Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Timed compare contrast
China and Europe were two very different places, but in the 15th and 16th centuries they both had similar goals and outcomes of the exploration process. The societies of both these areas were trying to get advantages, however the Europeans had a specific group of people they were trying to take advantge of, whereas the Chinese had the world they wer trying to take dvantage of.....SHAKY AS A THESIS HERE, FIRST OFF, WERE THE CHINESE REALLY TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WORLD? HMMM, I THINK MAYBE NOT, BUT THEN I LIKE YOUR ALLUSION TO EUROPE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SPECIFIC GROUPS, IN THAT IT HIGHLIGHTS A MAJOR CONTRAST IN TERMS OF MOTIVATION...WITH MORE TIME, I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE CLARIFIED THIS, BUT AS IT STANDS IT IS NOT A CLEAR THESIS-MrViles 6/7/09 4:07 PM
The societies of both these areas were trying to get advantages, however the Europeans had a specific people in mind they were trying to take advantage of, whereas the Chinese it was mainly everyone around them. OK, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME YOU HAVE SAID THIS GENERALLY...WHO ARE THESE MYSTERIOUS PEOPLE THE EUROPEANS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF...AFRICANS, AMERICANS, WHO? -MrViles 6/7/09 4:09 PM Both China and Europe did some trading to gain more money on their exploration trips. Bringing exotic gifts helped the Chinese to show the world that their society was wealthy. China and Europe also both tried to impress people and gain advantages. This can be said of China because instead of bringing just a few small ships to do some trading, they had many very large ships, altogether carrying about 28,000 men. Europe and China most likely gained some outside influence to their societies when they were traveling. China and Europe brought back gifts from the places they had been to give to their leaders. Both societies were most likely influenced by what they were seeing the explorers do, both were dooing something that had never been done before. This can be said of China because China had mostly developed internally but now they were exploring and trading going very far from home where there were many different cultures. It can also be said that China was gaining more outside influence to their society because Zhenghe himself wasn't the traditional Confucianist or Buddhist, he was a Muslim. BUT THAT INFLUENCE PREDATES EXPLORATION...YES? -MrViles 6/7/09 4:11 PM Europe can be said to have brought back influences on it's society because they had never gone so far along the coast of western Africa. There were probably 'PROBABLY'?.....YOU ARE A RAMPAGING, ESSAY-DESTROYING APE...YOU NEED NEVER USE THE WORD 'PROBABLY', YOU THRASH 'PROBABLY' LIKE A BANANA-STEALING SQUIRREL -MrViles 6/7/09 4:12 PM many tribes that Henry came in contact with when he traded for gold and salt.
Even though there were many similarities in the societies for trading, advantages, and influences, there are still some things that are different between the two. Europe was mainly focused on taking advantages over one specific group of people, whereas China was taking advantages over everyone around them. This can be said because China had many large boats and many men with weapons, and because they weren't sailing focused on one place, they were going all along the coast and to all nearby places intimidating people. Europe, however, was focused on sailing around Africa to avoid the Muslims and possibly have a military advantage. Therefore China was more about showing off to the world and warning them in a polite way not to mess with them. The society of China wasn't used to all this exploration, which is most likely why the expeditions were brought to an end. Europe however, only had certain fears and superstitions about rounding the bottom tip of Africa, but Hienry the Navigator still pursued this goal. OK, THIS PARAGRAPH IS MUDDY, BUT I THINK IT IS THE BEST SO FAR.....FINALLY YOU BRING IN THE MYSTERIOUS GROUP, AND YOU ARE DEAD ON RIGHT, BUT YOU MISS A CHANCE TO FLEX SOME HISTORY ABOUT COMPETITION FOR TRADE BETWEEN EUROPE AND MUSLIM MIDDLE EAST.....WHICH WOULD OPEN UP A CLEAR STATEMENT OF EUROPE USING EXPLORATON FOR TRADE VERSUS CHINA USING IT FOR POMP AND PRESTIGE, ETC. ETC.---YOU SEE? YOU HAVE ALL THE INGREDIENTS IN HERE, BUT IT'S JUST NOT COOKED PROPERLY YET.... -MrViles 6/7/09 4:15 PM
The geography of these areas both had coastline which made their sea travel, trading, and exploring easier, but China had previously been more isolated. The geography of the two areas helped them to complete things they had never done before. In addition, the geography helped them to gain the advantages they did. The sea helped China and Europe both to travel to places unknown to them. THIN...IN THAT THE GEOGRAPHY POINT IS NOT THOROUGH HERE..AND LOOKING AHEAD, YOU COULD HAVE PUT THE NEXT PARAGRAPH WITH TIS ONE FOR A MORE RELEVENT TREATMENT (YOU WERE VERY LIKELY PARAGRAPHING THIS WAY IN REFERENCE TO MY OUTLINE, BUT THIS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHERE YOU CAN LEAVE MY GUIDE AND FREELANCE A BIT)--MAKE SENSE? -MrViles 6/7/09 4:18 PM
In contrast, the geography also helped keep China more isolated before the exploration processes began, where as Europe had contact with many other civilizations and gained more from those civilizations than they would have if the Europeans had been isolated like the CHinese. China then used the geography in the 15th and 16th centuries to help them see more of the world, more trade, more exploring, and gain some power. Europe in this time period used the geography to mainly gain the military advantange over the muslims. YOU REALLY NEED TO EXPLAIN HOW THIS EXPLORATION GAVE EUROPE AN ADVANTAGE OVER THE MUSLIMS, WITH THAT INFO THIS BECOMES A ROBUST POINT THAT MAKES YOUR ESSAY, BUT WITHOUT THAT DEVELOPMENT THE ENTIRE ESSAY FEELS VAGUE AND UNSUPPORTED -MrViles 6/7/09 4:21 PM
In conclusion, China and Europe were similar and different in many ways with their goals and outcomes of the exploration process in the 15th and 16th centuries. They had similarities in thier society and geography, which helped both to gain advantages, explore, and trade. They were far apart in distance, but had similar goals and outcomes without even realizing it. THIS CONCLUSION HIGHLIGHTS A DANGER OF YOUR ESSAY, IN THAT IT ONLY HIGHLIGHTS SIM. AND OFFERS NO DIF.'S--IT COLORS THE READER AT THE VERY END TO THINK YOU MISSED HALF THE QUESTION. -MrViles 6/7/09 4:22 PM I JUST RE-READ THE WHOLE THING, AND I FEEL WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT YOU NEVER GOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH ABOUT THE MUSLIM ELEMENT---YOU ALLUDE TO IT SEVERAL TIMES (EVEN YOUR OPENING LINE), BUT YOU SEEM TO ASSUME IT MORE THAN DEVELOP IT....YOU HAD A FRAMEWORK HERE, AND I THINK YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY, BUT IT ISN'T ON THE PAGE....YOUR INSIGHT TO EMPHASIZE THE MUSLIM TRADE/REL. CONFLICT WITH EUROPE AS SETTING FOR EUROPE'S EXPLORING IS DEAD ON, BUT IT NEVER REALLY LIFTS OFF. WAS IT TIME? LET ME KNOW IF I CAN HELP SPEED UP THE PROCESS FOR YOU -MrViles 6/7/09 4:24 PM
Timed DBQ
discuss the barriers women have worked for more equal treatment in society. Consider the goals and methods of such campaigns.
In many different time periods and in many different areas women were shown to have good influences in politics and society
In many different time periods and in many different areas women were shown to have good influences on politics or were argued that could have good influences if they were allowed to. In 1899 Anna Manning comfort showed this in The Public 2. Black people were very discouraged from having anything to do with politics, especially the women. She argued that the women were being taxed even though they "take up the white man's burden", most likely she was referring to the way that the white people made the women work just as hard as a man, and she thought that they should be able to get involved in politics and have a voice because they worked hard (Doc #1). In 1954 the Women's Charter at the Founding Conference of the Federation of South African Women had similar opinions. These strong women thought that all women should have the right to vote and be elected to state bodies. All laws that denied women of equal rights should be removed, along with removal of laws that restricted free movement, and prevented or hindered the right of free association and activity on democratic organizations and to cooperate with all organizations. These women obviously thought that women could be a great help and influence to politics because they worked very hard to achieve these goals and listed all their ideas in a campaign (Doc #2). Yet another example of women influencing politics can be seen in 195 B.C.E, by Livy, a Roman Historian. A new law had been made that limited women of using any expensive goods. The women banded together and had such a powerful influence that "after that there was no doubt that all the tribes would repeal that law". The women felt they should be able to use the goods because the government could definitely still afford it (Doc. #3). Closer to the modern day was in 1995 by a Nobel Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, who said "no war was ever started by women", wars are often for political causes, so Mr. Kyi must have thought that women could have a positive influence on politics (Doc #6).
Another area where women were thought to have the ability of good influence was in the societies. Anna Manning Comfort, mentioned earlier, thought that it wasn't fair that women were denied their franchise even though they shared in the conflicts and labors of everyone else (Doc 1). In 1954 women wanted rights to make a difference in their society. They wanted equality, no discrimination, the right to full time employment with promotion oppurtunites, free education with the protection of mother and child, and proper homes. If these things could be achieved in their society, they felt that it would be a step closer to world peace (Doc 2). In 1995 the Nobel Prize Laureate mentioned earlier stated that in conflicts women and children are the ones who are forced to suffer, women have never started wars. Women have always been nurturing and kind. Therefore, empowerment and education of women will only result in good.
In contrast, there were some people who thought women would are a negative influence. In 100 CE, Ban Zhao who was a leading female confucian scholar and imperial historian said that women should always do as they were told. They should listen to thier elders even if the person was telling them it was the wrong thing to do (Doc 4). In 1820 Raja Rammohan Roy wrote about the ritual of burning widows alive with their deceased husbands. He considered it a kindness to society since the widows would not be able to remarry or gain money, and therfore would be no benefit to society, so it was a kindness to kill them in this way (Doc 7).
In conclusion, over many time periods in many different areas there were things to compare and contrast about the ways women attempted to get more equality and how they were looked at. One can compare the ways they gave to politics and society because both areas had good contributions from women. The major point of view in these documents was that women were very restricted but still did or still could have brought down the barriers and had good contributions and more equality. An additional document that could be helpful would be a document from Europe.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Feudalism C/C
The feudal hierarchy system developed independently in two different societies that are very far away from each other, showing that perhaps this feudal like system is in human nature. The social system in both Japan and Europe was based on militaristic hierarchies, however there were differences in the layers of hierarchy. The economic systems in both Japan and Europe was based mostly of regionalized areas and agriculture, however there were still differences in the systems of trade. The modern consequence of Japan and Europe developing in this way is that Europe is more rememberable. One reason this is so is because the merchants in Europe were more free, therefore able to bring in more money and more of a help to support the civilization, therefore making Europe more known and advanced. Japan can be said to be less rememberable in this way because the merchants of Japan were very low, therefore not bringing as much to Japan and not getting Japan as much notice from the outside world.
The social system in both Japan and Europe was based on militaristic hierarchies, however there were differences in the layers of hierarchy. The hierarchy of Japan was in the order of peasants at the bottom, giving food to the samurai's in trade for protection, and then the samurai, who gave loyalty to the daimyo in trade for land, then the daimyo, who gave loyalty to the shogun in trade for land, then the shogun at the top who was the top of the military and held a lot of power in the kingdom. Although the emperor of Japan ruled, that does not mean that he reigned, the warrior class and mostly the shogun held most of the power and influence. Similarly, Europe had a hierarchy with peasants at the bottom, who gave food to the knight in trade for protection, then the knight, who gave loyalty to the lord in trade for land, then the lord, who gave loyalty to the king in trade for land. Europe had a very large peasant class that would have been very dependent on the knight's protection and all the other military. The military in Europe also had a lot of power and influence because there were a lot of invasions of Europe making the military very important. The two areas are also similar because they both had reciprocal systems. This can be seen in the hierarchies. The different levels helped each other out by doing things like trading food for protection and trading loyalty to land. Another similarity between the military of the two areas is that both had codes of honor.
On the other hand, Europe and Japan still had differences in the layers of hierarchy. Samurai got money but knight's got land. Europe had different layers of hierarchy, whereas Japan only had the main hierarchy. Europe had a special hierarchy for the church, which was Catholic at the time. The pope was at the top, then archbishop, then bishop. The church also held a lot of power in the European states. Japan didn't have a very powerful religion with a hierarchy until very later on, when Buddhism gained a lot of popularity but even then there was no hierarchy and there were still other popular religions and philosophy that held popularity instead of just the one religion. Another difference between the two areas is that Japan educated it's women but Europe did not, women were very low to them but in Japan they had some status.
The economic systems in both Japan and Europe was based mostly on regionalized areas and agriculture, however there were still differences in the systems of trade. Even though the areas were so far apart, the economies still had some similarities. Both got a lot of food from agriculture and the peasants and serfs helped provide the food by tending the crops for their lords in trade for protection. When the agricultural technology of both areas became more advanced it made it easier on the peasants and serfs to produce the food and helped to keep everyone better fed. There was also a lot of trade that helped societies to interact with each other along with helping the economies to flourish. Japan and Europe being regionalized also helped the economy because it made the travel and trade easier since everything was closer. The reciprocal systems also helped the economies because it made organization and peace among all the levels of the hierarchy. Everything worked between the levels due to the reciprocal system so the economy was better off.
The economic systems of Japan and Europe were unalike in that there trade was a lot different. Although both had trade that helped the economies, merchants were at very different levels of the hierarchies. In Europe, the merchant had a somewhat high status. The merchant brought many goods and was thought of somewhat well. The merchant had quite a bit of freedom in Europe, allowed to roam wherever and not being bound like a serf would be. However, this was not the case in Japan. In Japan the merchants were very low on the hierarchy. In fact, they were even lower than the artisans who were lower than the peasants of Japan. Most likely merchants were not respected and didn't have as mush freedom as in Europe. Maybe Japan was more suspicious of the merchants since they were isolated. This can be said to be so because the merchants were very low and the only outside influences were from China, whereas Europe let the merchants go everywhere and repected them, bringing in many outside influences and were not isolated at all.
In conclusion, Japan and Europe had very similar hierarchies with still some differences. One can say that Japan and Europe had more similarities in their feudal hierarchies than there were differences. This can especially be seen in their society and economy. The two were both regionalized, militaristic, agricultural, reciprocal, and had agricultural technology. The few differences were Europe had more layers of hierarchy, the merchants were more free, knights get land, whereas in Japan merchants were low, women were educated, and samurai got money. It is possible that it is in human nature to divide into different groups and be organized in such a way that everyone supports each other at different levels, since Japan and Europe were so far apart and yet both had the hierarchy. Even though Japan and Europe were far apart and didn't have contact with each other, both developed very well with strong hierarchies, societies, and economies.This can show that maybe it is human nature to develop some sort of hierarchy, since both developed independently and yet were so similar in their hierarchies.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Mongols Videos
-The Mongols had very well planned war strategies. Almost every move they made was planned and along with their powerful weapons and cavalry helped them to defeat the enemy nearly every time. However, getting lured into a trap made one battle lost for an enemy tribe of Temujin's, the army nearly destroyed.
Part 6: King of the Mongols
-Temujin let his blood brother (the general of the previous opposing army) have his last wish: a broken back. Temujin becomes the great King of the Mongols and is a very powerful leader. He feels threatend by China and therefore invades northern China with a vast army.
-Why did Temujin's blood brother want his back broken?
Part 7: Preparing to Fight
-China planted metal spikes to try to slow down the Mongols, but the Mongols got reinforced by mercenary troops. The Mongols made sure that China wouldn't forget them, being very violent and stealing all their riches. The Mongols stopped all supplies from getting into Beijing and started to make things like catapults in preparation to get past the Great Wall.
-Were the Chinese engineers that helped them from the mercenary armies they picked up along the way?
Part 8: The Big Invasion
-Inside Beijing, many starved to death and some survivors became cannibals. The Mongols made a strong attack with Chinese prisoners in the front line, but the Chinese were still more advanced when it came to the technology. Genghis and his army still got in, the Chinese general killing himself when the city started to fall quickly.
-I thought suicide was a Japan thing, did the Chinese warriors have a similar honorary suicide hara-kiri type thing?
Part 9: The Great Empire
-Genghis Khan started to build a permanent capital after Beijing was totally annihilated, wanting his people to benefit. A legal code started to develop; Genghis even stared to form trade routes. When Persians murdered Genghis's ambassador, he got a little mad and invaded Persia; eventually expanding his empire to 4x Alexander the Great and 2x of Rome.
-Why did the Persians kill the ambassador?
Part 10: Death of Genghis
-Genghis tried to gain immortality from a monk, but was unable to, and died in a final conquest to China (not even in battle). He died unable to conquer the world, and appointed his son Ogedei as the next khan. His sons later doubled the size of the empire.
-Ummm.....why was his burial site kept so secret?
Sunday, February 8, 2009
DBQ #2 Women in the Post Classical Period
Women had different treatments in different areas of the post classical period, sometimes positive and sometimes negative treatment. The treatment differed not only for religious reasons, but also in the different societies. However, for some the treatment was not seen as harsh, but actually as a protection to the women, even though the treatment was in reality very negative to many. Other cultures gave women more freedom, rights, and sometimes even respect, a very positive treatment to many. The assortment of documents were from different societies and religious backgrounds, but one can easily say that one point of view in the post classical period towards women was more common than the other. There was little change over time in this negative point of view, it stayed the same for the most part.
Women were considered differently in the different religions of the post classical period of history. In some religions women were treated and thought of fairly well, while in others they were looked upon poorly. An example of women being treated fairly well in a religion can be found in the Islamic Koran of 600 C.E. This can be said because the document showed that women had some property and inheritance rights, a thing that was somewhat rare at this time. Also, the document showed that women can have control over their own body, their husband doesn't control their body. The view of this document is positive because it is giving women rights and control, and it states that men need to respect their wives- if their mad, leave them alone. God created both men and women "from a single cell", they both need to be treated fairly and with respect (Doc 1).
However, this was not how it was in all the religions unfortunately. A Jewish Commentary from 1200 CE pretty much called women stupid, because they can't understand prayers and shouldn't be able to say them, men have to do it for them. This document shows a negative point of view towards women because it not only calls them too stupid to understand the "words of Grace", but it places them as lower than an "ignoramus, who understands Hebrew and some of what is said...but as for women, who do not understand at all". One can easily conclude that the point of view of this religious document is negative towards women (Doc 2). Ibn Battuta also had his religious opinions about women in the post classical period, in the year 1352. He was in Mali at the time, and was horrified to find that women there were not modest, not veiled, sometimes not even dressed, and they had male friends outside of marriage. This can be called a negative point of view because Ibn called them "outlandish" and said that they did "bad things", he was very strict and rude sounding about it, saying that women shouldn't have freedom (Doc 5).
In the everyday society of the post classical period different views were expressed about women, positive and negative. A negative view of women in society can be seen in a legal code of the Byzantine empire from 900 C.E. The document stated that women should not be called as witnesses, and for them to be seen in public was dishonorable, not virtuous, not modest, and insulting. The document said that it would give them "the habit of speaking more freely than they ought". One can conclude from this document that there was a negative point of view towards women in the area of that time because of the document saying how dishonorable it was for women to be seen and heard in public, or that they shouldn't be able to speak freely (Doc 3).
There were still some positive views of women in society in some areas during this period. This can be seen in Yuan Cai's Book of Advice for Family Heads in China, from 1140-1195. Yuan Cai showed that society in his time and area had a more positive view of women. This can be said because in this document he said that women were smart, useful, worthy, and wise. They could take care of a house and family even if a man wasn't there. The point of view was that they should be taught reading and arithmetic. This way they could manage finances and businesses while still caring for the family (Doc 4).
These documents can easily be compared and contrasted between each other because of the different points of view, different societies, and religious backgrounds. Documents 2, 3, and 5 can all be seen as negative because they all have the negative view towards women. However, only two of the documents are form religious background, and one from a society. Documents 1 and 4 can be seen as positive because of the kind words they have about the treatment of women. However, document 4 isn't talking about the body at all or even much about respect as document 1 is, instead it talks about how smart and useful women can be. Overall, it can be said that that major point of view as shown in these documents of the post classical period, the point of view towards women was negative because they were stupid, dishonorable if seen in public, and disrespectful if they weren't veiled. Even though documents 1 and 4 have the positive view towards women, the documents only give some kind words to women, some respect, and only some freedom, not all that should have been given. Additional documents that would be helpful in this topic would be documents from Hinduism, Buddhism, or even a document written by a woman, because none of these views were given and it would give more of a variety to look at and think about. The documents would be from a different perspective if there were some actually written by a woman, making it easier to see the treatment of women at the time. A document from Hinduism or Buddhism also would give a different perspective than Islam, China, or Europe because the religions are commonly found in India so there would be a different culture.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
DBQ Chart 2
Doc #1
Date: 600 CE
Source: Koran
Cat. #1--Religion.
-Some property rights
-Control of body
Cat. #2--Society
...
P.O.V.
+(positive)
Doc. #2
1200 CE
Jewish Commentary
Cat. #1--Religion
-Women stupid, can't say/understand prayers
Cat. #2--Society
...
P.O.V.
- (negative)
Doc.#3
900 CE
Legal Code
Cat. #1--Religion
...
Cat.#2--Society
-Shouldn't be called as witnesses/seen in public.
-Seen in public=dishonorable, not modest/virtuous. Insulting
P.O.V.
- (negative)
Doc.#4
1140-1195
Yuan Cai's book
Cat. #1--Religion
...
Cat.#2--Society
-Women smart, useful, worthy, wise
-Should know reading, arithmetic
P.O.V.
+ (positive)
Doc. #5
1352
Ibn Battuta
Cat. #2--Religion
-Should be modest, veiled no male friends, fully clothed.
-Women in Mali were the opposite of this and he was horrified
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Japanese Heian Period Document
This is a picture of an Amida Buddha from the Heian period in Japan. It was carved by Jocho in 1053. This Buddha is 3 meters high measured form the top of it's head to it's knees. The Buddha is made of gilt lacquer over wood. Gilt is a form of gold and lacquer is sometimes a hard durable finish that can produce a high gloss. It is located at Phoenix Hall, a part of a Buddhist Temple in Kyoto Japan. The Amida is installed on a high platform.This connects to what we're talking about in class for the Heian period because it shows the sinification that was taking place. The Japanese were starting to act more and more like the Chinese, incorporating their religions into their society. Buddhism (mostly Zen or Chan) was common in China, and now it's being shown in Japan as they tried to be like China.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Chinese Poetry/Painting
The above poem is called 'Question and Answer on the Mountain' by the Chinese poet Li Bai. In this poem I think that Li Bai is saying that just by relaxing a little and calming down, all your problems seem to float away like the peach blossom. The Chinese held mountains in high esteem, the mountain seemed to give Li Bai some answers himself, and when someone asked him why he spent time there, he just smiled to show that he spent time on the glorious mountain because it made him feel at peace and appreciate those simple things around him, making him feel more powerful.
Painting
The above painting is called 'On a Mountain Path in Spring' by the Chinese painter Ma Yuan. In this painting I think that Ma Yuan was showing that it was good to go to a mountain especially in the spring after a winter where you may have been stuck inside for awhile. I clicked in closer on the larger man and I thought that his face looked like he was already thinking. If someone was to go to a mountain for awhile in the spring they would be able to think about things in some fresh air and then they wouldn't be so worried about their problems. The path looked like it was smooth and easy, inviting people to walk up it and forget about their troubles after they had thought them through, then they would be able to enjoy the plants and animals around the path.
Connection
I noticed connections between the painting and the poem. Both were about mountains, mentioning a few other things about nature. In the poem Li Bai talked about the green mountain and a peach blossom. In the painting Ma Yuan had some plants and a bird. It can be concluded from that that the Chinese held mountains and nature in high esteem. They were majestic and powerful, but also a place you could go to find peace. That's another connection. In both the painting and the poem, they seemed to be thinking about things, and in the poem the things floated away for him to be happy. In the painting, the man was still walking the path, still thinking about things it seemed. The poem was short and simple, but I found that it actually had a lot to say. The same with the painting. It didn't have too many details, there was quite a bit of blank space left, but the details that were there still showed a large message.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
DBQ Chart
.
.
-Doc #
-Date
-Source
-Category #1--I vs. E
-Category #2--S vs. E
-POV
.
-1
-700's (8th century CE)
-Hadith (Islamic Legal code)
-no harm in trading, even in seasons of pilgrimage, trade said to be okay by "divine inspiration"
-:-> (can see POV)
.
-2
-1300's (14th century CE)
-Ibn Khaldun
-trade=gambling trade=tricks
tradesmen inferior to rulers, have some bad charcteristics, trading/ tradsmen fall under the heading of gambling.
-:->
.
-3
-1100's (12th century CE)
-Saint Godric's Christian Biographer, Reginald of Durham
-trade and merchants have transgressions, but make good money, give to charity, travel increaases age and wisdom
many merchants steal from others, had transgressions
-:->
.
-4
-1198
-Pope Innoccent III
-absolutely no trading with people like muslims, only trade with people of same religion, people who traded with Muslims would be excommunicated form church
trade was a way to get money, but if you traded with anyone outside the church (muslims) then that was bad. This meant that this culture didn't really have much contact with the muslims
-:->
.
-5
-1250
-Humbert de Romans, about European fairs and markets
-markets are usually morally worse than fairs, men sometimes miss church/mass for markets, sometimes held in holy places, make men swear/use God's name in vain, sometimes markets cause fights to break out, drinking, market place has demon, overall bad place
many unclean people who weren't unhonest were at the market selling things to people, bad influence on others, a lot of swearing/using God's name in vain
-:->
.
-6
-1500's (16th century CE)
-Zhang Han, China
-the wisdom and ability of the merchants is insignificant, the confucian classic says "Great understanding is broad and unhurried; little inderstanding is cramped and busy", merchants earn a lot of money, wisdom, and ability, but according to Confucius all of their traveling, moeny, fine things, wisdom and ability are unimportant.
merchants make a lot of money and profit, very well off in life, have some wisdom and ability, ...trading probably limited because of what Confucius said (<--) and because China was isolated
.
.
My DBQ
In the post-classical period religion and trade often connected, influenced, and interacted with each other. Sometimes this influence was good and there was no conflict between the two, but at other times they restricted each other and struggled to get along. The documents came from a variety of time periods, and the attitude towards trading and merchants changed little over time. The point of view was generally the same, merchants and trade was bad. The point of view was easily identified. There were documents from Islamics, Christians, and Confucianists. An additional document that would have been useful would be a document from India. There was no document from India, Hinduism, or Buddhism. A document form this South Asia area would be a good document to get a point of view from.
At many times in history religion and trade interacted with each other and had a conflict. According to the Muslim Ibn Khaldun of the 14th century, "the manners of tradesmen are inferior to those of rulers, and are far removed from manliness and uprightness." Ibn Khaldun said that trading was gambling and the merchants used many tricks and lies. The only reason that trade was allowed by Islam was because people need to make money to live. After reading the words of Ibn Khaldun under this subject, one can easily come to the conclusion that he thought merchants and trading was dishonest and bad (DOC #2). Religion at times would be the one conflicting with trade. Another man, Humbert de Romans wrote in the year 1250 about the European fairs and markets. Fairs weren't as bad because they weren't very often and didn't go to the same places very often. Markets, however, were usually morally worse than fairs. Markets were bad because men would sometimes miss church or mass to go to these dirty no good markets. Also, there was swearing, drinking, cheating, 'demons', and some merchants and even the people who went to buy things from them would be influenced to use God's name in vain. Markets are horrible places because of those things and also they were sometimes held in Holy places. This implies to a person that religion sometimes conflicted with trade because the trade is being limited by religion (DOC #5). Another document that shows religion conflicting with trade was that of Pope Innocent III in the year 1198. He claimed that if anyone traded with anyone of another faith, especially the Muslims, that one would be "placed under sentence of excommunication". Religion was obviously conflicting and limiting trade here. If someone was to hep out a Muslim in business by anyway they were to be excommunicated, which meant that the Church was not allowing any contact with Muslims and you would be kicked out of the church, it would be a great price to pay if you contacted a Muslim (DOC #4).
At other times in the post-classical period, there wasn't really a conflict with trade and merchants. According to a document from the depiction of Saint Godric, a British merchant, by his Christian biographer, Reginald of Durham, trade helps you because you earn great profits. Also, the traveling increases your wisdom and you can go to the church. Being a merchant you earn enough money to give some to charity. On the travels you can "visit the homes of past Saints and meditate on their lives with abundant tears". This document is showing that religion had no conflict with trade and trade was okay (DOC #3). The Hadith (the Islamic legal code) from the 8th century CE also shows that at times religion had no conflict with trade. When Islam first came to the area "Muslims felt that marketing there might be a sin. So, the Divine Inspiration came" and said that trade was fine. People have to live, and to do that they need to earn money, sometimes by trade. As long as they were honest in their dealings, the Islam religion had no conflict with trade (DOC #1)
At some times in the post-classical period that the philosophy of Confucianism and trade conflicted with each other. This is shown in Zhang Han's essay on merchants from the 16th century. Merchants were thought to be very greedy because of all the fine and elegant things that they had. Also, "merchants boast that their wisdom and ability are such as to give them a free hand in affairs". Merchants thought of themselves as very smart and successful. However, according to Confucianism philosophy they are actually insignificant. "Great understanding is broad and unhurried; little understanding is cramped and busy." (DOC #6).
There was a pattern of benfit and drawbacks shown in these documents. At times religion and trade interacted each other in good ways, at other times bad ways. For example, in document #2 Ibn Khaldun said that merchants and trading was a very bad thing (con) but one needs to make money to live (pro). Document #4 had the point of view that there was no conflict between trade and religion (pro), but there was a conflict between religion and trade because if you were to contact or trade with a Muslim then you were to be excommunicated (con). Many of the documents mentioned tricks, bad morals, and lies. Only one document really said that trade was okay.The document was document #1, saying that the divine inspiration said trade was okay. The rest had the point of view that it was bad with maybe a few good things. An additional document that may have been useful would be one from India, Hinduism, and Buddhism. This would be a good document to have because then there would be a point of view from all the major world religions from the time.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Non Muslims In Africa
Africa and Non Muslims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36TNd3c0K8Q --watch first
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D1WhNwN5qk&NR=1 --watch second
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpOKKjaTAKQ&feature=related --watch third
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/009767.php --not a video, text
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4JhLH558rw --some blurred out blood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcI5qVdxMuM --some parts hard to understand
According the above website (the text), non muslims in Africa, especially black africans, have not been treated fairly by Muslims. Slavery had to be forced to stop by the French when the Muslims were enslaving the black Africans and pressurin other religions like CHristianity in Nigeria. The first three videos form you tube talk about treatment of non muslims in Egypt, Africa. The Christians were often forced to live in the dirtiest parts, sorting rubbish for a living. There was a underground Christian church, where the Christians were only allowed to practice their religion if they did not attract any Muslims, especially to attract a Muslim to convert. They aren't really allowed to build any churches above ground, Christians in Egypt are strongly discriminated against. Sometimes police won't even help the Christians. Muslims are not allowed to convert to Christianity and if one does try to convert, it is not recognized. In the video below the text website, it's from a news agency. In Ethiopia, Africa, Muslims attacked and burned a Christian Church. Many people were hurt very badly. The Muslims had guns and knives, when they couldn't get in they doused the church with gasoline and lit it on fire (while the Christians had been inside praying). A jihad was declared on Ethiopia, and it has been said in more than just this video that the Muslims have the goal of making the whole continent of Africa Islamic. In the last video Muslims are kidnapping Christian girls and boys, making it very hard to find them, especially by completely veiling the girls. They made it so hard for one girl to be found that the police started to give up. Then her mother recognized the way she walked and rescued her. Four days later, she was kidnapped again and sent to a man who taught the ways of Islam. Some of these people were threatened with violence and amputations, even beheading if they did not pay attention and do as they were told.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spread_of_Islam#Africa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_conquest_of_Egypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_conquest_of_North_Africa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sudan_(Coming_of_Islam_to_the_Turkiyah)
That was in the modern times. As Islam originally spread in Africa, the people in Africa were treated somewhat fairly, as you can se by reading the above articles from wikipedia. The non-muslims were basically allowed to practice their own religion as long as the Arabs/Muslims were ruling. However, when the Muslims invaded Nubia twice, the second time they tore down one of the major cathedrals and caused the non Muslims to put up a stout defense. In the end, the Muslims put up an armistice to maintain as much peace as possible. In Egypt, some Copts thought that Muslims were more tolerant than the Byzantine that had previously held power. Taxes were raised, which made some Africans quite unhappy, but the people were not subjected to further assaults once the Muslims were in power and they were pretty much left in peace. In many places like Alexandria for example, the victorious Muslim conquerors granted religious freedom to the CHristians, who would still be subject to the Muslim rule. However, Islam was spread by the sword where there was resistance, then peace was somewhat maintained. There were many wars when the Muslims were invading northern Africa. In some instances, when the Muslims were still battling the Byzantine EMpire for control over Africa, a city was burned. Some captives that were taken were either forced into slavery or military service. In some areas of Africa, Islam was spread by the vast number of merchants over many trade routes, especially on the Eastern coast and northern Africa. In North Africa, the Jews were really the only ones who didn't accept Islam being there. Christians and pagans both accepted the Muslim rulers, and many Berbers converted and helped with the Muslim conquests. The Muslims mostly allowed the people of Africa to keep doing what they were doing, as long as the Muslims were allowed to rule.
The treatment of non Muslims in Africa has changed greatly over time. When Islam first started to spread in Africa, the non Muslims were treated somewhat fairly. They were mostly still allowed to practice their own religion as long as they let the Muslims rule and followed the laws. Islam was spread by the sword, so some non muslims were probably killed, but peace was mostly maintained. In fact, Muslims were considered more tolerant than the Byzantine Empire. However, these freedoms have changed greatly over time. Today, whereever the Muslims are in Africa there's not religious freedom. Christians and Jews are very persecuted. The links at the top of this page show this. Many non Muslims are being killed, tortured, and kidnapped. The Muslims seem to have the goal of converting the whole of Africa to Islam. The Muslims are being very violent toward the non muslims, not trying to maintian peace, but disrupting it very much. This was a great change since when Islam first started to spread in Africa.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Women in Islam
The above article was from the Syrian Arab News Agency. The view of the writer is that Muslim and Arab women play a very large role in their society. However, there is a lot of discrimination and campigns targeting the Muslim women. In the article it said that the Syrian government treated them well and that there were many opputrtunities for the Muslim women. The article also said that human rights and inhumane practices need to be addressed, their society isn't perfect. I think that the writer's viewpoint of the Muslim women in Syria is that they have oppurtunities and play an important role in the society, but the Muslim women are still mistreated.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
News Article about Christianity in Northern Iraq
The above article is about the large Christian population in Mosul (northern Iraq) and how they have had to flee their homes
Monday, October 6, 2008
News Article from Israel
The above article took place in Israel, but it has a connection to the U.S. because it deals with the U.S. army. A summary of the article is a Jewish soldier in the army has been hospitalized after he was forced to take off his kippa and prohibited from praying. The Army ruled the sergeants, including one who had served in Germany, were not guilty of anti-Semitism and simply did not know "what is allowed for religious accommodation within basic training." Monica Manganaro, spokeswoman for the base, said that the fight with the other trainee had no religious basis. She explained that the drill sergeants "would have put a stop to it immediately" if the dispute between the trainees had been based on religious prejudice.
The point of view of these people from the army seems to be that the scuffle was not a religious discrimination because the two sergeants that forced the Jewish officer to take off his kippa and prohibited him from praying and other people that were involved just didn't know what was allowed and what wasn't. The point of view of the writer of the article seems to be different because the way the writer titled the article and the way he/ she wrote it gives the reader the feeling that what happened was a Jewish discrimination but at the same time the writer is defending what was said about what happened.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Chapter 10: Recent Stuff: Around 1914 to Present
I. Chapter Overview
II. Stay Focused on the Big Picture
III. The Twentieth Century in Chunks
A. The World War I Era
By 1914, most of world was or had been colonized by Europeans. 1914, major fight among European powers. Triple Alliance among Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy in 1880s in case France wanted revenge. Also had pact with Russia. After Bismarck ousted, Russia ignored, Franco-Russo alliance. 1907, British also signed agreements with France and Russia, Triple Entente. Schlieffen Plan in Germany. Russia allied with Serbia. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary visited Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia, 1914. Gavrilo Pricip, Serbian nationalist, shot and killed Archduke and wife. War started. Central powers and Allies. Germans' sank ship, killed 100+ Americans. Next year, Germany tried to cut off all shipments to Britain, attacked U.S. merchant ships to Britain. Message sent from Germany to Mexico trying to get Mexicans on their side- intercepted by U.S. April 2, 1917, America entered war on side of Allies. November 11, 1918 Germany and Central Powers gave up. 8.5 million soldiers, millions of civilians perished. Rationing of products. When men gone, women worked in factories to fill empty positions. 1919, Treaty of Versailles brought official end to WWI. President Wilson's Fourteen Points. Germany required pay war reparations, release territory, downsize military. League of Nations. Many nations refused to join at first. Russian Revolution. 1917, Czar Nicholas forced abdicate throne. Romanov Dynasty came to end. Alexander Kerensky, provisional government established. Soviets. Government affirmed natural rights. 1918, Bolsheviks. Vladimir Lenin- April Theses, demanded peace, land for peasants, power to the Soviets. Treaty of Brest- Litovsk. Soviet Union. Red Army, military force under command of Leon Trotsky. Mustafa Kernal, AKA Ataturk (Father of the Turks), overthrew Ottoman Empire. First president of modern Turkey.
B. The World War II Era
Soviets. New Economic Policy (NEP). When Lenin died, leadership of Communist Party shifted to Joseph Stalin. Discarded NEP, made Five Year Plans. Collectivization. Plans successfully industrialized USSR (Soviet Union). Stalin relied on terror tactics. Murders. "Great Purge". Established labor camps to punish any who opposed him. Millions of Soviets slaughtered under Stalin. U.S. stock market crash October 1929, Great Depression. 1932 Franklin Roosevelt elected president. Fascism in Europe. Nationalism and racial identity. Italy first to have fascist government. Benito Mussolini. Blackshirts, paid to fight socialist and communist organizations. By 1926, Italy transformed into totalitarian fascist regime. Germany. Wiemar Republic. 1920s, National Socialist Party (Nazis) rose to power. Adolf Hitler rose to power as head of Nazis. Extreme nationalism and dreams of renewed greatness. Hitler convinced Aryan was most highly evolved race, inferior races such as Slavs and Jews corrupted German race, inferiors should be deported, eliminated. Hitler guide or fuhrer of Nazi Party. 1933, began to rebuild German military. Withdrew from League of Nations. General Francisco Franco took control of large parts of Spain. Franco's troops captured Madrid, installed dictatorship in Spain. Germany and Italy supported. 1935, Hitler took back Rhineland. Munich Conference of 1938. Appeasement. August 1939, Nazi-Soviet pact. WWII began. Japan had been getting more powerful. 1931, invaded Manchuria, renamed Manchukuo. Withdrew from League of Nations. Anti-Comintern Pact. Beginning of alliance with Germany. Japanese troops invaded China. Nanjing, nearly 250,000 Chinese slaughtered. WWII, Hitler's forces devastating. Within year, Axis power controlled most of continental Europe. Winston Churchill, Britain's resolute and fierce prime minister. Battle of Britain. Italy attacked Greece. Japan continued expansion into China, invaded Vietnam. December 11, 1941, Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Manhattan Project. D-day. May 1945, Allied forces closed in on Hitler's troops. Hitler committed suicide. War continued. U.S. forces defeated Japan island to island. Japan refused to surrender. President Truman ordered dropping of atomic bomb on Hiroshima August 6, 1945. More than 1000,000 killed or injured, city completely leveled. Japanese not surrender, President Truman authorized second bomb drop on Nagasaki August 9. Similar consequences, Japanese surrendered. WWII ended. Holocaust, known in Germany as " The Final Solution". Jews who lived in Germany and German-occupied lands rounded up, methodically killed in gas chambers and firing lines, bodies disposed of in ovens and mass graves. 6 million Jews an additional 6 million Poles, Slavs, Gypsies, homosexuals, disabled people, political dissidents also killed in Holocaust. U.S. and Soviet Union became superpowers. U.S. instituted Marshall Plan, offered to all European countries. Decline of colonialism. Big changes for women. Employment, higher education. Network of international organizations. United Nations. World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization.
C. Communism and the Cold War
Cold War lasted 1945-early 1990s. U.S. and Soviet Union, vied for global domination, tried pull rest of world into standoff. Nuclear arsenals became massive. U.S. promoted capitalism and variations of democracy. Soviet Union promoted communism, totalitarianism. Soviet Union wanted Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria be under its influence. U.S. wanted nations have free elections. Berlin Blockade. Berlin Airlift. Berlin divided in half. Soviet bloc, western bloc. Truman Doctrine. Containment. Western bloc formed NATO. Eastern bloc formed Warsaw Pact. Borders loaded with weapons. Conventional then nuclear. Iron Curtain. China- nationalism, socialism, and democracy. KMT political party. Communists. Mao Zedong. Republic of China. Mainland China became People's Republic of China, largest communist nation. 1950s, Great Leap Forward. Starvation of nearly 30 million Chinese. Started focus on building up military. 1964, tested first atomic bomb. 1966, Cultural Revolution. Forced egalitarianism. 1976, Deng Xiapping took office after Nao's death. Began focus on restructuring economic policies. Free-market capitalism. Still remained strictly communist. Korea-Soviet Union and U.S., Korea two separate pieces. Soviet-backed communist regime in North Korea, U.S. backed democracy in South Korea. 1950, North attacked South. Armistice in 1953. Today, still separate. North Korea has huge military, nuclear bombs, missiles capable of delivering bombs. Vietnam- divided into two pieces. Communists, Ho Chi Minh, north, democracy, Ngo Dihn Diem, south. Another war. Reunification of Vietnam as communist under Ho Chi Minh. Cuba-U.S. and Cuba, Platt Amendment. Batista dictatorship.
1956, Peasants revolted under leadership of Fidel Castro. Used guerrilla warfare techniques. 1959, Batista fled. Castro established communist dictatorship. Established strong ties with Soviet union. 1961, Preside Kennedy authorized Bay of Pigs Invasion, failed. 1962, Cuban Missile Crisis. Soviet Union collapsed early 1990's. Castro kept power, but economic conditions deteriorated. Europe-Poland-solidarity movement, Lech Walesa. 1988, solidarity legalized. 1989, Tadeusi Mazowiecki became Prime Minister. 1990, communist party fell apart, Lech Walesa elected president. 1999, joined NATO, 2004 joined European Union. Germany-East Germany cut ties with Soviet Union, began negotiations with West Germany. 1989, Berlin Wall torn down. Germany reunified as modern capitalist-leaning Democratic nation. Soviet Union - 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev. 1991, soviet Union disintegrated, Russia became own country again, Ukraine. Belarus, and Georgia became independent nations. Yugoslavia, "ethnic cleansing", Muslims slaughtered. Chechnya. Guerrilla warfare and terrorist tactics. Democracy formed.
D. Independence Movements and Developments in Asia and Africa
1906, Muslim League. 1919, Amritsar massacre. 319 Indians, Hindu and Muslim, slaughtered by British General Dyer during peaceful protest in a city park. No way for victims escape, park was walled. 1920, Mohandas Gandhi. Passive resistance. Gandhi called for Indian unity. Instead, Muslim league planned future country: Pakistan. After WWII, independence granted. Racial Hindus and Muslims started killing each other. Muhammad Ali Jinnah. 1947, Pakistan created Pakistan mainly Muslim, India-Hindu.Gandhi assassinated by Hindu. Two nations still fighting Kashnir. Both countries have become nuclear powers. Africa- other than South Africa, nations above Sahara first to gain independence. 1922, Egypt independent. 1950's, Gamal Nasser overthrew King, established republic. south of Sahara, resources had been taken. Made nations weak, struggled to build strong, stable, independent countries. Rwanda, Tutsi governed Hutu. 1962, Rwanda independent. Hutu revolted, left thousands dead. The two ethnic groups fought 10 years, Juvenal Habyarimana unseated government, 1981 established one-party republic. 1994, general died, civil war broke out between two groups. 100 days, 800,000 Tutsi dead. More than 2 million refugees sent or fled to Zaire, many died of disease. South Africa- British and Dutch colonist. Black people excluded. 1923, residential Segregation established enforced. 1926, blacks banned from work whites wanted 1931, South Africa independent, racial policies unimproved. apartheid. Big separations. 1930's Nelson Mandela became leader of African National Congress. 1960, Sharpeville massacre. Guerrilla warfare. 1994, apartheid abolished, Mandela elected president. Middle East- Israel- Hebrews(Jews) occupied lands in Palestine. Islam, Muslims increasingly came to Palestine. Arthur Balfour. 1917, Balfour Declaration, right for home in Palestine for Jewish people. 1920, Britain gained control of Palestine. Jews flooded into Palestine 1930's to escape Hitler. Beginning of WWII nearly 500,000 Jews emigrated to Palestine. 1940, United Nations created two Palestine's, one for Jews, one for Muslims (Palestinians). David Ben- Gurion, first prime minister of Israel. Muslims attacked, Israelis had military capability. Two nations fought. 1967, Six Day War, Israelis controlled all of Palestine. 1977, Prime Minister begin, President Sadat, signed Camp David Accords. Israelis and Palestinians still fighting. 2000, Ariel Sharon approved construction of wall to be build between Palestinian west Bank and Israel. 2003, "Road map to Peace" proposed. Palestinian president Yassir Arafat died November 2004. January 2005, Mahmoud Abbas elected, signed cease-fire with Israel. Peace still limited. Iran- 1960's land reform education reform, increased rights of women. 1979, shah ousted from power. Modernization and Westernization programs reversed, women required wear traditional Islamic clothing, return to traditional roles. Qu'ran Became basis of legal system. Iran- Iraq war, eight year war, cease- fire signed in 1988. war in Iraq. 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad elected Iran president. 1960, Oil - OPEC (organization of Petroleum Exporting countries). Huge power over economy.
E.Globalization and the World Since 1980
1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait under leadership of Saddam Hussein. Driven out by United Nations and U.S. Hussein kept power. Brutal dictatorship. April 2003, Iraq invaded to oust Hussein from power. Hussein captured. Democracy tried to be established. Elections held. Afghanistan, the Taliban, Osama bin Laden, Saudi leader of international terrorist network, AKA Al Queda. Doesn't like U.S. or Saudi Arabia. September 11, 2001, Al Queda operatives took control of four American passenger jets, two flown into World Trade Center, NYC, one into Pentagon in Washington, D.C., one into field in Pennsylvania. U.S. launched war on terrorism. Taliban removed from power, Al Queda still survives. World Trade and Cultural Exchange-North American Free Trade Agreement, European Union...Trade of goods and ideas transported easily. Agencies and organizations designed to protect and facilitate trade. International Monetary Fund, World Bank, The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, World Trade Organization, Group of Six (G6, now G8). Environmental change-pollution and waste management. 1950s and 1960s, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, biologically engineered foods, more efficient means of harvesting, more marginal lands available for agriculture, resulted in destroyed traditional landscapes including rain forests in Indonesia and South America, reduced species diversity, fostered social conflicts. Bottled water. Consumption of oil. Global Warming. Technology since 1980- computers, software, hardware, Internet, email.
IV. Changes and Continuities in the Role of Women
Dramatic changes in women's social, political, economic roles. Increased rights. Right to vote. Education. Professions. China, one-child policy. Family structure changed.
V. Pulling It All Together
Nationalism affected all major global events in twentieth century. Independence movements. Globalization. Transportation, communications, imperialism. Economies intertwined. Self-determination in nations. No right answer to question: Is there currently a convergence of cultures?
I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Chapter 9: Not So Old Stuff: Sometime Around 1750 to About 1914
II. Stay Focused on the Big Picture
III. Industry and Imperialism
A. The Industrial Revolution
Farmers started rotating crops. Enclosure. New technologies. Urbanization. Domestic System. Important people: 1733, John Kay invented flying shuttle. 1764, John Hargreaves invented spinning jenny. 1793, Eli Whitney invented cotton gin. Steam engine- Thomas Newcomer and James Watt. Steamship- Robert Fulton. Steam powered locomotive- George Stephenson. More inventions over next 100 years-
- The Telegraph (1837)
- The Telephone (1876)
- The Light bulb (1879)
- The Internal Combustion Engine (1885)
- The Radio (1890s)
- The Airplane (1903)
X-rays. Charles Darwin. Interchangeable parts. Henry Ford's use of assembly line. 16-hour workdays not uncommon. Children as young as six worked at factories. Women worked long hours at factories. Industrialization created new social class. Private ownership. Adam Smith. free market system (capitalism). Laissez faire capitalism. Karl Marx, German economist and philosopher, disagreed. Marxism Foundation for socialism and communism. Luddites. Greater number of people began to believe government needed to act on behalf of workers as well as factory owners. Major split in thought. MAJOR NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FREE MARKET CAPITALISM EXIST IN FACTORIES AND CITIES. United States: Opinion: free market capitalism is good, but reform it to minimize the bad effects. Russia: Opinion: Free market capitalism is bad, so get rid of it and replace it with something else.
Most Europe mixed socialist, capitalist ideas. Factory Act of 1883. Labor unions formed. Public education more widely accessible. Social mobility. 1807, slave trade abolished. 1833, British outlawed Slavery, Three decades later, outlawed in U.S. 1920, U.S. and 1928 Britain, women's suffrage movement. Natural Resources. Many taken during Industrial Revolution. Most resources went to Europe. Most Europeans very ethnocentric, viewed other cultures as barbarian and uncivilized. two ideas contributed to mindset. First, social Darwinists applied Charles Darwin's biological theory of natural selection to sociology. "Survival of the fittest." British superior: second, many Europeans believed not only superior, but had moral obligation to dominate or teach others how to be more civilized, more like Europeans. Rudyard Kipling, "White Man's Burden."
B. European Imperialism in India
British East India Company, Robert Clive, Raised army that ridded subcontinent of the French. Corporate troops. British set up administrative regions. Sepoys: Indians who worked for the Brits, mostly as soldiers. Rebellion. 1858, British parliament took control of India easy from the East India Company. Bahadur Shah II, last of Mughal rulers, sent into exile, 1877, Queen Victoria recognized as Empress of India, Urbanization increased dramatically. 1885, Indian National Congress.
C. European Imperialism in China
1773, British introduced opium to Chinese. by 1838, Manchu emperor released imperial edict forbidding further sale or use of opium. 1839-1842, Opium War. China forced by British to sign treaty of Nanjing. 1856-1900, second opium war. White Lotus Rebellions, Taiping Rebellion. Self-'Strengthening Movement, failed. 1876, Korea declared it's independence. Sino-French War, lost control of Vietnam. Sino-Japanese War. treaty of Shimonoseki, China forced hand over control to Taiwan, grant Japanese trading rights. Spheres of influence. United States, Open door Policy. "Boxers". wanted to drive Europeans and Japanese out of China. Adopted guerrilla warfare tactics. Failed. China forced to sign Boxer Protocol. 1901, foot binding abolished. 1903, Chinese Examination System eliminated. 1911, government toppled and imperial rule ended. Sun Yat-sen, republic established.
D. Japanese Imperialism
1853, Commodore Matthew Perry (U.S.) arrived in Japan on steamboat, something Japanese had never seen. Treaty of Kanagawa. Unlike Chinese, Japanese organized. Samurai revolted against shogun and restored Emperor Meiji to power. 1870's, Japan building railways! Steamships. 1876, Samurai warrior class as an institution abolished, universal military service among all males established. 1890's, Japanese Industrial and military power. 1895, defeated China in war for control of Korea and Taiwan. 1904, Russo-Japanese War, Japanese defeated Russia. World Power.
E. European Imperialism in Africa
Between 1807 and 1820, most European nations abolished slave trade, slavery not abolished until a few decades later. W/in 50 years, Africans subjugated again, this time in their homeland. Boers (South African Dutch) discovered diamonds and gold in Transvaal. British followed. Boer War (1899-1902). British won. Africans not allowed claims to gold, diamonds, forced to work in mines. South Africa became British colony. 1910, colony had constitution, became Union of South Africa, Native Africans had few rights. 1912, educated South Africans made African National Congress. Muhammad Ali defeated french and ottomans, gained control of Egypt in 1805. Cotton production. Suez Canal, connected Mediterranean Sea to Indian Ocean. British Italian became interested in north Africa. W/in 3 decades, almost entire continent of Africa colonized by Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium. By 1914 only Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent. Europeans added railroads, dams and roads. Stripped Africa of it resources, treated natives harshly Disruption of traditional tribal boundary lines. Traditional African culture started breaking apart.
VI. Political Developments in the Americas and Europe
A. Two revolutions: American and French
1. The American revolution
French and Indian War. Britain's George Greville and Charles Townsend passed very unpopular laws on behalf of British. Revenue act, Stamp Act, Tea Act. American colonists-"No taxation without representation". Boston Tea Party. Lexington and Concord. Thomas Paine urged colonists support movement for independence. French helped Americans greatly. 1781, cornered British army, General George Cornwallis surrendered.
2. The French Revolution
1789, King Louis XVI called meeting of Estates General, governing body that hadn't met in 175 years. King needed financial help. Three estates. Estates met separately. Third Estate (peasants, 95% of population), June 17, 1789 declared themselves National Assembly. The Declaration of the Rights of Man. Assembly abolished feudal system, declared freedom of worship. 1791, Assembly ratified new constitution. Convention and Jacobins. Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins. 1795, wrote new constitution and established Directory. Napoleon Bonaparte, general by age 24. 1799, overthrew Directory, declared self First Consul under new constitution (fourth since revolution began). Napoleonic Codes. Conquered Austria, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, and kingdoms within Italy. 1812, attacked Russia, lured into Moscow, which Russians set aflame, preventing adequate housing for troops. Napoleon sent into exile. Prince von Metternich (Austria), Alexander I (Russia), Duke of Wellington (Britain). Napoleon tried regain power. Sent into permanent exile on island of St. Helena.
B. Lots of Independent Movements: Latin America
Haiti, French island colony. 90% of population slaves. 1801, Pierre Toussaint L'Ouverture led successful slave revolt. Haitians capable fighters. Yellow fever took many French. Toussaint imprisoned. Lieutenant, Jacques Dessalines, proclaimed Haiti free republic in 1804. Simon Bolivar, Venezuela. 1811, Bolivar helped establish national congress, independence from Spain. Civil war. Bolivar successful. Jose de San Martin. By 1820s, huge chunk of South America independent from Spain. Brazil: Portugal. John VI. 1821 returned to Portugal, left Brazil in power of son, Pedro. Formed constitution. 1831, gave power to son, Pedro II. Slavery abolished in 1888. 1889 republic established. Mexico: Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Morelos. Treaty of Cordoba.
C. Two Unification's: Italy and Germany
Italy. Foreign-controlled small kingdoms. Only divided kingdom of Sardinia controlled by Italians. Victor Emmanuel II. Count Camillo Cavour. Managed to remove Austrian influence by 1859. Spain out by 1860. Germany. Prussia and Austria politically dominated. William I of Prussia. Franco-Prussian War. Bismarck victorious. Germany became one of most powerful nations by 1914.
D. Other Political Developments
Russia. Romanov czars. Alexander II issued Emancipation Edict, abolished serfdom. Did little good. Arts began to flourish. 1881, Alexander II assassinated by The People's Will. Alexander III, Russification. Nicholas II, Bloody Sunday. 1906, Peter Stolypin appointed as Prime Minister. Duma. Ottoman Empire began to decline. U.S. 1823, U.S. President Monroe declared in State of the Union Address the western hemisphere off-limits to European Aggression. Monroe Doctrine. Britain agreed to back up U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt added Roosevelt Corollary. Panama Canal. Spanish-American War.
V. Technology and Intellectual Developments. 1750- 1914 C.E.
Advances in power and transportation. Steam. Rail lines. Large scale migrations. New forms of entertainment. Rapid industrialization. New imperial ism and interactions. New reasons and new ways to make war. Automatic weapons. Assembly-line.
VI. Changes and Contiuities in the Role of Women
Still not many rights.
VII. Pulling It All Together.
(Flowchart shown). Age of Exploration, Industrial Revolution, Enlightenment. Nationalism. Many forces of change. Exploration, industrialization, education. Continuing impact of Enlightenment, end of slavery, military superiority, nationalism, imperialism, racism, capitalism, Marxism...Trains, ships, telegraphs. By 1914, planes and telephones. Urbanization.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Chapter 8: Old Stuff: Approximately 1450 to Around 1750 C.E.
II. Stay Focused on the Big Picture
III. Major European Developments 1450-1750 C.E.
A. Revolutions in European Thought and Expression
1. The Renaissance: Classical Civilization Part II Europe experienced and influx of money to go along with newfound sense of history. Humanism. Important people: The Medici family, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello. Tommas Masaccio and Fillipo Brunelleschi developed technique known as linear perspective. Important people: the Dutch Van Eyck brothers and the German painter Albrecht Durer, portraitists. Most northern paintings religiously motivated. Important person: Johannes Gutenberg, invented printing press. Book industry flourished. Important people: Machiavelli, Erasmus, Sir Thomas More, and William Shakespeare.
2. The Protestant Reformation: Streamlining Salvation Nearly everyone in Europe thought: to get to heaven you had to proceed by way of Catholic Church. Church began to sell "indulgences"- piece of paper faithful could buy to reduce time in purgatory. Important person: Martin Luther, German monk, made known what church was doing was wrong. "Lutherans" were Luther's followers. Important person: John Calving, led powerful protestant group, "Calvinism". Important person: King Henry VIII, renounced Rome, declared himself head of religious affairs in England. Church of England (Anglican Church). Catholic reformation. Important person: Ignatius Loyola, "Jesuits". Council of Trent.
3. The Scientific revolution: Prove it or Lose it Important person: Nicolaus Copernicus, developed math theory that earth and other celestial bodies revolved around sun, earth rotated on axis. Important person: Galileo. Important people: Tycho Brahe (built an observatory, recorded his observations), Francis Bacon (inductive logic), Johannes Kepler (laws of planetary motion), Sir Isaac Newton. Many people became atheists or deists.
4. The Enlightenment: Out of the Darkness, Into the Light "Divine right of monarchs". James I of England, illegal act was ungodly act. Social contract. Important people: Thomas Hobbes (believed role of government under social contract should be to preserve peace and stability), John Locke (people had natural and unalienable rights, responsibility of government to secure and guarantee rights), Jean-Jacques Rousseau (all men equal, individual protected by community, but also free), Voltaire (religious toleration), Montesquieu (separation of powers). Enlightened monarchs.
B. European Exploration and Expansion: Empires of the Wind Search for new, efficient trade routes on the seas. Important people: Prince Henry the Navigator, Vasco de Gama, Christopher Columbus. Treaty of Tordesillas, established a line of demarcation on a longitudinal line. Expeditions. Important people: (explorers) Amerigo Vespucci, Ponce de Leon, Vasco de Balboa, Ferdinand Magellan, Giovanni da Verrazano, Sir Francis Drake, John Cabot, and Henry Hudson. Sternpost rudder, Lateen sails, astrolabe, magnetic compass, three-masted caravels. Important person: Hernan Cortes, landed on coast of Mexico, Aztecs. Important person: Montezuma, Aztec ruler. Spanish brought small pox to Aztecs. Greatly reduced populations. Important person: Francisco Pizarro, brought similar fate to Inca. Native Americans had little or no freedom. Encomienda system. Slaves from Africa. Some died/killed on ships to America. Forced to do hard work. Columbian Exchange. New foods, animals, resources. Sugar and silver. Age of Exploration. Joint-stock company. Muscovy Company, Dutch East India Company. Mercantilism. Europeans established trade with Asian empires. Portuguese went around Cape of Good Hope, set up trading post in Goa, gained control over Spice Islands.
IV. Developments in Specific Countries and Empires 1450-1750 C.E.
Major movements impacted different parts of Europe at different times.
A. The European Rivals
1. Spain and Portugal
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Built formidable naval fleet. Portuguese dominated coastal Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Spice Islands. Early player in transatlantic slave trade, controlled sea routes, and garrisoned trading posts. Lost control of them to Cutch and British who had faster ships and heavier guns. Charles v. Hapsburg. Created huge empire that stretched from Austria and Germany to Spain. 1519, elected Holy roman Emperor by German princes, meant he then held lands in pars of France, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany in addition to Spain, plus new colonies in the Americas. 1556 Charles decided to retire, Gave control to his brother, Ferdinand 1 over Austria and the Holy roman throne of Germany, to his son, PhilipII he conferred the throne of Spain and jurisdiction over Portugal. Spanish Inquisition. English defeated and devastated the once mighty Spanish Armada.
2. England
Elizabethan Age: Boasted commercial expansion and exploration and colonization in the New World. England under Elizabeth experienced a golden age. James I came to power in 1607 after the death of Elizabeth. Jamestown colony founded during reign of James I. Charles I son of James. Desperate for money from Parliament. Signed petition of right. After got money ignored petition, claimed divine right, ruled w/out calling parliament meeting for 11 years. Parliament known as Long Parliament. Denied Charles next request for money. Civil war broke out. Important person: Lover Cromwell rose to power, English Commonwealth. Much resentment toward Cromwell. When he died, Parliament invited Charles II, the exiled son of the now beheaded Charles I, to take the throne and restore a limited monarchy. Stuart Restoration agreed to the Habeas Corpus Act. Following CharlesII's death, his brother James II took over. He was unpopular, believed in divine right of Kings, Glorious Revolution, driven from power by Parliament, replaced by son-in-law and daughter, William and Mary, who promptly signed the English Bill of Rights.
3. France
1598, Henry IV issued Edict of Nantes, created environment of toleration. He was first Bourbon King. Bourbon's ruled France nearly two centuries, important person: Cardinal Richelieu, catholic, deaf advisor to the Bourbons, his successor was Cardinal Mazarin. Important person: Cardinal Richelieu, catholic, chief advisor to the Bourbons, his successor was Cardinal Mazarin. Important Person: Louis XIV became one of most legendary monarchs, patronized arts as long as they contributed to glorification of France and his culture, build lavish palace of Versailles, revoked Edict of Nantes, appoint4d jean Babtiste Colert to manage the royal funds. War of Spanish Succession. PhilipV able rule Spain, but Spain couldn't combine with France and France had to give up a bunch of its territory.
4. German areas (The Holy Roman Empire, sort of)
The Holy Roman Empire lost parts of Hungary to the Ottoman Turks in the early sixteenth century. . The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) devastated the region and significantly weakened the role of the Holy roman emperors, which in the nineteenth century would finally lead to the rise of nation-states in the region. . By the eighteenth century, the northern German city-states, especially Prussia, were gaining momentum and power. Peace of Augsburg, intended to bring end to constant conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. 1618 Thirty Years' War started. Actual fighting stayed w/in German empire; many parts of Germany were left depopulated and devastated. Peace of Westphalia negotiated in 1648. Prussian, the German city -state centered in Berlin and also controlled parts of Poland, eventually rose to dominate German territories.
B. Russia Out of Isolation
Moscow called the "Third Bone". Important People: Ivan III of Moscow, 1480, refused to pay tribute to the Mongols, declared Russia free of Mongol rule, He and later his grandson Ivan IV, established absolute rule in Russian. Cossacks, peasant-soldiers that expanded Russian territories well into Siberia and southward to the Caspian Sea. Ivan the Terrible, "czar". Regularly executed anyone whom he perceived as a threat to his power, including his own son. Ivan IV died 1584. Time of Troubles. Important person: Michael Romanov, elected czar by feudal lords in 1613. Russian territory spread more. Important person: Peter the Great, built Russia's first navy, founded St. Petersburg on Baltic Sea, Women of nobility were forced to dress in western fashions, men forced to shave beards, most of hard labor building new city accomplished by serfs turned slaves. Important person: Catherine the Great, more enlightened policies of education and western culture were implemented, fiercely enforced repressive serfdom. Limited growth of merchant class, continued expansion.
C. Islamic Gunpowder Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal
Ottomans came to dominate most of modern-day Turkey, invaded Constantinople. Renamed it Istanbul. Converted great cathedrals such as Hagia Sophia into mosques. Christians and Jews allowed to practice their religions. To conquer large territories, enslaved children of their Christian subjects. Turned them into fighting warriors. Ottoman Empire lasted until 1922. Chief rivals were Safavids. Important person: Babur, established Mughal Empire, dominated Indian subcontinent. Important person: Akbar, Babur's grandson, policy of religious toleration. Eliminated tax on Hindus, attempted to eliminate sati. Shah Jahan, Akbar's grandson, built Taj Mahal.
D. Africa
Empire of Songhai was Islamic state. Trade. Fell to Moroccans with muskets. Centralized kingdom of Kongo. Trade with Portuguese, Europeans. Kings of Kongo converted Roman Catholicism. King Alfonso I. Kingdom mostly destroyed. Queen Nzinga of Angola, fiercely resisted Portuguese. In end, couldn't win.
E. Isolated Asia
1. China Ming Dynasty built strong centralized government based on traditional Confucian principles, reinstated civil service examination, removed Mongol influence by reinvigorating Chinese culture. Built huge fleets. Zeng He, Chinese navigator, led fleets. Silver currency. Established trade relations with Spanish through Philippines. Peasant revolts. Qing warriors. Qing from Manchuria. Kangxi and Qianlong, Machu emperors that were Confucian scholars. Supported arts, expanded empire. 1724, Christianity banned. 1757, trade restricted to Canton.
2. Japan
Portuguese established trade with empire, introduced guns. Tokugawa Shogunate. AKA Edo period. Christians persecuted. National Seclusion Policy. Buddhism and Shinto. Unique art forms also prospered. Kabuki theatre and haiku form of poetry.
V. Technology and Innovations 1450-1750 C.E.
Europeans were powerful force. Gunpowder weapons, navigation and ship building technologies, printing press. Overseas trading empires, moved lots of plants and animals, enslaved and transported people across oceans. Wars. Conquests. New cultures, religions.
VI. Changes and Continuities in the Role of Women
Elizabeth I of England. Isabella of Spain and Nor Johan of Mughal, India shared power with husbands. Status and freedoms of changed little from previous period. Non-European areas of world tended to regard older widowed women with respect and superstition. Also to be feared because couldn't necessarily be controlled. In Europe education was more widely available to all classes, though opportunities for girls lagged behind boys.
VII. Pulling It All Together
Europe was where energy was. Europeans had technology, political motivation, and financial structure. Japanese and Chinese wanted preserve own culture. Had power and motivation to keep Europeans out. In Africa, no centralized power so Europeans harder fend off. In Americas, civilizations quickly overwhelmed by European technology and disease. Middle East only important for trade not conquest. Sailing, mercantilism, and private investment changed global economy.
Chapter 7: Really Old Stuff: Around 600 C.E. to Around 1450
I. Chapter Overview
II. Stay focused on the Big Picture
III. Review of History Within Civilizations 600-1450 C.E.
A. The Rise of Islam
Monotheistic. Followers called Muslims. Believed Allah (God) transmitted words to faithful through Mohammad. Qu'ran. Five Pillars of Islam-
- confession of faith
- prayer five times per day
- charity to the needy
- fasting during month-long Ramadan
- pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during one's lifetime
Jihad. Struggle to be better Muslim and struggle against non-believers. Accepted Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as prophets (Jesus not accepted as God's son). Two groups: Shia and Sunni. 622 C.E. Mohammad and followers found support in Medina. In 630, returned to Mecca and destroyed pagan shrines- except for the ka'ba, which became the focal point of Muslim pilgrimage. Islam spread rapidly through Middle East, Africa, toward Europe. Abu Bakr became caliph (emperor and religious leader), head of state, military commander, chief judge, and religious leader when Mohammad died in 632. Islamic Empire was theocracy. Because ruled by caliph, referred to as caliphate. Caliphs began to behave more like hereditary rulers. No clear line of succession. Umayyad Dynasty would enlarge empire dramatically. Capital moved to Damascus, Syria. Mecca still center. Chose not to convert to Islam, forced pay tax. Charles Martel, Frankish leader, stopped Muslim advance toward Paris. Umayyad Empire defeated. Abbasid Dynasty reigned from 750 to 1258, until Islamic Empire defeated by Mongols. Abbasids built capital at Baghdad, Islamic Empire built around trade. Merchants introduced idea of credit. System of receipts and bills. Manufacturing. Steel produced for swords. Advancements on medical and mathematics fields. Important person: Mohammad al-Razi, massive medical encyclopedia. Islamic mathematicians made contributions to algebra. An Abbasid army defeated a T'ang Chinese army, discovered paper money. In Arabia, women viewed as property of men. Baby girls seen as less valuable than baby boys. Female infanticide- killing of unwanted baby girl. Qu'ran changed much. Women had more rights. Infanticide strictly forbidden. Women had to be veiled in public. Islamic Empire overran by Mongols, Baghdad destroyed.
B. Developments in Europe and the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire a lot more centralized and organize than western empire. Both practiced Christianity, not same way. Byzantine Empire used Greek language; its architecture had distinctive domes; its culture in general had more in general had more in common with eastern cultures like those of Persia; and its brand of Christianity became an entirely separate branch known as Orthodox Christianity. Used coined money. Important person: Justinian, who reigned from 527 to 565. Justinian Code. Flowering of arts and sciences.Hagia Sophia. In contrast to Roman Catholic emperors of west, who regarded pope leader of Byzantium's church, secular rulers headed church. Important person: St. Cyril, Orthodox Christian who used Greek alphabet to create Slavic alphabet. Important person: Vladimir, Russian prince from Kiev, abandoned traditional pagan religion and converted to Christianity. Franks, Germanic tribe, united under King Clovis, converted to Roman Catholic. Important person: Charles Martel- led revolt against advancing Muslim armies, in 732 defeated them at Battle of Tours. Founded Carolingian Dynasty. Important person: Pepin, Charles Martel's son, chose to have his succession certified by pope. Important person: Pepin's son, Charles, crowned by pope in 800 and became known as Charlemagne ("Charles the Great"). Empire came to be called the Holy Roman Empire. Important person: Otto the Great, coronation in 962. 843- Treaty of Verdun. Vikings from Scandinavia, Magyars from Hungary. Vikings perhaps most successful raiders. Vikings converted to Christianity. By Middle of Middle Ages, Catholic Church had become very powerful. Feudalism had strict hierarchy. King, then nobles, then vassals, then peasants. Feudal system male-dominated. Even noblewomen had few rights. Peasants, male or female, had few rights. Eventually, towns formed alliances. Architecture. Romanesque and Gothic style churches. Heresies. Universities where men could study. Scholasticism. Important person: Pope Innocent III. Important person: Pope Gregory IX. Universal Church or Church Militant. Important person: Thomas Aquinas, a famous Christian realist. Europe broken up into feudal kingdoms during Middle Ages. Began to organize along cultural and linguistic lines. French- France, English- England. Germany entered period known as interregnum. England formed strong monarchy. Important person: William the Conqueror. Important person: King John, forced to sign Magna Carta. France. Important person: King Hugh Capet. Important person: Joan of Arc. Hundred Years' War. Bourbons. Spain. Important person: Queen Isabella. Ruler of Castille. Married Ferdinand, heir to Spanish kingdom of Aragon. Spanish Inquisition. 1242 Russia succumbed to the Tatars (a group of Mongols from the east) under Genghis Khan. Ivan the Terrible.
C. Developments in Asia
1. China and Nearby Regions
Three powerful Chinese dynasties: T'ang (618-907 C.E.), Song (960-1279 C.E.). Important person: Emperor Xuanzong, the T'ang expanded Chinese territory into parts of Manchuria, Mongolia, Tibet, and Korea. Important person: Emperor Taizu, 960, Song Dynasty. Fell to the Jurchen and then the Mongols. The Mongols were driven from China and in 1368 the Ming Dynasty was established. Civil service examination continued to be modified. T'ang tribute system. During Song Dynasty, early form of movable type invented. Song had powerful navy, participation in international trade throughout southeast Asia. Gunpowder, magnetic compass, watertight bulkheads, stern post rudders. Iron production. introduction of Champa rice from Vietnam increased food supplies. Important person: Wu Zhao, T'ang Dynasty, first (and to date only) Empress of China. Song Dynasty, foot binding. Woman's feet bound shortly after birth in effort to keep small. Religion had greatest impact on China: Buddhism.
2. Japan
The first important ruling family was the Yamato Clan. First and only dynasty-current emperor is descendant of this same clan. Shinto religion. Important person: Prince Shotoku, borrowed bureaucratic and legal reforms from China. Taika Reforms. Japanese largely rejected Confucianism. Fujiwara intermarried with Emperor's family. Important person: Yorimoto Minamoto, given title of chief general, Shogun. Samurai. Peasants and artisans. Code of Bushido.
3. Vietnam and Korea
Confucianism and Chan Buddhism spread to Korea. Koreans became vassal-state of T'ang. Viet people actively resisted T'ang armies.
4. India
Delhi Sultanate Kingdom. Islam spread throughout much of Northern India. Hindu temples sometimes destroyed, occasional violence broke out in communities. Colleges founded, irrigation systems, Mosques built. Important person: Timur Lang, leader of Mongols.
D. The Rise and Fall of the Mongols
Important person: Genghis Khan, unified Mongol tribes. Mongol Empire eventually spanned from Pacific Ocean to eastern Europe. The Golden Horde conquered region of modern-day Russia. Important person: Kublai Khan, ruled in China. Genghis Khan established first pony express and postal system, gave tax breaks to teachers and clerics. Armies very strong.
E. Developments in Africa
Kush and Axum civilizations. Kush had capital at Meroe, became center for ironworks and trade. Axum. Converted to Chritianity in fourth century, seventh century many converted to Islam. Ghana, Mali, Songhai. Ghana and Mali, tons of gold. Important person: Mansa Musa, one of greatest Mali rulers. Important person: Sonni Ali, Songhai ruler-conquered entire region of western Africa and established Songhai Empire. Oral literature (story telling) in Africa. Sculptures made of pottery and bronze.
F. Developments in the Americas
Decline of Maya remains source of debate. Aztecs. Expansionist policy and professional army. Built empire of some 12 million people. Aztec women had subordinate public role but could inherit property. Incas. Andes Mountains in Peru. Also expansionist. professional army, established bureaucracy, unified language, complex system of roads and tunnels. Primary source of labor was slaves. Large cities. Incan women were expected to help work fields, weave cloth, care for household. They could pass property on to their daughters, play a role in religion. Excellent builders, stone cutters, and miners.
IV. Review of Interactions Among Cultures 600-1450 C.E.
A. Trade Networks and Cultural Diffusion
- The Mediterranean Trade between western Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic Empire
- The Hanseatic League
- The Silk Road
- The land routes of the Mongols
- Trade between China and Japan
- Trade between India and Persia
- The Trans-Saharan trade routes between west Africa and the Islamic Empire
Religions and languages spread through trade. Bubonic Plague carried by merchants all along trade route. Indian Ocean Trade. Silk road- carried silk, porcelain, paper, military technologies, religions, food. Global trade network.
B. Expansion of Religion and Empire: Culture Clash
- The Mongol expansion into Russia, Persia, India, China
- The Germanic tribes into southern Europe
- The Vikings' expansion from Scandinavia into England and western Europe
- The Magyars push from eastern Europe into western Europe
- The Islamic Empire's push into Spain, India, Africa
- The Crusades
- Buddhist missionaries to Japan
- Orthodox Christian missionaries into eastern Europe
Conquest and religious expansion. Important person: Pope Urban, 1096 C.E., initiated First Crusade. Set out to conquer the Holy Land. 9 crusades, failed.
C. Technology and Innovations 600-1450 C.E.
Many of new innovations came from eastern societies- China and India, filtered through Islamic world. (Table of innovations from Islamic world and China).
VI. Changes and Continuities in the Role of Women
Women's freedoms depended on which caste or class they belonged to. In African societies women had a great deal of freedoms.
VII. Pulling It All Together
Interaction, centralization, and the growth of religion all had impacts on civilizations. Cultural areas, "East" and "West". Cultures that interacted and those that didn't.
