Chapter Twelve: Pastoral People In The Global Stage, The Mongol Moment 1200-1500

Chapter Twelve: Pastoral People In The Global Stage, The Mongol Moment 1200-1500

The Mongols received a bad reputation. They were known as savages and barbarians. They were known for being excellent horsemen. It took them six hundred years to learn to ride them. Mongols were nomad, which meant they didn’t settle. They had nothing to lose as oppose to those with civilization that had settled. Mongols despite having a bad reputation they instilled loyalty. What was so interesting about Mongols was that they didn’t care what religion their followers had. They didn’t believe in changing people and their tradition. The empire had expanded throughout Asia, Persia and even Russia. It’s amazing how they depended on pastoral animals. They used pastoral animals for everything the animal could offer such as dairy, meant and fur. They were very resourceful when it came to not letting anything go to waste. They were also clever when it came to tribute taxes. We practice this trade today. They address the need for agricultural. I have heard the word “Mongro” or “nomad” as a form of downgrading the person. I had no ideas were the root came from. It’s always interesting to see where phrases or ideas originated.    

Chapter ten: The World Of Christendom

Chapter Ten: The World Of Christendom

Christendom was mainly located in Western Europe. Its root was the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire after a while collapsed as a result there was warfare. The soldiers came from prisons, slaves or in order to survive the followed and joined. In order to protect land that was conquest they need more soldiers. Soldiers were even brought from other countries. Which is why the bigger the borders, the more difficult it becomes. Christendom was not a country nor a religion. It was rather an identity in which it was a refugee for those who had it difficult. The collapsing of the Roman Empire was due to protection, prayer and production. There was very little basic social services. The Byzantine Empire was seeking a religion and was introduced to Orthodox Church. He reject Islam because alcohol was forbidden. The reason why they chose the Byzantine chose the Orthodox Church was because of its art. The art in the Orthodox Church gave a sense of ecstasy state, which caught the Russian’s eyes that also adopted this spiritual practice as well as the Greeks. The Byzantine Empire was very successful. It was around for over a thousand years. It was located in the Eastern part of Europe. Through out the post classical era there was a huge split in the Christianity and it just seemed that things were looking brighter in the Eastern part which was where Byzantines empire was located. Women role had changed. They were being put to work as laborers. In class we discussed that although a woman of higher status she was limited and had more work than a poor woman who worked yet had more freedom. “Another religious role was that of anchoress, a woman who withdrew to a locked cell, usually attached to a church, where she devoted herself wholly to prayer and fasting. Some of them gained reputation for great holiness and were much sought after for spiritual guidance (Strayer, page 285)”. It’s interesting how a woman’s role is changed through out time.

Chapter Nine: The Golden Age Of China

Chapter Nine: The Golden Age of China

In order to move on or expand things have to change. China has been one of the first of the six civilizations to form. Confucius played an important role when it came to social roles and hierarchies. He instilled education and ranking. He also made it clear that superior and inferiors needed each other. What I found curious was that at one point they wanted to dismiss Buddhism, which is a religion that is primarily practiced in China. To be forbidden to use certain material when it came to constructing the faith’s imagery because they were so against social change was absurd to me. After time it was assimilated into the Chinese culture as well as the honoring of Confucius. Buddhism was from a price born in India. “ Thus, as Buddhism faded in the land of it’s birth, it became solidly rooted in much of East Asia, providing an element of cultural commonality for a vast region (Strayer, page 261).” I had no idea that the Buddhism was introduced through the silk trade. I always have been fawn of the practice. It’s encouraging to seek enlightment and find nirvana. It’s a serene faith that has practical ideas that portray some of the Indian Ideas, which make sense seeing Buddha was born in India. “The way and morality” are a good way of living. It was a religion that was practiced by elite and those who weren’t. To seek “the way” was not determined on social class nor social status. It was however a social change that many felt threatened by.

Chapter Eight: Commerce and Culture

Trade was an important form of becoming cosmopolitan. It was crucial to have canal for trade. The Silk Road mainly consisted of the trade of silk. To be cosmopolitan was to have influences from different cultures. Other than good that were traded, beliefs and traditions and rituals were all adopted with n the interaction of different cultures. I think we sometimes forget that we are so multi diverse that we forget that in other arts of the world they are so black and white about things. I know we have advanced so much throughout this time period (500-1500) but it’s just so crazy to think that we are so fortunate to embrace different cultures and ideas that another times we would have been in prison or killed for questioning the way things were set up. Some of the negative consequences of the trade road were diseases that were caught or passed along the way. We all connected at one point and depended heavily when it came to trading. I thought it was curious that one on the eldest and successful and longest indigenous group to ever exist the Mayan dismissed the Andean civilization. For that reason they dismissed ever having the llama, potato or the writing system contribute to Mesoamerican culture. I am half Guatemalan and it was very interesting to read how The Mayan culture managed to do well with out very little connection with other parts of the world. They established their own way of writing, rituals and land-based trade within their region. 

Chapter Six: Eurasia Social Hierarchies

This chapter talked about the caste system in India. I just read a book called Joothan, which was an autobiography of a boy in India, and because of his ranking he had no way of moving up. He was shunned at birth. India’s social organization has designed this caste system to better regulate and have control of its country. It was so sad reading this book and further learning about the sudras and the untouchable. They were considered lower then low. India’s hierarchically depended what social group one belong to. It differs then today in the concept that if you are born into money it may make things easier but the same way one can posse’s money they can lose it. On the other hand if someone is born with no or little money they have the opportunity to either stay n that economical ranking or move up. Karma is not just an Indian idea but practiced worldwide. I’m a huge believer in Karma. I know as time passed, women were given less value but to have slave women raped and the men killed would probably make the women choose death then to be traumatized by being forced to have sex. Women were not even referred to by their name but rather their title such as wife or a mother. Women had very little worth when it came to Eurasia social hierarchies. “Greek thinkers, especially Aristotle, provided a set of ideas that justified women’s exclusions from public life and their general subordination to men (Strayer, page 174).” I was shocked how he went on his idea that women were passive went it came to providing “receptacle for the vital male contribution.” I couldn’t believe how he belittled women! It’s obvious that birth as well as reproduction of our species will not help without a woman.

Chapter Five: Eurasian Cultural Traditions

Chapter 5: Eurasian Cultural Traditions

The Classical Era was also known as the thinker era. In this chapter there seminal ideas that helped create and perseverate ideas. This Chapter dealt with China seeking order. Zhou’s Dynasty may have been big at one point to have one ruler but was eventually weakened. Confucius had a “Humanistic Society” point of view he believed in inequalities among family member. He was for education. He believed that people that were superior than other depended on inferiors. It was a cycle that led to a much “tranquil society”. Confucius’s way of thinking led to social stability it kept everything living in harmonies.  Siddhartha also known as Buddha formed a religion. What was different about him was that he was born a prince. Although his religion didn’t take well in India, where he was from, his beliefs spread out and were practiced in many countries primarily in Asia and China. He believed anyone could seek enlightment/nirvana in their lifetime. Buddhism brought social change. Hinduism was not one person but an idea it ran on a caste system. Socrates was not a religion but he was a philosopher. He created a system of rational learning. Plato wrote his books. Many of his ideas are still practiced and taught today. His questioning like Buddhism led to social change. The Catholic Church was so upset with his challenging idea they burned his books with hope that people would stop this certain way of thinking. Socrates was known as a threat to society. The Greek welcomed his way of thinking. Jesus had the Roman has his followers. The Roman Republic were antimonarchical. They were tired of being ruled and were anti king. The political union grew from 300 B.C. to 450 A.D. It had expanded so much it had become an empire. Jesus had formed a religion. His ideas were social change. The image of Christ was a king ship that was very scary for many. I believe these five thinkers plus Hinduism had many ideas that in one way or another relate to each other. These ideas and belief are still practiced today they have formed change and have taught us in order to survive there has to be changes. Taking sides and choosing what beliefs to go by have shaped Eurasian cultures and traditions.

Chapter Three: First Civilizations: Cities, States and Unequal Societies

Chapter three: First Civilizations: Cities, States, and Unequal Societies 3500-500 B.C.E. 

The Agricultural Revolution led to the development of Civilizations. It was a form of settling without a leader. There had to be ground rules to live by. In order to keep food and enough water for all the cities and states there was a form of irrigation that went on to keep water flowing and food for everyone. The beginning Civilization was composed of six. Egypt, China, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley. Olmec, Andes, and Norte Chico. Each civilization had different sources of survival and food. The book pointed out

            “However, not all agricultural societies or chiefdom developed into civilizations,             so something else must have been involved.” (Strayer, page 61)

Civilization was the development of advanced technology that led to productivity. It wasn’t just a form of settling it was a form of irrigation to continue productivity among the city and states. Law were established. One of the most advanced civilizations was Mesopotamia. It was a big urban city. They were more advanced then say the Norte Chico that relied on fishnets and corn to have more food. Both Indus Valley and Mesopotamia were organized and planned out the formation of their cities. They had sewers, running water and flushing waters. They were far more advanced then the on growing civilizations that were forming through out the world. This chapter covers hierarchies of class which basically meant that their inequalities that were determined by status, wealth, and power. I believe that there are inequalities today that have much to do with the development of civilizations back then. If you have more power and wealth today, yes one’s status is high but I believe that they are limited in what they can do. Where as a country that is limited and has very little status, is available to explore different avenues then a country or state that has more status can. Since they have less to lose they can explore and experiment more. Longevity doesn’t die out. Which is why we know of the irrigation and development of civilizations has been successful because we have been rooted and successful in what was laid out for us in the 3500 B.C.E.