed last of Ashikaga shoguns and unified much of central Honshu
 * **Toyotomi Hideyoshi** - renewed drive of Nobunaga
 * dream of ruling China and India
 * threatened the Portuguese and attacked Korea
 * **Tokugawa Ieyasu** - consolidation of power at home
 * land ownership changed around, either owned by daimyos or Tokugawa family
 * items brought in by Europeans were soon manufactured and improved by Japan
 * complete change of warfare in Japan
 * acceptance of missionaries changed from being favored to being seen as a threat after Nobunaga was murdered
 * missionaries eventually banned b/c of fear that military forces will soon come
 * new ideology, neo-Confucian revival ||