{"id":14973,"date":"2022-11-23T15:13:06","date_gmt":"2022-11-23T15:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.epictranslations.com\/?p=14973"},"modified":"2023-10-20T17:42:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T17:42:09","slug":"trade-routes-translation-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.epictranslations.com\/spa\/trade-routes-translation-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Trade Routes & Role of Translation Services"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we all know, trade has been around for thousands of years.\u00a0<\/span>What you may not know is that from 10,000 to 5,000 B.C. cattle were the primary form of trade and currency because of their high value. They were able to procreate and eventually become useful as food and clothes. Translation services for trade came into existence\u00a0 as different areas starting trading together. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"document<\/a><\/p>\n

People started trading shells and precious materials around 1,200 B.C. During this era, cowrie shells created a reliable form of payment because they were robust, portable, and challenging to fabricate or duplicate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At different eras and in different ways, precious metals including copper, bronze, gold, and silver were also used as money.<\/span><\/p>\n

Markets served as gathering spaces for social, religious, and extended families.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"document<\/a><\/p>\n

It is thought that the first coins, like the type of money w<\/span>e <\/span>use today, were created in Sardis, Ancient Lydia (now Turkiye) during 1,000 to 500 B.C.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sardis served as a key crossroads for the exchange of ideas and commerce between Mesopotamia and the Greek Ionian colonies at the period. <\/span>The Lydians<\/span><\/a> were the first men who we are aware of to use and coin gold and silver money, and they were also the first to sell in markets. Their coins bore the likenesses of gods and emperors and were made from electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Markets evolved into straightforward local exchanges. As the distances grew, the first actual trading routes began to emerge. Below are a few of the first trade routes that were developed organically and intentionally as trade grew.<\/span><\/p>\n

Incense Route<\/span><\/h2>\n

From around 1800 BC, navigators began to travel along the coasts between the Indian subcontinent, where spices such as black pepper and cinnamon are found, and the\u00a0 southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, where a tree that produces incense grows.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Incense Route<\/span><\/a> is one of the earliest recognized routes. The Arabian Peninsula and its surrounding region are included in the Incense Routes. The sea incense routes had their ports at the southernmost points of the peninsula. From there, traders transported goods out of the Gulf of Aden to the West (India and China). Goods were also transported through the Red Sea to the Northern areas such as Egypt Sinai Peninsula, and the area that is now Jordan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with myrrh and frankincense, numerous other sorts of items were also transported, including gold, animal skins, fabrics, silk, pearls, and feathers. Systems of thought, innovations in technology, cultural practices, languages, and diseases traveled with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

The land incense routes transported these goods from the south in Arabia Felix (now South Arabia and Yemen) to the north region, where it connected with the silk route.<\/span><\/p>\n

Arabic<\/b><\/a> is one of the first languages that was used while trading and transporting goods took place on the Incense Route.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"document<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: Study Smarter. Map of the Arabian Peninsula Incense Routes. Green = Sea Route, Blue = Caravan Routes, Pink = Silk Roads<\/span><\/p>\n

Merchant ships connected Alexandria, which Alexander the Great constructed during his conquests, to the rest of the Mediterranean basin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexandria subsequently developed as a significant depot for trade between Europe and India.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jade was found in East Turkestan, also known as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. This precious stone was perceived as a sign of power and wealth and was much sought after in China.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nomads then engaged in trading jade with the Chinese, notably exchanging it for tea, a drink much appreciated in arid environments. But further north, a confederation of nomadic tribes spread, and threatened China.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Achaemenid Empire was founded in the sixth century BC by the Persian Emperor Cyrus the Great, who marched over the Middle East and beyond, capturing territory in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Cyrus boldly proclaimed himself “King of the Four Corners of the World” and for good reason\u2014despite him being unaware of the fact that he was connecting three continents. The world had never seen an empire as enormous as his. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Americas were unknown to Cyrus the Great, who also could not have predicted that the tiny European states of Britain, Spain, and France would want to overthrow his position as ruler of the entire world. The Internet was not foreseen by any prophet living under Cyrus the Great.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"document<\/a><\/p>\n

However, Cyrus the Great was involved in a significant development in world history, a story that is so intricately entwined with reality that it even dares to be mistaken for world history itself. Unintentionally, Cyrus the Great globalized the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

Through conquest and trade, he pulled it together, closer, and made it smaller (figuratively speaking). Every period of human history has seen globalization, expanding connections between various parts of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the various lands were brought under the Achaemenid Empire, trade routes and commerce increased along with interaction of different peoples, cultures, religions, and languages.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 139 BC, the Chinese emperor sent Zhang Qian as an ambassador to the unknown lands in the West to propose an alliance to the Yuezhi against the Xiongnu.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Zhang Qian was captured by the Xiongnu, and was held prisoner for 13 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

On his return to China, he reported to the emperor all he had learned regarding the various peoples of Central Asia and their products.<\/span><\/p>\n

He mentioned in particular a majestic race of horses unknown in China.<\/span><\/p>\n

In order to obtain some of these horses, the emperor agreed for the first time to trade silk, <\/span>which was forbidden to be exported until then.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This was the opening of the <\/span>Silk Road<\/span><\/a>, which gradually extended to the Middle East.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Source: <\/span>https:\/\/en.unesco.org\/silkroad\/sites\/default\/files\/basic-pages\/silk-roads-map_1.jpg<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

As you can see in the above graphic, traders from quite a few different cultures and languages would have interacted with each other on a regular basis. While the concept of nation states as they are today is very new, the languages spoken in these areas are quite ancient. <\/span><\/p>\n

Below are select areas from the map and the languages that would have interacted with each other on the various trade routes.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Athens (Greek)<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Samarkand (Uzbek)<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Isfahan\/Siraf (Farsi\/Persian)<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Mongols (Mongolian)<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Prague (Czech)<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Karakorum (Mongolian)<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Barcelona\/Cordoba (Spanish)<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Crimea (Russian\/Ukrainian)<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Konya\/Aleppo (Turkish)<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Baghdad\/Jeddah\/Medina (Arabic)<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Calcut\/Goa\/Delhi\/Karachi (Hindi)<\/span><\/li>\n
  12. Kiev (Russian\/Ukrainian)<\/span><\/li>\n
  13. Alexandria (Arabic)<\/span><\/li>\n
  14. Paris (French)<\/span><\/li>\n
  15. Rome\/Venice (Italian)<\/span><\/li>\n
  16. San\u2019a (Arabic)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As you can imagine, Hindi speaking traders would not know Uzbek. Turkish traders would not know <\/span>Chinese<\/span><\/a>. Russian traders would not know <\/span>Spanish<\/span><\/a>. And <\/span>Arabic<\/span><\/a> traders would not know Italian. So forth and so forth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    These early trading routes are probably where the need for <\/span>translation services<\/span><\/a> was first realized. And as a result, towns along these trading routes is probably where the profession of business translators and interpreters first came into being.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Over time these trading routes expanded and grew to include more countries, cultures, religions, and languages.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Egypt was absorbed by the Roman Republic, which was in the process of becoming an empire, in the West after the death of Cleopatra. Rome was now able to boost its imports of wheat from Egypt, but it still craved items from the Arabian Peninsula, particularly incense, which was used in religious rituals and as medicine. But there were many intermediaries, and the instability in the region was quite great.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Romans traveled up the Nile to avoid the Arabian Peninsula and encountered merchants who had perfected high seas navigational techniques in the Kingdom of Aksum.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Then, far from the beaches, the Romans opened a fresh route to India. Among the items they imported were diamonds, perfume, and saffron. The quick development of the new trade route marked the beginning of the downfall of Arabian Peninsula cities.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Needless to say, a lot of people, besides translators, simply just learned new languages. Government jobs paid more money if you knew multiple languages. <\/span><\/p>\n

    That happens to be still the case even today. For example, in Florida and Texas you can demand a higher salary as a government employee if you fluently speak Spanish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    As a result, a lot of government bureaucrats view the ability to speak multiple languages as a means to earn higher salaries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Parthians, who bought silk from China, soon came in contact with the Romans. The Silk Road was then expanded by the Romans throughout their empire.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Although trade continued, the Sassanids succeeded the Parthians as rulers in 224. Later, the Roman Empire relocated its capital to Constantinople, which developed into the new East\u2013West economic hub.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Byzantine and Sassanian empires were threatened by Muslim conquests starting around 630. The Arabs shut off travel between India and Constantinople by conquering Alexandria. As a result of their eastward expansion, they were at odds with China, who were seeking to annex Central Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n

    There were and still are dozens of languages spoken in Central Asia, such as Turkish, Mongolian, Chinese, Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tatar to name just a few. Can you imagine the dire need to speak multiple languages in this region? Now imagine trading goods and services in this region if you cannot communicate fluently?<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"document<\/a><\/p>\n

    Source: unesco.org – <\/span>Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Kazakhstan<\/span><\/p>\n

    The two empires (China and Islamic Caliphates) clashed in Talas in 751. The war shifted in favor of the Arabs as they captured Chinese prisoners and learned the techniques for making paper and silk from them.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The concept of globalization is not new. Just the ways and means are more modern for each era. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Consequently, some historians separated globalization into three separate phases. However, you may have predicted accurately that conquests and commerce made up a big portion of globalization.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I want to make a mention here about how globalization played a part in spreading religion in Southeast Asia, especially in the 13th century.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Indonesia, a nation of thousands of islands surrounded by water, did not have the greatest ground for farming and its people mostly relied on sea trade. They perceived constant threats from the Hindu empires that had flourished in Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand thanks to their extensive river plains that were excellent for the cultivation of rice.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cThe people in Indonesia no longer wanted to pay tribute to Hindu and Buddhist rulers from the mainland. And so they looked for political allies in the Middle East and Africa,\u201d says Dr. Kersten, who teaches at Kings College London and authored ‘A history of Islam in Indonesia’.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Islam spread in Indonesia due in large part to trade networks. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    For instance, a sizable Hadrami Arab population from Yemen resides in Indonesia, thanks to the various trade routes such as Incense Route and Silk Road. <\/span><\/p>\n

    I<\/span>t is also acknowledged by most historians that Muslims controlled the world’s sea lanes after conquering Constantinople in the middle of the 15th century, and many Indonesian rajas considered becoming Muslims as a sign of pride and an opportunity to join this trade network.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In our current era, global corporations, the Internet, and capitalism now characterize globalization. Prior to the contemporary era, globalization was characterized, among other things, by trade, exploratory travel, urbanization, missionary work, and technological advancement.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Although it is practically impossible to separate each significant event in a globalization chronology into its own time period, some historians have tried and broken it down to various periods listed below.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Archaic Globalization<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Archaic Globalization describes the oldest attempts at globalization and spans from Classical Antiquity to the Medieval Era (a total length of 2500 years from around 1000 BC to 1450 CE). The supercontinent known as Afro-Eurasia, which is made up of the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa, was the location of practically all of the archaic globalization. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Humanity started to settle down and practice agriculture after tens of thousands of years of nomadic homo sapiens wandering across the globe and even crossing enormous bodies of water to colonize places like Australia and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"document<\/a><\/p>\n

    China abandoned land routes after its defeat by the Islamic caliphates and concentrated on marine routes, which were safer and involved fewer middlemen. They then welcomed foreign trade at their ports. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The Arabs quickly used this opportunity and placed themselves at the hub of a huge business network and started producing a variety of goods, including rugs, cobalt blue, and started breeding horses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    China also produced its own porcelain for domestic use. In addition to spices, they purchased precious stones from Southeast Asia and India. Gold, slaves, and ivory trade was increasing in Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Finally, the Khazars and the Byzantine Empire provided them with European goods like furs, honey, wood, and slaves in the north.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Arab cities were at the center of this vast network and were expanding at a rapid rate. The nomadic Turkic tribes of Central Asia posed a threat to the Arab caliphates. The Seljuk Turks (also Muslim) took control of Jerusalem in 1076. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Pope Urban II reacted to this by launching a crusade to Jerusalem. As a result, the Italian republics that had mastered navigation saw a commercial opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

    When they seized cities in the Near East, they were given trade privileges and offered to serve the local Christians there. The Fourth Crusade was redirected in 1204 by the Republic of Venice towards Constantinople, which was then besieged and pillaged.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The main thing to remember is that behind these political happenings such as being victorious in a war \/ losing a war, multiple crusades waged by Christians against the Muslims, abandoning routes, or creating new routes etc ended up dramatically impacting trade. <\/span><\/p>\n

    As a result, some people lost opportunities, but others ended up gaining new opportunities. So trade never really stopped. Instead it just evolved to address new realities on the ground.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Classical Globalization<\/span><\/h2>\n

    Do you recall Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid Empire’s ruler mentioned above? His realm was situated in Persia, close above the Arabian Peninsula, at the center of Afro-Eurasia. His dominion evolved out of ancient Mesopotamia, one of the world’s first and most important agricultural hubs. In an effort to grow their empire, Cyrus and his successors brutally clashed with the Greeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Imperial expansionism has been a historical pattern for a very long time. And it hasn’t ever stopped. Classical Antiquity is rife with potential warlords and developing empires, from Ancient Babylon to the Assyrians, Persia and the Greeks, to Alexander the Great and Rome, and the Han Dynasty of China. <\/span><\/p>\n

    As a result, the world became more connected. The Roman Empire was conducting business with East Asia through the Silk Road. Diverse peoples were learning about one another from the Atlantic to the Pacific, exchanging political opinions and engaging in trade.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"document<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    As a result of the collapse of the Byzantine Empire, the Mediterranean trade between East and West was taken over by the Italian republics. Many trading centers in northern Europe banded together in order to establish a commercial route between the Baltic and the North Sea where textile producers sprung up in Flanders and England.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Medieval Globalization<\/span><\/h2>\n

    It is a common misconception that after the fall of the Roman Empire, the world once more became divided, chilly, and less connected. This period is known as the “Dark Ages” (especially in a European context). This is not at all the case. New powers emerged immediately following the demise of the Classical Empires to usher in a new era of globalization.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Islamic Caliphates of the Middle East were the main proponents of early medieval globalization. The Abbasid Caliphate established thriving educational institutions, worldwide colleges, and sizable libraries during the Islamic Golden Age, which lasted from the eighth to the thirteenth centuries. <\/span><\/p>\n

    This attracted intellectuals from around the world and preserved classical manuscripts. The trade networks across the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean kept thriving.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire rose to power in the later Middle Ages. These fearsome horse-riding conquistadors created the biggest land empire in recorded history, spanning from Eastern Europe to the coasts of China. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The Mongols revived the Silk Road, started a transcontinental postal service, promoted international trade, and helped spread Chinese technologies like gunpowder, the printing press, and navigational devices to Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"document<\/a><\/p>\n

    Unprecedented levels of global connectivity existed during the Mongol Empire’s rule, but they would not persist. Invading all of Eurasia in the 14th century, the Black Death killed hundreds of millions of people and once more isolated dissimilar peoples. <\/span><\/p>\n

    However, not even the horrific remembrance of the Black Death could stop people from extending their hands once more, ready to link up with Afro-Eurasia and go beyond the boundaries of the known globe.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Early Modern Globalization<\/span><\/h2>\n

    In contrast to earlier times, globalization throughout the Early Modern Period (1450\u20131750) took place mostly on the sea. The Western European countries sought access to China and the Indian Ocean Trade due to economic reasons, without utilizing the Islamic powers as a middleman (figuratively and literally). <\/span><\/p>\n

    Italian adventurer and navigator Christopher Columbus came into the picture at this point. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Columbus sailed over the open sea in 1492 with financial support from the Spanish monarchy.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Caribbean Islands of the Americas, which were two completely undiscovered continents to Afro-Eurasians, were discovered by the Italian adventurer Christopher Columbus rather than India, as Columbus himself believed. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The European maritime empires and intrepid navigators heralded the Age of Discovery, a time of exploration, expansion, and exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Constantinople was taken over by the Turks in 1453, which briefly disrupted the commerce lines connecting Asia and Europe. Portugal launched its first voyages in an effort to find new maritime trade routes by developing the caravel, a light ship capable of navigating the oceans. <\/span><\/p>\n

    As a result, the Portuguese set up trading outposts along the shores of Africa, taking over the trade in both slaves and gold.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"document<\/a><\/p>\n

    Now, getting around Africa in order to reach the Indies is the goal. The Spanish crown too has its sights set on the Indies, but instead gambled on westward exploration and accidentally found America. When Portugal did arrive in the port of Calicut, it found a vast commercial network. <\/span><\/p>\n

    At this point, a Mamluk fleet was tasked with driving the new rivals away. However, the Portuguese triumphed, soon seize<\/span>d control of important crossing locations, and eventually monopolized trade in the Indian Ocean.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Portugal quickly amassed wealth at the expense of the nations who controlled the route through the Middle East by sending Asian goods directly and without middlemen to Europe via Africa. Spain and Portugal decided to draw the Tordesillas meridian in 1494 in order to prevent competition over the recently acquired regions. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The territories to the east could be claimed by Portugal and those to the west by Spain.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Following the discovery of the Americas, Western European countries expanded their colonial activities all over the world. Spices from Indonesia and textiles from Persia were among the commodities that poured to Europe as mercantilism powered the developing, interconnected world economy.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A global exchange of goods between the two divided supercontinents of the Americas and Afro-Eurasia was started by Columbus. Asia received crops from the Americas while the Americas received horses, sugar, and fatal diseases. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Native Americans were treated brutally by Europeans. Conquistadors like Francisco Pizarro and Hernan Cortez overthrew the Incan and Aztec Empires by using advanced technology, political subversion, and a disease-weakened South America.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The European maritime powers bought or stole enslaved Africans and utilized them as an expendable labor in the Americas in an effort to defeat their European rivals. Millions of Africans were forcibly uprooted during the Triangular Trade which also helped to prepare the European nations for future dominance <\/span>in trade and invasion.<\/span><\/p>\n