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