Lynda Shaffer Southernization

Words: 547
Pages: 3

The Best Did Not Come from the West In the document, “Southernization” by Lynda Shaffer, Shaffer discusses the effects of southernization, and how southernization impacted South Asia as well as other areas (Shaffer 1). Although some may believe that westernization influenced the southernization movement in South Asia, there are economical, cultural, and interactional aspects in southernization that not only occurred before westernization, but have also shaped the western world as well. To start off, southernization had an economical influence through trade. For example, the Indians and Malays have been using maritime trade before the Europeans. According to Shaffer’s document, Malay sailors have been sailing two thirds around the world, starting from 400 CE (Shaffer 4-5). The Indians and Malays have been using maritime trade with other countries for centuries before Columbus was able to travel to the Americas for trade in 1492 (History In An Hour 1). With maritime trade also comes the goods that were transported. Lynda Shaffer mentions that fine spices such as cloves and nutmeg came from the Java Sea, and it was the …show more content…
The famous bubonic plague, aka black death, is most famous for killing 60% of Europe’s population during the Dark Ages. However, Shaffer acknowledges that the plague started in China, where it spread through the rats and mice on the Mongolian messengers to the Black Sea Port- a popular destination for trade to Europe (18-19). Most of the grandiloquent credentials that westernization is known for: math, technology, goods etc, came from southernization. The dominant wealth acquired from southernization ceased during the Industrial Revolution when the British conquered parts of India, and started their imperialistic ideologies of westernization (Shaffer 21). Overall, the western world get ways to much credit; after all the best did not come from the