Learning Notes 1-3

The Rise of Religions

The rise of religions began approx. 500 BC due to:

• Economic growth

• Growing empires

• Communication between other civilizations/ groups

• Advancing technologies- Which made people more curious and questioning traditional logic. (One’s purpose in life, etc.)

China

Confucianism:

• Promoted education

• Filial piety: Honoring ancestors/ elders to in turn respect Emperor (History= Golden era)

• Used morality to restore social harmony

• Mandate of Heaven: Belief that the normal condition of China is political unity.

Daoism:

• Nature focused

• Simplicity

• Self sustaining communities instead of honoring one Emperor

Middle East:

Hinduism:

• First to begin in India

• Removing desires and egos

• Life is fleeting/ illusion

• Meditation

• Hierarchies

Buddhism:

• Second to begin in India

• Removing desires and egos

• Also heavy on meditation

• Egalitarianism- Belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs.

• Faded out in India, was later reabsorbed into Hinduism

Zoroastrianism:

• Emphasizes human free will

• Few practice in present age

• Good vs. evil

• Judgement

Judaism:

• God involved in individuals’ lives as well as history

• Yahweh makes covenant w/ the jews & still upholds said covenant

• Disobedience often contributed with cultivating Jewish identity

Changes in Commerce:

(The act of buying/ selling in large scales)

• Altered consumption/ how people would spend their time

• Offered more work for people

• Made different communities more collaborative and reliant on each other

• Elevated the roles of merchants

• Created new statuses and wealth classes

• Development of states

• Enhanced political life (taxes/ desire to control trade)

Routes:

Sea Roads:

• Indian Ocean- Largest sea routes till 1500

  • Southern China to Eastern Africa

• Used often due to predictable weather patterns (made navigating easier)

Silk Roads:

• Eurasia

  • Inner Eurasia primarily dry/ Outer Eurasia primarily well watered

• Nomadic people became traders

• Passed goods along through relay trading

• Named after China’s silk tech. being spread through trade

Transit:

Cultures:

• Merchants leaned more into Buddhism due to its teachings approving the accumulation of wealth. As well as offering safe refuges from the weather on the Silk Road.

  • Merchants assisted/ built monasteries and converted towns into Buddhism.

• Buddhism overall changed due to the passing of religions on the Silk Road. People picked up/ applied other customs into their own and eventually changed how their religions are perceived. Buddhism included.

  • Buddhism began to lean more into the aspects of compassion rather than just letting go/ releasing.

Disease:

• Weakened civilizations

• Improved wages (since the population would decrease)

• Increased immunity

• Strengthened religion, especially Buddhism. People put more of their trust in their religion for comfort and peace.

Mongol Moment

• Pastoral- Shepherd lifestyle, herding livestock.

• Chinggis Khan (universal ruler)- Treated more like a deity than a king

• Largest land empire in history

• Brought better contact between civilizations

• Improved exchange

• Increased trade with the Silk Road

• Destruction & conquering- Were so successful due to :

  • China and Islamic areas becoming divided

  • Well-organized/ strategized armies

  • Self- sustaining due to spoils from conquests (increased technology and man power)

  • Well organized due to relay-communication

  • Religious toleration, got on merchants’ good side

China Under Mongol Rule:

• 70 years to conquer

• Unified China- Some believe Mongols enacted the Mandate of Heaven (Belief that the normal condition of China is political unity).

• Mongols used Chinese governing and taxing techniques from Chinese culture

• Moved capital of China to Beijing

• Mongols forbade intermarriage, did not embrace the Chinese language