sep 29 history w/watson Unit 1 Part 1 everything!!

Cultural Diffusions

the spread of cultural beliefs, ideas, values, technologies, and practices from one group of people to another

Nirvana

• This is one of the Buddhist basic beliefs of Buddhism

• Achieve Wisdom to Achieve Nirvana

• Nirvana is a state of peace of mind

Confucius

• This is apart of Confucianism

• Was a teacher who attempted to restore social order in China

• During his 40-year career he edited and wrote many of the ancient Chinese writings

• Educated all, not just the aristocrats

confucianism

More philosophy than religion

• Everyone should be educated

• Guidelines for ethical behavior

• People should be inspired by princely ideas or to be unselfish

Christianity

• The prophet Jesus fulfilled God's promise of God to the Jews

• The crucifixion of Jesus

• The apostles spread ( people who send it out)

• Beliefs

  • Jesus was the son of God

  • Humility, charity and love

  • Jesus was crucified and rose from dead

  • Jesus was the messiah (Christos)

  • People are “saved” when they belief in Christ

India’s Caste System

• rigid social classes

• you are born into what class you are.

Sunni

is like a type of muslim

• they believed that leadership should be elected from those most capable of the job

  • The word Arabic comes from a word meaning “one who follows the traditions of the Prophet”

• majority 85% of Muslims all over the world

Shia / Shitte Muslims

believed that leadership should be passed directly to the relatives of the Prophet

Sunni vs Shia

• Origins:

  • Division dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad

• The original division was over the question of leadership following Muhammad’s death

Hinduism

• Areas practiced – India & worldwide

• Worlds Oldest religion

• Rebirth is determined by Dharma and karma. The wheel of rebirth is called samsara.

• Dharma, the “right way of living,”

• Karma, the idea that all your actions come back, determines rebirth

• Symbol

Aum Symbol

• Three chief gods

  • Brahma – creator

  • Vishnu – the preserver

  • Shiva - destroyer

Ganges River

is revered in Hinduism as the holiest of all rivers

Aum Symbol

• The Mandukya Upanishad is entirely devoted to the explanation of the syllable. 

• Syllable represents the three stages of life – birth, life and death

• Syllable used in meditation

• Complex meaning and usage

What are Vedas in hinduism

Collection of hymns and ceremonies.

Hinduism + Reincarnation

• this is one of their basic beliefs

the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth driven by the soul's actions and accumulated karma

In Hinduism the goal is to reach ___.

The goal is to reach the status of Brahman.

Daoism Taoism

• Starting Point

  • 3^rd century China

  • Lao-tzu or Old Master

• Beliefs

  • Tao means the way

  • Ultimate law of the universe

  • Source of all things & nature

  • Suffering, pain, bloodshed & chaos is a result of unnaturalism

  • Taught harmony with nature

  • Do as little as possible to cause change

Taoism Writings

• Tao Te Ching (English – Classic Way of Power)

  • Attributed to Lao Tzu – 81 sections

  • Handbook for ideal ruler

• Chuang-tzu

  • Conversations between Lao and Confucius

  • Includes fables, parables & anecdotes to teach lessons about life and the Tao

Taoism areas

• Started in China – spread to Asia

• Over centuries Confucianism, Taoism & Buddhism intermixed in Area

Islam

• Starting Point

  • Muhammad – considered a prophet equal to Moses or Jesus

  • Islam – means peace through submission

• 2nd largest religion

Islam Belief + what are the Five Pillars of Islam

• Believe Muhammad received revelation from God by the Angel Gabriel

  • Only one God – Allah

  • Pray five times daily

  • Charity to others

  • Fasting – Ramadan

  • Pilgrimage to Mecca

Islam symbol

• Symbols

  • Moon and Star (adopted from flag of Ottoman empire during its rule of the predominantly Muslim areas)

  • Mecca

Muslims and the Quran they believe that

Their religious book is the Quran, and they believe that this is the only book free of human corruption and is the finest work of literature in Arabic

Buddhism

• Siddhartha Gautama, or Enlightened one (Buddha)

• Basic beliefs

  • Buddha – man who awaken to see new way

  • Let go of worldly cares

  • Achieve wisdom to achieve Nirvana

  • Reincarnation – but not set caste

Buddhism and their sacred writings ( Four Noble Truths )

• Ordinary life is full of suffering

• Suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy ourselves

• The way to end suffering is to end desire for selfish goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves

• The way to end desire is to follow the Middle Path

Buddhism and the 8 steps to enlightenment ( Eightfold Path)

• Follow the Middle Path

• Right View – we need to know the four Noble Truths

1. Right intention – We need to decide what we really want

1. Right Speech – we must seek to speak truth and to speak well of others

1. Right Action – “Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not be unchaste.  Do not take drugs or drink alcohol.”

1. Right livelihood – We must do work that uplifts our beings

1. Right Effort – “Forward looking gaze will not relax until he comes out of the mud.”

1. Right mindfulness – We must keep our minds in control of our senses

1. Right concentration – we must meditate to see the world in a new way

Buddhism wheel of dharma

is the circular part and the spinning part is for the circle of life.

Judaism Starting point + Basic Beliefs

• Starting point

  • Started by Israelites

  • Prophets

• Basic Beliefs

  • Chosen people of a single god

  • God created all things

  • God made a covenant with the people

  • Written laws for all people

  • Monotheistic

What are Judaism writings + area practiced

• Ten Commandments

• Torah

• Areas Practiced

  • 14 million throughout the world

  • Highest number in Israel & US

Judaism Symbol

• Temple in Jerusalem

• Six pointed star – Star of David

• Synagogue is a place of worship

filial piety (Confucius)

the core Confucian virtue of showing respect, devotion, care, and appropriate deference to one's parents, elders, and ancestors. Confucius taught that it is the root of all moral behavior and the foundation of a peaceful society

Confucius Writings

• Analects or Conversations

• Analects – collection of sayings and proverbs

• Set guidelines for Civil Service Exam

Chinese Civil Service Exam

• came from confucianism

• The Chinese Civil Service Exam was a standardized, merit-based testing system used in Imperial China to select government officials and bureaucrats based on their knowledge of Confucian classics, rather than their wealth or family lineage

Mandate of Heaven (gain/loss/means)

The Mandate of Heaven is an ancient Chinese belief that the gods give a ruler the power to be king—but only if they are a good, fair person.

🟢 Gaining the Power

If you are a good leader who helps the people, the gods approve of you. You get to be the king.

🟡 Keeping the Power

You have to keep being a good leader and rule fairly. If you do, the kingdom stays peaceful.

🔴 Losing the Power

If you become greedy, cruel, or a bad leader, the gods get angry and take your power away. The gods show their anger by sending natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, or famines. When that happens, the people have the right to fight back, kick you out, and pick a new leader.

Arab Dhows

are traditional wooden sailing vessels with triangular lateen sails that have been used for trade and fishing across the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean for centuries.

Arab Dhows usages

• Trade:

  Merchants used them to carry heavy goods like fruit, fresh water, dates, spices, and timber.

• Fishing and Pearling: Smaller dhow types were essential for catching fish and diving for pearls.

• Travel: They connected coastal communities in Arabia, India, Persia, and East Africa.

Monsoons winds

predictable seasonal winds over the Indian Ocean that reverse direction twice a year, serving as the primary environmental engine for maritime exchange

• They were predictable

• Lower risks

• Cheaper trade

• More trade could happen

Indian Ocean Trade

the world's largest sea-based exchange system from c. 1200 to 1450, connecting East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia.

• DID NOT include EUROPe

• 3rd largest ocean in the world.

• Covers about 20% of the world’s ocean surface.

• Located between Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica.

• Has an M-like shape.

• 
  

the the port of Guangzhou (Canton).

• 
  

This port was where foreign merchants were not allowed to be mixing with the Chinese. Nevertheless, this area has become a popular place where Muslims, Christians, Zorostrias, Jews, and Buddhists along with many others had lived and where they had areas of worship.

• Explain the “major changes” in the western end of the Indian Ocean region. 

• After 632 CE, Islamic empires like the Umayyads and Abbasids expanded from Spain to China.

• Islam and Arabic spread across the Indian Ocean region and into West Africa, helped by Sufi missionaries/brotherhoods and trade.

• Muslim merchants and pilgrims connected different regions, especially through the yearly pilgrimage to Makkah.

• The Indian Ocean trade grew wealthy, creating high demand for goods.

• Crops and products spread from East to West, including sugar, rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables.

• The main trade routes connected through the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.

• Explain the “major changes” in the eastern end of the Indian Ocean region.

• Tang & Song dynasties → China’s trade and economy grew

• Maritime trade → Increased across the Indian Ocean

• Trade bureaus + Imperial Navy → Protected trade from pirates

• China imported → Spices and cotton

• China exported → Tea and porcelain (“china”)

• Buddhism → Spread in China

• Ming Dynasty → Zheng He led voyages across the Indian Ocean

• Main change → China became more connected to Indian Ocean trade

Silk Road (why this name)

• named after the highly profitable and prized trade in Chinese silk that drew ancient civilizations together across Eurasia

astrolabe

a portable, handheld scientific instrument used by sailors and astronomers to measure the altitude of the sun or stars above the horizon to calculate latitude.

Ancient Greece

compass

a navigational instrument featuring a magnetized needle that aligns with Earth's magnetic field to indicate direction (pointing toward magnetic north),

• Invented in China (with roots in the Han dynasty, but adapted for marine navigation during the Song dynasty in the 11th century).

Silk Road (importance)

• What they were: A web of interconnected land-based trade paths rather than a single physical road.

• Time frame of peak focus: Especially emphasized from c. 1200 to c. 1450 (Unit 2: Networks of Exchange), driven by state stability like the Mongol Empire.

• Key goods: Luxury items like Chinese silk, porcelain, spices, and textiles, meant primarily for elites.

silk road Importance and Historical Significance

• Economic Growth: Stimulated luxury production and led to the rise of major trading cities like Kashgar and Samarkand.

• Commercial Innovations: Boosted the use of caravanserai (roadside inns), paper money, banking houses, and bills of exchange, which made long-distance trade safer and more efficient.

• Cultural and Biological Diffusion: Facilitated the spread of religions (Buddhism, Islam), technologies (gunpowder), and devastating diseases (the bubonic plague) across continents

khanates

The Mongols had  divided into 4 khanates (Yuan Dynasty, Golden Horde, Chagatai Khanate, Ilkhanate)

• The khanates maintained security along the Silk Roads, creating an era of safe trans-Eurasian trade and cultural exchange known as the Pax Mongolica.

• Nomadic Roots: The term originated among Mongolic and Turkic nomadic societies on the Eurasian Steppe.

• Tribal Loyalty: Power was based on personal loyalty from warrior subjects and tribute collection rather than rigid bureaucratic or divine-right systems.

• Political Status: They were equivalent in political rank to feudal monarchies or chiefdoms.

middle kingdom

China was curious about exploring other lands and wanted to demonstrate its stunning shipbuilding technology and power.

• China was the center of civilizations

Forbidden City

• A massive walled imperial palace complex in Beijing, China, built by the Ming Dynasty

• Legitimizing Power: Constructing an enormous, elaborate palace complex demonstrated that the emperor possessed vast wealth, centralized administrative control, and divine approval (the Mandate of Heaven).

• Administrative & Political Center: It served as both the home of the emperor and the bureaucratic heart of the Chinese state, housing Confucian scholar-bureaucrats.

• Exclusivity and Control: It was called "forbidden" because ordinary citizens were barred from entering without explicit imperial permission. This strict physical boundary reinforced the emperor's elevated, sacred status at the center of the universe

• 24 Chinese emperors lived there

• The foundation of the palace was Feng Shui

• The design represents the universe

• It was unknown and restricted to the population

• 1925; the imperial palace was turned to a museum. 

• There was a room that was dedicated to the water goddess 

• Hall of Supreme Harmony( good for ceremonies where the dragon throne is)

• Ceramics gallery 429 pieces ( Hall of literally glory) 

• Garden; surrounded by tress

• Palace of Heavenly Purity 

• Ming Emperors built this 

• Built for the residence of emperor and family 

• Buildings were painted red wood and yellow ceramics 

• The rooms are all laid out how it would reflect the traditional Chinese view of the world 

• Women lived in the western side of this

• Today it holds the biggest collection of imperial treasures and artworks in China.

forbidden city reflected what goal of the ming dynasty

• Restoring Tradation. 

• They had built this place in correlation with how the Chinese traditionally view the world. 

• There are many artifacts there

• The foundation of the Palace was Feng Shui

• They had built a room dedicated to the water goddess. 

Admiral Zheng He

• Technological Transfers: His fleets relied on compasses, astrolabes, and monsoon wind patterns, highlighting interregional exchange.

• Zheng He was an Admiral of the Ming Dynasty.

• The Ming Dynasty restored Chinese rule in 1368 CE.

• In 1405 CE, the Ming began the Ming Voyages, led by Zheng He.

• Zheng He led five major maritime voyages.

• His fleets included hundreds of huge “treasure ships.”

• The voyages traveled to ports across the Indian Ocean, from one end to the other.

• These voyages show that China was heavily involved in Indian Ocean maritimetrade and exploration during this period.

Simple summary: Zheng He was a Ming Chinese admiral who began leading large maritime voyages in 1405, sending huge fleets across the Indian Ocean to visit many foreign ports.

Genghis Khan

• Genghis Khan rose to power before the height of the Mongol Empire.

• He conquered large areas of Eurasia, bringing many regions under Mongol control.

• Control of Silk Road trade was an important part of his rule.

• He dealt with trade disputes along the Silk Road.

• Under Mongol rule, the Silk Road flourished partly because the Mongols promoted trade and improved infrastructure, making travel safer.

• The Mongols sometimes forcibly relocated skilled craftsmen to different parts of the empire to provide goods and services. For example, craftsmen from Europe and the Middle East were moved to Mongolia and northern China.

• Genghis Khan's conquests helped create the conditions for the Pax Mongolica, a period when trade and communication across much of Eurasia became easier and safer.

Simple summary: Genghis Khan helped expand Mongol control across Eurasia and promoted control and protection of the Silk Road. This encouraged trade, communication, and cultural exchange between Europe and Asia.

Mongol dynasty overview

Main idea: The Mongols were not only conquerors. Their empire also connected large parts of Europe and Asia, promoted trade along the Silk Roads, encouraged cultural exchange, and helped create a period of increased interaction known as the Pax Mongolica.

Mongol Dynasty / Empire

• The Mongol Empire became the largest contiguous land empire in world history.

• It began expanding rapidly in the 13th century under Chinggis (Genghis) Khan.

• The Mongols eventually divided their empire into four major sections:

  • Yuan Dynasty — China, Mongolia, Korea, and Tibet, ruled by Khubilai Khan.

  • Chagatai Khanate — Central Asia.

  • Ilkhanids — Persia/West Asia.

  • Golden Horde — Russia and surrounding areas.

Trade and the Pax Mongolica

• The Mongols strongly supported international trade.

• They created the Pax Mongolica, which provided greater security for travelers and merchants across much of Eurasia.

• A network of postal stations provided travelers with food, horses, and lodging.

• The Mongols increased the use of paper money and reduced some trade barriers.

• These policies helped connect Europe and Asia and increased the exchange of goods, people, technology, and ideas.

Cultural and Religious Exchange and Mongols Dynasty

• The Mongols encouraged religious tolerance and supported Buddhism, Islam, Nestorian Christianity, and other religions.

• They recruited foreign artisans, scientists, physicians, and scholars into their empire.

• Chinese artistic styles influenced Persian art, while Persian scientific and medical knowledge reached China.

Mongol Decline

• By about 1260, internal struggles and disagreements over succession contributed to the division of the empire.

• Military failures, including unsuccessful invasions of Japan and Java, drained Mongol resources.

• In China, expensive public works and taxation contributed to economic problems.

• Floods and peasant rebellions weakened Mongol control.

• In 1368, the Ming Dynasty overthrew the Mongols and restored native Chinese rule.

song dynasty

• Trade grew rapidly under the Song Dynasty.

• Maritime trade became especially important.

• China traded with the Indian Ocean region.

• China imported: spices and cotton.

• China exported: silk and porcelain (“china”).

• Tea + porcelain became important luxury exports.

• New rice from Southeast Asia increased food production and nutrition.

• Technology and transportation improved, helping move goods to ports.

• The Mongol invasion in the 13th century disrupted China and ended the Song Dynasty.

Large Populations Center or Urban Center

• Surrounded by rural areas that are supplied with agriculture

• Wealth from exporting minerals to surrounding cultures.

• As per a muslim travel writer, Kaffa, was a celebrated port and there had been a great harbour ( around 200 ships/ warships/ trading vessels) 

• Daidu : this was a big postal-station system

Monumental Architecture + Unique art styles

• building of large monuments + structure to preserve their legacy

• how they build religious centers

• egypt pyrimads

• Yurts

• ceramics along with fine textiles

Shared communication strategies

• spoken languages

• Alphabets

• Numeric System

• Signs

• Symbols

This allows for infrastructure for technology, trade, cultural exchange, and government to develop

1. Yam: This was a postal relay system, they would use a special badge of authority that they called paidze to send a message quickly to far places. This paidze had allowed the carrier to many forms of aid, for example exchanging tired riding animals in replacement for a rested one. 

2. There had been food trading and is now why in Persian diets rice is a staple. 

3. There was a coin made that had the Kahns on one side and the Bank of St George of Genoa on the other side. 

4. Byzantium: this is how the Golden Horde was persistent in keeping ties with Genoa and that had helped them keep alliances with Egypt ( Mamlunks) and they used Byzantium to communicate.

Systems for administering territories.

• a government administration or bureaucracy

• legal codes; these were used in Europe until 18 century

• taxes for building or maintaining public work buildings.

• Kaff- was purchased by Genoa traders in a part of Black sea from the Golden Horde. This was a great trading settlement. There had been more or less a monopoly on international trade in the Black sea region.

• They had guarded the Silk Road to make sure that it would be useful for their travelers. 

• It was safe to travel day and night.

Legal code,

this was a series of moral injunctions along with laws.

Complex Division of Labor

• different people perform specialized tasks

• Farmers produce crops.

• Khans had the weavers from the middle east  moved against will to Mongolia and Northern China in order to satisfy the Mongolians' liking of middle eastern luxury textiles styles. 

• They had also moved around administrators, since they were not good at keeping track of things of those nature they would move them around as they see fit. 

• Some chinese painters were sent to persia ( they produces a different kind of a textile) 

• Requited some Persian doctors to China ( they were doing great things, they impressed the Mongols.)

Division of People into Social and Economic Classes

• division by income and work

• USA: is wealth vs poor

• Middle East: nobility vs. commoners.

• The Mongols had  divided into 4 khanates (Yuan Dynasty, Golden Horde, Chagatai Khanate, Ilkhanate) 

• Genghis Khan had promoted people based on merit rather than family position, and he had brought lower class people to his own tribe while getting rid of their leader of the clans. 

• They tried to improve the social status of the merchants.