Here are some goods that peddlers carried to outlying areas:
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They did not have their people everywhere (they wouldn't have had the manpower for that) but they had soldiers and customs and tax officers in all the coastal cities who saw to it that only ships and goods were handled that were allowed there and that in- and export duties were paid. But practically all colonies that had goods to import or export that were much in demand, had smugglers going in and out. The mother countries had usually ships patrolling suspected areas, but with a varying degree of succes. Especially the US Colonies were (in)famous for the amount of goods being smuggled.
Hellenisitc areas
Religion such as Buddhism spread throughout China because missionaries and explorers carried these teachings tot he country when they visited. Communities cut off from other areas quickly took in the teachings and began to pass them along to new generations.
what areas of the world centers of power 1300?
Finding new routes to places would allow for faster trading. This had a few advantages. The less time voyage took, the less expensive it was. It also meant a quicker turn around, and less spoilage of certain goods. Finding new areas also meant new land claims and increased access to resources.