The Making of a Global World

🏫 Pre-Modern World

📖 Introduction to Globalisation

  • Globalisation → Economic system that developed in the last 50 years.
  • Shaped by history of trade, migration, capital flows, and cultural exchanges.
  • Human communities became closely interconnected over time.

🚶‍♂️ Movement of People in Ancient Times

  1. Since ancient times, travellers, traders, priests, and pilgrims moved large distances:
    • To seek information, opportunities, spiritual fulfilment.
    • To escape discrimination or hardship.
  2. These travellers carried commodities, money, values, skills, innovations — and even germs & diseases.
  3. 3000 BCE → Indus Valley Civilisation linked with West Asia through coastal trade.
  4. Cowries (seashells) used as currency in the Maldives → spread to China & East Africa.
  5. Long-distance spread of disease germs traced back to the 7th century.
  6. 13th century → India actively involved in global trade.

🐉 Importance of the Silk Route

  • Named after the silk cargoes from western China.
  • Multiple land & sea routes connected Asia ↔ Europe ↔ North Africa (existed before Christian era).
  • Items traded:
    • From Asia → Chinese pottery, Indian textiles & spices.
    • From Europe → Gold & silver.
  • Cultural exchange:
    • Christian missionaries & Muslim preachers spread religion.
    • Buddhism spread from eastern India to other parts of the world.

🍜 Food as a Medium of Cultural Exchange

  • Traders brought new crops:
    • Noodles from China → became spaghetti in Europe.
    • Arab traders brought pasta to 5th century Sicily.
  • Crops unknown to India until after Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas:
    • Soya, groundnuts, maize, tomatoes, chillies, sweet potatoes.
  • Introduction of potato in Europe → improved diet & lifespan of the poor.

☠ The Great Irish Famine (1845–49)

  • Potato crop failed for consecutive years due to Late blight disease.
  • Thousands died of hunger.
  • Before famine → Potato = over half of total crops.
  • After famine → Potato share dropped to 12.5% by 1900.

⚔ Conquest, Disease, and Trade

  • 16th century → European sailors discovered sea routes to Asia.
  • India became a central point in this trade network.
  • Indian Ocean was a hub for exchange of goods, people, knowledge, customs.
  • Americas offered vast land, agriculture, minerals → transformed global trade.
  • Precious metals from Peru & Mexico → increased Europe’s wealth → funded trade with Asia.
  • El Dorado → mythical city of gold attracted explorers.

☣ Germs & Colonisation

  • Colonisation of America by Portuguese & Spanish helped by:
    • Superior weapons.
    • Smallpox & other diseases → deadly to native populations.
  • By mid-16th century → large parts of America colonised.

😷 Europe Before the 19th Century

  • Widespread poverty & hunger.
  • Overcrowded cities, fatal diseases common.
  • Religious dissenters persecuted → many migrated to America.
  • Slave trade from Africa → labour for cotton & sugar plantations in America for European markets.

💰 Shifting Centres of World Trade

  • Till 18th century → India & China = richest nations.
  • China’s isolation from the outside world → allowed Europe to become the key trade centre.