Period 3 Regional and Transregional Interactions

1
Period 3Regional and Transregional Interactions

• c. 600 C.E. to 1450 C.E.

2
Origins of Islam

• Arabian Peninsula center of trade
• Exposure to monotheistic faiths (Judaism,
  Christianity, Zoroastrianism)
• Prophet Muhammad had vision and gained followers
  after 622 C.E.
• Built empire on Arabian Peninsula prior to his
  death

3
Basic Beliefs of Islam

• Monotheistic (Allah)
• 5 Pillars
• Heaven/Hell
• Equality of all believers
• Evangelical (seeking converts)

4
Islam as a Social Cement

• Tribes finally united by common faith
• Arabic in origins (language/culture)
• No priestly class opportunity for all
• Provided authority moral code

5
Islamic Expansion

• Unity of tribes confidence
• Need for valuable land trade routes
• Not to force conversion on neighboring societies
• Nomadic roots was military advantage
• Jizya (tax) on non-Muslims treasure built
  wealth
• Neighboring societies were weakening

6
Islamic Expansion
7
Sunni Shia Split

• No clear successor to Muhammad
• Rashidian Caliphs (1st 4) expanded successfully
• Conflict over control leads to split

Sunni Shia
Majority Minority
Follow Muhammads example Must be blood related
Accepted Umayyad rule Followers of Ali (rejected Umayyads)
8
Umayyad Caliphate (661 750)

• Conquest continues (empire stretches from India
  to Spain)
• Capital moved to Damascus
• Womens status generally improved
• Decline results from internal fighting,
  corruption, leaders separation from the people

9
Abbasid Caliphate (750 c. 900)

• Originates in Iran (Persians)
• Shift away from Arab-centric Empire
• Capital moved to Baghdad
• Ruled as kings
• Powerful bureaucracy led by wazir
• Womens status declines
• Gradual decline
• Vast diverse empire with little loyalty
• Caliphs manipulated
• Nomadic attacks along borders

10
Golden Age of Islam

• Dynamic urban expansion
• Market, Mosque, Medina
• Explosion of creativity advancement
• See picture tour for examples
• Although ethnically politically divided Islamic
  Empire was religiously culturally united
• Preserved/built upon Mediterranean Middle
  Eastern learning

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Golden Age of Islam

• More social mobility than most societies
• Trade crossroads brought cultural diffusion

12
Islam in South SE Asia

• India politically fragmented but culturally,
  economically, intellectually rich
• Northern India (Indus Ganges Plains) invaded
  starting in 700s
• Delhi Sultanate created in 1206
• Blending of beliefs
• Influence went both directions
• Sufi mystics

13
Islam in South SE Asia

• Merchant class in coastal urban areas low caste
  Hindus were more likely to convert
• Hinduism adapted to deal with threat of a new
  faith
• High caste Hindus were most against Islamic
  influence
• India least converted region
• SE Asia had large of converts due to trade
  lack of centralized resistance

14
Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Africa geographically diverse culturally
  diverse fragmented societies
• Political organization varied
• Hierarchy (Ghana)
• Stateless societies
• Despite differences, pre-Islamic beliefs did
  contain some similarities
• Trade contact was signficant
• Indian Ocean Trans-Saharan

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Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Conversion successful because
• Conquest cultural diffusion
• African kings benefitted from order structure
• Equality popular amongst masses
• Coexisted with native beliefs
• Ghana, Mali Songhai in West
• Swahili Coast in East
• Aksum remained Christian

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Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Long-term influence of Islam on Sub-Saharan
  Africa
• Increased long-distance trade
• Mosques and Islamic architecture
• Language (i.e. Swahili)
• Islam spreads mostly among merchants and elites
  (opposite of India)
• Slave trade grows

17
China after the fall of the Han

• Politically unstable
• Constant warfare
• Famine
• Nomadic invasion
• Buddhism grew in popularity

18
Sui Dynasty (589 618 C.E.)

• Reunited former Han lands
• Drove back nomads
• Lowered taxes
• Promoted the scholar gentry class
• Excessive spending led to decline by 618

19
Tang Dynasty (618 906 C.E.)

• Duke of Tang emerged after struggle for power
• Defeated nomadic groups repaired Wall
• Controlled Korea as a vassal state
• Power held by scholar gentry
• Civil service exams became harder, but corruption
  remained
• Buddhism had gained popularity Confucianists
  Daoists felt threatened

20
Tang Dynasty (618 906 C.E.)

• Tang Dynasty expanded territory
• Decline starts in mid 9th c.
• Palace intrigue
• Focus on luxury
• Nomadic invasion
• Rebellious local leaders
• Falls by 906

21
Song Dynasty (960 -1279 C.E.)

• After 50 years of war, Emperor Taizu emerged on
  top, creating Song Dynasty
• Weakened military out of fear of being taken over
• Paid northern nomads tribute so they would not
  attack
• Lost territory
• Militarily weak, culturally strong

22
Song Dynasty (960 -1279 C.E.)

• Oversaw an economic revolution
• Centered in capital of Hangzhou
• Neoconfucianism grew
• Stressed hierarchy, obedience, high standards,
  very hostile towards outside ideas women
• Foot binding
• Glorious age of invention for China

23
Song Dynasty (960 -1279 C.E.)

• Decline of the Song was steady gradual
• Could not take control of northern borders
  forced retreat to Southern China by Jurchens
• Treasury depleted by bloated scholar gentry,
  tribute payments to nomads
• Reforms attempted but not accepted
• China slowly weakened, paving way for eventual
  Mongol takeover

24
European Feudalism

• Politics/Government
• Decentralized
• Chaos violence
• Viking raids created need for protection
• Reciprocal relationship of protection food
  (landowning lords knights) in return for
  loyalty labor (serfs)
• Some centralized governments were formed
• Charlemagne Holy Roman Empire, William the
  Conqueror in England
• Eventually governments start to modernize
• Magna Carta birth of parliament

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European Feudalism

• Economics/Trade
• Cities fell in importance as trade routes became
  unsafe, government offices closed and people
  retreated to rural areas for land protection
• Trade was minimal and local
• Until Crusades, Western Europe becomes relatively
  isolated
• Eventually guilds, banking systems trade leagues
  common currency emerge
• Hanseatic League

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European Feudalism

• Culture/Religion
• Christianity spread throughout Europe following
  fall of Rome
• Catholic Church replaced Roman government as
  source of order authority
• Pope was most powerful man in Europe
• Faith provided hope in an otherwise desolate
  existence
• Learning preserved by the Church (very little new
  advancements during this time)
• Art almost always religious in theme

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European Feudalism

• Society/Gender Relations
• Society in strict feudal hierarchy (most people
  poor peasants or serfs)
• Women often restrained to the home except in
  cities convents
• Peasant women had daily freedom, but poor quality
  of life
• Royal women had little freedom, but high quality
  of life
• Could not own property

28
Japanese Feudalism

• Politics/Government
• Unified in the Imperial Period from the 500s to
  800s
• Taika Reforms (646) made Japan more like China
• Reforms were resisted by aristocratic families
  and an attempt to decentralize occurred in the
  800s
• Japan adopts feudal system known as Bakufu (tent
  government)

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Japanese Feudalism

• Economics/Trade
• Most trade occurred with China Korea
• Primarily an agricultural (rice) economy
• Despite decentralized government, economy
  consistently grew

30
Japanese Feudalism

• Culture/Religion
• Sinification was met with mixed acceptance
• Native religion of Shintoism
• Confucianism, Buddhism, civil service exams,
  imperial government/army

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Japanese Feudalism

• Society/Gender Relations
• Strict social hierarchy based on bloodline
• Warrior class followed code of Bushido
• Aristocratic landowners had most power
• Peasant class relied on landowners for protection
  were used for labor
• Women merchants had inferior social status,
  although later in period experienced more
  opportunities

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Similarities between European Japanese Feudalism

• Decentralized government
• Relative Isolation
• Strict social hierarchy
• Valued military strength/loyalty above all else
• Foreign beliefs spread rapidly (Christianity,
  Buddhism, Confucianism)
• Women seen as inferior
• Eventually centralized power emerges

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The Mongol Empire

• Mongols were nomadic herdsmen fragmented into
  clans tribes
• c. 1100 2 million Mongols divided into over 30
  tribes
• Fierce hunters warriors who valued courage
  physical strength above all else

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The Mongol Empire

• Temujin (Chinggis Khan) was elected supreme ruler
  (khan) by tribal chieftains
• Due to skill charisma he was able to unit
  tribes
• Reorganized the army into tumens led 1st wave
  of conquest
• Army was highly mobile, tough had superior
  weapons tactics

35
The Mongol Empire
36
The Mongol Empire

• Pax Mongolica
• Single Authority from China to Europe
• Trade flourished (routes were safer)
• Uniform legal code (Yasa)
• Postal System (Yam)
• Religious tolerance

37
The Mongol Empire

• Strengths
• Nomadic roots
• Culture of Honor courage
• Efficiently organized
• Not afraid to borrow
• Tolerant of those they conquered

• Weaknesses
• Successors of Chinggis fought each other for
  power
• Empire was too large to control
• Communication control difficult to achieve