History

Rachel Bennett

History 125, 9/30/15

Both the Arab and Chinese civilizations were powerful and influential societies between the 7th and 11th centuries. Both cultures had very strong agricultural and manufacturing economies. In addition, they both utilized commerce as a strong force for their economies. However, there were several significant reasons related to geography, philosophies on trade, and the value of merchants in society, that made Arab merchants more active in Indian Ocean trade from the 7th to the 11th century than Chinese merchants.

There were fundamental differences in the Arabian and Chinese countries that significantly affected how they viewed commerce and merchants in their society. Throughout the time period, the Abbasid caliphate was in control. The caliphate controlled a large territory with a greater population than Rome. Due to the centralized location of the Arabian Peninsula, it became the center of trade throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. The peninsula is centrally located between all of the eastern hemisphere’s water ways and continents. The trade networks established as a result of this location caused the Islamic empire to become a leading economic power. In addition, Islamic merchants had great influence over trade routes, resulting in an expanded merchant economy.

Another reason why there were more Arabian merchants from the 7th to the 11th centuries was due to the philosophy the Arabs had regarding commerce and the merchant class. Commerce played a key role in using economics to spread Islamic culture and religion through trade. The Arabs saw trade as a form of spreading their beliefs and culture throughout the region. They traded with Europe, India, China, Africa, and South East Asia. They even expanded their economy by establishing banks in other countries, thus making it easier to trade. Due to the fact that trade played a vital role in the life of the Arabs, a large, highly esteemed, merchant class...