Section 3 Abu-Lughod

            The third section of Before European Hegemony discusses Asia and how the trading routes were comprised by the Indian Ocean and divided into three main parts. It also discusses how the Muslim religion began to spread ideals and dominate over most of this trading system. During the thirteenth century the Asian sea trade was divided into three main parts comprising the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the South China Sea. Actors were in charge of each division of trade and had in place certain political and economic rules that were followed and enforced. Each of these divided sections was put in place largely due to geographic location and not by the amount of power main actors had over the region. The Western part was mostly in charge by Muslims and had conduced trade through resident colonies of Muslim merchants. Many of these Muslims were incorporated into the region by assimilation, while some were native to the land and had adopted traditional Muslim ideals.

            These main trade routes were set by the wind patterns of the separate monsoon zones. Natural forces were the driving force behind main trade routes and dictated to merchants when they could travel safely without worriment of death or destruction to their goods. If a merchant left five to ten days later than supposed to they ran the risk of destructive crosswinds that could immobilize an eastbound ship for up to a year.  If a merchant needed to travel during a time when the winds were not in their favor they always had the option of traveling along the coastline between the Persian Gulf and Gujarat.  Another topic of discussion in this third section was India’s strategic location on the map and how it allowed them to have significant control over the trade. Even though they had the advantage of geographic location it still did not prevent them from eventually collapsing. The discussion of how India was involved in primitive world economies long before the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries is also in this section.

            What interested me most about this section of the book was the discussion on China and how they basically dominated the international system in place but eventually lost all power in the end. With this discussion I could not help but think of the United States current economic situation and the possibility that we could not only collapse but lose all influence within the international system. We have seen throughout history that states that were once dominate and in power for a long time can fall due to poor economic decisions and relations with other outside actors. I question the eventually fall of the super power and how China could  in fact dominate the system and control all future decision the United States makes. Since we owe so much to China will that be our economic and social downfall in the international system?