Periodization: There were diplomatic dealings with Harun al-Rashid. There was political turmoil and other concerns so they laid the foundation of European Christendom- a region that never experienced political unity but adopted Christianity as the dominant source if cultural authority. The Byzantine Empire remained a political and economic powerhouse of the postclassical world. It was also an urbanized center of manufacturing and a highly productive society that both supported and benefited from trade throughout the eastern hemisphere. Both the Byzantine Empire and the European states to the west inherited …show more content…
There was also extensive irrigation system. There were three policies in particular that helped explain the success of the early Tang dynasty: maintenance of a well articulated transportation and communications network, distribution of land according to the principles of the equal-field system, and reliance on a bureaucracy based on a merit.
Chapter 15: Larger ships improved commercial organization supported a dramatic surge in the volume and value of trade. The merchants exchanged goods that they could take back with them for the winter monsoons. The trade supported political and economic developments as well.
Chapter 16/19: Byzantine merchants traded regularly with their Muslim counterparts in Persia, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt during periods of outright war between Byzantium and Muslim states. They profited by controlling trade and levying customs duties on merchandise that passed through the lands. Silk and porcelain came from China. The heavy plow was an innovation that replaced the light Mediterranean plows. It helped aerate the soil and break up networks of weeds.
What were the significant cross-cultural exchanges that resulted from the intensification of trade and communication