2.5 Cultural Consequences of Connectivity

Buddhism

Originated in India, spread to China via Silk Road and Southeast Asia also, some Chinese did not want Chinese religions mixed so opposed

Chen/Zen Buddhism

Buddhism mixed with Daoist principles

Where did Buddhism thrive?

Under Song Dynasty; scriptures became widely available, influenced Chinese literature by writing in the vernacular, still happens today

Japan and Korea

Also adopted Buddhism and Confucianism

Korea

Educated studied Confucianism, peasants followed Buddhism

Neo-Confucianism

Mix of Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism; spread to Japan and Vietnam, became official ideology of Korea

Hindu Southeast Asian empires

Srivijaya Empire on Sumatra

Buddhist Southeast Asian empires

Majapahit Kingdom on Java, Sinhala Dynasties in Sri Lanka

Which empire had both Hindu and Buddhist influences?

Khmer Empire/ Angkor Kingdoms, Angkor Wat shows this

Sinhala Dynasties

Center of Buddhist studies, monks influenced political leaders

Africa

Swahili is still spoken today, Timuktu was important city of Mali, leaders of states deepened Islamic ties thru pilgrimages to Mecca

South Asia

Buddhist and low-caste Hindus converted more to Islam, architecture blended Hinduism and Islam, languages mixed, Bhakti poets linked Hinduism and Islam

What is an example of blended architecture?

Qutub Minar

What is an example of a mixed language?

Urdu, mix of Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Hindu

Southeast Asia

Muslim rules on Java combined Mughal Indian features, local traditions, and Chines-Buddhist and Confucian traits; traditional Javanese puppetry, poetry, stories absorbed Muslim characters and techniques

Scientific and technological innovations

Islam scholars translated Greek classics into Arabic, used mathematical texts from India, used paper-making from China, studied medicine form ancient Greeks, Mesopotamians, Egyptians

How did Champa Rice effect Vietnam and China?

Believed to have originated in India, cities grew and produced porcelain, silk, steel, iron

How did papermaking effect Europe?

From China, arrived with use of printing technology, lead to increased literacy rates

How did seafaring technology improve?

China, India, and Southwest Asia expanded knowledge of astronomy and natural world

What were new seafaring technologies?

Lateen sails, stern rudder, astrolabe, magnetic compass

What supported the urbanization of China?

Trade in Hangzhou

Hangzhou

Home to about 1 million people, center of culture (home to poets Lu Yu, Xin Qiji, other writers and artists) center of trade (located at southern end of Grand Canal, brought diversity, like a community of Arab merchants

Samarkand and Kashgar

Thrived on Silk Road, Islamic scholarship

Factors contributing to growth of cities

Political stability and decline of invasions, safe and reliable transportation, rise of commerce, plentiful labor supply, increased agricultural output

How did Kasghar decline?

Declined after conquests from nomadic traders, ravaged in 1389-90 by Tamerlane

How did Constantinople decline?

Weakened by Crusaders in 204, bubonic plague killed half of population in 1346 and 1349, fell to ottomans in 1453 after 53-day siege, marks end of high Middle Ages

Factors contributing to the decline of cities

Political instability and invasions, disease, decline of agricultural productivity

How did Crusades increase demand for trade?

Encountered Byzantine and Islamic cultures which opened up demand for products from the East

What did the Crusades spread?

Black Death 1347 - 1351, killed as many as 25 million people in Europe, reduced economic activity in Europe, shortage of workers, so they demanded higher wages

What was the Renaissance fueled by?

Ideas from Byzantium and Muslim world

Marco Polo

Born in Venice, late 13th century; visited the court of Kublai Khan and China, but Europeans did not believe him; encouraged emigration and people went to see for themselves

What did Marco polo write about?

High levels of urbanization from the perspective of a merchant

Ibn Battuta

Born in Morocco, 1304 - 1353, Muslim scholar; traveled through Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, Spain, North Africa, Mali

What did Ibn Battuta write about?

How Islam is practiced in different places of the world from the perspective of a devout Muslim

Margery Kempe

Born in England, c. 1373 - c. 1440, mystic

What did Margery Kempe write?

"The Book of Margery Kempe," one of earliest autobiographies written in English, written by her scribes, it talks about her visions, mystical experiences, and life as a woman with 14 kids in Medieval times