Page 14 - All About History - Issue 33-15

Trade

Trade and commerce across history

Alexander the Great’s
Persian conquest
GREECE 336 BCE
Known for his tireless military
campaigns, Alexander the Great
conquered far and wide until he
commandedanempirestretching
from Greece to Egypt and into
The sea route (in blue) Northwest India. While he set
helped spread the Silk Road
further than ever, extending aboutfoundingmorethan70
to central Europe and cities in the lands he had acquired,
Australia in recent times Alexander also implemented the
first form of multinational trade.
SILK ROAD ESTABLISHED IN ASIA WORLDWIDE 138 BCE He linked lands thousands of miles
The Silk Road is a hugely important historical trading route that provided a apart with a common language
cultural bridge between China, India, Persia, Rome and Greece. It was named and culture, helping them to
the Silk Road in 1877 due to the popularity of Chinese silk at the time. The route trade among themselves fairly.
was used for about 1,600 years, and was mapped by Zhang Qian during the Han The man himself also adopted
Dynasty. It not only helped the spread of international trade, but also helped foreign customs so he could better
spread art and religion throughout the world and established peace between Alexander is renowned for his understand the needs of each part
many of the nations that traded on it. military prowess, but also helped to of his empire.
establish multinational trade

Trade timeline O London’s O Edward III bankrupts O First modern
bank opens
Florentine bankers
trading centre
By this point in time, Edward III of England In this year, Venice
O Firstcurrencyinuse O Concept of banking London has established decides he will refuse opens the first
Theoldestcurrency introduced itself as a prosperous to pay back his debts modern bank (the
known to man comes in In Babylon, which is known as trading centre at the to Bardi and Peruzzi, Banco della Piazza
the form of gold bars. Iraq today, priests make loans hubofthe Roman road which drives the two di Rialto) for credit
These are known to from the temple treasure to network in Britain. 150 Florentine banking transfers and safe
be very valuable, and people outside of the church. families into bankruptcy. deposits.
are used in Egypt and This introduces the concept of 1345 1587
Mesopotamia. banking to the world. King of England for 50 years,
3000 BCE 1750 BCE Edward III restored royal authority
and saw the beginning of the
Hundred Years War
3000 BCE 1500 BCE 0 500 1000 1300 1550
O Busy trading O Ancient Egyptians O China develops O Italy develops O England
economy in Ebla establish trade routes paper currency accountancy introduces coins
A busy trading Hatshepsut, the fifth The Chinese begin to Northern Italian bankers For the first
economy had already pharaoh of the 18th develop paper money to develop a simple method of time in England,
been founded in a Dynasty of Egypt, replace their coin system. accountancy, then known as milled coins are
country we now call restores trade routes This aspect of Chinese double-entry book keeping, produced.
Syria. It is reinforced to buy frankincense and life hugely impresses which would eventually 1562
by strict military myrrh. 1478 BCE Hatshepsut sent soldiers Marco Polo when he The Song Dynasty introduced developintomodern-day
policies. 2400 BCE on trading exhibitions to visits. 900 the first paper money, which accountancy. 1300
the Land of Punt they called Jiaozis

Portugal uses slaves on Britain’sEastIndia
Brazilian sugar plantations Company founded
BRAZIL 1510 CE UNITED KINGDOM 31 DECEMBER 1600
The Portuguese were the first nation to In 1600, Queen Elizabeth I granted a Royal
introduce the new world to modern slavery. Ship Charter to the newly founded East India
owners desperately transported as many slaves Company, giving them a monopoly on trade
as they could to South America, particularly with the East Indies. Although it started out as a
Brazil, where they could be sold on as labour in trading organisation, it quickly grew to become
coffee, tobacco, cocoa and sugar plantations and involved in Indian politics, helping to enforce
gold mines. By the middle of the 17th century, British rule. By the 19th century, the company
slavery had become a racial caste; the children was operating in China, helping to expand British
of slaves automatically became slaves, to work influence in this part of the world. During its reign
In 1601, James Lancaster
for free for the rest of their lives. The slave trade of more than 200 years, it faced competition from
commanded the first voyage,
in Britain continued until 1807, when William visiting a number of locations a number of rival companies, but managed to
Both men and women were Wilberforce abolished it. including the Nicobah islands maintain its monopoly on the area until 1813.
traded at slave markets in Southeast Asia
14