Chapter 9

Classical: 500 bc-1348 AD

• timelines are problematic 
• strayer would call "Islamic Period," third wave, post-classical 

Classical means...

1. competition for dominance between civilizations 
2. seminal thinkers 
3. empire and cosmopolitan areas 
4. mulit-continental political structures 

China

Byzantine Empire....had its golden age 

Islam? is Islam a goof example of why this came to be called a post-classical period?

the period from 500 AD to 1348 AD is not a post or later classical, but rather a fully classical era of human history. 

4 sections 

1. birth of religion 
2. civilization 
3. era empire 
4. culture 

Civilization: 

• good economy 
• cosmopolitan civilization 
• technology diffused widely 
• contributed to ecological exchange as agricultural products 
• practices spread from one region to another 
• goods, technologies, food products, and ideas circulated widely 
• a network of faith 
• multicontinental structure 

Stereotypes...Islam

What Stereotypes exist in the West about Islam?

• actively oppressive to women 
• violent religion 
• all muslims are terrorists 
• muslims cannot be trusted 
• fear of mosques...mosqua phobia 
• islam is taking over the worlds 

in what ways do the primary sources, on Islam, erode those stereotypes? or support

• very defensive stance on mostly everything 
• men cannot wear gold or silver 

"We honor the dignity and sacredness of each person."

Quran...God 

• "Jihad" (self-betterment)  religious was/holy war ....purpose to take over or convert 

Hadith 

• sense of respect 
• dressing form of Islam 

Sharia 

• How a woman needs to cover herself 

Mongols..continued

What has been the role of nomadic pastorial people?

• more mobile 
• less "civilized"  (urban)
• traditional 
• less likely to build things 
• less agricultural 
• eat a lot of animal products 
• chinese had to protect their borders 
• more egalitarian

Mongols..really? why not ?

• less population 
• less property (stuff overall) 
• women shared in the less stuff 

Why barbarians?

• could attack and retreat 
• they were very well organized (military structure) 
• riding horses, sattles, stirrups 
• maybe mandate of heaven were with the mongols because everything was going fairly well 
• very large network of communication 

Did the Mongols have a seminal thinker?

• accepted any religiong that they saw 
• they were very adaptive 
• vicious about how they could destroy town 
• they were pilgramming 

Why did Black Death or the Bubonic Plague cause so much damage?

• it was a vicious disease 
• spread so fast 
• very obvious when somebody had it 
• people didn't help the sick, family or homeless 

Mongols Debate

The Mongols got a bad reputation from historians. In fact, they deserve respect for creating a civilization with a long term impact on World History. 

• They weren't into trading, they just adapted to what people said 
• didn't lead us to better human development 
• they had a very weak civilization 
• did not structure because it did not deserve identity 

Think of these words: 

• diversity
• equality
• freedom 
• ruthlessness
• fear
• love
•  hatred
• humility
• hierarchy 
• intolerance 
• control 
• god leadership 
• respectfulness 

• "anda" Sacrad; relationship between two unarmed men 
• Mongols had homosexual love 
• This is interesting to see because they were so warrior like 
• Historians were not okay with homosexuality 
• homosexuality can be seen as the Mongols not being civilized 
• relationship only lasted for one year 

Chapter 7

Roads 

Silk Roads: 

• Relay on trading 
• China's Silk was in high demand 
• Because it was in high demand, it was sacred to Buddhism and Christianity
• Culture's diffused and diseases spread linked pastoral and agricultural peoples as well as the large civilizations on the continent's outer rim symbolize Eurasian Network of Exchange 
• Buddhism spread throughout Central and East Asia , owing much to the merchants along Silk Roads

Sea Roads: Exchange across the Indian Ocean 

• connected distant peoples all across Eastern Hemisphere 
• meditarranean sea...avenue of maritime commerce 
• Black Seas 
• Atlantic Coast 
• Red Sea 
• ships could accommodate larger and heavier cargues than camels
• Religion: Hinduism found place in South East Asia...well routed in Champa Kingdom  
• christianity 
• relying on natural wind 
• monsoons 
• longer travel 
• mass market items 
• not luxury items 

Sand Roads: 

• Meditarranean world used camels, ivory slaves, gold horses, cloth, and salt 
• Exchange across the Sahara 
• Sahara held deposits of copper and especially salt, while its oasis produced sweet and nutritious dates 
• gold above all else 
• major international trade route that fostered new relationships among distant people 
• new and larger political structures

3 Theories

Is the evidence for these three theories convincing?

Why is it so important to be able to asses "evidence"? 

1. In life... 

• You base important life actions on what you believe to be true 
• The world is full of B.S. 

    2.  In History... 

• Winner writes history
• history motivates real political actions (policy) 

Old Theory: 

-Bering Land Bridge 

New Theories: 

Controversial: 

• Polynesian Migration 
• Kelp Highway 

Plausibility: 

• Old Theory is implausible on its own 
• Oldest remains are at the tip of South America 
• Path crosses multiple ecosystems/regions 
• No G.P.S/Map 

Clear Evidence: 

• Shelfish remains (middens)? 
• Cultural Symbols
• Wood Decomposes 
• Sea levels risen 
• (Polynesian) crops/foods: sweet potato, chicken, other plants from Polynesia to the Americas