Kadetia

Compare and Contrast
There are many similarities and changes between the Trans Saharan Trade and the Silk Roads Trade. Some of these similarities are in goods that were traded; there were also many differences. Most similarities and differences were in culture and customs that were inter-traded. This cultural diffusion included such things as religion and ways to deal with travelers and how they treated their slaves.
There were many similarities in goods that were traded in both the Silk Roads and the Trans Saharan Trade. Some goods that were extremely popular but hard to retrieve in both were silk for its beautiful texture and the necessity it brought to nobles and any personage with money or wealth or social standing, ivory because it was so rare and hard to come by, and gold because in those days it was such a commodity and it was considered a beautiful show of how high standing you were on the social totem pole. However these trade systems were still very different and the merchants varied between the two selling different items as well. For example in Silk Road Trade there was bronze and jade which were relatively common but still very beautiful items. On the other hand, in Trans Saharan Trade there were more natural items sold such as animal skins, ostrich feathers, and horses.
Then there were similarities and differences between Trans Saharan Trade and Silk Roads Trade in cultural diffusion. Africa was transformed due to the Trans Saharan Trade. Because of it, Timbuktu was founded, Islamic religion prospered, internal trade arose, and the northern and southern areas of the Sahara became significant for the goods they produced. Similarly, the Islamic religion and Buddhism was an easy religion for many to convert to, and due to this, many traders passing through would convert themselves and begin to live their lives in a Buddhist lifestyle. The Silk Roads Trade was always more culturally diverse because of the span of veteran merchants and where they...