Summarize Missionary effects
and Agriculture Diffusion
By:Sathvik Datla
Agriculture diffusion-Spread of Agriculture
- Long distance journeys enabled Muslim travelers to introduce new food and commercial crops to Sub Saharan African communities. These large numbers of long distance travelers facilitated agriculture diffusion from period of 1000 to 1500.
- Citrus foods and Asian strains of rice which enriched the diets in West Africa.
- Muslims also introduced cotton to west Africa which then became very popular.
- Asian strains of rice were introduced.
- Muslim travelers and cultivators began large scale production of sugarcane in southwest Asia and north Africa. They introduced European crusaders to crystalized sugar refined from cane. Prior to this Europeans has little access to sugar and relied on honey and fruits for sweetness.
- Italian people started organizing sugarcane plantations on Mediterranean islands including Sicily and Cyprus. Rapidly increased demand encouraged investors to seek locations in the Mediterranean Basin for additional plantations.
- From 1000-1500 agricultural diffusion enriched diets and supported increasing populations.
- The spread of cotton brought economic developement.
Missionary Effects
Islamic Missionaries
- Islamic values spread through legal scholars and the Sufis mystic missionaries.
- Sufis ventured to conquered or converted lands to win a popular following for faith in Islam.
- Sufis emphasized piety and devotion to Allah.
- Roman Catholic missionaries accompanied crusaders where Europeans traveled.
- After 1000 AD, Christianity became widely established.
- European merchants created demand for Roman Catholic services in China.
- The most active Roman Catholic missionary in China was John of Montecorvino, an Italian Franciscan who went to China in 1291.
- John translated the parts of the Bible into Turkish, a language used by the Mongol court.