¡ Which ocean does Marks think was the most important in 1500?

(43)
The author of this book, Marks thinks the Indian ocean was the most important in 1500. It
was a center of commerce for global exchanges of goods, ideas, and culture with China, India
and the Islamic Near and middle East meeting there as the major players. This trade route
facilitated the exchange of a wide range of luxury goods, like spices, textiles, precious metals
and so on.
¡ Why did Yongle begin the voyages to the Indian Ocean?
The emperor wanted to track down his nephew the emperor he deposed because there was a
rumor that he had escaped. Second, he wanted to show off the flag, impressing other foreign
countries that China is the wealthiest, most powerful civilization in the world. Lastly, the emperor
wanted to foster overseas trade and explore the vastness of the Indian Ocean and the unknown
lands with a desire for discovery.
¡ Why was silver chosen as the medium for taxes?
China had a trouble with their monetary system because the government printed too much of paper
money resulting in inflation and loss of public confidence in the currency. As a solution they tried to
use silver and imported silver from Japan which eventually led to sufficient amounts of silver
circulating. So they tried to create a huge demand by using silver as the medium for taxes instead of
grain and silk. And I also thought that another reason was because copper coins was expensive to
transport and store so they chose silver which is more valuable and compact as a more practical
solution.
¡ What ended the Chinese treasure ships?
There had been internal problems within China between those who wanted to continue the
voyage and those who wanted China to apply its resources to the greater threat of the
Mongols to the north. And that conflict was resolved when the emperor died, prioritizing
Mongol’s threat first. Then the china focused in agrarian economy and rebuilt and lengthened
the Great wall because the nomads were their like main enemy.
¡ Which countries and cultures dominated the Indian Ocean and what did the ‘West’ introduce?
(50~51)
Well, first there was no political power, and no countries and cultures trying to dominate, and
it was just self-regulating. However, during the period of 1500~1750, the Portugese, Dutch,
French, and English introduced “armed trading” into the Indian Ocean. Europeans tried to
take control of the profitable trade in Indian Ocean, but couldn’t until the advent of
steamships which is in the 1800s since the trade was so great.
¡ Which product was most exported from India? What did ‘dar al-islam’ create to facilitate
trade? (56)
India was known for their great textile like cotton so a considerable amount was produced for
export. Due to high demand from both domestic and foreign, Indians had to create a whole
manufacturing system to grow the cotton. ‘dar al-islam’ created a realm of common
language4 and custom that covered much of the Eurasian world within which trade, ideas, and
culture could develop. This made communication and business dealings easier between
diverse populations.
¡ How did the Muslim powers control trade and Europe? (56-57)
The rise of the Muslim powers led to cutting Europe off from the Indian Ocean, which is the dynamic
center of world trade. Muslim powers didn’t like directly control European economies, but their
dominance over trade routes and key goods gave them significant economic leverage. This in turn
indirectly influenced European economies and eventually leading them to a gradual shift in global
trade power.
¡ What connection does the author draw between Islam and Africa? (58)
The author involves Africa as an Islam and see them as a part of ‘dar al-Islam’ because
Islam’s power was extending. Islam spread across North Africa and gradually moved South
through trade routes and military conquests. I think that Islam’s power in Africa shaped the
continent’s religious landscape, political structure, social practices, and cultural identity too.
¡ What is the connection with global trade and slavery?
First, slaves were used in almost every society like Europe, the Islamic empires, China, and
India. So there was a world market for slaves, and especially European and Muslim traders
eager to supply. One example from the past is the Venetian merchants trading with the
Mamluk empire in Egypt, trading slaves with spices and gold in the markets. Basically Global
trade enabled slavery in many parts of the world which concludes with having a profound
impact on global demographics and societal structures due to the exploitation and forced
migration of people across continents.
¡ What obstacles were there for development in Africa? (60)
Africa has a huge land measured 30 million square kilometers, but relatively low population
density. Low population was a hurdle to development since it limited the market size and
lacked skilled labor. Also, Africa’s environment led human population growth to many
obstacles because of poor soils, diseases, and dangerous large animals. Poor soils mean
limited arable land that also leading to shortage of food that can be produced domestically to
support a growing population.
¡ How does the author paint Europe before the arrival of gunpowder?
Before the arrival of gunpowder, people had to protect their piece of land and castle with weapons
like swords, knives, lances, pikes, and long- and crossbows. Along with traditional weapons,
heavily armored knights and siege warfare tactic were used.Many stone built castles high on hills
overlooking river valleys were used, and there were also a lot of places building walls for
protection in medieval Europe.
¡ What was the effect of gunpowder upon Europe?

The arrival of gunpowder in Europe, around the 14th century, had a profound and multifaced
impact, revolutionizing warfare, society, and even political structures. Cannon was very useful to
many European rulers that the major activity of them was warfare. However, wars using cannons
and other guns made war costlier that it drove European politics toward a territorial state with
sufficient wealth generated in towns and cities, and a population sufficiently large to sustain
armies. Also, the impact of gunpowder wasn't uniform across Europe. Wealthier nations adopted these
technologies faster and used them to gain an advantage over their neighbors.

¡ Why did Henry ‘the navigator’ set out to circumvent the Cape of Africa?
Henry ‘the navigator’ had to set out to circumvent because the Islamic world blocked
European from accessing goods of Asia. Therefore he had to find a different sea route to Asia
around these obstacles that established direct trade with Asia, thereby cutting out both the
Venetians and the Egyptians.
¡ What power balance shift occurred in the late 15th century?
Portugal with their succuss in overseas exploration and growing economies fueled by trade,
emerged as major players on the European stage. The Portuguese had introduced armed trading
into the Indian Ocean, and had taken by force several trading cities. Also, they used force to take
 up a prominent position in the Indian Ocean.
¡ What was the purpose of this chapter?
History shows that Asian countries had a significant influence on the world trading system development.
Therefore, Chapter Two was written to explain interactions and interdependencies between China, India, the
Islamic world, Africa, and Europe. For many reasons, none of the countries are capable of producing all
resources, materials, and goods citizens require. So I think that this chapter provided instances where the
first two regions, which had a technological advantage, became suppliers of valuable resources such as silk,
porcelain(폴씰린), and cotton textiles.

I found an article about China’s defense budget from BBC. China has announced a 7.2% increase in its
defense budget for 2024, totaling $231.36 billion, reflecting a moderate and reasonable approach to national
defense development. Despite this increase, china’s defense expenditure as a percentage of GDP remains
low compared to other major military powers like the US and Japan. And what the Chinese expert
emphasize about this is that the country's defense strategy is defensive in nature and aimed at
peaceful development, distinct from the global hegemony pursued by some Western
countries. Chinese experts also mention that sufficient defense funding will enable the
Chinese military to fulfill its international responsibilities and obligations. However, many
critiques point out to the fact that whether it is really a rational decision to increase the
defense budget in a time when China’s economy is struggling and that it seems meaningless
to increase the budget so much.

I think that excessive defense spending could divert resources away from addressing
pressing domestic issues and hinder long-term sustainable development goals. And that
might be China’s ultimate goal behind this.