Radhanites (also Radanites, Arabic al-Radhaniyya)

The Radhanites were a medieval group or guild of Jewish merchants. They dominated trade between the Christian and Muslim worlds during the Dark Ages and early Middle Ages (approx. 600-1000 CE). Trade routes established under the Roman Empire stayed open during that period largely through their efforts.

Etymology

Several etymologies have been suggested for the word "Radhanite". Some scholars believe it refers to a district in Mesopotamia; others make the same claim about the Rhone River valley in France. Still others maintain that it derives from the Persian phrase Rad Han, meaning "he who knows the way".

Activities

Abu'l Qasim Ubaid'Allah ibn Khordadbeh, the Director of Posts and Police (spymaster/postman) for the province of Jibal under the ( The copyright status of this work is difficult or impossible to determine. The individual who uploaded this work and first used it in an article, and subsequent persons who place it into articles, assert that if this image is not copyrighted, then it is in the public domain, and that... Abbasid An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph ( This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Please see its description page there. To play the audio file do not click on the -image. Look for a Listen-link near this... Caliph al-Mutammid (r.869-885 CE), wrote al-Qitab al Masalik w’al Mamalik ("The Book of Roads and Kingdoms"), probably around 870.

Ibn Khordadbeh described the Radhanites as sophisticated and multilingual. He outlined four main trade routes utilized by the Radanites in their journeys. All four began in the Rhone Valley of France and terminated in China.

The commodities carried by the Radanites were primarily those which combined small bulk and high demand, including spices, perfumes, jewelry, and silk. They are also described as transporting oils, incense, steel weapons, furs, and slaves.

The Text of Ibn Khordadbeh's Account

"These merchants speak Persia or Persian most often refer to: Persia The Persians, an ethnic group, also called Tajiks Persian language Persian (Pokémon) See also Iranian, Iranian peoples, Iranian languages and Aryan. The terms can also refer to topics in: Contents // 1 Persian culture and history 2 Plants and animals named after... Persian, Roman ( The word Greek has a number of meanings relating to Greece, including: Architecture of Ancient Greece Art in Ancient Greece Greek alphabet Greek colonies Cuisine of Greece Ethnic Greek Greco-Turkish relations Greece Hellenes History of Greece History of Mycenaean Greece History of Ancient Greece History of Hellenistic Greece History... Greek), Arabic can mean: From or related to The term the Middle East sometimes applies to the peninsula alone, but usually refers to the Arabian Peninsula plus the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Iran. The term Arabia often refers to Saudi Arabia alone. At other times the term Arabia can stand for the... Arabic, the language of the History of France Series - This is a timeline of French history. 1850s: 1850 - 1851 - 1852 - 1853 - 1854 - 1855 - 1856 - 1857 - 1858 - 1859 1860s: 1860 - 1861 - 1862 - 1863 - 1864 - 1865 - 1866 - 1867 - 1868 - 1869 1870s: 1870 - 1871 - 1872 - 1873 - 1874 - 1875 - 1876 - 1877 - 1878 - 1879 1880s: 1880 - 1881 - 1882 - 1883 - 1884... Franks, Spanish (espa ol or castellano) Spoken in: Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Nicaragua, Chile, USA, Venezuela, Costa Rica , Cuba, Peru, and 34 other countries. Region: Total speakers: 417 million (including second language speakers) Ranking: 2 (first language speakers, may vary based on metric) Genetic classification: Indo-European  Italic   ... Spanish, and Slav, Slavic or Slavonic can refer to: Slavic peoples Slavic languages Slavic mythology Church Slavonic language Old Church Slavonic language Slavonian can also refer to Slavonia, a region in eastern Croatia. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same... Slav. They journey from west to east, from east to west, partly on land, partly by sea. They transport from the West eunuchs, female slaves, boys, silk, castor, marten and other furs, and swords. They take ship in the land of the Franks, on the Western Sea, and steer for Farama ( Pelusium is a city in the eastern extremes of Egypts Nile Delta, 30 km to the southeast of Port Said. Alternative names include Pelousion (Greek), Sin (Chaldaic), Seyân (Aramaic), and Tell el-Farama (modern Arabic). It is named (as Sin, the strength of Egypt) in the Biblical book... Pelusium). There they load their goods on the backs of camels and go by land to Kolzum ( Suez is a port town (population ca. 460,000) in Egypt, located on the Gulf of Suez, near the mouth of the Suez Canal. The town was utterly destroyed and deserted following the Second Arab-Israeli War in 1967. It was rebuilt after the reopening of the canal in 1975... Suez) in five days' journey over a distance of twenty-five farsakhs (parsangs). They embark in the East Sea ( (Red Sea is also the name of a state in Sudan) Conshelf II in the Red Sea (Sudan) The Red Sea (Arabic البحر الأحمر Baḥr al-Aḥmar, al-Baḥru l-’Aḥmar; Hebrew... Red Sea), and sail from Kolzum to El-Tar (port of Medina) and Jeddah (also Jedda, Jiddah, or Juddah) is a city in in western Saudi Arabia, on the Red Sea. Founded as a fishing village over 2,500 years ago, it first achieved prominence in 647 A.D., when the Muslim caliph Uthman ibn Affan turned it into a port for pilgrims... Jeddah (port of This article forms part of the seriesIslam Vocabulary of Islam Five Pillars Profession of faith Prayer · Alms · Fasting Pilgrimage to Mecca Jihad (See Sixth pillar of Islam) People Muhammad Prophets of Islam Caliph · Shia Imam Companions of Muhammad Holy Cities Mecca · Medina · Jerusalem Najaf · Karbala · Kufa Kazimain · Mashhad · Samarra Events... Mecca); then they go to Sindh (Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Neighbouring regions are Balochistan to the west and north, Punjab in the north and Rajasthan (India) to the east. To the south are the Arabian Sea and the Rann of Kutch. Sindh is the third largest province geographically. Its size... Sind, The Republic of India is the This is a list of countries by population. The data are generally a projection for July 2005 made by the US Census Bureau, unless specified. Rank Country Population — World 6,445,398,968 1 China 1,306,313,812 2 India 1,080... India, and This article is on the geographic and cultural entity. For other meanings, see Country China, a country in East Asia One of the two states that have China in their official title and claim sovereignty over all of China: Peoples Republic of China (governing Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau... China. On their return they carry back Musk is the name originally given to a perfume obtained from the strong-smelling substance, secreted in a gland by musk deer, and hence applied to other animals, and also to plants, possessing a similar odor. The variety which appears in commerce is a secretion of the musk deer; but... musk, Aloe Aloe vera Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Lilliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Asphodelaceae Genus: Aloe Species about 400 See list Aloe is a genus of plants belonging to family Asphodelaceae, with about 400 species. They grow in the drier parts of Africa, especially South Africas Cape Province... aloes, General Name Camphor Chemical formula C10H16O. Appearance White or clear crystals CAS-number 76-22-2 Physical Formula weight 152.2358 amu Melting point 177 °C Boiling point 207 °C Density 0.99 ×103 kg/m3 Solubility 0.12 g in 100 ml water Safety Dangers Flammable, combustible Information from... camphor, Cinnamon Cinnamon foliage Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Laurales Family: Lauraceae Genus: Cinnamomum Species: C. zeylanicum Binomial name Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, synonym C. verum) is a small evergreen tree 10-15 m tall, belonging to the family Lauraceae, and a spice obtained from... cinnamon, and other products of the Eastern countries to Kolzum, and bring them to Farama, where they again embark on the Western Sea. Some make sail for Map of Constantinople. Constantinople (Roman name: Constantinopolis; This article needs cleanup. Please edit this article to conform to a higher standard of article quality. The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. Modern Greek is the present vernacular language of Greece (also... Constantinople to sell their goods to the Timeline Byzantine Empire Date Event 330 Constantine I makes Constantinople his capital 395 The Empire is split into Eastern and Western halves, following the death of Theodosius I 527 Justinian I becomes emperor 532-537 Justinian builds the church of Hagia Sophia (Αγία Σοφί... Romans; others go to the palace of the king of the Franks to place their goods. Sometimes these Jewish merchants, when embarking in the land of the Franks in the Western Sea, make for This is about one of the cities called Antioch in Asia Minor, now Turkey. See Antioch (disambiguation) for other places called Antioch. The city of Antioch-on-the-Orontes (modern Antakya) is located in what is now Turkey. It was founded near the end of the 4th century BC by... Antioch; thence they go by land to Al-Jabia, Al-Hanaya (on the bank of the The Euphrates (the traditional Greek name for the river, which is in Old Persian Ufrat, Aramaic Prâth/Frot, in Arabic الفرات, in Turkish Fırat and in ancient Assyrian language Pu-rat-tu) is the westernmost of the two great rivers that define... Euphrates), where they arrive after three days' march. There they embark on the Euphrates for A street map of Baghdad Baghdad (بغداد) is the capital of Iraq and the Baghdad Province. It is the second largest city in Southwest Asia after Tehran, with the 2003 population estimated at 5,772,000. Situated on the Tigris River at 33°20 north and... Baghdad, and then sail down the The Tigris (Old Persian: Tigr, Syriac Aramaic: Deqlath, Arabic: دجلة, Dijla, Turkish: Dicle; biblical Hiddekil) is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of Anatolia through Iraq. (Indeed, the name Mesopotamia is a... Tigris to Al-Obolla. From Al-Obolla they sail for The Sultanate of Oman is a country in the southwestern part of Asia, on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates in the northwest, Saudi Arabia in the west, and Yemen in the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea in the... Oman, Sindh (Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Neighbouring regions are Balochistan to the west and north, Punjab in the north and Rajasthan (India) to the east. To the south are the Arabian Sea and the Rann of Kutch. Sindh is the third largest province geographically. Its size... Sind, The Republic of India is the This is a list of countries by population. The data are generally a projection for July 2005 made by the US Census Bureau, unless specified. Rank Country Population — World 6,445,398,968 1 China 1,306,313,812 2 India 1,080... Hind, and China. These different journeys can also be made by land. The merchants that start from Spain or France go to Sous Al-Akça ( For other uses, see Morocco (disambiguation). The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in northwest Africa. It has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean that reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has annexed Western Sahara, but this is not universally recognized. الم... Morocco), and then to Tangier (in Berber and Arabic Tanja, in Spanish Tánger and in French Tanger) is a city of northern Morocco with a population of 350,000, or 550,000 including suburbs. It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. According to Berber... Tangier, whence they march to Kairouan (Arabic: Al-qayrawn) is a city in Tunisia, about 160 km south of Tunis. Its name means Little Cairo. In 2003 the city had about 150,000 inhabitants. Contents // 1 History 2 Religion 3 Sights 4 Miscellaneous History Kairouan was founded in the year 670 CE, during the great... Kairouan and the capital of For other uses, see Egypt (disambiguation). The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (in Arabic: مصر, romanized Mişr or Maşr, in Egyptian dialect) is a republic mostly located in northeastern Africa. Covering an area of about 1,020,000 km², it includes... Egypt. Thence they go to Ar- Ramla (Hebrew רמלה Ramlāh; Arabic الرملة ar-Ramlah, colloquial Ramleh), is a city in the Center District of Israel in Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2001 the city had a total... Ramla, visit This is about Damascus, the capital of Syria. There is also a Damascus, Maryland, a Damascus, Oregon, a Damascus, Pennsylvania, and a Damascus, Virginia. Damascus (Arabic: دمشق Dimašq, Dimašq al-Šam, al-Šam; Tiberian Hebrew דַּמֶּ... Damascus, al- Kufa (الكوفة al-Kufa in Arabic) is a city in Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Karbala, and... Kufa, Baghdad, and Location of Basra Basra (also known as Başrah or Basara; historically sometimes called Busra, Busrah, and early on Bassorah; Arabic: البصرة, Al-Basrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of about 1,377,000 in 2003. It is... Basra, cross Iranian province of Khuzestan and has a warm & humid climate. Ahvaz is the center and largest city of the province, and is located 874 km. from Tehran. Population (2002 estimate): 2,504,804. Ancient History In ancient times it was called Hormozd-Ardashir and then Soq-ol-Ahvaz. Later... Ahwaz, Persian art is conscious of a great past, and monumental in many respects. Richard Frye. (http://www.iran-heritage.org/interestgroups/frye.htm) Example of a modern Persian Miniature (http://www.iranchamber.com/art/articles/history_iranian_miniature.php) by a contemporary artist. Persia is the historical and alternative name... Persia, External links Iran Chamber Societys page on Kerman (http://www.iranchamber.com/cities/kerman/kerman.php) Tourist information on Kerman (http://greetings.irna.com/eturism/kerman/kerman.htm) Photos of historic sites in Kerman (http://persia.org/imagemap/kerman.html) Categories: Iran geography stubs | Cities in... Kerman, Sind, Hind, and arrive at China. Sometimes they likewise take the route behind The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the The Roman Empire is not the Holy Roman Empire (843-1806). Roman Empire between AD 60 and 400 with major cities. During this time only Dacia and Mesopotamia were added to the Empire but were lost before 300. The... Rome, and, passing through the country of the The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples in Europe. They speak Slavic languages and reside chiefly in the east of that continent, but are also found in Asia. Contents // 1 Ethno-cultural subdivisions 2 The Slavic homeland debates 3 Naming and etymologies 4 Early... Slavs, arrive at Atil, also spelled Itil (Turkic for Big River), was a name of the For other meanings of the word Volga see Volga (disambiguation) Volga Волга Length 3,690 km Elevation of the source 225 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 1.35 million km... Khamlij, the capital of the The Khazars were a semi- Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. Many cultures have been traditionally nomadic, but nomadic behaviour is increasingly rare in industrialised countries. Typically there are two kinds of nomad, In a draw in a mountainous region... Khazars. They embark on the Jorjan ( Caspian Sea viewed from orbit The Caspian Sea or Mazandaran Sea is a landlocked sea between Asia and Europe (European Russia). It is the worlds largest inland body of water, with a surface area of 371,000 km² (143000 sq. mi.). Contents // 1 Geography 1.1 Cities near the... Caspian?) Sea , arrive at Balkh is now a small town in the Province of Balkh, Afghanistan, about 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital. Mazar-i-Sharif, and some 46 miles (74 km) south of the Amu Darya, the Oxus River of antiquity, which formerly flowed past Balkh. The ancient city, the oldest in... Balkh, betake themselves from there across the Oxus, and continue their journey toward Yourt, Uyghurs (also called Uighurs, Uygurs, or Uigurs) ( Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiǎntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiǎnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written... Toghozgbor, and from there to China."

Historical significance

During the Dark Ages the Islamic polities of the A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. The Middle East is a... Middle East and Regions of the World Antarctica | East Asia | Central Asia | Southeast Asia | South Asia | North Asia | Middle East | Levant | Arabia | North Africa | Central Africa | Great Lakes | Congo | Guinea | Sahel | Sudan | West Africa | East Africa | Southern Africa | Great Plains | Central America | Caribbean | Andean States | Eastern South America | Northern South America | Western Europe... North Africa and the Christian kingdoms of This article is about the continent. For alternative meanings, see: Europe (disambiguation) World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the... Europe often banned each others' merchants from entering their ports. Corsairs of both sides raided the shipping of their adversaries at will. The Radhanites functioned as neutral go-betweens, keeping open the lines of communication and trade between the lands of the old Roman Empire and the Far East. As a result of the revenue they brought, Jewish merchants enjoyed significant privileges under the early Carolingians in France and throughout the Muslim world, a fact that greatly vexed the local Church authorities.

The Radhanites were the first Westerners to establish trade with China in centuries. More remarkable still, they engaged in this trade regularly and over an extended period of time, centuries before Marco Polo (September 15, 1254 - January 8, 1324) was a Venetian trader and explorer who, together with his father and uncle, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China (which he called Cathay) and visited Great Khan of Mongol Empire, Kubilai Khan (grandson of Genghis... Marco Polo and Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta (February 24, 1304 - 1377) was a Moroccan Berber traveller and explorer. His name is also sometimes spelled Ibn Batuta. At the instigation of the Sultan of Morocco, Ibn Battuta dictated an account of his journeys to a scholar named Ibn Juzayy, whom he had met... ibn Batuta brought their tales of travel in the Orient to the Europeans and the Muslims, respectively.

Many historians believe that it was these Jewish merchants, not When used as an adjective, Chinese refers to anything that originates from This article is on the geographic and cultural entity. For other meanings, see Country China, a country in East Asia One of the two states that have China in their official title and claim sovereignty over all of... Chinese Contents // 1 Geneva Convention definition 2 Alternative definitions 2.1 Anarchist Black Cross Federation definition 2.2 November Coalition definition 3 Further reading 4 See also 5 External links Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy... prisoners-of-war, who introduced the art of Piece of paper Paper is a thin, flat material produced by the compression of fibres. The fibers used are usually natural and based upon cellulose. The most common material is wood pulp from pulpwood (largely softwood) trees such as spruces, but other vegetable fiber materials including cotton, linen, and hemp... paper-making to the An Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalīfah, Caliph ( This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Please see its description page there. To play the audio file do not click on the -image. Look for a Listen-link near this... Caliphate. Joseph of Spain, possibly a Radhanite, is credited by some sources with introducing the so-called Arabic numerals from India to Europe. Historically, medieval Jewish communities used letters of credit to transport large quantities of money without the risk of theft. This system may have been pioneered by the Radhanites; if so, they may be counted among the earliest modern bankers.

Influence

Some scholars believe that the Radanites may have played a role in the conversion of the Khazars to Judaism. In addition, they may have helped establish Jewish communities at various points along their trade routes, and were probably involved in the early Jewish settlement of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, China and India.

The End of the Radhanite Age

The fall of the History of China series The Three August Ones and the Five Emperors Xia Dynasty Shang Dynasty Zhou Dynasty Spring and Autumn Period Warring States Period Qin Dynasty Western Han Dynasty Xin Dynasty Eastern Han Dynasty Three Kingdoms Jin Dynasty Sixteen Kingdoms Southern and Northern Dynasties Sui Dynasty Tang Dynasty Zhou... Tang dynasty of This article is on the geographic and cultural entity. For other meanings, see Country China, a country in East Asia One of the two states that have China in their official title and claim sovereignty over all of China: Peoples Republic of China (governing Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau... China in 908 and the destruction of the [edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:History_of_Russia&action=edit)] History of Russia Early East Slavs Khazars Kievan Rus Volga Bulgaria Mongol invasion Golden Horde Muscovy Imperial Russia Revolution of 1905 Revolution of 1917 Civil War Soviet Union Russian Federation The Khazars were a Turkic... Khazar Khaganate some sixty years later led to widespread chaos in Inner Eurasia, the The Caucasus is a region in A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. Geographers that were annoyed with the ambiguity of the... Caucasus and This article is on the geographic and cultural entity. For other meanings, see Country China, a country in East Asia One of the two states that have China in their official title and claim sovereignty over all of China: Peoples Republic of China (governing Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau... China. Trade routes became unstable and unsafe, and the Silk Road largely collapsed for centuries. Moreover, the fragmentation of the Islamic world (and to a lesser extent, Christendom, in the widest sense, refers to Christianity as a territorial phenomenon: those countries where most people are Christians, or nominal Christians, are part of Christendom. Christendom as a polity In a more significant and meaningful sense, it refers to the mediaeval and renaissance notion of the Christian world as... Christendom) into small states provided more opportunities for non-Jews to enter the market. This period saw the rise of the mercantile Italian city-states, especially Alternate uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). Flag of Genova Christopher Columbus monument in Piazza Aquaverde Genoa (Italian Genova (jeno-vah), Genoese Zena (zaynah), French Gênes) is a city and a seaport in northern Italy, the capital of Liguria. It has a population of ca. 700,000. Genua was... Genoa, For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). Venice is known for its waterways and gondolas Gondola. Venice (Italian Venezia), the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto, population 274,000 (2003). The city stretches across numerous small islands in a marshy lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in... Venice, Pisas coat of arms. This article is about Pisa in Italy. For other places of the same name, see Pisa (disambiguation). Pisa (population 90,000) is a city in Tuscany, Italy at the mouth of the river Arno on the Mediterranean. Contents // 1 Landmarks 2 History 3 Notable people... Pisa, and Amalfi, who viewed the Radhanites as unwanted competitors.

The economy of Europe was profoundly affected by the disappearance of the Radhanites. For example, documentary evidence indicates that many spices in regular use during the early Middle Ages completely disappeared from European tables in the 900s. For the Jews, it marked the end of the golden age of trade and the beginning of a long period of systematic persecution and victimization.

Sources

• Bendiner, Elmer. The Rise and Fall of Paradise. New York: Putnam Books, 1983.

• Gil, Moshe. "The Radhanite Merchants and the Land of Radhan." Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 17:3 (1976): 299-328.

• Rabinowitz, Louis. Jewish Merchant Adventurers: A Study of the Radanites. London: Edward Goldston, 1948.