Blog Post #15 - Chapter 15

This chapter discusses what the world was like during the 15th century. There was many important events that shaped the 15th century. Such as Columbus's voyage, The growth of European Civilization during the Renaissance and Russia leaving two centuries of Mongol rule. Within the 15th Century there was many different human societies. Hunters and Gatherers societies still persistent in Australia even after the arrival of the Europeans in the 18th century. There were also hunter and gatherers groups along the northwest coast of North America. Even though these societies still existed, they were still outnumbered by the amount of people and civilizations who practiced agriculture. The numbers of species who lived by hunting and gathering dwindled as Russian, European and Chinese empires took their land. Along with hunter and gatherer societies was agricultural village societies in tropical lowlands of south America and the Caribbean; in parts of the Amazon River Basin and Southeast Asia etc. One particular group known as Igbo that was East of the Niger River in West Africa; had neighbors known as the Yoruba and Bini that in the 15th century developed small states and urban centers. But the Igbo refused to follow suit. Pastoral societies were prevalent in the 15th century. The Mongols were a pastoral people who developed their own empire through destruction and conquering land but it was brief. After it’s fall there was an attempt made by Timur, a Turkic warrior to restore the empire in the late 14th, early 15th century. Then there was the major Civilizations in China and Europe. During the Ming Dynasty, China was rebuilding itself after being under Mongol rule and a plague that caused a decline in their population. During this period of rebuilding Confucianism was being promoted and the examination system was put back into place. An Encyclopedia was written by 2,000 scholars to compile China’s previous writings on history, ethics, government etc. Rebuilding after escaping from Mongol rule and growing its population after the plague. But rebuilding for China meant a unitary state while for Europe that meant a fragmented system with many different states. The Renaissance in Europe reclaimed a classical Greco-Roman traditions that had been lost. The Renaissance is when many famous painters created famous paintings. Artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo Da Vinci. Both the Chinese and Europe had launched maritime voyages. China stopped its voyages because their had no need to convert other people to its religion or culture. They didn't need military allies in the Indian Ocean and required little of what those regions produced but Europeans continued to voyages after China stopped. In the 15th Century there were transformations in the Islamic world There was the new Ottoman Empire that lasted until early 20th century. The empire was also had a very diverse population and it was very economical and cultural sophisticated.

Blog Post #14 - Chapter 11

This chapter focuses on the history of pastoral societies, like the Mongols. These societies differed from the societies around them because they had a nomadic lifestyle where they relied on animals to live. These societies also differed because they offered women much more freedom compared to other societies. Such as the ability to participate in military affairs and be political advisers. Even though they lived very differently pastoral people still interacted with their agricultural neighbors They also tried and become familiar with different world religions that each found their home among the pastoral people. This chapter also discusses the achievements of a few groups of pastoral people. One group that is focused on is the Turks. This group was able to gain control of the rich trade routes in Arabia. After a camel saddle was invented that allowed them fight effectively on top of these animals. The Turks were the third major carrier of Islam. Another group that is focused on is the Mongols. The Mongols had the largest land based all of human history and with population of about 700,000 people. The Mongol people did not force their beliefs on the people they conquered. Even though they did have their own religions beliefs that focused on contact with their ancestors. The Mongol tribe were unified by Chinggis Khan and from there was the rise of the Mongol Empire. They first set out to conquer China. Through destruction the Mongol Empire was able to build itself containing China, Korea, Central Asia, Russia, much of Islamic Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe.

Blog Post #11 - Chapter 9

This chapter focuses the spread of the Islam religion and the empire that came with it. Along with its effects on the Afro-Eurasian world during the third wave era. The religion took it hold in deserts and cities of the Arabian Peninsula. Before Islam was commonly practiced there were Nomadic Arabs known as Bedouins, who lived in clans and tribes and were most of the time fighting, They believed in few different Gods and nature spirits and believed in personal values such as bravery. There were also other communities such as the Highlands of Yemen and interior mountain communities where sedentary village-based agriculture was used. Cosmopolitans commercial cities grew because Arabia was close to important trade routes that connected Indian Ocean. Mecca was the site of the most prominent religious shrine in Arabia, known as the Kabba. It also housed 360 deities. Because many Arabs had acknowledged that Allah was the Supreme God. Along with also acknowledge Allah with Yahweh, the Jewish High God and considered themselves “Children as Abraham. It would seem as though that they were following a path to Judaism or Christianity but that soon changed. Muhammad Ibn Abdullah was born in Mecca. In his life he was troubled by the religious corruption and social inequalities in Mecca. He often meditated in the mountains outside the city, where he experienced an overwhelming religious experience, that made him believe he was the messenger of Allah. His revelations were written in the Quran which became the sacred scriptures of Islam. The writings of the Quran called for a whole new society as it was in conflicted with the social injustice in Mecca and the tribe and clan system. The Quran called for the return of older Arab values solidarity, equality, concern for the poor. There were five requirements for believers which known as the Pillars of Islam. Because of Muhammad’s work for social reform and disagreement with Mecca’s business practice etc. Muhammad and a small amount of followers emigrated  to the town of Yathrib. This new community people could join based on belief which lead to it expanding. There was no separation between religion and law unlike Christianity. When some Jewish groups became allies with Muhammad's enemies. He redirected his followers to pray towards Mecca. This message seem to declare that Islam was an Arab religion. With similar motives to other empires such as access to better trading routes and agricultural land. Islam worked on expanding by trying to conquer the Sassanid Empire which ended in defeat and Byzantium Empire. That lost southern half of its state. With the territories that were conquered conversion to Islam was not mandatory. Christian, Jews and Zoroastrians were considered ‘people of the book” They could continue practicing but had to pay a tax and were considered second class citizens.

Blog Post #13 - Chapter 8

1. The chapter begins by writing about China becoming united again in the Sui Dynasty. Which was overthrown after a plan to conquer Korea drained resources. From there the state remained unified and began the golden age of China under the Tang and Song Dynasty. China's golden age was filled with many advancements. Such as the invention of gun powder. Also China was wealth due to it's use of cheap transportation using canals for goods. China also had the first printed books. In this golden age population also grew greatly. China's cities were busy with many restaurants and what were known as "Luxuriant inns". Women in the Tang dynasty had much more freedom than before. There are painting depicting women riding horses and female priests worshipping a Daoist deity. But in the Song dynasty Confucianism was becoming more popular again which shifted gender roles for women again. Shoe binding become a popular practice which also help in keeping women in the house. But at the same time women had more control over property and education for women was encouraged. Outside on China were nomadic people who lived  very different lives. They did however have a taste for China' s fine goods such silk and wine. The China also relied on them for horses and the fact that they controlled a lot of the silk road. China had established a trading in which goods  from the other civilization must be presented to the emperor in order to be grant permission to trade with China. 

Blog Post #12 - Chapter 10

This chapter focuses on the spread of Christianity around the world. First detailing the spread of the religion though Asia. As the faith of Islam began to spread, the faith of Christianity dwindled. Christians in the middle east were not forced to convert but if continued to practice Christianity they had to pay a fine. But this was mostly depended on the local Muslim ruler. Some choose to destroy everything related to Christianity. While others allowed others to continue to practice. But this did change how the faith was practiced.Christians were considered second class citizens and were unable to spread their message. They also did not use art as a way to depict their faith. When Mongols ruled China, Christianity had a sightly but brief renewal. As the Mongols welcomed other faiths. But soon Christianity almost disappeared during the Confucian Ming Dynasty.

Moving on to Africa, there was a very similar situation to China. As Islam expanded to North Africa, Christianity diminished. Expect in Egypt where Christianity was the majority and many people continued to practice while paying a special tax. But Christian-Crusaders from Europe and Mongols from China threatened Egypt. Anti-Christian campaigns started and so did destruction of churches. As result many converted but people persisted in urban areas and rural missionaries. But Christianity did continue to grow in Nubia as they were able to defeat Arab incursions and through an agreement with Muslim Egypt to protect this group for 600 years. By 1500, Nubian Christianity mostly disappeared. Christianity continued to be practiced in Ethiopia.Mostly due to the fact that isolated location and that many Muslims that Christian  Ethiopia's protected persecuted followers of Muhammad.

As Islamic and Christian worlds settled, the focused shifts to Byzantium Empire and Western Europe. Historians think that Byzantium began when a Roman Emperor who favored Christianity started a new capital in the Greek city called Byzantium. The Eastern half of the Roman empire continued after Rome’s fall. Byzantium was wealthier, more urbanized and more cosmopolitan than West Rome. Byzantium controlled Greece, most of Balkans (southeastern Europe) and Anatolia. Political Authority remained centralized and the imperial court was meant to be similar to God’s heavenly court but was similar to ancient Persian imperial Splendor. The state was focused on collecting taxes, maintaining order and suppressing revolts. Byzantium was immediately tied to church unlike the Roman Catholic Church, who had some independence.The Emperor of Byzantium was both the pope and the head of state. There was no separation between church and state. The Church influenced qqevery aspect of life in Byzantium

Blog Post #10 - Chapter 7

This chapter focused on 3rd wave civilizations and the effect long distant trade had on society. Trade allowed for the exchange of goods such as salt from West Africa for gold. It made societies more reliant on each other and also allowed for the spread of ideas and religions.Along with that sickness. It also gave people a way to display social status as people who were wealthy could afford the foreign goods. The biggest trade network was in Eurasia known as the Silk Road. This was established because the inner part of Eurasia's land, which was not suitable for agriculture. People relied on trade with agricultural neighbors. Most of the items exchanged on the silk road were luxury goods due to the high transportation cost. The demand for silk was high by elite Chinise men and women. China relied on men for the physical trade of silk but it was mostly rural women who were making the fabric. Despite this most rural families were very poor. Other women wanted silk for its comfort and what it meant as a fashion statement. Roman writers wrote about how this translated to a drain in resources and the moral impacts of wearing silk, it was seen as indecency. Soon other peoples learned how to produce silk. Silk became a symbol for different things in different societies. In Central Asia it was currency, in China and the Byzantine Empire it was a symbol of high status and it also become associated with the spread of religion. Trade helped the spread of Buddhism to cities of Central Asia. But Buddhism spread slowly to the pastoral people of Central Asia because of their nomadic lifestyle, along with the lack of a written language. But for the most part Buddhism remained a religion for foreign merchants and foreign rules. The religion of Buddhism changed also as things from different cultures were added to it. Such as Zoroastrian fire rituals and statues of Buddha with greek influences in the Northwest of India which were influenced by invasions of Alexander the Great. Trade exposed many civilizations to disease they had never dealt with before. Things such as smallpox, measles and the plague killed hundreds. Weakening civilisations that may have helped in their down fall. It also strength the practice of religion as faith helped the sick and dying population. Beyond the Silk Road, oceans also known as the “Sea Roads” were used to help ship goods. But this time things such as textiles, pepper, rice timber, sugar and wheat. Because cargo ships could support the weight of heavier cargo that camels couldn’t. The use of the Red Sea for trade was also utilized by 1st civilizations such as the ancient egyptians. But this most likely were short routes. Expect for Malay Sailors who traveled from modern day Indonesia to Madagascar. Bringing their language and crops (banana, coconuts and taro) with them.Indian Ocean Commerce grew greatly with the growth of Chinese economy. Along with technology advances in larger ships and magnetic compass. Indian Ocean Commerce also grew with the rise of Islam as it was a culture that was nice to merchants and commercial life. To want to reclaim the land of Mesopotamia to producesugar created a slave trade from East Africa. Thousands of Africans worked in salt mines in Southern Iraq. Trade though the Sea Roads  in Southeast Asia created political change aspiring rulers gain wealth through commerce. Indian traditions and Buddhist religions concepts influenced the civilization. Such as people believing the rulers were reincarnation of a hindu deity or Buddha. These influences were voluntary and were practiced peacefully alongside other religious beliefs and traditions. Such as Southeast Asia was far less patriarchal, 

Blog Post #9 - Chapter 6

This chapter focuses on other seconds wave civilizations in other parts of the world, such as Africa. Civilizations in Africa relied on the heavy but unpredictable rainfall, that was followed by a dry season. One civilianization focused on in this chapter is Meroë. A Kingdom ruled by a monarch, which often time were women. Meroë was a wealthy kingdom with access to gold, ivory, tortoiseshell etc. It also made iron weapons and cotton cloth. This made long distance trading common. By the kingdom fell due to deforestation and the trading routes changing from the Nile Valley to the Red Sea. The civilianization was overthrown by a neighboring kingdom, Axum. Axum was an agricultural civilization that farmed using a plow. Farming great amounts of wheat, barley, millet and teff. Axum took advantage of trade with Rome and other civilizations. Axum was also a Christian Kingdom with the coins having the cross on them. The Axum kingdom fell due to deforestation, soil exhaustion and erosion from extensive framing. Another civilization developed along the Niger River. But this civilization function without a government, organizing themselves in groups based on special skills. Relied on trade to get things they did not have access to around the river. Two more civilizations were Mesoamerica and Andes. Most things in these civilizations occurred without many domesticated animals and iron tools. Although Andes did have access to alpacas and llamas. They grew maize, beans, chili peppers etc. Had their own 260 day calendar. Other civilizations discussed were the Maya best known for their mathematics and use of the solar calendar and one of the most extensive writing systems.