Regional Civilizations

1
Regional Civilizations

• How Did Regional Civilizations Expand the Scope
  of World History?

2
Extending beyond borders of any single nation or
empire, Regional Civilizations linked together
diverse nations within a shared culture.
3
Shared Cultures

• Sometimes they were based on a common religion
• Or a common culture forced on them by a powerful
  empire
• Sometimes it was a Geographic Feature - plains or
  mountains

4
Important Regional Civilizationsbetween 500 and
1500 B.C.

• Christian Europe
• Muslim Eurasia and North Africa
• The Trading States of Africa south of the Sahara
• The Chinese influence in East Asia

5
Christendom and Islam

• Each religion shared powerful beliefs among
  diverse people
• Both religions felt compelled to spread their
  religion

6
Christianity

• During Roman times, Christianity spread around
  the Mediterranean and westward across Europe.
  During the Middle Ages, the Christian religion
  spread eastward to the Black Sea. Medieval
  institutions such as feudalism, the Manor system,
  and Medieval Christian churches flourished. Roman
  Catholic in the West, Greek Orthodox in the East.
  

7
Islam

• The Prophet Muhammad proclaimed the Muslim faith
  in the 600s. Believers spread Islam across North
  Africa, western Asia and parts of southern
  Europe. Because of Islam, cities grew, literacy
  spread, and long-distance trade advanced, and
  philosophy and art developed. Islam, like
  Christianity, shaped and influenced the culture
  of many. From Arabia to the Eurasian Steppes,
  from West Africa to India and Southeast Asia.

8
Africa and Asia

• These Regions saw a different kind of Regional
  Civilizations.
• In Africa, Geography and Trade was the link
  between people,
• While in Asia, Chinas great culture established
  a common culture over a wide region.

9
West and East Africa

• People of the Savannas in West Africa built
  similar kingdoms and empires. They grew because
  of the Muslim traders from the North, and the
  Guinea Gold Mines in the South.
• In East Africa, Muslim merchants and African
  rulers built a series of profit-making
  city-states down the East coast of Africa. These
  cities became a trading link to the East opening
  the door to India and China as well as the rest
  of the Mediterranean world.

10
East Asia

• Chinas ascending power continued to influence
  nearby territories, especially Korea and Japan.
  Assimilated traits from China were Confucian
  philosophy, the belief in Devine Emperors, and
  the Chinese version of Buddhism.

11
Looking Ahead

• Regional Civilizations were more than just
  kingdoms and empires. They introduced cultural
  and economic characteristics to regions that were
  to large to politically unify. Next, Regional
  Civilizations headed toward Global
  Interdependence (meaning, they were unable to
  exist or survive without each other) after
  European Expansion began in 1492.