Extra Blog Post

The Mongols

I really enjoyed learning about the Mongols. They weren't known as a "civilized" group but they were known as the "alternative civilization" who were the catalyst for change in other major established civilizations. They enhanced trade, ruled empires after empires although they had to forced them out and changed them. After each of their reign, these established civilizations, such as China and Russia, reunited and kicked them out. Although the Mongols did not construct elaborate cities, enduring empires, a written language, or monumental works of art or literature but they left an incredible mark on the historical development of the Afro-Eurasian hemisphere. For pastoral nomads like them, living was easy and fighting was a piece of cake. The fact that they their house were moveable and every time enemies would attack, they couldn't find them because they could pick up and leave. Their strategy of ruling empire wasn't the best but they influenced civilizations after civilizations.

Blog Post #10

The Worlds of the Fifteenth Century

What's interesting is how people of the fifteenth century interacted with each other. According to Strayer, they all lived in different and self-contained communities. However, they were somewhat connected through overlapping webs of influence, communication and trading. One of the main webs of influence is the webs of empires that were brought together different people and their cultures. For example, Christians and Muslims encountered each other in the Ottoman Empire just as Hindus and Muslims in the Mughal Empire. Religion was one of the webs that connected them as well. Christianity provided a religion for people from England to Russia, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy bear hardships but was shattered by Christians of the Latin West. Buddhism remained the link among China, Korea, Japan and parts of Southeast Asia, although it vanished from South Asian homeland. Moreover, are the established patterns of trading roads. It occupied people of different environments of different parts of the world producing different goods of people in the fifteenth century. This is why the silk, sea and sand roads were very important at the time. I'm also surprised to see my homeland (Samoa) was part of the trade that happened during the time. As Strayer said, they connected and exchanged of mats and canoes with other Pacific islanders.

Blog Post #9

The Worlds of Islam

Islam is the new monotheistic that pushed Christianity out of Asia and Africa. The Islam religion believed in the prophet of Muhammad. It was believed that he was called by God to deliver his message. He married an older women named Khadija and had six children. Muhammad taught Muslims the word of the Quran. From my perspective, the Quran is like Christianity's Holy Bible. It was Muslims way of life and rule book. Speaking of the Quran, Christianity and Islam had similarity beliefs. Both believed that their is no one but God or Allah who is the creator of the world. Moreover, similar to Christianity's ten commandments is Islam's five pillars. The five pillars included their declaration of faith, obligatory prayer, compulsory giving, fasting in the month of Ramadan and the pilgrimage in Mecca. Mecca is known as the holiest city of the Islamic faith just as Jerusalem is the holiest city of Christianity. Islam is known as a model for Islamic in the present whereas fundamentalists view it as achievements of science for more open engagement with the West and the modern world. The history of Islam contributed to the proud and prosperous cosmopolitan civilizations that spread throughout the world. It reveals to us a world of great diversity and debate to this day forward considering what's going on.

Blog Post #8

The Worlds of Christendom

Christendom is the worldwide body or society of Christians. As a religion, Christianity went through contractions and eventually expanded. It diminished in Asia and Africa but expanded in Western Europe and Russia. The cause of Christianity contractions in Asia and Africa is Islam. Islam was another monotheistic religion just like Christianity and it started in the Middle East. It spread across the Afro-Eurasian world, creating a powerful empire and the emergence of a cosmopolitan Islamic civilization. This left Europe as the principal center of the Christian faith. The expansion of Christian, by default, centered in Europe and Anatolia. After the Mediterranean frontier between the Islamic and Christians world's stabilized, the Muslim invasion into Christendom finally lifted. Within this space of time, the Byzantine Empire and Western Europe took place. The Byzantine empire built Christendom on the Roman past civilizations and continued. I learned that civilizations have contractions and expansions that sometimes made it possible for certain civilizations to remain standing. Although some civilizations may disappeared but there's a chance that another civilization can built on what they left behind and the world of the Christendom civilization showed proof of that.

Blog Post #7

An Age of Accelerating Connections

The Age of Accelerating Connections define a millennium and the third-wave civilizations. This is the starting of something new, the enhanced development of something old and the continuation of blended well established pattern in the world history. The largest new third-wave civilizations was Islam. It began in Arabia during the 7th century c.e. The Arab people started building their empires and later offered a religion. It then became known to other civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India and more. It was also known as an unique cosmopolitan civilization that came close to uniting all mankind under its standard. Other old civilizations were reconstructed during the third-wave civilization. This included the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantine Empire continued to embrace the eastern half of the old Roman Empire, also the patterns of Mediterranean Christian civilization until it was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. More variations of establishing, continuing and renewing of older traditions in the Western Hemisphere and Western Europe.

Another important development is the establishing of trade routes and roads. The three main roads were known as silk, sea and sand roads. The silk road relay trading in China across to Eurasia. It was use by traders to trade culture and spread disease as well as goods. The sea road relay trading across the Indian ocean. It was cheaper than the silk roads and boats could carry trading more than camels spreading the Indian culture as well as goods. Last but not the least is the sand road. It was use to trade through the Sahara and the Mediterranean world using camels. It traded ivory, slaves and gold as well as other goods. The significant of these trading roads was to make trading possible and easy.

Blog Post #6

Africa 

Africa's population during the Agricultural Revolution was 11 percent compared to Eurasia, 80 percent and America between 5 and 7 percent. Africa, geographically, was placed adjacent to Eurasia which meant that some of its parts interacted with Eurasian civilization. One that made all three supercontinents the same was their lack of animal domestication. However, one thing that differentiate Africa from Eurasia is it's distinctive environmental feature: bisected by the equator, it was the most tropical of them all.

One of the most interesting civilization in Africa is Meroe. A little bit of background of how Meroe came about is when Egypt fell under the Nubian civilization which later on was the center of the city of Meroe. It was governed by a monarch, under at least 10 women with a male co-ruling. Although, there isn't enough evidence to prove it, but I can say that it wasn't all patriarchal. Although it was known for its riches as well, Meroe seemed to steered clear of warfare, except the first time they fought Egypt. It's interesting compared to the twenty first century we now live in. Countries with riches tends to want more and that's why we have war. More or less. Moreover, Meroe came to an end. It declined due to deforestation. Population grew and they began chopping and chopping trees until there was none. It shows, as discussed in class as well, the lack of understanding the importance of natural resources and that it needs to be saved. This can be one of the things that the twenty first century needs to learn from. 

Blog Post #5

Chapter 3: State and Empire in Eurasia/North Africa

The collision between the Greek cities and Persia started when a  group called "Ionians" revolted against the Persians. Persia at the moment was known as the world's largest empire. The Ionians were a number of Greek settlements who were under the Persian ruling as it's empire extended its domination to the west. The Ionians demurred the Persians domination, so with the support of the Athens, they act upon their dissatisfactions. Outraged with the riot, Persians launched "major military expeditions" to generally punish the Greeks and particularly the Athens for supporting the riot. Despite the Persians lost, its empire was still the largest empire in the world.

The Greeks, however had an ardent impact from the war especially the Athens, who assisted in winning the battle. The Athens gained so much pride when they defeated the Persians. From the Greeks perspective, their victory against the Persians made their men have the courage to fight for what they valued so much, for freedom. Moreover, their victory also radicalized Athenian democracy and was the Golden Age of Greek culture. During this period, the temple of Athena was built, theater was born from the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Whereas, Socrates just began his career as a philosopher and an "irritant in Athens." Furthermore, the Persians only grew to be cruel than they were before. The Persians represented Asia and despotism and created an imperialism of its own. This lead to many more complications that followed.

Both the Greeks and the Persians encounter consequences and complications after the war. The Greeks victory led to motivation for it's men to fight for freedom and for what they believed in. The Persians had more reasons to be aggressive and continued to be cruel. There was another war later on but that led to the defeat of the Athens and the Greeks exhausting themselves. In later years, the Greeks glory days ended but the spread of its culture just started.

Blog Post #4

Document 2.1: In Search of Eternal Life 

How does the Epic of Gilgamesh portray the gods and their relationship to humankind?

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods relationships to the humankind can be described as two humans in a relationship but more as servants. They want humans to make sacrifices to them, glorify and respect them, and to live a righteous life free of sins, like good christians people but to many gods.The only differences is that, gods have the powers to stipulate the humans, like a puppet show. The gods controls the humans by intervening in their life and daily activities. With such dictatorship, they can be so inconsiderate and harsh to the humans. Also, the gods bear humanlike qualities like love, jealousy and tolerance. So, if the people disobeyed or annoyed them in any way, they would punish the entire humanity with natural disasters and fatal diseases. As we see how Enkidu dies after disparaging a god. Humans, in return of their prayers and offerings, are supposed to get good fortune, favourable climate for agriculture, safety and the good things in life. However, sometimes the humans don't get what they prayed for. It can be a blessing or a punishment.

So to surmise, the humans and the gods relationship is a give and take relationship, where humans prays for something and in return of granting their wish, they have to do something for the gods. However, the humans have no power of controlling such demands because the gods are superior and have such great powers that could either punished or blessed them.

Blog Post #3

Chapter 2: First Civilizations

THEN vs. NOW 

As discussed and performed in class, the Epic of Gilgamesh, perspectively the Mesopotamian authors believed that people were civilized by being sexual intercourse, eats bread and drinks water, groomed and does what civilized humans does, just like Enkidu. Enkidu was born in the wilderness, he ate with the animals, slept with them and even acted like one. He was uncivilized then, until he slept with the harlot Shamhat that he became aware of his surroundings. Furthermore, because of Shamhat, Enkidu understanding broaden. He groomed, ate what civilized people ate and developed feelings so strong that he challenged Gilgamesh. He became civilized.

Civilization is very important. It is a stage of human social development and organization that is considered most advanced. At some point, humans gained knowledge and began to invent useful tools to their advantages. Today, humans have evolved so much to the point where almost everything is done by machines and robots. Contrary to the past, people were gatherer-hunters who gathered and hunt to survive. Everything was done by hand and with whatever resources, naturally, available to them. Today, humans are doing more than just surviving. However, without the past, people wouldn't understand how hard living and surviving was for people in the past. So thanks to the people of the past, people today don't go through a hard time coping and wondering what's going on in the world.

Blog Post #2

Neolithic "Agriculture Revolution": What Paleolithic Might Have Been Like? 

"Nisa the !Kung Woman"

Nisa is not a Paleolithic woman but her experiences are similar to that of the Paleolithic people. Although, Nisas experiences don't accurately say what Paleolithic people may have been like in the past but it hinted what they did similarly.

Like the Paleolithic people, Nisa's people were called gatherer-hunters. They hunt and gathered their food for survival. The labour work was divided equally by gender where males would hunt meat and females would gather berries and beans. However, Nisa's people were sometimes stingy with their meat which I think distinguished them from the Paleolithic people. Paleolithic people were not stingy people because they had to work together to survive.

When it comes to marriage, Paleolithic and Nisa had similarities. Polygamy was permitted but most women were stingy with their man and didn't want to share. Like Paleolithic women, Nisa wanted a monogamous marriage and weren't fond of the idea of sharing her husband. Although, Nisa and her husband both had affairs. I can say that the way both Nisa and the Paleolithic lived depends on the individual's decisions. Monogamous was an option for women in the Paleolithic era and to Nisa as well. Some stayed with one husband and others stick to multiple lovers. 

Modern is a reflection of history and that is the situation with Nisa's experiences to the people in the Paleolithic era. It could only say so much about what or what not happened. Nisa's experiences is not the same as other women in her community but it hinted how Paleolithic people live, or at least according to Strayer and other scholars. 

Blog Post #1

Paleolithic: First Peoples "Out of Africa and The Ways We Were"

The Homo Sapiens first emerged during the Paleolithic era. They weren't the first of the nomadic pioneers but they were certainly a step towards the civilization world. Although time and climate eradicate most of the records of their early life story, scholars happened to evidently pinpoint Africa as their early settling place. Not particularly settling, but a starting place of their journey. It is to believed that it is in Africa that "human culture" started for the homo sapiens. It is where they learned and invented ways of living.

The Homo Sapiens earliest invented tools includes spears, hand axes and blades made froms stones, woods or bones. Other objects such as body ornaments, beads and segments(ochre) were also put to use. The aforementioned tools or objects were used to hunt and gathered foods. As discussed in class, 70% of the food they get from hunting and the other 30% from gathering. As also discussed in class, the Homo Sapiens didn't just traveled to random places. However, they moved in a pattern that is determined by the seasons of food sources that they're hunting and gathering. Then, sometime between 100,000 and 60,000 years ago, was when the Homo Sapiens moved out of Africa and migrated to various parts of the world including Eurasia, Australia, America and lastly into the Pacific.

As the Paleolithic people continued their journey, they finally realized of the food sources that are available to them to their advantages. So instead of migrating accordingly to the seasons for the search of food to eat, they started settling down and make use of the lands. They built separate and different societies, each with their own language, culture, rituals, identity, stories, it's own history and more advanced tools as used by the ancient people before them. Like other human cultures, Paleolithic societies had rules and structures. This is when males became hunters and female were gatherers, rules about the equal distribution of food and animal killing as well as the rules about  incest, adultery and governed sexual behaviour.

It is interesting how the Homo Sapiens evolved in years. As they traveled, changes were made, societies were developed as the populations increased, climate changes and different groups began to interact with one another. More advanced tools were created and living was a little bit easier as it was before. Although it took the Paleolithic era years and years to notice the unoccupied lands and start making a living, they certainly made an impact on the next era. They came from nothing to something big that started developed societies and everything that followed. There was no transportation or advanced technologies for them to utilized to travel and what not but they made a big change.

Artwork of the gathering and hunting Paleolithic people. 

Happy Labor Day Everybody !