The world that we live in today—connected through travel, trade, communication, culture and migration—did not emerge in a single day. The idea of globalisation, which means the integration of different economies, societies and cultures across the world, has a very long history. The chapter The Making of a Global World explains how the world slowly became interconnected over thousands of years and how economic changes shaped the modern global economy. Before the era of airplanes, the internet, or multinational corporations, people still travelled across vast distances, traded goods, exchanged ideas, and influenced each other’s societies. These movements of goods, people, diseases, and technology created the early foundations of a “global world.” NCERT divides this journey into several phases—ancient trade routes, the pre-modern world, the rise of colonialism, the impact of the Industrial Revolution, changes in the nineteenth century, the First World War, and finally the crisis-ridden interwar period. Understanding these developments helps us see how globalisation evolved and how the world economy became connected by both cooperation and conflict. --- Silk Routes: The First Connections Across Continents Long before modern shipping or airplanes, several ancient routes connected Asia, Europe, and Africa. Among them, the Silk Routes were the most famous. These were not single roads but a wide network of paths used for centuries by traders, pilgrims, and travellers. They played a crucial role in linking civilizations and allowing goods to flow across long distances. As the name suggests, silk from China was one of the earliest and most precious goods traded along these routes. But silk was not the only item. Spices from India, porcelain from China, gold and wine from Europe, and many other goods travelled across continents. With goods came ideas—religions like Buddhism spread from India to China and later to Japan and Korea through these routes. Artistic styles, technologies, and knowledge also moved freely. The Silk Routes show that global exchange is not something new. Even in ancient times, people had economic and cultural links. These early connections laid the foundations of a world where different societies began influencing each other deeply. --- The Pre-Modern World: Traders, Travellers, and Cultural Exchange The period before the modern age was marked by increasing movement of people for trade, work or exploration. Several powerful trading communities—Arabs, Persians, Indians, and Chinese—played important roles in long-distance trade. The Indian Ocean region, connecting East Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, became one of the most vibrant trading zones. Europeans had not yet become dominant. Instead, Asian civilizations such as China and India were major producers of goods like silk, cotton, spices, and sugar. European desire for these goods eventually encouraged exploration and sea journeys.

1. The Making of a Global World
Class 10 History – NCERT (Till
Interwar Economy)

2. Introduction
• Globalisation refers to the integration of
production and markets worldwide.
– Linked by trade, migration, travel and cultural
exchange.
– Movement of goods, people and money shaped
the modern world.

3. Silk Routes
• Oldest trade routes connecting Asia, Europe
and Africa.
– Exchanged silk, spices, porcelain, and precious
metals.
– Spread of ideas, religions and cultures.

4. Pre-modern World – Trade and
Travelers
• Trading communities played key roles in
linking regions.
– Arab, Indian, Chinese traders dominated long-
distance trade.
– European sailors later established sea-based trade
routes.

5. Food as a Global Traveller
• Foods like potatoes, maize, chillies travelled
from the Americas to other regions.
– Improved food security and supported population
growth.
– Example: Introduction of potato in Europe.

6. Conquest, Disease & Trade (16th
Century)
• European conquest of the Americas enabled
global exchanges.
– Spread of deadly diseases like smallpox killed
indigenous people.
– Led to European settlement and plantation
economy.

7. Emergence of World Economy
• Industrial Revolution increased demand for
raw materials.
– Colonies provided raw materials & served as
markets.
– World economy became interconnected.

8. Nineteenth Century – Major
Changes
• 1815–1914 saw greater mobility of goods,
labour & capital.
– Technological changes: steamships, railways,
telegraph.
– Colonial expansion ensured control over
resources.

9. Migration
• Labour migration from India, China & Europe
increased.
– Indentured labour system used for plantations.
– Harsh working conditions but opportunities for
some.

10. Capital Flows
• Britain and Europe invested heavily in
colonies.
– Loans for railways, plantations, and infrastructure.
– Helped expand global trade.

11. Role of Technology
• Steamship reduced travel time.
– Railways allowed movement of goods & people.
– Refrigerated ships boosted meat and dairy trade.

12. First World War (1914–1918)
• One of the first modern industrial wars.
– Massive casualties and economic destruction.
– Shifted global power from Europe to the USA.

13. Post–World War I Recovery
• Economies struggled with high debt.
– Europe faced slow industrial growth.
– Unemployment and inflation increased.

14. Interwar Economy (1919–1939)
• Marked by instability & depression.
– 1929: Great Depression devastated global
markets.
– Agricultural prices collapsed and industries shut
down.

15. Impact on Colonies
• India faced falling prices of agricultural goods.
– Peasants suffered due to high taxes and low
incomes.
– Global depression exposed fragility of colonial
economies.