REVIEW Unit III: The Postclassical Era-600 to 1450

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REVIEWUnit III The Postclassical Era-600 to 1450

• Dr. Afxendiou
• Sachem North High School

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PERIODIZATION

• Major events and developments that characterize
  these years as a distinct time period
• Major religions determine and define areas of the
  world Christianity, Hinduism, Confucianism,
  Buddhism
• 2 nomadic groups impact history Bedouins and
  Mongols

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PERIODIZATION

• Major events and developments
• Islam
• Major empires in Mesoamerica and South America
• Chinese hegemony
• Amount and complexity of trade and contact

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REVIEW TOPICS

• The Islamic World
• Interregional networks and contacts
• Chinas internal and external expansion
• European developments
• The Amerindian World
• Demographic and environmental changes

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Islam submission
• 2nd largest number of supporters in the world
  today
• Started in Arabian Peninsula among the Bedouins
• Bedouins nomads who controlled trade routes
  across the desert.
• Trade towns linked long caravan routes Mecca
  and Medina
• Mecca also a religious destination due to Kaaba
  contained the black stone

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Founding of Islam
• In Mecca by Muhammad
• Muhammad trader (married to Khadija wealthy
  widow). Began to meditate in mountains outside
  Mecca. Angel Gabriel revealed himself to him.
• Believed himself to be the last of the prophets
  of the one true god.
• Started spreading the new religion
• Muslims his followers people who have
  submitted to the will of Allah

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Founding of Islam
• Muhammads preaching of monotheism was a thread
  to the social and economic order threatened
  pilgrimage business to Kaaba
• 622 hijra (hegira) flight to Yathrib which he
  remaned Medina marks the beginning of the
  Islamic calendar
• Many converts to Islam created the community of
  believers the Umma
• Became a political and military leader 630
  captures Mecca, destroys idols around Kaaba and
  declares it a holy structure of Allah and the
  Black stone claimed to be the foundation placed
  by Abraham in establishing Judaism.

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Islamic Beliefs and Practices
• The Five Pillars
• Most important source of religious authority the
  Quran the actual words of Allah
• The Sunna Muhammads life, the best model for
  proper living
• Sharia body of law based on Quran and Sunna,
  regulated family life, moral conduct, business
  and community life.
• All people equal before god

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• The Spread of Islam
• 632 Muhammad dies Islam spread over most of
  Arabian Peninsula
• Caliphate government set up to rule Muslims
  after Muhammad theocratic empire
• Caliph successor, leader of caliphate and all
  Muslims chosen by the leaders of the umma
• Abu-Bakr-first caliph. Close friend of Muhammad.
  Followed by 3 other caliphs who also knew
  Muhammad. These four were known as the rightly
  guided caliphs.

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• The Spread of Islam
• Rapid expansion within 300 years the Middle
  East, North Africa and South Asia fell to armies
  of Islam
• Spread helped by
• weakness of Empires of the time the Persian and
  Byzantine Empires
• Well-disciplined, well-organized armies
• Exclusion of Muslims from taxation conversion
  of conquered people in order to avoid taxation

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Empire grows as religion splits
• Sunni-Shia split who should succeed Muhammad
• Shia-only family members of Muhammad,
  descendants of Ali should be caliphs
• Sunni-any member of umma
• Each of the 4 early caliphs was murdered by
  rivals. Death of Ali triggered a civil war when
  Umayyad family rose to power (enemies of Muhammad
  in Mecca)

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• The Golden Age
• Institutions of higher learning Cairo, Baghdad,
  Cordoba
• Muhammad al-Razi-encyclopedia
• Preserved learning of ancient Greeks, Romans and
  Persians translated writings of Plato and
  Aristotle into Arabic
• Language-UmayyadsArabic Abbasids Persian
• Al-Andalus-Islamic Spain-flowering of culture in
  otherwise backwards Europe
• Religion-respect for other religions dimmis
  people of the book sufis-Islamic mystics

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Arts, Sciences and Technologies
• Art
• calligraphy, designs-arabesque
• Architecture-minarets, mosques
• Literature-Poetic works, A Thousand and One
  Nights
• Science
• Use of logic from ancient Greeks
• Mathematics from India
• algebra
• Navigation
• Astronomy
• Medicine
• Surgery
• hospitals

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Women in Islam
• Positive elements
• Quran changed negative treatment of women in
  pre-Islamic societies
• Treated them with more dignity
• Equal before Allah
• Dowry returned to wife after divorce
• Infanticide forbidden
• Gained power within the home
• In early stages they had power outside home
  (Khadijah-Muhammads boss)

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Women in Islam
• Negative Elements
• Before Islam
• Women viewed as property
• Man kept dowry after divorce
• Female nfanticide
• After Islam
• Up to 4 wives if a man could afford to support
  them
• patrilineal inheritance
• Testimony of woman in court half the weight of
  man
• Veiled in Persia/Mesopotamia later in entire
  empire
• Overtime empire become even more patriarchal

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Political structures
• Umayyad caliphate Sunnis
• Capital in Damascus
• Theocratic rulers
• Abbasid caliphate
• Shiites rebelled, overthrew Umayyads and
  installed Abbasid rulers
• Initially had Shia support but had to bring them
  under control eventually
• Capital moved to Baghdad
• Problems with succession
• Empire too large to govern
• High taxes made them unpopular

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THE ISLAMIC WORLD Dar al-Islam

• Political Structures
• Fall of the Abbasids
• Local kingdoms gained power
• Sultans Persian leaders took control of Baghdad
  in 945
• Seljuk Turks take Baghdad and manipulate caliphs
• 1258 Mongols destroy Baghdad

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• Major trade routes
• Mediterranean- western Europe, Byzantine Empire,
  Islamic Empire
• Hanseatic League
• Baltic/North Sea Regions
• Formed in 1241 100 cities joined
• Silk Road
• Trans-Saharan routes west Africa, Islamic
  Empire
• Indian Ocean trade Persians, Arabs

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• Cultural Diffusion
• Spread of languages and religions
• Spread of art and literature
• Spread of plague led to end of European feudal
  society
• Global trade network
• Made up of interconnected regions
• everyone except Americas involved

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• Trans-Saharan Trade
• Ghana land of gold 700s
• In the savanna region
• Gained wealth by taxing goods traders carried
  through territory
• Arab traders spread Islam and expanded knowledge
  of Africa to world
• Gold and salt trade
• Mali replaces and absorbs Ghana 13th century
• Islamic
• Mansa Musa pilgrimage
• Timbuktu
• Libraries and Islamic schools
• Mosques

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• Indian Ocean Trade
• Different zones dominated by regional powers
• West-Arabs
• Middle zone-Indian kingdoms
• East-China
• Reached coast of East Africa Swahili Coast
• Stretched over 6,000 miles
• Used monsoon winds
• Intermixing of cultures due to marriage of
  sailors with local women

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• Indian Ocean Trade
• Goods
• From Africa-ivory, animal hides, gold, slaves
• From Middle East-textiles, carpets, glass,
  Arabian horses
• From India-gems, elephants, salt, cotton cloth,
  cinnamon
• From China-silk, porcelain, paper
• From Japan-silver

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• Indian Ocean Trade
• China during the Ming dynasty
• Made Indian Ocean trade its focus
• Expeditions of Zheng He
• Chinese junks
• Forced to end his expeditions bureaucrats
  jealous of his success
• New emperor did not want to invest further money
  wanted to use money to protect against nomadic
  invasions Really?

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• Silk Routes
• Connected China to Mediterranean since Roman
  times
• Used heavily during Mongol rule 1200-1600
• Products
• Silk
• Porcelain
• Paper
• Ideas
• Military technology
• Religions-Buddhism, Islam, Christianity
• foods

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• The Mongol Empire
• Nomads, great horsemen and archers
• Genghis Khan-Chinggis Khan
• Largest empire ever from Pacific to Eastern
  Europe
• Success due to
• Military organization tjumen
• Ruthless warriors, highly mobile-could travel 90
  miles per day (Romans only 25/day)
• Bow range 300 yards
• Motivated soldiers traitors punished, courage
  rewarded
• Used spies
• Military innovations in armor, strategies.

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INTERREGIONAL NETWORKS AND CONTACS

• The Mongol Empire
• Hordes or Khanates
• Golden horde
• Great Khanate - included China
• Kubilai Khan created Yuan Dynasty in China
• Dismissed Confucian scholars
• Kept Mongol and Chinese cultures separate
• Impact
• Pax Mongolica trade
• Exchange of goods, ideas and cultures
• Silk Road flourished
• Influenced Russian empire
• No Golden Age

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• China was the richest of the empires of the
  postclassical time period the Middle Kingdom
• Dynasties
• Sui
• Tang
• Song
• Yuan
• Ming

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Sui Dynasty, 589-618
• Ended civil war era that followed the Han
• Construction of the Grand Canal
• Buddhism adopted by rulers
• Rebellions due to unrest caused by natural
  disasters that led to famine

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Tang Dynasty, 618-907
• accomplishments
• Expanded territory to Tibet and into Korea
• strong transportation and communications system
  Canals, road systems with inns and stables.
  Courier service connected empire
• Song Dynasty 960 1279
• Weaker than Tang
• Conflict with northern neighbors

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Tang/Song Dynasties
• Stable bureaucratic system based on civil service
  exam (started during Han dynasty)
• Confucian principles
• Scholar gentry
• Meritocracy not aristocracy
• New business practices
• Paper money
• Flying money-letters of credit

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Tang/Song Dynasties
• New technologies
• Gunpowder for military use
• Junks
• Magnetic compass
• Block printing
• Trade
• Involved in regional trade with Southeast Asia
  and Pacific Coast sea routes
• Silk Road with Asia
• Network of road and canals connect North and
  South regions

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Tang/Song Dynasties
• Agriculture
• Champa Rice Vietnam
• New agricultural techniques
• Increased production leads to increased
  population from 45 to 115 million leads to
  urbanization (growth of cities) especially in the
  South.
• More production needed for increased population,
  drain swamp land, terrace hillsides

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Tang/Song Dynasties
• Social Changes
• In all areas art, science, philosophy,
  porcelain making, silk weaving, transportation
  systems
• Tang poetry
• Song printing expanded literacy
• Women
• Empress Wu first empress, supported Buddhism
• Inferior
• Song footbinding
• Power of upper class women through males sons
  or as favorites of rulers

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Tang/Song Dynasties
• Religion
• Buddhism - Greatest influence by outside religion
  
• State sponsored during Sui
• Favored in the beginning of Tang (Empress Wu)
• Mahayana Buddhism followed by the masses,
  mystical, emphasis on quiet and peaceful
  existence
• Chan Buddhism (Zen in Japan) followed by elite.
  Focus on meditation.
• Confucian Reaction
• Bureaucrats threatened by its popularity
• Seen as economic drain to national treasury (no
  taxes)
• monasteries destroyed-Buddhism never regained
  power

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Tang/Song Dynasties
• Art stylized and symbolic landscape paintings
  by scholar-gentry
• Philosophy Neo-Confucianism
• Used ancient Confucian texts
• Codified traditional Chinese philosophy
• Reinforced gender and class distinctions

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Chinese Influence on surrounding areas
• Tributary states
• Japan
• Korea
• Vietnam
• Kow-tow
• Intensification of ethnocentrism

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Japan
• 4 main islands (archipelago)
• Relative isolation but influenced by China
  throughout
• Political
• Emperor descendant of Yamato Clan (no dynastic
  cycle)
• During Tang Dynasty heavily influenced by China
• Taika Reforms
• Chinese characters (didnt work)
• Buddhism
• Court etiquette
• Chinese architecture
• Confucian classics
• Bureaucratic government organization
• Law codes
• Tax system
• Art, literature, music
• Emperor attempted to establish scholar gentry
  resisted by aristocracy

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Japan
• After 794 increased aristocratic power, the
  emperor becomes a figurehead
• Division into small territories ruled by powerful
  clans with private armies
• 1192 the Shogun becomes the political
  leader-beginning of Japanese feudal system
• Gempei Wars- peasants v. Samurai
• Military state
• Damyo huge landowner-controls Samurai
• Divides land to lesser vassals and Samurai
• Peasants exist to serve samurai

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Japan
• Social
• Early religion Shinto
• Kami
• Emperor descendant of spirit of emperor sun
  goddess
• Buddhism gained hold but Shintoism remained
• Literature
• Poetry written by men
• Prose women Lady Murasaki Tale of Genji

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Japan
• Social
• Women
• Noblewomen educated
• No freedoms
• Code of Bushido way of the warrior
• Loyalty, courage, honor
• Art
• Ink sketches
• Tea ceremony tranquility, ritual
• Decorative gardens importance of nature
• Haiku verses simplicity, peacefulness,
  enlightenment

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Korea
• Peninsula, bridge between China and Japan
• Political
• Captured by Tang who withdraw in return for
  tribute payments
• Silla kingdom a vassal of China
• Economic
• Participated in Chinese trading network
• Social
• Adapted Chinese writing
• Scholars trained in Confucian classics
• Art- porcelain manufactured improved Chinese
  methods Celadon bowls (pale green color)

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Vietnam
• South of China
• Political
• Valued their independence, not willing to become
  tributaries
• Made up of small kingdoms the Khmer the
  strongest
• Periodically absorbed into China but always
  resisted

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Vietnam
• Social
• Accepted some Chinese traditions
• Agriculture and irrigation
• Veneration of ancestors
• Women
• Had more autonomy than women in other Asian
  cultures
• Trung sisters led revolt against Chinese
• Had economic roles in local commerce

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Yuan Dynasty
• Mongols in China
• 1271 Kubilai Khan
• Religious tolerance but end of civil service
  exams
• Kubilai Khan keeps Mongols separate from Chinese
  to maintain culture
• Mongol women have more freedoms than Chinese
  women
• Foreigners used in government positions (Marco
  Polo)
• Merchants gained status
• Attempted to capture Japan (failed both times
  Kamikaze)

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CHINESE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL EXPANSION

• Ming Dynasty
• Overthrew Yuan Dynasty
• See Indian Ocean trade information

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• Fall of Rome - Western Europe and Byzantine
  Empire
• WESTERN EUROPE
• 500 1000 The Dark Ages
• 1000 1300 The High Middle Ages
• Dark Ages loss of
• Roman civilization
• written language
• complex government
• Need for protection Vikings, Magyars (8th 9th
  centuries) led to rise of feudalism

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• WESTERN EUROPE
• Feudalism-social and political system
• Lords, vassals, knights land for service and
  loyalty
• Fiefs
• Status defined by birth
• Power based on how much land you control
• Code of Chivalry
• Decentralized government local rule on the
  manor
• Local power struggles feuds (feudalism)

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• WESTERN EUROPE
• Manorialism- economic system
• manors - self-sufficient
• Serfdom
• Crude tools 9th century the moldboard
• Weakened by Crusades and increase of trade and
  rise of towns
• Destroyed by Black Plague

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• Western Europe
• Women
• Traditional roles home/children
• Peasant women work in fields
• Code of Chivalry reinforces idea of women as
  weak, subordinate, in need of protection
• Alternative to traditional roles - the convent
• Women in towns can participate in trade and be
  members of guilds
• Cannot inherit
• Education limited to domestic skills

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• WESTERN EUROPE
• Crusades 11th 13th centuries
• Pope Urban II
• Free the Holy Land from Muslim control
• Initial success but ultimately failed to achieve
  goal
• Brought Europe into the major world trade routes
  of the time Mediterranean trade, Silk Road
• Europe changed by encounter with Middle East
  new products, new technologies, new ideas
• Demand for foreign products created in Europe
• Venice and Genoa rich trade cities geographic
  location

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• WESTERN EUROPE
• Crusades
• 4th crusade raided Constantinople undermining
  of Byzantine Empire
• Power of kings increases they gain the right to
  tax for armies
• Beginning of Muslim/Christian hostilities
• Increased Eurasian trade
• Growth of banking
• Creation of urban middle class
• Renewal of economy, learning, arts
• Move towards centralized political authority
• Import of new military technology guns and
  cannons castles and knights are obsolete

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• WESTERN EUROPE
• Black Plague the tiny flea topples
  feudal/manorial system
• Comes from Asia through trade routes Chinese or
  Mongol origin?
• Labor shortage
• Labor of serfs valuable in cities leave the
  manor

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• WESTERN EUROPE
• Economic developments
• Rise of towns
• Use of money (move away from barter)
• Banking system, credit system, insurance
• Towns regulate their businesses and collect own
  taxes
• guilds
• Social developments
• Universities in High Middle Ages
• Gothic Architecture

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• WESTERN EUROPE
• England
• Norman invasion 1066 William the Conqueror
• Alternative feudalism all vassals owe
  allegiance to king
• Bureaucracy, single system of laws
• Parliamentary government unique to England
• Places limitations on king
• Magna Carta
• no taxation without consent
• No arbitrary arrest
• King is not above the law

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• WESTERN EUROPE
• Hundred Years War 1337 1453
• France v. England
• Long bow
• Peasant armies
• Knights made obsolete
• end of Medieval period

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• BYZANTINE EMPIRE
• Established by emperor Constantine Eastern
  Roman Empire
• Capital Constantinople
• Strategic position between Black Sea and
  Mediterranean
• Lasted 1000 years after fall of Rome
• Christian theocracy absolute rule

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• BYZANTINE EMPIRE
• Adapted Greek language
• Blended Greek and Roman cultures
• Art- iconography
• Architecture the dome
• Emperor Justinian
• Justinian Code legal system based on Roman 12
  Tables of Law
• Hagia Sophia

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EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENTS

• The Great Schism - 1054
• Christianity of Western Europe and Christianity
  of Eastern Europe
• Roman Catholicism and Christian Orthodoxy
• Differences
• Communion
• Priests and marriage
• Language and church ceremonies
• Byzantines did not want papal interference