Innovations In Eurasia

Barron’s Review Assignment Three
“Evaluate the effects of the spread of scientific and technological innovations in Eurasia from 1000 to 1450.”

It can be said that Eurasia underwent large changes between 1000 and 1450. Governments were changing their methods of control and trade networks increasing globalization worldwide. Along with these new changes, scientific and technological innovations in Eurasia took flight and reached new heights unseen. As new ideas traveled main trade routes, such as the Silk Road and the Mediterranean, the effects of such were felt through an influx of contact between countries due to increased desire for new information and countries gaining a larger presence on the world stage. This phenomenon can also be seen
As the classical world became more globalized, more countries gained a larger spot on the world stage. When a country had a desireable study or technology, they earned more respect on the global stage. This can be further examined by looking at Marco Polo’s voyage into Asia. Upon returning to Europe, Polo reported on Asian technologies that had been previously unknown of. These included the silk produced, astrolabe, the compass and the movable-block printing. These technologies became commodities in Europe of high demand. Therefore, much of Asia had a large export. This gained them respect on the European stage. This also increased European interest in Asia, furthering the trends of globalization that had been seen with the development of the Silk Road. This can also be examined through the prominence of madrasas. These were religious colleges and centers of philosophical learning. They originated as a byproduct of Islamic presence in the Caliphates. These learning centers attracted Christian European scholars to much of Islamic Spain and Asia. As the work of translators such as, Averroes, made these scientific findings accessible for larger populations, the Muslim world grew in prominence in Eurasia. A less prevalent byproduct of these globalization and contact was the boosting of economies. As scientific learning centers and new
The phenomenon of cross-cultural exchange is characterized by syncretic languages, religions and traditions occurring in locations due to trade and travel. Both cultural exchange and information exchange were direct results of major Eurasian trade networks. These most prominently included the Mediterranean Sea network, the Indian Ocean trade and the Silk Road. Also, just as the innovation spread resulted in translations of ideas into languages to suit a population, traditions from one culture would be adapted to fit another. This can be seen by looking at the Angkor Wat. This was a temple complex built in Cambodia during the 1100s. This was originally built as a site of Hindu worship, but as India became increasingly Buddhist, it was transferred into a Buddhist center. This is similar to the translation of Islamic Spain scholarly ideas into Italian to appeal to other cultures and be further improved upon by the adoptive countries. These similarities of adaptation to new countries and the usage of major trade networks as vehicles synthesizes the cross-cultural exchange between 1000 and 1450 to the technological of the same period. The effects of the spreading of scientific and technological innovation between 1000 and 1450 were felt across Eurasia. These phenomenon resulted in higher degrees of interregional contact and the entrance