Sample History Essay Paper on Trade Networks in Southeast Asia

Trade Networks in Southeast Asia

Asia’s position in the ancient global trade remains unchallenged because of the documented historical facts. In the sixteenth century, Southeast Asia produced certain goods considered luxurious like silk, pepper, diamond and certain spices. Establishment of trade networks in Southeast Asia seems to be the major force behind the growth of the trade between the region and rest of the world. With time, many traders from different parts of the world like China and Europe arrived tin the region, either to trade, settle or as missioners. As merchants from other regions travelled to the Southeast Asia for trade, this region also exported certain goods to other regions across the sea. Consequently, it is important to note that trade networks in Southeast Asia played a major role into the World history. The trade networks ensured free movement of people from various places in order to trade and spread their culture. Some of the influences are religious, economical and even cultural. This paper seeks to present Southeast Asia fits into the world history through the ancient trade networks by looking into the various factors or consequences brought about by the trade.

Migration and Cultural Adaptation

The trade networks in Southeast Asia made it possible for the natives to transport local surplus goods to other regions. Most importantly, many other regions found it easy to travel to Southeast Asia to bring their own goods for trade. Chinese were some of the first people to trade with this region. Both regions had strong cultural and traditional beliefs; therefore, making the relationship mutual. As much as migration from other regions brought new ideas, culture and traditions to the Southeast Asia, this region had a number of things to offer to the world.[1] For instance, agriculture and metalwork were some of the areas that the region excelled. In agriculture, records indicate that this region was the first to grow bananas and yams. Moreover, domestication of animals like pigs and chicken likely started at this part of the world.

The route network provided an avenue for the movement of persons from China and Europe to Southeast Asia, something that exposed them to new ways of agriculture and ways of life. The trade network also covered sea transport, making the region the pioneer of the maritime innovation. Most importantly, the trade between Southeast Asia and China became possible because of the sophisticated boats built for travelling. On the same note, the region began making iron and bronze by 500BC. The migration and borrowing of information in the process of trade are important points that made the region contribute to more innovation. The merchants travelled carrying goods and artifacts from their countries of origin, leading to cultural exchange between communities. The different merchants met and freely exchanged ideas on how things worked in their countries.

One of the effects of migration is the deterioration of the local cultural practices. However, such seems not to have occurred in this region, despite allowing free trade movement. It seems that the region easily picked some of the best cultural and trade practices that they could assimilate into their own cultural setup. They have been able to maintain most of their cultural practices, but having the ability to adapt to other better trade practices.[2]

It comes out that most of the Southeast Asians have can trace their ancestral background from China and Tibet. The trade routes connected major settlements like Taiwan, Tahiti and even New Zealand. Southeast traders could carry their food and other cultural components like musical instruments, things that were adapted by their hosts.[3] The region also acted as the central point where all cultures could meet, different people displaying their way of life.

Religious Adaptation

Buddhism and Islam were the first religions that found their way to Southeast Asia because of the trade networks. In 1300s, traders from Sri Lanka who came to the region introduced Theravada Buddhism to the locals, the religion that dominated Southeast Asia within a short period. Most of the peasant farmers in the villages had embraced this universal religion, except Vietnam. Soon after, the Sunni Islam arrived due to the international trade in the region. This new religion spread quickly, replacing Theravada Buddhism because it was embraced in most parts of southern and western Asian regions. It is likely that that the spread of the Islam could have led to the use of force by the Europeans in order to achieve conquest.[4]

Religion contributed to the growth of regional trade blocks in order to create efficiency. By the 14^th Century, the regional trade blocks ensured that trade networks was more linked with shorter routes that the initial long trade routes. It rather surprising that archipelago region was a major link that helped in the formation of regional trade blocks. By this time, major cities came up because of the need to organize local products before shipment to other regions of the world. In the 14^th Century, the Muslim merchants played a major role in spreading Islam. By that time, Melaka was the biggest port that boasted of many merchants from many parts of the world than any other. Consequently, Melaka built a strong political and economic empire that influenced other regions through missionary work and trade in other regions like China. The spread of Islam at this period ensured the establishment of Dar al-Islam, an Islamic region that stretched to West Africa. The common faith and trade practices played an important role into the growth of trade in the Islamic region.

Western Expansion

Southeast Asia grew in the olden days because of the many people from various backgrounds, meeting to share ideas on how to improve products and trade. Early sojourners, like Marco Polo from Italy, who made a stop in the region on his way from China, praised the wealth and prosperity of the place, something that may have led to the interest by the Europeans in the region. Most of the Europeans developed interest on the vast beautiful lands of the Southeast Asian region. The arrival of the Portuguese to the region in the 15^th century changed the history of the place. These explorers arrived with sophisticated weapons that made them conquer the region. Their appetites for wealth drove them to taking over of the farms and the same time working towards converting the people to Christianity.

After the Portuguese conquest of the Spice Islands, the Spanish arrived, conquered, and colonized the Philippines. The Dutch, the English and the French soon followed them to the region, conquering and colonizing, Indonesia, Burma and Indochina respectively. Lastly, the American arrived and colonized the Philippines. What stands out is that arrival of the Western powers meant many changes in terms of the political leadership and economic activities. Some of the major changes that occurred were the expansion of the regions, adoption of capitalism and the beginning of industrialization. The European and American control of the region led to a number of changes on matters of trade. Most of these colonial masters worked towards mass production and export of the various products like spices, sugar and rice in bulk. According to historians, this may have marked the beginning of the trans-Pacific trade. Therefore, it is important to put it clear that Western rulers went to Southeast Asia, a region that was vibrant and wealthy, unlike the normal narrative that it was a poor region. It seems that the West impoverished the region with their thirst to expand their activities.

Colonialism and Emerging Global System

The continued dominance of Southeast Asian by the European Western powers led to the region-becoming part of the global economic and political system. This means that the region was able to enjoy the existing network of the global trade. Historically, this region became the most cosmopolitan area of the world, working to challenge the traditional alignment of the people. Colonization came with numerous challenges that affected the local economic growth. Major economical activities were directed towards supplying the colonial masters rather than benefiting the locals. Eventually, Southeast Asia became wealth creators for the masters who easily transferred all the profits to their home countries. For instance, the Dutch used the proceeds from Indonesian sugar and coffee exports to spur industrialization in their country.[5] The Americans, the French and British registered the same trend.

Migration of workers from other parts of Asia like China and India to Southeast Asia led to a number of changes in the population. Such migrants were required to work on the plantations owned by the colonial masters. At the end, the region underwent demographic changes as well as religious adoption. Christianity became the dominant religion in regions like Philippines. The movement of people helped in the intermingling and cultural diversity within the region.

Conclusion

Southeast Asia is a region that holds historical value in the world. The trade networks created in the early centuries helped in creating pathways towards movement of goods and services across various regions. Through the same routes, cultural and religious movement also occurred. Christianity, Islam and Buddhism moved to various parts of the world because of the trade routes established in the region. In most of the times, the merchants used these trade networks in order to spread their religion. As at now, Western nations are some of the developed in the world; however, this paper proves that the rapid growth in these places came from the wealth transferred from Southeast Asia during colonial times. These Western powers forcefully conquered this region in order to take control of the wealth of the place. The region remains one of the cosmopolitan places in the world, owing to the early migration of people in order to either trade or work on the farms. Therefore, Southeast Asian trade routes played major roles into establishing the current economic pattern. At the same time, the growth of the cities within the region occurred because of the merchants who passed and lodged is those places.[6]

Bibliography

Blussé, Leonard. “Junks to Java: Chinese Shipping to the Nanyang in the Second Half of the

Eighteenth Century,” in Chinese Circulations: Capital, commodities, and networks in Southeast Asia, eds. Eric Tagliacozzo and Wen-Ching Chang, 221-258 (Durham: Duke University Press, 2011).

Chew, Sing. The Southeast Asian Connection in the First Eurasian World Economy, Journal of

Globalization Studies. Vol. 5, No. 1 (May 2014).

Gilboa, A & Namdar, D. On the Beginnings of South Asian, spice trade with the Mediterranean

Region: A Review. Radiocarbon, 57, no. 2, (2015): 265–283.

Lieberman, Victor. “European Interventions in an Era of Multistate Parity, 1511-c. 1660,” in

Strange Parallels: Southeast Asia in Global Context, c. 800-1830, Vol. 2,

820-857.

 Tremml, Birgit M. “The Global and the Local: Problematic Dynamics of the Triangular Trade in

Early Modern Manila.” Journal of World History 23, no. 3 (2012): 555-586.

Tana, Li. “Tonkin in the Age of Commerce,” in Anthony Reid and the Study of the Southeast

Asian Past, eds. Geoff Wade and Li Tana, 246-268 (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2012).

---

[1] Leonard Blussé. “Junks to Java: Chinese Shipping to the Nanyang in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century,” in Chinese Circulations: Capital, commodities, and networks in Southeast Asia, eds. Eric Tagliacozzo and Wen-Ching Chang, 221-258 (Durham: Duke University Press, 2011).

[2] Chew, Sing. The Southeast Asian Connection in the First Eurasian World Economy, Journal of Globalization Studies. Vol. 5, No. 1 (May 2014): 24

[3] Victor Lieberman, “European Interventions in an Era of Multistate Parity, 1511-c.1660,” in Strange Parallels: Southeast Asia in Global Context, c.800-1830, Vol. 2,

820-857.

[4] Birgit M. Tremml. “The Global and the Local: Problematic Dynamics of the Triangular Trade in Early Modern Manila.” Journal of World History 23, no. 3 (2012): 555-580

[5] Li Tana, “Tonkin in the Age of Commerce,” in Anthony Reid and the Study of the Southeast Asian Past, eds. Geoff Wade and Li Tana, 246-266 (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2012).

[6] A Gilboa & D Namdar. On the Beginnings of South Asian, spice trade with the Mediterranean Region: A Review. Radiocarbon, 57, no. 2, (2015): 267–280.

Essay mills – Sample History Essay Paper on Trade Networks in Southeast Asia Essay writing services – Best Essay Services.