My DBQ

DBQ Essay-- Merchants and Trading Amy :-)

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.