Ch. 11 Pastoral Peoples on the Global Stage

Chapter 11 Pastoral Peoples on the Global Stage

The Mongols also referred to as nomads had a certain disregard for farm work even though their economy relied heavily on livestock and animals. While they are responsible for the creation of the Afro-Eurasian Empire; they were not responsible for the building of major metropolitan urban centers or city states.

These Pastoral societies were inhabited by many relatives that you would find spread out from each other. These Pastoral societies formed themselves into clans based on their strengths which is how they also were able to cultivate a strong and powerful army. The most powerful clan, Chinggis Khan banned together to create a more unified empire.

Innovation was an advantage well within the Mongols’ skill set. They were responsible for armor, swords, saddles, harnesses for horses and stirrups. These are all items that they’d use most commonly for their army. The mongols were not only innovative but they were also unified; two things that allowed them to have such a successful army.

The Mongols dominated a lot of new territory while adopting new languages and religions along the way. It is said that the Mongols occupied more than 10,000 stations in numerous regions and kept hundreds of thousands of horses.

One of the Mongols’ biggest invasions, the invasion of Northern China. This invasion went on from 1209 all the way until the year 1279. The main goal of the invasion was for the Mongols to learn from China and Persia’s advanced societies and to take some of their wealth in the process. In China, the Mongols made sure to follow their methods to taxation and in Persia; they mirrored their bureaucracy. The Mongols used their own skill to their advantage which allowed them to successfully invade other territories and learn and build from what they saw.

Ch. 10 The Worlds of Christendom

In Chapter 10, we learn about the Worlds of Christendom. Christendom first began in the year 0 when Christ was born. We read about how once the son of God is older, he begins to teach the word of God and gain a following. The more support that he gained, the more opposition he gained from the Roman Empire. They felt threatened by him and eventually decided to have him executed. After Christ had been killed, his teachings still continued to have a major impact in the lives of many. His followers even faced persecution but they still kept the faith no matter what. Christ’s followers began to meet secretly so that they could observe and worship in peace without prosecution or persecution. The Roman Empire made several desperate attempts to take down the religion that is now globally known as Christianity however, they were unsuccessful. They soon made Christianity the official religion. In the Roman Empire; there was no separation of church and state; when a decision was made it was final. Sort of like how they determined what Christianity to be. They tried to dictate what would be read and observed as a Christian.

Another drastic change around 400 a.d. made by the Roman Empire was carried out by Constantine during his relocation of the capitol to a new city named after him. This relocation made it much easier for the Roman Empire to defend against the North. This new relocation later became Byzantine which also picked up a new ideology, Eastern Orthodox. Rome adopted Roman Catholicism.

I liked reading this chapter because it explains how something so sacred such as Christianity came from something so ugly, Christ’s death. I also like reading about how Christianity was the stepping stone for many other religions; while the Roman Empire tried to discredit and speak down on Christ, it still was not enough.

Ch. 8 China & the World

China is and has been a major civilization since the Ancient Era, and has grown into what is now known as ‘the Golden Age’ of China. During the Golden Age, there was significant economic improvement in China. This economic success stemmed from a number of things including: trade, technological innovations, engineering and Vietnamese drought proof rice which sustained the constantly growing population. Also during the Golden Age; there was also a ‘rebirth’ of Confucianism. This rebirth restored order in Chinese society which posed a more negative impact on women; especially women with status, who previously had been given more freedom. Another sign of status for women was foot binding; from childhood many parents allowed for their children’s feet to be broken repeatedly.This was done so that one day when they would get married, it showed that they came from wealth and that they would marry into more wealth. These women had their feet broken repeatedly over the courses of their lives so that they also couldn’t leave their husbands.

China also used a merit system that was based on one exam that was open to everyone but very hard to prepare for. Those that came from wealthy families (males) were provided with the best instructors to study with while those that came from poorer families were unable to study and prepare. This is how China’s political leaders were selected. China also had a tribute system, which served a way for paying respect to others by giving them money. Another way of showing respect to someone was to ‘kowtow’ which came in the form of a bow. This was seen more in political settings or atmospheres.

Despite being disconnected from the rest of the world; China did rather well when it came to trade. Vietnam unlike many other countries wanted to be Chinese; China wanted to claim them but the Roman Empire had already made plans to make them apart of their own empire.

The Golden Age is a befitting name for China because while they hadn’t been so in tune with the rest of the world; they were very successful in the trade industry. They had a strict system in which they picked political leaders and appealed to other civilizations such as Vietnam.

Ch. 9 The Worlds of Islam

In ch. 9 we examine the birth of Islam. According to historians, the rise of Islam took place during the Medieval time period. There are 4 points that are said to define the Classical Era, existentially, socially, technologically and through migration.

1. Islamic Era:
1. The Islamic Empire finds comparison to other powerful empires.
2. Islam’s seminal thinker is born.
3. The Islamic Empire was formed.
4. Islamic influence spreads to various continents.

2. Classical Era:
1. There was extreme competition for dominance between empires.
2. Seminal thinkers influenced ideas that are still used today.
3. Cosmopolitan urban centers began to form.
4. Politics take hold and spread to various societies.

After reading about the Islamic Era; I understand that it took place during the Classical Era. Islam began to compete with China and other influential civilizations that lead to various technological advancements which Seminal thinkers helped to pioneer. Shortly after, Islam began to diffuse into numerous continents. Islam had just begun in the Classical Era.

Ch. 7 Culture & Commerce

Ch 7 mostly describes 3 types of roads: silk, sea and sand. Before completing this reading; I was mostly familiar with the Silk Road which was more popular for connecting Eurasia and particularly in the transportation of the commodity of silk, this road also lead to many other commodities, such as ideologies. Buddhism was one of the most common ideologies spread through the Silk Road. However, these ideologies were not the only things to be passed on through the silk road. These roads played a major role in the mass spread of diseases which took the lives of many and also was integral in the fall of the Roman Empire.

The Sea roads were ocean roads that navigated through the Indian Ocean which connected the mainlands with various islands. The Sea road ranged from Africa to the Mediterranean Sea to Arabia, India, Southeast Asia, and China. Hinduism also spread vastly through the sea roads. It was because of the sea road that boats were able to carry and transport very large cargo such as timber. Product such as timber was utilized by the wealthy and the poor, so everyone was able to benefit from the use of the sea roads. For those that lived in places like the port cities, they had great opportunity to buy and sell products which made for a successful buy/sell/trade economy.

The last of the 3 roads; the sand road which was a trade route that expanded through the Sahara Desert. Merchants would use this trade route to trade most commonly, gold and slaves. These merchants used camels, horses, donkeys and slaves to carry their merchandise. Because the weather was so intensely hot during the day; merchants traveled at night when the temperatures were much cooler.

Call To Action Day Reflection

For Call To Action Day, I volunteered at the Barrett Community Center. While at the Barrett Community Center, other students and myself were responsible for repainting and replanting in efforts to ‘beautify’ the center. I chose the Community Center because I feel as if Belmont has also become my community. I’ve been here for 3 years so it does actually feel like I am involved and giving back. We spent a few hours out there painting and just having fun while doing it. This year, CTA highlighted Hallmark #7 and it says, “We develop holistic learning communities which educate for life” I think that this hallmark fits perfectly with what I did for CTA day. We were all apart of developing a holistic learning community that will continue to educate for life; the children that go there to learn and play will benefit from all of our hard work and I think that was the primary goal of NDNU’s partnership with the Barrett Community Center.

Ch. 6 Commonalities vs. Variations

Ch. 6 Commonalities vs. Variations

The civilizations discussed in Ch. 6 include: the Niger River Cities, the Teotihuacan people, the Bantu migrations and the Pacific Islands.

• The Niger River Cities:
• look similar to the Indus Valley.
• Many of these civilizations went without a declared governmental structure.
• Each civilization had their own specially designed economy, and they also traded between one another.
• Men and women were seen as equals.
• No proof of social hierarchy similar just like the Indus Valley.

• Teotihuacan:

• Was the largest urban complex in the Americas at this time, and also the 6th largest in the world.
• Street of the Dead, where the homes of all the elite people could be found, many temples and pyramids.
• The Teotihuacan people would trade amongst themselves in their own cosmopolitan centers.
• They rarely interacted or socialized with outsiders.

• Bantu Migration:

• The Bantu Migration was made up of the Bantu people who spoke the Bantu dialect in Africa.
• This migration was essential and necessary because it was the beginning of the transformation from foragers to farmers.

• Pacific Islands:

• Because of the great distances between peoples; this created a number of variations.
• In the Pacific Islands, there are over 100 dialects being spoken.
• The societies were made up of many small villages.
• The islands faced many weaknesses such as poor ecosystems.
• Pacific Islanders were known to farm but relied more heavily on seafood.

Ch. 5 Society & Inequality

Ch. 5 Society & Inequality

• Society in China:
• Influenced by the states actions.
• State officials were very powerful.
• Powerful officials with status:
• Respected officials had to prepare for various examinations.
• Wealthy families preferred and showed more favor to their sons.
• Peasants/Commoners could only achieve success and power through education.
• Landlord Class:
• Low class peasant farmers were controlled by landowners and tenant farmers.
• State of China tried to sabotage the creation of large estates.
• Peasants/Commoners:
• Peasants and Commoners made up the majority of China’s growing population.
• Peasants/Commoners were known to rebel from time to time.
• Merchants:
• Merchants were looked down upon by the wealthy elite.
• Merchants were also often viewed and classified as self serving.
• Merchants however made a decent living.
• Classes in India:
• Caste as Varna:
• Began to grow through the diversity of the many cultures and social differences.
• Varna Theory:
• Groups made up of four classifications: Brahmins, Priests, Scholars and Teachers.
• Caste as Jati:
• Occupations determined social classes.
• Similarities to Varna.
• Only allowed to eat with and marry those that were also apart of Jati.
• An individual couldn’t rise in social status but a Jati as a collective could.
• Caste functions:
• Social Security was provided.
• The wealthy few controlled and mistreat the poor majority.
• Slavery and Roman Empire:
• How did slavery emerge?
• The use of domesticated animals created the blueprint for human slavery.
• Patriarchy, the idea that those in power needed to micromanage the poor and underserved.
• Patriarchy also micromanaged women, they were not seen as equal but less than.
• Slavery in civilization:
• Slavery in a civilized state meant that you had no rights.
• Most civilizations functioned on the sole use of slaves.
• China didn’t rely much on slaves but on convicts.
• Roman Slavery:
• The Roman civilization was notorious for the use of slaves.
• Slaves made up about ⅓ of the Roman population.
• Those with wealth and power owned 2-3 slaves of their own.
• How were slaves acquired?
• They were original war prisoners.
• Their mothers and fathers were slaves and they unfortunately were born into slavery.
• Resistance and rebellion:
• War prisoners would take their own lives in order to not be slaves.
• Some were known to flee to any place that was safe.
• Some situations involved the slaves fighting back and killing their slave owner.
• Patriarchy then and now:
• Patriarchy is more oppressive today than it was during the Classical Era.
• Women played important roles in our World History but still face oppression.

It was frustrating to have to read about how slavery was so rampant in earlier times and how we in our current society still carry some of those ideals that someone is not equal or worthy of basic human rights because of the color of their skin or their socioeconomic status. So many years have passed by, so many and yet we can still see some of these attributes in our society, politics and workplaces. It makes me ask, have we really evolved and learned from history’s past?

Week 6: Ch. 4 Culture & Religion

• China’s quest for order:

• Around 2000 BCE-state building tradition
• Legalist Answer
• Han Fei was Chinese Legalist philosopher
• Disorder is corrected by strict and clearly enforced rules.
• Confucian Answer
• Confucius
• Superior class sets the moral and ethical examples used to correct disorder
• Education was widely used as a way to improve or enhance oneself
• Took great pride in understanding their history
• No religion
• Daoism Answer
• Laozi, the author Daodejing aka “The Way and Its Power”
• Dao translates to the “way of nature”

• The Cultural Traditions of India

• 
  
• Heavy religious connections/influences
• Hinduism
• Developed overtime with Indian civilization
• Social hierarchy
• Caste System

• Buddhist Challenge

• Created alongside Hinduism
• Life is believed to be suffering
• Rebirth/ Reincarnation
• Enlightenment

• Classical Greece

• Intellectuals challenged myth
• Ways of knowing
• Changed the way questions were being asked
• Socrates---->Plato------>Aristotle

• Birth of Christianity with Comparison to Buddhism

• Christ was Jewish
• Son of God
• His teachings were geared more towards social/political issues than buddhism
• Christ was said to only in his physical form for 3 years
• Christ was executed while gautama died naturally (old age)
• Christ had apostoles