Environmental Differences

Environmental differences affected social, political, and economic institutions in the Delhi Sultanate, the Swahili city-states, and Mali. Many of these differences helped the civilizations, but some affected them badly. Mali had abundant rainfall and a very tropic climate which helped with the fertile soil in the area for farming. Although there was also high mountain ranges and plateaus that had cooler weather and shorter growing seasons. Malians adapted to this tropic climate by using their positive environmental factors to outweigh their negatives. Although the mountainous regions took space from farming areas, there was abundant wild food and fish that helped the Malian civilization develop without farming, agriculture, or herding. The Malians, instead of inhabiting another region, stayed and used their advantages of the environment to prosper.

The Delhi Sultanate were located in India. They had abundant rainfall and lived in a very mountainous region like the Mali. There environment was very similar to the Mali civilization. They depended on wild foods in the area and rarely traded. The Swahili city-states also had a tropic climate as well as a tropic environment. Unlike the Mali, they depended on herding and agriculture. They had more wide open fields for farming and less tropical forests and mountains. They also depended on trade. They mainly traded grains and vegetables. They survived mainly because they depended on the tropical weather for agriculture. They had very fertile soil and medium to abundant rainfall which was perfect for farming.

3.Environmental factors determined the roles played by the various areas and peoples that participated in the Indian Ocean trading system. The environment is not always how people want it to be, so people have to adapt to it. Sea navigating and traveling was controlled by the environment. People have to build stronger and more durable ships so that the ships can withstand the high tides and hurricanes that occur around the Indian Ocean area. people would have to build ships and ports with higher value metals and more durable nails. These ports and ships would have to be fixed every sea travel because although they used higher value metals for their ships, most ships still couldn’t without the strong tidal waves mostly because this trading system occurred in 1200 C.E.

Communication was also a big problem that people had to adapt to, to participate in the Indian Ocean trading system. Miscommunication usually occurred from the environment and weather. Messengers would be delayed because of the weather patterns and environment. People that participated in the Indian Ocean trading system had to use more durable wagons and once again, ships. Crops that were usually traded in the Indian Ocean trading system were rice, wheat, millet, etc. These crops can grow in the Indian Ocean climate which is why these crops are mostly traded in the Indian Ocean trading system. Civilizations and cities that used the Indian Ocean trade system realized that conditions could be harsh. Sometimes goods and crops could not be traded due to the environment which is why civilizations usually didn’t only depend on the Indian Ocean trading system.

4.Environmental factors changed the social and cultural beliefs and systems of various civilizations in the Indian Ocean basin. Human civilizations adapt to many different environments in different ways. Civilizations that live in or near the Indian Ocean basin receive abundant rainfall. The civilizations that live in the Indian Ocean basin mobilize vast resources to construct and maintain large irrigation and water control projects because of the enormous amount of rainfall and flooding that occurs in this region. The Indian Ocean basin was also an important part of the trade system used by Latin Europe, Asia, and African states. Civilizations that live in the Indian Ocean basin had to maintain and control trade because of their great location for trade. The Indian Ocean basin is also composed of many rivers which flood due to the abundant rain in the area. Civilizations would have to build irrigation systems around the city to keep the city from flooding.

In the early 1200s Hindus controlled trade in this area, but a couple years after Muslims raided cities in the Indian Ocean basin and benefited from the trade in the area. Many civilizations in the Indian Ocean basin exported cotton textiles, indigo, silk, and many spices. The political and economical increase of the civilizations increased due to trade, but this also ment that more workers were needed. The civilizations in this area had to buy many slaves from African states to keep the economy at an equilibrium. Many natural disasters occurred in the Indian Ocean basin other than flooding and excessive rainfall. Monsoons were a huge problem for this area as it would destroy many buildings and important trade ports. Civilizations had to