Reilly Paterson Blog

The Worlds of Christendom: In Chapter 10 it talks about Christianity becoming a popular European Faith. After Muhammed's death only few Christian groups remained. When Muslim forces took over Jerusalem and constructed the shrine known as the Dome of Rock it became a sacred location. The stone meant different things to the Jews and Christians. The jews believed that it meant Abraham offered his son as a sacrifice to God. To Christians it was a place that Jesus had visited and learned with teachers. In Africa Christianity had become the majority religion. It took it's shape during the fifth and sixth centuries. Many commoners became Christian. The Byzantine Empire took over the Western Roman Empire. It was viewed as a continuation of the Roman empire. The Roman Emperor began to favor Christianity and established a new capital in Byzantium. 

Islam: In Chapter 9 it discusses the Arabs and they recognized a variety of gods, ancestors, and nature spirits. Arabia as located in two rival civilization, the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanid Empire. The Arabs worshipped Allah and the three daughters of Allah. A very important person for the birth of new religion was Muhammed. He became a trader and traveled as far as north of Syria. Je had a powerful experience that made him believe he was Allah's messenger. In the Transformation of Arabia Muhammed took all kinds of authority. He developed tax free market places and mandatory payment to help the poor. He was creating a new society. When Muhammed died, Arab armies engaged the Byzantine and Persian Sassinid empires. The Arabs were now newly organized. 

Commerce and Culture: In Chapter 7 it talks about Eurasia's most sustained networks that helped develop trade routes. Not only did it develop trade routes, but also created unity between people from different civilizations. The Silk Roads flourished when big states wanted to engage in trade because they had enough money for merchants and new technology such as, yokes, saddles, and stirrups. Women became part of the main workforce during the silk industry and brought in much income for their households. Culture also developed during the Silk Roads, such as Buddhism. They brought their religions to the trans-Eurasian trade routes. Another main trade route was through the Sea Roads. It connected people all across the Eastern Hemisphere. Transportation costs were cheaper to go through the Sea Roads rather than the Silk Roads. The Sea Roads also had a development of culture and attracted Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic religions. 

Commonalities and Variations: Civilizations of Africa: Africa was the most tropical of the Worlds three supercontinents. Africa received much rainfall and also many dry seasons. These climate conditions caused serious health problems and many people started to carry diseases and parasites. Nubian civilization came to become Meroe. Meroe was governed by a monarch and had positions for many women. In the sculptures found women were looked like they held as much power as the men. The end of Meroe came from deforestation and the conquest of the rising state Axum. Axum relied much on agriculture and used a plow based farming system. Axum had many famous structures with some being over 100 feet tall. To the Romans Axum was the the third major empire.  Civilizations of Mesoamerica: Teotihaucan was a city that was thriving in Mesoamerica. It was the largest urban complex had a very large human population as well. It was known for its beautiful structures including, market plac...

Society and Inequality in Eurasia/North Africa: China had different types of classes, one was called the Landlord class. The Landlord class was wealthy people who were most likely officials. Landlords were able to avoid paying taxes which put a lot of burden on the Peasants. The Peasants were another class that took up most of China's population. They were required to pay all taxes and could not prepare for most famines, floods, and droughts. Another group in China were called Merchants. Merchants had a bad reputation in China because people saw them as greedy and materialistic. India's social classes were different however, because they developed a caste system. Most of the castes evolved because of the racially defined encounter with light-skinned aryan invaders. The Varnas caste was involved with Indian thinking and there were three classes were regarded to as Aryans. Slave systems varies in each place. In China it wasn't as big of the population as most places. Slave...

Chapter 4 (Culture & Religion)  China was searching for order because the Zhou Dynasty was weakening. There was much violence and breakout between the Chinese people. One way the Chinese people tried to fix these problems was by starting legalism. The legalist thinkers set up new rules and laws and tried to gain order in the societies. Confucius was someone who believed he could solve all of China's problems. He believed that if the "superior party in each of these relationships behaved sincerity, benevolence, and genuine concern for others, then the inferior party would be motivated to respond with deference and obedience"(152). He believed that human virtues could fix the problems china was facing. His thinking's became heavily known in China and many people listened to him. The Yin and Yang symbol was created and it expressed beliefs of the unity of opposites. Confucius may have had a large impact on this creation because of all his philosophies he developed...