Identify comparisons between trade and early forms of expansion during the 13th and 14th centuries of the third-wave era.

    Beginning with the agrarian civilization, societies began to connect into a large network of exchange, which would later be referred to as trade. As early as 2300 BCE, civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley were in a commercial relationship. During the third-wave era, Srivijaya, Ghana, Khmer, Mali, and other large trade cities became popular stops and centers of trade for the Silk Road and the Indian Ocean trade network.

    The Silk Road enabled small-scale exchanges to dramatically expand, creating more opportunities for trade. By the middle of the thirteenth century, Genghis Khan, leader of the Mongol empire, controlled most of Eurasia, from Korea to Poland, harboring all territories in which the Silk Road was held. The Mongols took no prisoners, choosing to kill whoever stood in their path and destroying towns, an easy feat considering that China was very divided at the time. However, they saw the importance and influence of the Silk Road and helped it thrive. This control of a massive, bicontinental trade network allowed the ferocious Mongol empire to be maintained and growing.  

Explanation: