Abu-Lughod Part 3

This last section focuses on Asia. With emphasis on sea passages along India, the Strait of Malacca and China. She makes it clear that while India was along important trade routes, the society was not greatly interested in trading. They were capable of opting out because they were more interested and capable of cultivating and self-sustaining.

The role of China was also discussed. The advancement of technology in China proved them to be a likely adversary in the goal for global domination (not to sound cheesy..). They were advanced in the making of paper,weaponry, iron and steel working, and ship building.

I thought it was interesting when Abu-Lughod talked about the rise and fall of who held power global market at the time. She says that had China not experienced a major economic collapse and then a massive shutdown of it's naval exploration and trade, it would have taken the place as a world economic center (371). She mentions two specific factors leading to China's failure: the Black Death that ravaged the system, and the Mongol decline. The latter is important because they were the key link that connected land routes and sea routes. Abu-Lughod called this a power vacuum, and the reason which made Europe's subsequent domination possible.