Mapping the Middle Ages Quiz #2

al-Andalus (the idea of living harmoniously)

• history of Iberia

• Muslim and Arab migration into North Africa

• Convivencia: idea of al-Andalus as a (relatively harmonious) cultural melting pot

• challenges the idea that al-Andalus was really a perfect “golden age” of tolerance for jews

• simplified coexistance hides the complexity of jewish life in medieval spain

co-existance

living in the same space, may not be positive/fair to all of the people there

Anna Komnene Background

• child of an emperor

• wrote about history (crusade I mostly)

• Franks were nominally allied with the byzantines during the first crusade but sometimes they beef

Anna Komnene

• betrothed at age 7 but it did not work out- then had an arranged marriage with a good match

• she was smarter than husband and would debate

• anna changed how she wrote to appeal to audience (makes it difficult to know exactly what she meant)

• anna wanted to be ruler (couldnt bc of her brother)

• she potrays her father as heroic

• she hypes up her grandma- who did the governing because her dad was always at war

• anna wrote the alexiad but is famous for failed coup and wanting to be empress

• she thought the leader of the “franks” was hot

the conference of the birds

• the birds of the world feel lost without a king

• the hoopoe becomes their guide and they must give up all worldly things to commit to sufism

• birds travel through seven valleys / stages for spiritual development

• many birds give excuses and turn back

• story is saying there should be a transformation

• at the end, the king they seek (Simurgh) was a reflection of themselves

ibn battuta

• Moroccan Muslim Scholar

• comes from family of islamic legal scholars; he later becomes a judge/scholar

• during this period, there is byzantine-mongolian marriage politics (divide)

• traveled to Mecca and continued for 30 years

• judges behavior based on what he believed was correct Islamic practice

• really liked the people of mecca (clean and kind)

Sufi themes

• material/earthly world is a distraction from the divine (complete surrender to God)

• inner journey / unity of being

• detachment from the world

the golden rhinoceros

• Most things written about Africa’s history were communicated orally

• sources are written from non-african societies (arab scholars)

• golden artifact symbolizes the sophistication of african kingdoms

• shows kingdom probably had advanced gold-working skills and long distance trade connections

sunjata backgrouns

• basic plot of the lion king

• story on the tribes of Mande and the founding of the Mali by Sunjata

• Mande are the people

• Mansa= ruler/king

• Dalilu = magic/occult power

• moriw = diviners

Sunjata Storyline

• prophecy of a “famous son” (sunjata)

• brothers kill the buffalo by following the directions

• they pick sogolon because the buffalo woman feels guilty

• sunjata is unable to walk as a child

• sunjata and mom are forced into exile

• Sunjata gains allies during exile and then confronts Soumaoro

Hamsasandesa (Flight of the Goose)

• Rama exiled for 14 years

• Ravana (devotee of Shiva) disguised as religious hermit kidnaps Sita

• Brahma is the createor

• Rama is divine and Sita is human

• Rama sends a message to Sita via a goose

conference of the birds temptations

• Nightingale: obsessed with the rose and refuses to leave it (earthly love and romance)

• Parrot: wants immortality and fears death

• Peacock: longs for paradise lost and wants an easy return (ppl who regret their sins bit cling to worldly luxuries)

• Duck: proud of its purity and ability to remain clean (ppl who think ritual purity is enough)

• partridge: obsessed with jewels and earthly treasure (materialistic people)

• homa bird/ falcon: proud of serving a king and unwilling to humble himself (ppl trapped by status, power, and ego)

• Goldfinch: journey is too long and dangerous (surrender to fear and lack determination)