East Asia/Southeast Asia

Chinese Social Pyramid (1100s CE)

1. Emperor

   • Supreme ruler, considered divine.

2. Eunuchs

   • Trusted advisors and officials, often wielding significant power.

3. Elite Government Officials

4. Landlord Class (Scholar-Gentry Class)

5. Peasants

   • Comprising 90% of the population, essential for agriculture and labor.

6. Merchants

   • Wealthier than peasants but held lower social status due to Confucian values.

Basics of Confucianism

1. Founded:

   • Confucius (Kong Fuzi), 551-479 BCE.

   • Frustrated low-level bureaucrat who died without achieving anything and is remembered by disciples who collected his work and popularized his philosophy.

2. Core Concepts:

   • Ren: Having humanity on all interactions

   • Li: Following proper etiquette and customs of respect

   • Xiao: Respecting your parents and supporting them in old age; filial piety

3. Social Harmony: If society was ordered and people interacted in the proper ways, then the nation would always be on the right path. Understood the world as a hierarchy- everyone has their place & society only works if everyone behaves rightly. Emphasizes the importance of relationships and moral integrity.

   • Ruler & Subject

   • Father & Son

   • Elder Brother & Younger Brother

   • Husband & Wife

   • Older Friend & Younger Friend

   • (Modern Day)Employer & Employee

4. Education: Advocates for lifelong learning and self-cultivation.

5. Government: Belief in virtuous leadership and moral governance.

The Song Dynasty (960-1279)

• Period: Divided into Northern Song (960-1127) and Southern Song (1127-1279). They ended Chaos after the Tang. Core of the world

• Capital: Hangzhou (Urban center)

• Education:

  • Civil Service Exam: Revived with Confucianism, making a major part of the exam focus on these ideals.

  • Had to take and pass this exam to become part of the bureaucracy and have a job.

  • Society was based on intellectual ability.

  • The exam was rigged so more government workers were imperial servants, prioritizing native Chinese people, and also used this to raise taxes.

  • Put Confucian Scholars in charge of armies.

• Economy:

  • Began producing goods for use & sale in distant market, not local consumption.

  • Heavily participated in World trade, available through network of waterways and them being extremely advanced at navigation.

  • Increasingly Commercialized Chinese Society

  • Chinese Manufacturing significantly increases.

  • Robust Iron industry creates armor suits and iron arrowheads on a large scale.

  • Not enough metals available for minting coins = Introduction & Diffusion of paper money. Facilitated trade by bringing costs down.

  • Improvements in agriculture lead to massive population growth and urbanization.

• Culture: Notable for advancements in art, literature, and philosophy; Confucianism revived and widely expanded by them. Became the “Golden Age” for arts and literature.

• Political: Created & Expanded bureaucracy & creates a more tightly centralized empire. Bureaucracy was staffed with only the most qualified men which creates competency and efficiency.

• Technology:

  • Innovations like gunpowder, fireworks, the (magnetic)compass, iron and steel production and (woodblock) printing.

  • During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), significant technological advancements occurred:

  • Song became world leaders in shipbuilding. Watertight bulkheads improved buoyancy and protected cargo & Stern-mounted or stern-post rudders improved steering.

  • Zhen He and Treasure Junks:********(worng time date)***********

    • Treasure Junks:

      • Huge(the largest) Chinese ships used for maritime trade and exploration during the Ming Dynasty(1368–1644). Known for their size, and ability to carry large cargoes, including goods and treasures.

    • His Voyages:

      • Overview: He led seven major voyages from 1405 to 1433 to establish trade routes, assert Chinese dominance, and collect tribute from foreign lands.

      • End of Voyages: They were extremely expensive and many Confucian Scholars claimed it was a waste of resources and viewed them as useless.

      • Political/Military Effects: Strengthened China's maritime presence and influence in Southeast Asia and beyond. Established China’s Wealth with goods they traded locally and impressive 300 vessel fleets.

• Religion:

  • Mahayanna Buddhism:

    • Diffused to China via the Silk Road

    • Growth of Chinese Buddhism was opposed by government

      • they ordered monks & nuns to return to normal tax paying citizens

      • Destroy or turn for public use monasteries, temples, & shrines

      • They confiscate lands, money, and serfs & prohibit gold, silver, copper, and iron gems

      • Buddhist scholars get scattered causing disunity, lack of control, creativity, and innovation.

      • Chan Schol of Chinese Buddhism:

        • Draws on Daoism to emphasize strict meditation practice ( Dominant during this Dynasty)

        • Neo-Confucianism: Buddhism philosophies play role in reformulating Confucian thinking creating neo-confucianism, as well as daosism

        • Budhism becomes element of Chinese popular religion

      • Buddhism links India & China

  • Monasticism

    • Buddhist Monks: Monasticism was tied to Buddhism. Monks and nuns lived in monasteries, focusing on meditation, education, and charity.

    • Role in Society: Monasteries played a role in education, offered medical care, and engaged in community services. However, the government sometimes viewed them with suspicion and tried to control or limit their influence

    • Messages about wealth: Wealth accumulation is good as long as a significant portion of it is donated to the monasteries

• Women:

  • In the very low of hierarchy.

  • With factories starting to be run by Men, Women started loosing their lucrative income from their position in the textile industry.

  • Foot Binding: Prevalent among the elite were the wife becomes unable to walk and therefore labor —> Husband has to hire servants —> Sign of Wealth. (Men control Woman’s bodies)

  • Their property rights expanded(they could inherit/own it)

  • Education for them was encouraged so they could better raise their kids

• Influence/Tributary System/The Vassal States/“Middle Kingdom:”

  1. Korea

     • Maintains political independence but participates in tributary relationships.

     • Would participate in the Kowtow ritual of submission in return with China giving them Bestowals/Gifts=Positive Relationship.

     • Korean Women have a lot of rights —> Chinese Observers disapprove and they push Confucian Orthodoxy —> Korean Flexible pattern replaced by Chinese sexist principles.

     • Used the Examination System

     • School for Confucian studies established

     • China’s imposing presence caused Korea to forcibly/voluntarily borrow many more aspects from China than elsewhere. Living threat of being invaded.

     • Develop their own writting system

  2. Japan

     • Since Japan was separated from China, their extensive borrowing was voluntary, not due to pressures of threats.

     • Japanese Women escaped more oppressive features of Chinese Confucian Culture

     • Despite their efforts to copy China in creating a centralized bureaucratic state, power progressively decentralizes with local authorities developing own military forces.

     • Buddhism from China deeply affects their art, architecture, education, medicine, and beliefs. Buddhist schools are established with them being calling Zen (Instead of Chinese Chan School of Buddhism.)

     • Unique writing system mixed Chinese characters from phonetic symbols. This led to the development of Japanese poetry incorporating Chinese themes and techniques.

     • Did NOT use the civil examination

  3. Vietnam

     • Achieved Political independence but participated in the Tributary System

     • Borrowed:

       • Chinese Based Examination system to: establish aristocracy, create merit based scholar gentry class to staff bureaucracy

       • Arts/Literary styles

       • Confucianism, Daosim, Buddhism

       • A government approach: Styled rulers as emperors, mandate of heaven, Chinese court Rituals

     • Uniquely Vietnamese:

       • Language

       • Chewing betel nuts

       • Cock fighting

       • Created variation of Chinese Writing (chu nom) that distinguished them/ created independence/used for Women’s Education

       • Greater role for Women(Economically & Socially)

         • Female Buddha, Choose their husbands

       • Expands south in search for more independence

• The downfall

  • Military:

    1. Poor military leadership(scholars had poor military experience.)

    2. Border people took over Northern China (Nomads such as the Mongols who lived on the outsides.)

    3. Last emperor was defeated by Mongol forces.

  • Economy

    1. Increasing centralization & treating all government workers as imperial servants required massive spending to cover new salaries.

    2. Raising taxes causes Peasants to Revolt.

Basics of Buddhism

• Founded:

  • Siddhartha Gautama

  • From upper-class family, father sheltered him from reality/outside world —> sees old/sick/dying man and is enlightened by reality everyone grows old/dies —> questions life and ascetic man encourages him to devote his life to understanding nature of suffering(asceticism) —> He decides to meditate until finding solution to human suffering/how to break the cycle —> after 40 days under tree he cracks it and since then is referred to as the buddha(the enlightened one)

• Four Noble Truths:

  1. All life involves suffering

     • (The truth of suffering-Dukkha)

  2. Desire causes suffering

     • (The cause of suffering-Samudaya)

  3. Elimination of desire ends suffering

     • (The end of suffering-Nirodha)

  4. Being disciplined in following the Noble Eightfold Path brings that elimination

     • (The path to the end of suffering-Magga)

• Eightfold Path:

  1. Right Belief

  2. Right Resolve

  3. Right Speech

  4. Right Behavior

  5. Right Occupation

  6. Right Effort

  7. Right Contemplation

  8. Right Meditation

• Core Concepts:

  • Karma

  • Rebirth: Cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

  • Nirvana: The ultimate goal, the highest level of happiness, attained only when cycle of reincarnation is broken

• Mahayana Buddhism

  • Type of Buddhism that diffused throughout the Silk Roads and widely spread throughout Asia, adapting Buddhism to many different places.

  • Buddha is seen as divine; god\

  • Emphasizes salvation by faith, not with arduous study or intensive meditation

  • Bodhisattvas/”Living Saints”: They were approaching Nirvana but instead chose to help others achieve it

  • A follower didn’t need to live their life as a Buddha did: simply donating to monastery was seen as act that merited salvation

  • Shift from the more spiritual/meditation/intangible aspect of Buddhism to a more tangible/materal form of it.

  • Pure Land School: Popular form of expression where someone repeats name of earlier Buddha(amitabha) wich ensured rebirth in heaven.

Daoism

• Founded: By Laozi, who’s philosophy explained the importance of understanding the forces/laws of nature

• Rival Philosophy to Confucianism that emphasizes flow with nature instead of stressed order.

• Dao=Way, if everyone lived in harmony with the “way” societies problems would be solved

Early Japan

• Society was made up by clans ruled by aristocratic families

• Japan was divided into different territories/provinces, & all land belonged to the emperor.

• All taxes=returned directly to the state, not local aristrocrats

• Religion: Confucianism & later Buddhisms became the important philosophy/religion of Japan

• Bakufu era- Military government (shogunate) in Japan

  • Before this period: Emperor looses power and only becomes a symbol- real power held by rival clans from daimyo class who would fight eachother to become shogun/military ruler of Japan(Bakufu)

  • 3 Shogunates(Period different Shogun’s ruled)

    • Kamakura Period (1185-1333)

      • Established the first shogunate, leading to military governance.

      • Rise of samurai culture and Zen Buddhism.

    • Muromachi(1338-1573)

      • Cultural flourishing

      • Increased regional power of daimyos

    • Tokugawa(1600-1868)

      • Not important for this period

  • Samurai were established as permanent class in society

  • Development of distinct Japanese arts, literature, and philosophies.

  • Strengthened samurai identity and feudal structures.

  • Mongols were defeated twice in their attempts to force Japan to become a tributary state of Kublai Khan and the Yuan Dynasty

  • Impacts: Creates rigid hierarchy that shaped social roles and cultural expectations.

Japanese Social Hierarchy During (1200-c.1870)

1. Emperor

   • Figurehead

2. Shogun(Warrior Class)

   • Political Leader

3. Daimyos(Warrior Class)

   • Nobles

4. Samurai(Warrior Class)

   • Warriors

5. Ronin(Warrior Class)

   • Paid Soldiers

6. Peasants

   • Farmers & Fishermen

   • 90% of the Population

7. Artisans

   • Craftspeople

8. Merchants

   • Sales People

   • Lowest Class

Indian Ocean Trade

Basics

• Period: 800 AD-1500

• Also known as "Maritime Silk Road”

• Goods/Commodities & Religion diffused

  • 3 major Religions diffused: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam

  • Islam from the Middle East to East Africa & Indonesia

  • Buddhism & Hinduism from India to Southeast Asia

• Monsoons:

  • Definition & Purpose: Seasonal shifts in winds, affecting the direction of the strongest winds in a region, facilitating maritime navigation by providing predictable wind patterns, enhancing trade efficiency, connecting various regions/cultures.

  • Cycle: Winds shift every 6 months

  • Sailors: Would be stuck in foreign port for 6 months

    • Muslim Men are allowed to have up to 4 wives & Women can request divorce

    • They would marry local women in each port & have children

    • Form Religious Communities

    • Widely spread Islam

• Trade From India

  • Items:

    • Species/Peppers

    • Cotton

    • Textiles

    • Porcelain(Fom China)

    • Silk

    • Iron

    • Bullion

  • To: Middle East & East Africa

East Africa

Becomes more involved in Asian trade=Produces City States in it’s East Coast: Kilwa, Sofala, Mombast, Malindi

• Trade

  • Exports:

    • Items: Ivory, Gold, Slaves, Wild Animal Skins

    • To: India, Southeast Asia, China, Middle East

    • Trade internally with inland kingdoms these items and then sell them to areas were items are scarce

  • Imports:

    • Items: Cotton, Silk, Porcelain

    • From: Asia

    • These items were expensive because of their scarcity

  • Ideal Center of Trade

    • Easy transportation to get here due to Monsoons

    • Excellent ports & harbors

    • Port Cities with lodging & entertainment

    • Peaceful Region

• Swahili

  • Creation: Merchants from Arab Peninsula,India,S.E Asia travel to East Asia —> interratial marriages gradually over centuries create= creation of distinct group

  • Today: They are popular/dispersed in E. Africa and Swahili Language ‘Bantu’ is widely spoken.

  • Their City States:

    • Major economic power(1440) that were popular throughout Africa & Asia but unknown to Europe

    • ******figure out rihght order for notes***Europe Discovering:

      • Vasco Da Gama: Looking for new route from Portugal to Asia he sees astonishing port cities/city-states of East Africa and reports everything back to the kings

      • Kings send ships to city-states in attempt to:

        1. Take anything of value

        2. Force kings of city to pay taxes to Portuguese tax collectors

        3. Gain controls over entire Indian Ocean Trade

      • These city-states had never needed militaries before(they were not prepared) So Portuguese wipe in attacking,conquering, killing, and stealing, sending shipload of gold back to Portugal

      • Portugal attempt to take over/run indian ocean trade=fail

        • Portugal was small nation trying to control vast territories and trade routes

        • Local Resistance from many different groups

        • Other European nations, particularly the Dutch and the British, entered the Indian Ocean trade. Their more advanced ships, naval tactics, and trading practices eventually outcompeted the Portuguese.

        • Portugal's economy couldn't sustain the cost of maintaining forts, fleets, and a large colonial bureaucracy, leading to a gradual loss of influence

    • Sources of Evidence(Since all destroyed by Portuguese)

      • Archeological

        • Chinese porcelain vases/dishes can be found at East African beaches

      • Written first-hand sources

        • From Ibn Battuta, Vasco Da Gama, and other Europeans who wrote about these cities

      • Purchasing records

        • By African & Asian Governments & Companies via Indian Ocean Trade Network

• Ethiopia

  • Indian people allied with them to search for Bullion, become important trade partners

  • They were the only place in Africa that were Christian, NOt Arabic or Islam

  • They are known for building stone churches

• Kilwa/Mombasa/Mogadishu

• Important trading cities on the coast of East Africa

• Sultanets: A series of city-states and coastal kingdoms that flourished along the Swahili Coast, integral to trade and cultural exchanges between Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

  • These were the most notable Sultanets

Hinduism/Buddhism Influence on Major Cities

1. Srivijaya

   Influenced by Buddhism

   • City of connection between commerce, state building, and religious change, that dominated critical checkpoint of India Ocean Trade

   • Formation: Malay sailors open sea route between India & China(Strait of Melaca)—> Ports in Malay Peninsula/Sumatra compete to attract sailors/traders—> Srivaya formed by this competition

   • Sucessful: Had a high supply of gold, access to high demanded spices, & levied taxes on passing ships. Used this to fund their embryonic bureaucracy, military, and naval force to protect the area

   • Capital: Palembang was a major cosmopolitan city

   • Indian Influence/Buddhism:

     • Believed rulers possessed magical powers that were responsible of prosperity of people.

     • Srivijaya becomes major center of Buddhism

     • Create bodhisattvas- Faces resemble diseased kings, and they were inscribed with curse for anyone who would destroy them

2. Kingdom of Madjapahit(Today:Indonesia/Java)

   Influenced by Hinduism

   • One of the largest states that emerged fro the Island of Java due to it’s Hindu-Javanese cultural blend

   • Popular shadow puppet based on hindu epics influenced the city (Ex:Ramayana)

   • Hinduism establishes in Champa Kingdoms causes Shiva worships, cows honored, phallic imagery prominent

3. Khmer Kingdoms/Cambodia

   Hinduism and Buddhism both Influence it

   • Fusion in architecture of both religions

   • Angkorwat: Most stunning architectural expression of Hinduism(temple), that expresses understanding of cosmos(all gods live @ mythical mountmeru) later used by Buddhism as well.

Indian(Hindu) Caste System

• Brahman-God

• Brahmin

  • Priests/Academics

• Kshatriya

  • Warriors & Kings

• Vaishya

  • Merchants & Landowners

• Sudra

  • Commoners, Peasants, Servants

• Dalits

  • Outcasts, out of the caste, street sweepers

Sati: Widow sacrifice upon the death of her husband

Visual of Trade Routes

Southernization

Basics

• Definition: Southernization is the process by which ideas, technology, and culture from South and Southeast Asia spread to other parts of the world, shaping global development. Creates a prosperous south.

• Order of expansion:

  1. Starts during the 5th Century at India

  2. By that time it goes to China

  3. 8th Century it goes to the Middle East/The lands of Muslim Caliphates

  4. 13th century its affecting the Christian Mediterranean

• Diffused Via: Trade

The Indian beginnings

• Indian cotton textiles start Southernization

  • High demand causes Indian trade of these to significantly increase “India virtually clothed the world"

• Search for new sources of Bullion forces Indian sailors to travel

  • Siberia was India’s main source of gold—>nomadic disturbances in Central Asia disrupt their trade—> Indian sailors travel to find an alternative source—> ethiopia merchants that had lots of gold became India’s most important trade partners

• Achievements

  • Learn how to crystalize sugar and popularize this product

  • Became leaders of astronomy, medicine, & math

    • Math: Lay foundation of modern math, “Arab” numerals came from India, and invest cero, extremely advanced in this area

  • Advanced artistically, musically, & philosophically

  • Invent chess & hair dye

The Malay Sailors

• First to start riding the monsoons

  • Extremely talented sailors that used nature to navigate

• Establishes first contact between India & Southeast Asia

  • Desire/Demand for Silk

• Arrived & Influenced Madagascar

Southernization of China

• Underlayed the revolutionary social, political, economic, and technological developments of the Tang & the Song

• Effects:

  • Developed math

  • Established indigo & cotton

  • Made sugar an important crop

  • Introduced new varieties of rice-Champa from Vietnam

    • Drought-resistant & early ripening properties=begins systematic terracing with rice cultivation spreading up the hillsides, doubling area of rice cultivation, doubling the Chinese population

  • South area of China transfrosm to one of the most prosperous/commercialized parts of empire

  • Three technologies they developed(compass, printing, gunpowder) changes world

The Islamic Caliphates-The Arabs

• Arab cavalries were in process of conquering new plans, and when they established on the Indian frontier, they became influenced by elements of southernization.

• Arab conquest:

  • Spreads important crops and popularize them

    • First to import large numbers of enslaved Africans to produce sugar= (widely popularize the crop)

  • Discover/diffuse new sources of bullion

  • Adopt & advance Indian maths

  • Develop/improve the Chinese compass & become the first to use it for navigation

Worlds of Islam

Arab Empire Expansion

• Big expansion: Post Muhammads’ Death in 632(around 100 years after) outward from the Arabian Peninsula

• Islam spreads by:

  • Turkish Speaking Groups & Muslim Merchants/Missionaries

  • To: Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, North India, Southeastern Spain, Northern Asia. (Throughout Afro-Eurasia)

  • Heartland: The Middle East

• Reasons for Expansion:

  • Byzantine & Persian Empires: Were weak

  • Islam was:

    • Common faith shared by many different places

    • Easy to convert to

    • Equalitarian-Everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah

      • Ecourages Dillusioned Buddhist & Low rank caste Hindus

    • Sufis are crucial to help with conversion- Spread faith with songs and dances

    • Cheaper than other religions(Zakat is only 2.5%)

• Visual of Expansion

  • 

The two divisions of Islam - Sunni & Shia

• Issue that divided Muslims

  • After Muhammad’s Death the Leader of Umma went to Abu Bakr(Close friend of Muhammad) who was declared the first caliph

  • Minority disagreed with this and believed that the caliph should’ve been a male from Muhammads’ bloodline(Ali)

• Division:

  • Sunni

    • Supporters of Abu Bakar

    • ~80-90% of Muslim Population

  • Shia

    • Supporters of Ali

    • ~10% of Muslim Population

    • Live in Iran

The Rules

Abbasid Dynasty/Caliphate(750-1258)

• Known as “The Islamic Golden Age”

• Wipe out Ummayad caliphate(alcoholics, overlooked non-Arabs for leaderships positions, & ruled from Damascus)

• Abu al-Abbas: New caliph who establishes new dynasty

• Capital:

  • Baghdad becomes new capital of Islamic Empire & Jewish culture flourishes here

• Priority: Consolidating Empire> Exapnding Empire (in contrast from Umayyads)

• Their rule:

  • First purpose-built Hospitals to heal the sick(God creates the disease & the cure)

  • Muslim philosophers translate and spread classic Greek Philosophers teachings throughout Dar al-Islam

  • Spread of Islam throughout Middle East, North Africa, and Most of Iberian Peninsula

    • Spread Arabic language & culture

  • New crops such as rice, sugar, lemons, and oranges are introduced to the Mediterranean

  Seljuk Turkic Empire

  • Political grip on Arab Empire ends with governmental and military institutes asserting autonomy on their regions however they still gave alliance to Capital

  • Turkish speaking pastors from Central Asia go to fragmented Abbasid Empire & they first work as slaves but then take political & military power reducing caliphs to spiritual figure heads

  • Sultans (Turks term for ruler) hold political and military power & Islamic heartland fractures into Sultanets(1200)

Ottoman Empire(1299-1922)

• Start: Mongols invade the region ending the Abbasid Caliphate and later Turkish warrior groups come in and established the Ottoman Empire

• One of the greatest empires

  • Political/Military/Economic/Culture unity to Islam Middle East

  • Big

  • Long-Lasting

  • Diverse

• Population: Mainly Turks

• Continuity: Ottoman Sultans add “caliph” to their title claiming legacy to the Abbadids

Islam spread to India

• Turk warrior groups spread Islam to India and there is a clash of cultures with Buddhism/Hinduism leading to violent & destructive conquest

• Influence:

  • Cause: Due to small Turk population there and them having internal conflicts limited their influence and progress on the Indian Society

  • Effect: Muslim Communities emerge in Northern India areas less influenced by Hinduims & Buddhism.

  • Islam never dominated more than 20-25%

• Delhi Sultanate(1206–1526)

  • A Muslim empire that ruled northern India, marking the start of significant Islamic influence in the region, with its capital based in Delhi

• Vijayaner Empire(1336-1646)

  • A powerful South Indian Hindu kingdom that resisted Muslim invasions and promoted Hindu culture.

  • Established in response to the decline of the Delhi Sultanate’s power over southern India and the growing pressure of Muslim invasions from the north.

Al-Andalus(711-1492)

• Al-Andalus: The dominated territory by the Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula

• Cordoba: Becomes the political center of Al-Andalus

  • Only Umayyad who survived Abbasids(Abd al-Rahman I) fled Damascus and established the Umayyad Emirate of Cordoba, continuing Umayyad rule in Spain

• 75% of population converts to Islam

• Arabized Christians were viewed as traitors, agnostics, and infidels

• (Late 10th Century)Tolerance of different religious groups & freedom of worhips erodes causing:

  • Civil Wars

  • Fragmentation

  • Increased warfare between different groups

  • Persecution against Christians & Jews

  • Hatred among different groups

• Reconquista(1492)

  • With fragmented Muslim state Christians retake power at Granada and force Muslims to either convert or leave

  • Cultural interchange persisted for a whole with Islam permanently affecting the region.

Astrolabe

• Astrological and Astronomical device to read stars & skies

• Hold the universe in the palm of your hand & it had multiple plates depending on what place you where at

• Used:

  • Religiously for prayer times

  • Agriculturally for crops

Characteristics of Islam

• Society:

  • Veiling: Was created and occurred before Islam, it is NOT mandated by the Qur’an

  • Economic Independence: People could get divorced and own businesses

• Economy:

  • Letters of Credit: IOU’s to be paid later

  • Sakk: Checks

  • Diffused: Rice, Sugar, Lemons, and Oranges

• Architecture:

  • Domes

    • Borrowed from the Byzantines

  • Minarets: Spires outside mosques

• Art:

  • Show superior mathematical knowledge by using geometry

  • Use this because they can’t depict people

    • Belief that creating images of living beings could lead to idolatry

    • Hadiths say no to depictions of living creatures

Silk Road

• Extends from: China to Europe

• Camel Caravans: Where goods were carried

• Caravanserai:

  • Merchants would

    • stop at inns & guesthouses located along all trade routes

    • rest, exchange goods with locals, and ressuply

  • These developed to centers of cultural exchange & major commercial cities

• Goods Transported: Luxurious items, not staple goods

  • High cost of transportation compensated by the high value of commodities

  • merchants made fortunes

• Silk

  • China: Major producer by far

    • South China peasants abandon food cultivation to produce: silk, paper, porcelain, lacqerware, & iron tools

  • Knowlegde and Technology for producing/handling raw silk diffused to Korea, Japan, India, Persia, Byzantine Empire

  • Supply increases but uses vary:

    • Central Asia: Currency & means of accumulating wealth

    • China/Byzantine Empire: Symbol of High status where governments would pass laws limiting the use of silk only for elites

    • Christians: Wall hangings, altar covers, & priests robes

    • Buddhist Pilgrims: As gifts to monasteries in India (In Buddhism/Chrustianism it is seen as sacred)

    • East Africa: Made coats for kings

• Transportation improves with:

  • Yokes, Saddles, Stirrups, Frame and Matress

  • Camels can carry heavier loads

• Buddhism

  • Diffuses through Silk Road with Indian Traders/Buddhist Monks

  • Started at Central Asia where conversion was voluntarily but it easily diffused because it syncretized(adapted) to new places & elements

  • Mahayana Buddhism widely diffuses to China with Silk Roads

• Visual

  

West Africa

Mali Empire(1235-1600)

• Formed: After the fall of the Ghana Empire

  • Ghana’s end:

    • Their political unity was based on their export for trade of West African luxuries, mainly gold, that supplied Mediterrenean markets. They were first to adopt and diffused Islam through trade.

    • Droughts & repetead attacks by North African people trying to control lucrative caravan trade ended the Ghana empire

• Territory/Ecological location: Ruled 3 different types of ecological zones

  1. Savanna/Sudan

  2. Sahel

     • Semi-arad grassland edge of the desert of West Africa

  3. Sahara/Desert

     Result:

     • Diversity: Mande people supplied different products & had diversity of resources causing this beneficial ecotone location to have lucrative outcomes

     • Their villages: were divided & organized by their specialties and the resources of the area

• Expansion with Mali Cavalry

  • Horses: The key role

  • They connoted prestige & status but were the fundamental tool to expand empire & attack

  • Villages built protective mud walls to protect their settlements from the Mali cavalry since this stopped sudden attacks & took away their efficient element

  • Mali’s diverse ecological conditions were able to find the right fit to sustain their horses

    • Tropical Humid Africa: Presece of tsetse fly limits use of horse since it’s deadly for them. Wetter conditions gave Mali cavalry a disadvantage

    • Dry Climate= Horses thrive

• Sunjata (Sundiata Keita):

  • Most powerful of the Mali Rulers who legendarily and heroically unified/formed the Empire. Developed empire from the conquest & union of many smaller states

  • Power and Formation by Sunjata is legitimized by griots.

    • Tale of him connects Nyama(magic) to political power and how they influenced successful military

• Capital Niani

  • Where Sunjata ruled

  • Located at intersecting area of trade routes & different ecological zones of the empire

• Mansa Munsa(King of Mali)

  • Islamic ruler that when doing pilgrimage to the Mecca gave away so much gold that he caused the market to crash and depressed world prices

  • Remebered for having been unfaithful to Mande traditions and having wasted the imperial treasury

• Timbuktu

  • One of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world

  • Wealth was derived from its status as a trading city

    • gold, ivory, and salt were all traded in large quantities.

• Trade:

  • Became the world’s largest producer of gold

    • Mali supplied almost 2/3 of the world’s gold via Caravans of gold

  • Trade of gold increases spread of their technology, language, ideology, and culture

  • Islam comes to Africa and culture is introduced/spread by the Mande

  • Trans Saharan Trade: Gold, Ivory, and salt were all traded in large quantities

    • Trade Cities of the Sahel: Timbuktu, Gao

• Jobs

  • Oral Historians:

    • Spread the ideology, culture, and history of the Empire

  • Blacksmiths:

    • Provided: tools for the empire leading to their military success(Iron weapons, leather, iron trappings for horses). Said to have supernatural powers to be able to do what they did

    • Search for wood: Their work required a lot of wood causing them to expand empire in search of this, leading to deforestation that would be used by Cavalry

    • Lodges: Centers of transmission of Mande Culture created & run by blacksmiths. Offered spiritual protection and moral leadership to their community. Maitaned control of empire’s network(trade/infrastructure)

• Social Divisions

  • Slavery: Substantial part of the commercial activity of the empire

  • Sexism(Gender inequality):

    • Male captured prisoners of war would become soldiers while females would become slaves leading to many more female slaves than males.

    • Women’s Role: Imperial growth depended on them and their jobs, but they lacked political/economic power. They produced goods, played their reproductive role, sometimes were concubines, and were barely mentioned in oral history.

• Mali Key Language:

  • Mande: The people of West Africa (the society)

  • Griot: Oral historians- storytellers, musicians, and poets who preserve the history and culture of their people.

  • Nyama: Control of the supernatural/magical & mystical energy/sorcery.

  • Nasi: Power of darkness, a thing used to harm someone

The Mongols

Pre-Conquest/What Led To It

Inside & Outside the Great Walls

• Different Environments

  • Inside: Sedentary agriculture

  • Outside: Nomadic pastoral based agriculture

  • Established: Basis for trade relationship and dependence pero tambien se presto para crear guerra y conflictos entre estos grupos

  • Causes: Different economic/social/political system

• Great Wall

  • Acts as a social & cultural division- a barrier

  • Increases tension/competition/envy between cultures

• Geographic Proximity

  • “Outsiders (Northern Nomads)” assimilate Chinese ideas/practices

  • They establish states on the frontier

    • Qidan Liao & Jurenchen State:

      • Earliest of these states that unified the northern people but were overthrown by the Jurenchen and Chinese, but then the Jurenchen conquered/destroyed alliance with Chinese & took over under dynasty called the Jin

The Rise of the Mongols

• Horse:

  • Domesticated them with horsebreeidng to survive diverse climate

    • Thick Horses: Short & fat for cold weathers

  • Made it their distinct form of warfare- well armed warriors on horseback

  • Advanced in units of 10

• Steppe Diplomacy:

  • Loyalty system - courage in battle

    • Kinda analogous to Bushido

  • Steppe - Flat grassland

• 1200, Temujin/Chinggis Khan/ Genghis Khan: The Leader who unified the Mongols and led them to victory

  • Empire divided among his grandsons & despite internal conflicts for power/leadership, Mongol rulers were able to implement administrative system that adapted to each location.

• Key Terms:

  • Khan: Chief(leader/ruler), with who Mongol conquest began

  • Khanate: territory ruled by a Khan

4 Major Khanates

• Yuan Dynasty—China (1271–1368)

  • Kublai Khan’s rule in China

    • The Grandson of Chinggis Khan

  • China’s very established system & large population:

    • Causes Mongols to leave their political & economic practices in place

    • Use what Chinese already have set up and enhance/imrpove it

  • Civil Serive Exam: Mongols rigg/manipulate it to give privileges to certain groups

    • Pro: Uigher & Mongols

    • Anti: Han(Native Chinese)

  • Confucianism:

    • Used Mandate of heaven to justify their rule

    • Women had more liberties but were still influenced by some confuain principles

      • Ex: Foot Binding continued

    • Confucian scholars protest/reject the Mongols

  • Beijing: New Capital

• II Khanate—Persia & The Middle East (1256–1335)

• Chagatai—Mongolia/Central Asia (1225–1687)

• The Golden Horde—Russia & Eastern Europe (1240s–1502)

  • Russian prince’s pushback against the Mongols but are unsuccessful

  • Europeans accuse them of being brutal conquerors “Allied with Satan”

  • As they settled Ogodei(the Khan of Khans) dies and Mongol law that required all offspring to return to Mongolia to elect new khan saves Europe

Society/Religion

• Gender Roles:

  • Had more rights/prestige than other Women in other places

  • Both Men & Women tend animals

  • Mainly male warriors but Women were skilled/trained and could participate

• Religion:

  • Shamanism: (shaman or saman) interacts with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance

    • Animism

  • Sky God: With whom they justified their conquests

  • Post-conquest religion: Adopted some Confucian ideals, and generally, the religion of their conquered peoples

Pax Mongolica

• Definition: Mongolian Peace

• Conquered people were granted many freedoms

  • Practice their own religion

    • (many Mongols convert to Buddhism/Islam)

• Interest in trade safety

  • Mongols guarantee safety to merchants & travelers, and they try to make roads as safe as possible

  • Finance: they tax the trade along the roads creating a steady source of income and motivating them to make trade travel safe

  • Paiza: Their established passport system within the empire to protect high-level visitors/merchants

  • Trade through Silk Roads

• Goldsmithing

  • They spare trained craftsmen & transport/use them to benefit their empire

• Courier System

  • Their system of trasnportation/communication known for it’s speed & efficiency

  • Camel & Horses were main sources of trasnport at the time

Medieval Europe/Middle(Dark) Ages (476-1450)

The Byzantine Empire(c.330AD-1453)

• Basic Concept: The Eastern Roman Empire that remained after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, that was overthrown by Barbarians, aiming to preserve the legacy of classical greco-roman civilization. Empire and it’s people referred to themselves as Romans

• Capital: Constantinople

  • Was dominated by Greek Language & Culture

• Eastern Orthodox Christianity: affiliated with them seeking religion that would unify diverse people of region & legitimize ruler

• End: Overthrown by Muslim Ottoman Turks

  • Ottoman Sultan Mehemed II seizes Constantinople

  • Protected by water & walls so it had withstood attacks & sieges, so Turks attack through water & with cannons. Offer 3 times to spare emperor if they surrender but they don’t so after a break day of prayer they take down Constantinople and kill Constantien(emperor) fighting.

  • Hagia Sophia becomes the main mosque

  • Received no help from Western Europe

The Holy Roman Empire(800-1806)

• Ironic Name:

  • Not Holy: It was called "Holy" to show a connection with the Christian Church, but the empire often had conflicts with the Pope and wasn't truly religiously unified.

  • Not Roman: It wasn't based in Rome and had little connection to the ancient Roman Empire. It was mostly Germanic.

  • Not an Empire: Instead of being a strong, centralized empire, it was a collection of many small, semi-independent states ruled by princes, dukes, and bishops, with an emperor at the top, but without a single powerful ruler in control

• The Habsburg Family of Austria(c.1400)

  • Intermmaried in the family to: Remain in power, stay in the throne, control Emperor elections, and not have to form alliances & share power.

Characteristics of Christendom

• Banking(c.1300)

  • With expansion of Silk Roads up North with the Mongol invasion, Europe’s trade, financial, and commercial practices increase

  • Start using:

    • Paper letters of Credit & Checks

    • Risky Investments

    • Usury done through Jews who leant money and charged interest

      • Usury: The practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest

      • Christian church: Prohibits it but need for easy cash by the European society made a market for loans depenednet on Jews. As economy expands Christian Church turns to a blinded eye to money lending.

      • Torah: Forbids Jews to charge interest to Jews, but nothing is said about charging interest to Non-Jews(Gentiles)

    • Rise of Christian banking Houses:

      • Developed during the Middle Ages to aid trade. Along with innovations such as bills of exchange, or bank drafts, and credit, the rise of banking houses supported the development of interregional trade in luxury goods

• Cities

  • Increase in food, economic, and political stability leads to growth of cities. Economic growth leads to urbanization which leads to a population increase.

  • Imperial Free Cities/Friei State: Created by financial/ecnomic strength of burghers who desired more political freedom for urban centers

  • New opportunities for Women in Urban Jobs, but then they were banned from these, so church provided alternative, but then they were also limited in monasteriea and convents.

  • Intellect improves with rising population, commercial life leads to emergence and creation of more towns/cities

  • Intellectual beings start encouraging ability to use human reason and logic to understand the operation of natural order

• Geography

  • Fact that it is located at the very end of the land mass & away from all political trade routes makes political unity difficult, so population centers were divided by geographical barriers

  • Moderate Climate=Productive Agriculture

  • Multicentered Political Systems creates states that have distinct cultures

    • Technological borrowing

      • Europeans advance shipbuilding & navigation techniques

    • Rivarly & war among these different states

• Trade

  • Fairs of Champagne(La Foire de Champagne)

    • Basic Concept: Famous medieval trade fairs held in the Champagne region of France during the 12th and 13th centuries. Became major centers of trade & interconnected different European regions

    • Goods: Textiles, spices, wool, and luxury goods were bought and sold

  • The Hanse/ Hanseatic League

    • Basic Concept": German Maritime Trading Alliance

    • United: Northern Europe

    • Goods Traded: Low Value Bulk Goods

      • Lumber, fish, wool, wine, wood

    • Visual:

      

• Europe & The Church(600-1450)

  • The Catholic(“Universal”) Church is led by the Bishop of Rome or the Pope

  • Made laws, crowned kings, sent people to war, and collected taxes

  • Pope became landlord and had its own army

Feudalism & Manorialism

• Three estates acordidng to King Alfred the Great of England

  1. Men of Prayer

     • The Monastery

       • Resembled small city/ self-sustaining town but was not immune to attacks so it was fortified

     • Monks

  2. Men of War

     • Castle

       • Motte: Overlooked village

       • Bailey: Courtyard, living quarters of soldiers, shelters for horses, storehouses for grain & wine, and it is built with dirt

       • The Keep: Watchtower/Arsenal. Bottom is for storage & eating, top is for sleeping. It sustained the lord and their family

         • Visual:

           

     • Lords & Knights

  3. Men of Work

     • Village

     • Peasants

       • had land for self and land for feud to farm

       • Lived in huts

Monasticism

• Definition: A religious way of life where people dedicate themselves to spiritual work. Significantly spread Christinity

• Names:

  • Men are Monks who live in Monasteries

  • Women are Nuns who live in Convents

  • Together make up the Clergy

• Christian Monasteries:

  • Institutions that helped preserve art, culture, faith, and learning through scribes

    • Scribes: Copied manuscripts/books which were later illustrated/illuminated with pictures & gold leaf

• Jobs:

  • Run orphanages, welcome/forster travelers(food & lodging), taught school, were missionaries, took care of local churches

• St.Benedict(c.500 CE)

  • Remembered For: Created the Rule of St. Benedict, which became the standard for Western Christian monasticism

  • Before: Monks lived ascetic life (without comfort & luxuries)

  • His Impact:

    • Believed their lives had to be more purposeful

    • Encourages 8 hours of: sleep, prayer, and manual work

Catholic Church Hierarchy

1. Pope

   • bishop of Rome

2. Cardinals

   • elect/advise the Pope

3. Bishops

   • Supervise priests

4. Priests

5. Catholics

   Countries are divided into regions called dioceses that had archbishops as leader

The Black Death- The Plague

• Definition: A disease that struck Europe in the mid-14th century, killing about a third of the population.

• Effects:

  1. Decline of Church Authority: People lose faith in Church because it couldn't explain or stop the plague, leading to widespread disillusionment.

  2. Shift to Secular Scholarship: With the loss of clergy and an interest in understanding the world beyond religion, people began to explore secular studies, science, and philosophy.

  3. Birth of the Renaissance: This shift laid the groundwork for the Renaissance, a cultural revival in art, literature, and learning that emphasized humanism and individual achievement, moving away from medieval norms.

The Aztecs & The Incas

Aztecs

• Location: Mexico

• Advanced Agriculture

• Performed Human Sacrifice based rituals

  • Mainly for their Sun god

  • Mainly people they captured at war

• Empire was war-driven, expanding through conquest

• They worshipped many gods, especially sun and war gods

Incas

• Location: Western South America (Peru)

• Vast empire

• Advanced Agriculture

• Had an efficient road system

• Polytheistic religion who preformed rituals

• Impressive stone architecture (Machu Picchu)

• Had a highly organized centralized government, and deeply focused on the infrastructure and order of their empire

• Practiced terrace farming and used the quipu for record-keeping.