Trade during the Islamic Golden Age
Trade routes during the Golden Age of Islam were incredibly important for maintaining the growth and prestige of the capital city of Baghdad. These trade routes allowed Muslim merchants to spread influence and Islamic teachings across the eastern hemisphere and into Europe. Chiefly among the reasons for the spread of Islam was the scattering of Muslims along established trade routes and the Islamic practice of direct trade, wherein Islamic merchants carried goods over long distances themselves rather than relying on intermediaries.
Around 700 CE, traders who traveled along the Silk Road or who sailed through the Mediterranean sea found themselves frequently interacting with hubs of Muslim activity and trade. These population centers, such as Baghdad, connected both land and sea trade routes between Europe and Asia. Across the Muslim trade network, Arabic became a bridge language for traders who wished not only to communicate with those from distant lands but also to read Islamic sources and Holy Books. The creation of standardized trade routes led to usage of checks and bills of exchange for increased safety and lighter loads while traveling across the desert.
Muslim traders positioned in Baghdad found themselves at the perfect crossroads between European and Asian markets and were able to take full advantage through the trade routes they developed. These routes brought wealth back to the capital city of Baghdad and spread the Islamic faith across Asia. Much of the acceptance of the Islamic faith throughout Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa is suggested to have come as a result of those land's interactions with Muslim traders. Additionally, the personalized nature of trade with Muslims made deals with those of similar beliefs and faiths easier to accomplish.
Trade also brought new technologies to Muslim lands, such as the ability to print paper. These technologies led to a boom in intellectual and scientific knowledge within the Muslim population centers of Baghdad and Cordoba. The wealth brought in by the trade caravans that spanned across thousands of miles fueled scientific discovery and experimentation all across the Islamic world. This period of time lead to large increases in literacy rates due to the increase of knowledge that was available in written form, and was responsible for the preservation and translation of many ancient Greek and Persian texts.
References
Elshaikh, E. (n.d.). Read: Networks and exchange in the Islamic World (article). Khan Academy. Retrieved December 8, 2021, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-4-regional/42-systems-restructure-betaa/a/read-networks-and-exchange-in-the-islamic-world-beta.
Merchant Train Dealer Middle Ages by blende12 is under CC by Public Domain Certification
Michalopoulos, S., Naghavi, A., & Prarolo, G. (2018). Trade and Geography in the Spread of Islam. Economic journal (London, England), 128(616), 3210–3241. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12557
Merchant Train Dealer Middle Ages by blende12 is under CC by Public Domain Certification
Michalopoulos, S., Naghavi, A., & Prarolo, G. (2018). Trade and Geography in the Spread of Islam. Economic journal (London, England), 128(616), 3210–3241. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12557