“Method of Building the Ships”: Chinese Ships Before 1400

Discussion of teaching Indian Ocean shipping technology

1 Sep 2025 — 3 min read

From page 57 of the AP World History Course and Exam Description.

Before 1450, ships regularly sailed across the Indian Ocean. The monsoons facilitated these voyages, but societies around the ocean also developed maritime technology to sail on the open seas. While Africans, Arabs, Indians, and Persians developed boats that could sail on the Indian Ocean, the Chinese built the most advanced ships.

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Afroeurasian Exchange Networks and the Spread of Religions before 1450

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