Globalisation is an economic system associated with the free movement of capital goods, technology, ideas and people across the globe. It developed mainly through trade, migration of those who were seeking better life and movement of capital.
Travellers, traders, priests and pilgrims travelled vast distances in search of knowledge, opportunity, spiritual fulfilment or to escape persecution. They carried articles, values, skills and even diseases.
Conquest, Disease and Trade
The European sailors discovered the sea route to Asia and America in the 16th Century.
The discovery of new sea route not only helped in expanding the trade but also in European conquest over other parts of the world.
By the mid-sixteenth century, The Portuguese and Spanish colonization of America began in a decisive way. But the conquest could not be facilitated because of arms and ammunition but because of disease.
Europeans had been exposed to smallpox and hence they had developed immunity against the disease. But the Americans had been isolated from the world and they had no immunity against smallpox.
When the Europeans reached there, they carried the germs of smallpox along with them. The disease wiped off the whole communities in certain parts of America. And thus, the Europeans could easily get control of the Americas.
Till the nineteenth century, poverty and hunger were common in Europe. Many religious dissenters fled to America for the fear of prosecution.
Till the 18th century, India and China were the richest countries of the world. But from the 15th century onwards, China began to restrict overseas contacts and went into isolation.
As China's reduced role and America's rising importance; the centre of the world trade shifted to Europe.
Food Travels: Spaghetti and Potato
Noodles travelled from China to different parts of the world. The sevian; which are used in India are localized form of noodle. Similarly, spaghetti of Italy is the European version of noodles.
Many common food of today; like potato, chillies , tomato, maize, soya, groundnut and sweet potatoes were introduced in Europe after Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered the American continents.
Potato brought dramatic changes for the life of people of Europe. Because of introduction of potato, the people in Europe could eat better and could live longer.
The peasants of Ireland became so dependent on potato that when disease destroyed the potato crop in the mid-1840s, hundreds of thousands died due to starvation. This famine is known as Irish Famine.
Silk Routes Link the World
The silk routes were regarded as the most important route linking the distant parts of the world.
Routes were existed even before the Christian Era and flourished till the 15th century.
The Buddhist preachers, Christian missionaries and later on Muslim preacher used to travel by Routes.
Routes proved to be a great source of trade and cultural links between distinct parts of the world.
