Comparisons and Contrasts of Asian and European Empires

Comparisons and Contrasts of Asian and European Empires

Foreign trade is one of the most important aspects of Asian and European Empires. Without trade, these empires would not have flourished in the manner that they did. Many different factors played a role in developing trade in their cultures. As various empires ruled from 2000 BC to 1911 in Asia and Europe, trade has had a major influence in the development of those cultures as seen today. The nation that has the most success in trading becomes the strongest nation and will last the longest.

The three major Muslim Empires, located in South and Southwest Asia were; the Mogul Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Persian Empire. The first empire, the Mogul Empire, was developed in the 1100s. Culturally, this empire became most famous because of its immaculate trade and flourishing classical arts. The main amount of trading for the Moguls was done with the Chinese, who traded silk and porcelain for gunpowder and paper. Secondly was the Ottoman Empire, which originated in Asia Minor in the late 1200s. The Ottomans controlled most of the Mediterranean Sea and shared diverse trading relationships with other nations and cultures around that area. Suleiman I was the greatest ruler during the Ottoman Empire. Their trade contrasts with that of the Chinese trade because the first ten dynasties of China traded over a wide region and the Ottomans only traded in the region of cultures near their own. The next empire to evolve was the empire of Persia. Persian control began in what is now present day Iran in the 1500s. Persian rulers forced the Shiite form of Islam into their empire. The strict rulers, however, expanded trade throughout the areas where Muslims lived. The three greatest rulers of the Persian Empire were Ismail, Shah Abbas, and Nader Shah. Ismail formed the empire. Shah Abbas strengthened the military. Nader Shah expanded the empire to its greatest ruling ever.

Chinese dynasties strived on a central government that based itself on agricultural development. China consisted of twelve dynasties, one of which is legendary. The following are the Chinese dynasties in order from oldest to most recent: Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. The legendary dynasty is the Xia, which is believed to be around 2000 BC. The Shang (1700-1000BC) developed the first written Chinese language. The Zhou (1028-221BC) built the first roads, expanded trade contacts and trade routes, and also developed plows and irrigation systems. Trade at this time was expanding in China. The Qin Dynasty (221-207BC) built the famous Great Wall of China as a defense mechanism and also united all of China under one central government. Next is the Han Dynasty (207BC-AD220), which did a lot for China in terms of trading. They developed the Great Silk Road, a trading route that stretched from China all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. The Sui Dynasty (589-618) united almost all of China. Followed in suit by the Tang Dynasty (618-917) discovered one of Chinas' leading exports, porcelain. During the Tang Dynasty, the first block-style printing press was invented. The Song Dynasty (960-1279) came next, which took over all of China and later took the southern rule after being conquered by the Jin. The Song Dynasty is responsible for developing Chinese cuisine as we know it today. During this time period the compass and gunpowder were also discovered. The Jin Dynasty (1127-1234) took rule over Northern China from the Song. The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) brought a long period of peace to China for many years. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) introduced new