6.7b - Interactions Across The Eastern Hemisphere - Practices A through E

Most exchange happened only by sea routes, not over land.

Movement of goods and ideas could occur in more than one direction along trade routes.

Trade mainly stayed inside East Asia and did not reach other regions.

The only important connection was between Central Asia and Africa.

Merchants were required to stay within their home region.

Relay stations helped travelers move messages and goods more reliably.

The map shows that overland routes were closed during Mongol rule.

Safe-conduct passes were used to prevent foreigners from traveling.

Fewer technologies spread because regions became more isolated.

Cultural diffusion increased as travelers carried ideas to new places.

All trade networks ended because merchants stopped traveling.

Diseases could not spread because travel was carefully controlled.

North China (1265)

Samarkand (1267)

Tabriz (1269)

Black Sea port (1271)

Because the itinerary lists multiple years, it suggests repeated movement over time along the same route

Because the itinerary lists one city, it proves trade was local and limited

Because the itinerary has dates, it proves the Mongols banned travel

Because the map uses arrows, it proves cultural exchange ended after 1271

Routes connected Africa to Europe but not East Asia to the West

Trade between regions happened only in a single year

Merchants traveled step-by-step across Eurasia over several years

Most exchange occurred by sea rather than overland routes

They supported communication and trade across a large empire, increasing connections

They were designed to stop cultural diffusion by limiting contact between regions

They show that Mongol rulers only cared about local village politics

They prove that merchants and messengers had the same role in society

It places the documents within a wider Eurasian network of routes linking distant regions

It proves that all exchanges happened only inside one city

It shows that Mongol rule ended trade routes between East and West

It demonstrates that travel was mainly by ocean ships, not overland movement

Both documents aim to make travel across the empire more organized and predictable

Document A bans merchants, while Document B bans messengers

Document A applies only to sea travel, while Document B applies only to farming

Both documents show that Mongol rulers discouraged movement between regions

North China and Persia

Central Asia and Australia

Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa

Persia and South America

It shows a network of routes linking multiple regions across Eurasia

It shows that trade stayed inside one small area of East Asia

It shows that routes avoided Central Asia and Persia completely

It shows that only sea travel mattered for exchange

Mountain barrier along parts of the route

A wide ocean separating the cities

A rainforest blocking all land movement

A polar ice cap covering Central Asia year-round

It suggests officials collected revenue from trade at gates and markets

It suggests taxes were used to end all trade between regions

It suggests taxes were only paid by farmers, not merchants

It suggests merchants paid taxes to avoid traveling on Mongol routes

Safer routes likely increased the variety of goods exchanged across regions

Trade decreased because fewer caravans were allowed to travel

Only luxury goods could be traded, so markets became smaller

Economic exchange happened only inside East Asia and did not reach other areas

The ledger lists goods both arriving and leaving from the same location

The document describes only one good produced in one village

The document shows that merchants were not allowed to exchange goods

The inset suggests caravans avoided cities to reduce contact