CCOT workshop

Beard World History 2014-2015

Overview

▪ The point of a CCOT essay is to show the reader changes and continuities over a period of time. Let’s look at our prompt:

▪ Analyze the changes and continuities in commerce in the Indian Ocean from 650 CE - 1750 CE.

▪ In this prompt, we need to paint a picture of how commerce in the Indian Ocean changed and stayed the same from 650-1750 CE.

Let’s brainstorm:

Beginning Middle End

Changes

Continuities

Thesis

▪ Thesis should be the FIRST sentence of your paper

▪ Thesis should include WHAT you are discussing (commerce), the time period you will use the analyze it, and the EXAMPLES of changes / continuities.

▪ Bad theses:

Between 650 and 1450, commerce in the Indian Ocean experienced many changes and continuities.

In the Indian Ocean, the Portuguese took control, the spice trade was valuable, and competition flourished between 650 and 1450.

Changes and continuities in Indian Ocean commerce were technology, society and politics.

A good thesis statement

▪ While the commerce in the Indian Ocean region changed from 650 C.E. to 1750 C.E. with the rise of Srivijaya; the introduction of the Portuguese; and the establishment of the East India Companies due to the financial benefits of cutting out the middleman, the region retained many of its characteristics such as the competition for control over the Strait of Malacca due to the financial benefits of taxing traders; the continued development of navigational technology and ship designs that allowed for such trade to occur; and the long-standing demand for spices due to their versatile uses.

A good thesis statement

▪ From 650 CE to 1750 CE the Indian Ocean region continued to be a major hub for trade and cultural diffusion, especially for the spread of Islam as merchants that were Muslim could trade more advantageously. The merchants used their ships and utilized the monsoons to get from place to place. In the beginning trade was confined to countries along the Indian Ocean coast but eventually other regions such as Europe desired the goods and participated in the spice trades, leading to the conquering of the islands by European companies such as the British East India Co. Also, as the span of trade increased rules and regulations became necessary but paradoxically negative as lawlessness broke out.

A good thesis statement

▪ In the period from 650 to 1750, there were many changes and continuities in commerce in the Indian Ocean. The continuities include the trade of certain goods such as spices and the use of the same trade routes due to the consistency of the monsoons. The changes involve the usage of new technology and the globalization of the trade due to the addition of the Europeans.

A good thesis statement

▪ Between the post classical and early modern periods (650 CE - 1750 CE) commerce in the Indian Ocean region endured both changes and continuities. Some significant changes were the technological advancements, specialization of goods, and the country domination of trade, because interest in trade from all over the world facilitated globalization and the spread of new ideas. Although there were new developments, some continuities of the Indian Ocean region include the types of goods traded, the routes taken to trade them, and the movement of slaves throughout the region because merchants/travelers became accustomed to the same seasonal winds and port cities. Overall the region flourished in commerce and trade overtime due to the changes and developments of ideas causing the world to be more globally connected.

Thesis statements

▪ Your turn! Take 5 minutes and write your thesis statement for this prompt. We will read some aloud in class and discuss them.

Next steps

▪ Once you have a thesis statement, know which three changes/continuities you will address, and have listed relevant historical evidence, it’s time to organize your essay.

▪ Flip your prep charts over and look at the outline I provided.

Paragraph 1 - introduction

▪ Give me a well thought out thesis that explains the changes and continuities that you will use in the essay.

▪ Don’t go crazy- limit your discussion to three changes and or continuities. If you try to do too much your paper will have no focus

▪ I will use – – Major world power controlling the Ocean (change)– Cotton and spice as exports (continuity)– Technoloy (change)

Paragraph 2 – Beginning of the time period

▪ Start off by painting a picture- what does the world of Indian Ocean commerce in 650 CE like?

▪ Take this opportunity to set up potential changes and continuities.

▪ Mention processes that are beginning to change

▪ Back up your claims with historical evidence.

A bad beginning claim

▪ “The Indian Ocean started to change the way its commerce operated. The economy experienced a massive change because the Turks took control of trade.”

– There is no specific historical evidence– The claim is vague – commerce changed? We know this.

A good beginning claim

▪ In 650, the Indian Ocean was dominated by Muslim merchants. Islam had just become the major religion in the Arab World, so it was the major power in control of Indian Ocean trade. At this point in time, Asia and the Arab World had the lion’s share of new technologies. This enabled Muslim merchants to trade for cotton and spices across the Indian Ocean

– This provides historical evidence- “Islam…major religion” “cotton and spices”

– It sets up changes/continuities we will track across the time period- who’s in power, technologies, and cotton/spices

Paragraph 3 – Middle of the time period

▪ Mention how and why things are different.

▪ What changed from the information you provided in the last paragraph?

▪ What stayed the same from the information you provided in the last paragraph?

▪ Provide historical evidence that supports your opinion.

A bad middle claim

▪ The items traded stayed the same, but the power in control of the Indian Ocean network changed.

– This provides nothing specific whatsoever– The writer did not mention who is taking control

Bad middle claim

▪ The Indian Ocean trading network changed because the Mughals in India came into power and stayed in power until the British took over in the 17th century.

– While this does provide historical evidence, it’s a claim that wasn’t discussed in the previous paragraph. Ideally, you want to address the same changes and continuities throughout all three paragraphs, tracing the changes and continuities in a way that provides CONTEXT.

– This also explains the end of the time period, neglecting the narrative you started writing

A good middle claim

▪ In the 13th and 14th century, the Mongols had political control of much of Asia. One of the benefits of their rule was encouraging trade throughout the empire. This allowed groups like the Ottoman Turks to become powerful. In 1453, Constantinople fell to the Turks. Part of the reason why they fell was their lack of support from the western world, as well as increasing external pressures. From the time Istanbul became a city, the Ottomans and the Arab World were fully in control of trade and commerce on the Indian Ocean. While political power was changing hands, the cotton and spice trade was seemingly unaffected. Despite these continuities, technology made commerce more connected and greater in scope. Chinese inventions such as the junk ship, sternpost rudders, and the compass made sailing faster and more efficient.

Paragraph 4 – End of the time period

▪ Mention how and why things are different.

▪ What changed from the information you provided in the last paragraph?

▪ What stayed the same from the information you provided in the last paragraph?

▪ Provide historical evidence that supports your opinion.

A good end claim

▪ By the end of the age of exploration, power in the Indian Ocean had moved from the East to the West. One of the unintended consequences of increased trade, due in part to Mongol conquest, was providing Western Europe with the technologies necessary to expand to the East. With other technologies like the Arab World’s astrolabe, a new invention that allowed sailors to determine their relative location, Europeans sought out the continuing cotton and spice exports from the Indian Ocean trading network. They quickly gained control because of advancements in metallurgy and superior weaponry.

Paragraph 5 - Conclusion

▪ Tie everything together

▪ Trace the continuity (how cotton and spice remained the major commodities)

▪ Trade the changes (how political power changed hands, and how technology improved)

▪ Connect it back to the original question- commerce in the Indian Ocean

What we’ve done

▪ Wrote an effective thesis

▪ Provided lots of historical evidence

▪ Mentioned changes and continuities

▪ Provided context – what was the world like throughout the entire time period?

▪ Analyzed – what changed and why