Unit 1 - The Global Tapestry

*most events are connected to religion!
main religions:
buddhism
- india, china, southeast asia, japan
- buddhism spread from india to east asia through silk roads
context:

• founded by siddhartha gautama, hindu prince (563-483 BCE), rejected wealth + worldly possessions, became buddha

• 4 noble truth: (1) all life is suffering, (2) suffering caused by desire, (3) can be freed of desire, (4) freed of desire following a prescribed path

• death of buddha split buddhism into theravada buddhism and mahayana buddhism

  • theravada buddhism: meditation , simplicity

  • mahayana buddhism: great ritual, spiritual comfort, more complex

impact: rejects caste system - appealed to those of lower rank

• india: reabsorbed in hinduism

• china, japan, southeast asia: buddhism continued to thrive

• further: spread via trade routes

christianity
- started as group of jews, expanded into europe, northeastern africa, middle east

context:

• based around jesus of nazareth, figure who was the messiah the hews had awaited, teachings of devotion to god and love for others

• jesus crucified by roman and jewish leaders in 30 CE and he rose from dead into heaven

• based on bible teachings

• world was created by god, but world has fallen from god

impact: compassion, grace through faith appealed to lower classes and women

• became most influential religion in mediterranean basin by 3rd century

• became official religion of roman empire, branching north and west

• connection with roman empire had profound impact on global culture

confucianism
- china (400 BCE+)

context:

• founded by confucius ,educator and political advisory

• deals with how to restore political and social order, not with philosophical or religious topics

impact:

• compatible with other religions, making it likeable

• bed to distinctive chinese culture of tight knit communities

• stayed within chinese culture

hinduism
- india

context:

• belief in one supreme force called brahma who created everything

  • gods are manifestations of brahma (vishnu = preserver, shiva = destroyer)

• goal of believer is to merge with brahma - believe it takes multiple lives to accomplish and believers live to determine who they will be in their next life

• following dharma (rules of your own caste) will move you closer to brahma - moksha is highest state of being

impact:

• religion and social caste system, prevented global acceptance of hinduism

• recently hindus are rebelling caste system

islam
- caliphates (islamic kingdoms), north africa, central asia, europe
*sufism = part of islam, mystical, deep connection with god

context:

• 7th century - muslims are the believers

• allah presented words through prophet muhammad, whose words were recorded in the qur’an

• salvation is won through submission god

  • 5 pillars of islam: (1) confession, (2) prayer 5 times a day, (3) charity, (4) fasting during ramadam, (5) pilgrimage to mecca

• 2 groups, shia and sunni disagreed who should succeed muhammad

abbasid caliphate

- islamic empire from 750-1258 CE

• capital in baghdad (iraq)

• house of wisdom was a center for arts and sciences, math

developments in europe

middle ages: fall of rome before renaissance
- eastern roman empire became byzantine empire
- western europe: collapsed entirely but christianity remained strong

• european feudalism: land divided

  • feudalism: european hierarchy social system of middle ages

1. king: power over whole kingdom

2. nobles: had power over sections of kingdom in exchange for loyalty to king

3. vassals: lesser lords with land that could be divided into estates called manors

4. peasants/serfs: worked the land

emergence of nation states

at the end of middle ages, feudalism declined

germany: reigning family of emperors died out, where merchants and tradespeople became more powerful
england: english nobles rebelled against king john and forced him to sign magna carta (limited the power of the monarchy, established the principle of the rule of law, and protected the rights of individuals against authority)
france: in 12th century england occupy many parts of france with revolts
- hundred years’ war (1337-1453): conflict between england and france over french throne, unified france as england withdrawal

spain: queen isabella of castile and ferdinand of aragon married to unite spain in a single monarchy and forced all residents to convert to christianity —> this is called the spanish inquisition

russia: taken over by tartars (eastern mongols) under genghis khan in 1242 until russian prince ivan III expanded his power in 1400s and became ivan the terrible ruler

developments in asia

• song dynasty (960-1279)

  • confucianism justified subordination of women (men head of house) - foot binding: women’s feet bound after birth to keep them small

  • neo-confucianism: buddhist ideas about soul, filial piety (obey parents), loyalty to superio

    neo-confucianism vs. confucianism:

    • confucianism: focuses on ethics, social harmony, and proper conduct.

    • neo-confucianism: incorporates metaphysical and cosmological elements, emphasizing self-cultivation and moral perfection.

• ming dynasty (1368-1644): after brief period of mongol dominance

• religion: influenced by nestorianism, manichaeism, zoroastrianism, islam, and especially buddhism in its two forms

  • mahayana: peaceful + quiet existence apart from wordly values

  • chan or zen: meditation and appreciation of beauty

japan

• relatively isolated from external influences outside asia for many years

• feudal japan (1192)

  1. emperor

  2. shogun (chief general)

  3. daimyo: owners of larger pieces of land, powerful samurai

     • loyalty, courage, honor

  4. lesser samurai (vassals)

  5. peasants and artisans

• women had little rights

india

• delhi sultanate: islamic invader kingdom in delhi

• islam took over northern india - clash between islam monotheism and hinduism polythesim

• islam rulership brought in farming improvements

southeast asia

khmer empire (9th-15th century): hindu empire in cambodia, laos, thailand

developments in africa

• islamic empire spread to north africa in 7th to 8th centuries

• explosion of trade began

• hausa kingdoms: series of state system kingdoms off niger river

  • islam region, achieved economic stability + religious influence through long trade

  • political + economic decline in 18th due to internal wars

developments in americas

3 main civilizations in central + south america: maya, incas, aztecs

• aztecs: trade + sacrifice

  • arrived in mexico in mid 1200s

  • tenochtitlan: capital city

  • strict army, expansionist policy

  • empire of 12 million people with trade, many people ensalved

  • women were subordinate but could inherit property

• inca: my land is your land

  • expansionist - army, unified language, system of roads

  • many peasants

  • capital of cuzco had almost 300000 people in late 1400s

  • women more important, could pass property to daughters

  • polytheistic religion with human sacrifice - sun god was most important

    • people mummified after death

  • military very important

unit 2: networks of exchange

crusades (11-14th century): military campaigns by european christians to convert muslims and non christians, combat religious questioning

• urbanization

  • trade led to growth of urban culture - cities usually around trade routes

  • silk route cities were the most populous

the rise and fall of the mongols

• set of tribes + clans that were superb horseman + archers

• gengis khan: unified tribes in mongolia to expand authority over other societies - first invaded china in 1234

• mongol empire: pacific ocean to eastern europe

• kulbai khan: genghis khan’s successor - ruled china

• members of mongol society could not rebel in fear of being killed

• overall impact:

  • great diffusers of culture

  • the mongols stopped russia from developing to maintain control over the region and prevent any potential threats to their empire.

  • world trade, global awareness
    

mali and songhai

• mali had a lot of gold that islamic traders were interested in

• mansa musa: mali ruler who built capital of timbuktu and expanded kingdom beyond ghana

• sonni ali: songhai ruler that conquered region in west africa

chinese technology

song dynasty: system built on merit + civil service exam

• improved transportation

• business practices

• improved literacy with printed books
  

silk road

• china to mediterranean cultures in early days of roman empire

• cultural exchange through travellers stopping at trade towns - kashgar, samarkand

• silk, porcelain, paper, religion, good, military technologies

unit 3: land-based empires

major european developments:

the renaissance

• as trade increased, people moved to cities and flow of money

• humanism: focus on personal accomplishment, happiness, and life on earth instead of goal of salvation

• people could afford art again

• inventions: johannes gutenberg invented printing press - made books easy to produce and affordable

protestant reformation

• catholic church was one of the most powerful organizations in middle ages

• indulgences could be bought to reduce time in purgatory

• nobles + peasants frustrated by church’s exploitation

• martin luther: german monk who purblished his list of complaints against the church - proposed salvation was directly given through god, not through the church

  • pope leo X: excommunicated luther

• luther’s ideas led many other to come forward

  • lutherans: luther’s followers - separated from catholic church

  • calvinism - john calvin: only a few people would be saved by god, great influence in scotland + france

• catholic reformation

  • a movement within the catholic church in response to the protestant reformation. It aimed to address corruption, reaffirm catholic doctrine, and establish new religious orders

  • council of trent: reinstated pope authority, reestablished latin as only language in worship

  • caused wars

scientific revolution

• expanded education led to world discoveries

• copernican revolution: nicolaus copernicus - discovered earth revolved around sun and rotated on its axis

• galileo: built off copernicus’ theory, put under house arrest by catholic church

• scientific method: shift from reasoning being most reliable to scientific method (theory, documentation, others experimenting)

european rivals

spain+portugal

• spain became very powerful, supporting exploration, expansion of spanish language + culture

england

• henry VIII never succeeded in having male heir, daughter elizabeth became queen

• elizabethan age: expansion, exploation, colonization in new world

  • muscovy company: first joint stock company - british easy india comp

france

• unified under strong monarchy after hundred years war

• france almost constantly at war to increase empire

gunpowder empires:
gunpowder empires were ottoman, safavid, and mughal empires in the middle east and south asia. they rose in the 15th-16th centuries, using gunpowder technology to expand their territories. they were known for their military strength, centralized governments, and cultural achievements

• ottoman empire (turkey) - founded by osman bey as mongol fell

  • invaded constantinople in 1453 and ended byzantine empire

  • ottomans were islamic

  • devshirme: enslaved christian children, turned them into warriors called janissaries

• mughal empire (india) - founded by babur

  • united india with religious tolerance

  • silver was commonly used currency

  • hindus + muslims lived side by side

• safavid empire(persian)

  • tolerated non muslims

japan

• shoguns ruled japan in 16th century, but christian missionaries came in and took control of nagasaki - westernization

• tokugawa shogunate (edo period) - strict government that instituted a rigid social class model

  • moved capital of japan to edo (tokyo)

  • national seclusion policy: prohibited japanese from traveling abroad and prohibited most foreigners

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  unit 4: transoceanic interconnections

the encomienda system

• spanish implemeted hierarchical colonial society as they took over new world

• structure:

1. peninsulares: spanish officials governing colonies

2. creoles: spanish born in colonies to spanish parents (educated + wealthy)

3. mestizos: those with european/native american ancestry

4. mulattos those with european/african ancestry

5. native americans

• viceroys: governors of each of 5 regions of new spain - established encomienda system (system of forced labor of the natives and african slaves)

african slave trade

• slaves brought to new world to work on plantations and mines

• europe exploited system of slavery in africa

• demand of slaves in europe increased

• slaves were forced onto ships, chained below deck, endured brutal middle passage

the columbian exchange

• transatlantic transfer of animals, plants, diseases, people, technology, ideas among europe, americas, africa

• never had so much moved across ocean

• transfer of food products caused pop increase in europe, asia, africa

• 2 key products: sugar (plantations appeared all over spanish colonies), silver (minig also in spanish colonies) - both used significant forced labor

mercantilism: theory that creating a favorable balance of import + export was best - this led to europe’s intense colonialism to match their import demand

unit 5: revolutions

the enlightenment

• divine right: church allied with strong monarchs, monarchs believed they were ordained by god to rule - people had moral obligation to obey

• mandate of heaven in china - had to rule justly in order to be appreciated in heaven

• philosophers of the age:

1. thomas hobbes: government should preserve peace/stability

2. john locke: men born equal, mankind is good and rational - revolting is justified if government doesnt not equalize everyone

3. jean jacques rousseau: all men are equal, society orgnized according to general will of people

4. voltaire: idea of religious toleration

5. montesquieu: separation of powers among branches of government

6. david hume: lack of empirical evidence casts doubt on religion

7. adam smith: an “invisible hand” will regulate economy if left alone

8. mary wollstonecraft: women should have political rights including voting and holding office

enlightenment revolutions in the amercas and europe

american revolution

• british defeated france over american territory - seven years war

• americans revolting against british rulership

• revenue act, stamp act, tea act, intended to raise funds for british government

• colonists opposed these laws and battled british troops shortly after

  • boston tea party: colonists dumping imported tea in harbor to protest

• thomas paine: wrote common sense, encouraging colonists to form a better government than the monarchy - declaration of independence was signed

• france joined forced with americans in 1777 and defeated the british in 1781 and american democracy was created

french revolution

• france running out of money from monarch spending, wars, droughts

• louis XVI wanted to raise taxes

1. first estate: clergy

2. second estate: noble families

3. third estate: everyone else

• third estate was being shut out of new constituion - formed national assembly out of protest and peasants stormed the bastille shortly after

• declaration of the rights of man - adopted by national assembly and caused big changes in french gov

• napoleon overthrew directory

haitian revolution

• france enslaved many haitians, who revolted successfully, led by pierre toussaint l’ouverture

industry + imperialism

• industrial revolution in britain related to imperialism

• industrial countries gained power to exploit colonies

• industrial revolution: spread through europe, japan, us

• new advancements

  1. spinning jenny: spinning vast amounts of thread

  2. cotton gin: invented by eli whitney - massive amounts of cotton quickly

  3. steam engine - james watt

  4. telegraph - communication with great distances

  5. lightbulb

• major developments in medicine and science, theory of natural selection

unit 6: consequences of industrialization

european imperialism in india

• india had luxuries to europeans - tea, sugar, silk, salt, jute

• india vulnerable to external powers after wars in mughal empire and religious conflict

• france + england battled in seven years war for colonial superiority and britain won

• british east india company: joint stock company - had exclusive british trade rights in india

• britain started taking over mughal empire territory + setting up administrative regions through empire

• sepoy mutiny: indians who worked for british as soldiers were called sepoys