Unit 1_ Global Tapestry (1200-1450) PDF

1.1 Developments in East Asia Song Dynasty (1200) → successful dynasties for 3,000 years - Two major cities: Hangzhou, Guangzhou (stationed near rivers that lead to South China Sea) - Political System - Mandate of Heaven – secured power (heaven grants emperor the right to...

1.1 Developments in East Asia Song Dynasty (1200) → successful dynasties for 3,000 years - Two major cities: Hangzhou, Guangzhou (stationed near rivers that lead to South China Sea) - Political System - Mandate of Heaven – secured power (heaven grants emperor the right to rule →mistreats the people, the right to the rule can be withdrawn – no dynasty has permanent right to rule; often used to justify rebellions) “You have the right to rule until you screw up, then a new dynasty gets to rule” - Bureaucracy and Civil Service Exam - Emperor rules with help from scholar-gentry bureaucracy (Purpose: safer with civilians than military who can rise up) - Must pass civil service exam (Anyone can take, social mobility for lower classes) → tested on Confucian principles and Chinese classics – usually only for young men from wealthy families that could afford education - Chinese Cultural Traditions (Could be all three, not just one) - Confucianism (Dominant) - Emerged during “Warring States” period as a way to bring peace/order - Focus on moral, correct behavior to create harmony - In relationships, unequal relationships superior and inferior (Superior treats inferior with benevolence and respect, inferior will obey) - everyone's got a role - Filial piety: respect for parents/elders/ancestors → family life becomes model for political obedience (kids respect fathers, will respect emperor/government) - Becomes official ideology of Chinese Government under Han Dynasty when they reunified China (200 BCE) - Daoism - Urged withdrawal into world of nature – the “Dao” = the way of nature, seek balance - Live simple life in small communities, disengage from public life  - Opposite of Confucianism, but complementary opposite (Yin and Yang) → many Chinese followed both - Buddhism - Traveled down the Silk Road to China - Zen/Chan Buddhism - syncretic blending of Buddhism and Daoism - Popularity of Buddhism leads to Neo-Confucianism during Song Dynasty (attempt to unify Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism) - More secular; emphasis on ethics and human nature - Economics - Increased food production /agricultural innovation - Champa rice: new rice from (Vietnam) is drought resistant and FAST ripening - Doubled China’s population from 60 million (Tang) to 120 million (Song) - Technological Innovation - Woodblock printing and Movable type - Stronger Iron and Steel to build bridges, agricultural equipment, military armor/supplies - Ship innovations - Chinese junk - Gunpowder, Compass for navigation, better boat technology (sternpost rudder for better steering) - Expanding trade networks - Grand Canal connected eastern cities, moves rice to north and silk/textiles south - Song Dynasty protects eastern end of Silk Road, linking trade across Eurasia - Artisans manufacture porcelain and silk, highly valued as export products - New financial instruments! (paper money, promissory notes, using credit/flying cash merchants deposit in one location and withdraw somewhere else) – commercialized economy - China Social Hierarchy - From Rural to Urban (Most of China’s history, most people lived in rural areas → urbanization created large trade cuties like Hangzhou)  - Class Structure (Emperor/Empress, Scholar-Gentry, Aristocracy, Peasant farmers/artisans, merchants (unproductive) - Role of Women (Confucianism: women subordinate to men) - Always controlled by men (father/husband/sons) - In Song Dynasty, gain basic rights to own/inherit property) - Associated with beauty/status, keep women meek – FOOT BINDING - MAINLY upper class (lower class women had to work) China and its Neighbors (Korea, Vietnam, and Japan) - Chinese believed themselves as the center/middle of civilization - All other nations would come to them as most advanced civilization, superior “The center of the world” - Will spread their culture via a sphere of influence (all other nations wanted to copy China) - Tributary System - Required foreigners who wanted to trade to acknowledge Chinese superiority - Pay financial tribute, provide gifts for the Emperor! - KowTow (bow) at his the emperor’s feet to show respect - China also paid tribute to powerful neighbors (allowed Chinese merchants to travel safely, bribe not to attack China) 1.2 Developments in Dar al-Islam Islamic Caliphate - Abrahamic religions - Judaism - Developed 4,000 years ago in Modern Day Israel and Palestine - Monotheistic, most religions were polytheistic - Numbers stayed small (not proselytizing religion) - Jewish diaspora – dispersion through Eurasia, often by invasion/deportation - Christianity - Emerged from teachings of Jesus, a Jew who sought to reform Judaism  - Taught that salvation required faith alone; Holy Book was the Bible - Roman Empire will execute Jesus in 33 CE, religion will spread after his death - Roman Empire persecuted Christians for three centuries until Emperor Constantine converts - Becomes official religion of Roman Empire (both Western and Eastern) - Islam - Developed in city of Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula in early 600s CE - Prophet Muhammad founds religion after receiving messages from God - Holy Book: The Quran — God’s words spoken directly to Muhammad - Muhammad and followers persecuted; forced to flee to Medina - 629 CE - Returns to Mecca, conquers city, imposes Islam - Launches campaign to conquer, control Arabia by his death 632 CE Islam continues to expand via conquest throughout Middle East - Status of Women - Arabia patriarchal but Arab women had rights (inherit property, divorce, engage in business - Impact of Islam on Women - Women were spiritually equal to men but socially inferior - Women’s testimony in court viewed as half a man’s - Quran outlawed female infanticide, dowries go directly to women - Quar and Islamic LAw recognize descent through male line - Social/sexual lives of women highly controlled by male guardians - Men can take up to 4 wives - Women can only have 1 husband - Veiling of women - Custom in Mesopotamia, Persia, and Middle East before Muhammd - Tradition of modesty - Islam will incorporate veiling into the faith - Dar-al Islam - The House of Islam - Islamic Empire that stretches from Spain to India - Connected via elaborate trade networks over land and sea - Diverse civilization - Many peoples: Arab, Persian, Turkic, etc. - Many religions: Muslim, Jews, Christians, etc. - Succession crisis - Muhammad’s death leads to division over new leader - Sunni: believe Muhammad wanted Muslims to elect a leader Abu Bakr (advisor) - Shia: believed Muhammad designated a successor - Ali (son-inlaw) - Ali’s assassination leads to civil war - Umayyad Caliphate - Wins civil war; continues Muslim conquests capturing Spain (al-Andalus) - Establishes their capital in Damascus - High centralized rule; replaced local leaders with Arab officials - Divers population, but non Muslims had to pay a tax - Favored Arabs with positions of wealth/authority - WIll be overthrown in 8th century by the Abbasids - Last Umayyad stronghold will be al-Andalus - Golden Age of Islam - Abbasid Caliphate (750 CE - 1258 CE) - Establish capital in the city of Baghdad (strategic, halfway between Europe and Asia) → center of learning! - Centralized government with bureaucracy of educated elites - Islamic Innovation - House of Wisdom - public academy dedicated to learning - Scholars from many faiths, ethnicities, languages, men and women - Translated words from Greek, Latin, Sanskrit into Arabic/Persian - Preserved the knowledge of Europe in its dark ages  - Used Chinese printing technology to spread knowledge - Scientific Advances of Dar al-Islam - Al-Tusi: planetary motion, trigonometry, biology chemistry - Ibn Sina: Persian physician, wrote the Canon of Medicine - Al-Khwarizimi: Persian mathematician Algebra - Al-Idrisi: advanced medieval world map - Culture - Art and Architecture - Domed architecture and courtyards, Floral and geometric art; Calligraphy - Islam Expands - Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) - Last bastion of Umayyad Caliphate; capital is Cordoba - Prosperous: produced ceramics, crystal, gold jewelry, painted tiles - Cross-cultural exchange with Christian Europe; will smark European Renaissance - Religious tolerance for “dhimmi” (people of the book) - Many Christans adopt Muslim practices - Christuan Reconquista (1492) will end tolerance, Jews/Muslims expelled - Turkic Muslims - Seljuk Empire: Turkloack nomadic tribes from Central Asia 1040 CE - 1157 CE - Will eventually found Ottoman Empire; conquer Anatolia and Byzantine Empire - Mamluk Sultanate: former Turkic slaves rise up and conquer Egypt - Will deal with the Mongol invasion in 1258 - Will conquer European Crusader Kingdoms in holy lands in 1032 - Delhi Sultanate (India) - Turkic invasions from central Asia spread Islam to Northern India - Muslims rule over predominantly Hindu population - 20% of India will convert; mostly low-caste Hindus, disillusioned Buddhists  - Some rulers required paying Jizya (non-muslim) tax; others made Hindus dhimmis 1.3 South/Southeast Asia - Political Traditions - South Asia (periods of political unity are few and far between due to size) - Mauryan Empire (322 BCE -187 BCE) Buddhism spreads in India - Gupta Empire: (320 CE- 550 CE) - Golden Age of India - Usually the north and south have separate political structures - North: Rajput Kingdoms (500 -1206); often fighting each other (conquered by Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526 CE) - South: Chola dynasty (850-1267 CE) - replaced by Vijayanagara Empire - Southeast Asia - Sea based Kingdoms - Srivijaya Empire (670-1025 CE) - Buddhist kingdom in Indonesia (very wealthy due to location on trade routes) - Majapahit Empire (1293-1527 CE) - Hindu/Buddhist empire - Malacca Sultanate (1400-1511) - Islamic Empire - Land based Kingdoms - Khmer (Angkor Empire) (802-1431 CE) - Hindu, then Buddhist - Gained power via control of irrigation/drainage system - Cultural Traditions - Hinduism - Polytheistic (all deities expression of Supreme deity “Brahman” (world soul) → spreads from India into Southeast Asia - Soul of person is reincarnated many times based on its karma - Eventually, a soul would spiritually advanced enough to join with Brahman - Society organized into sharply defined classes called castes - No social mobility, only way into higher caste is through reincarnation - Buddhism - Created by Siddartha Guatama, Hindu Prince - 530 CE  - Becomes “enlightened” when he understands cause of suffering/how to end it - ELIMINATE desire by following Eightfold Path, meditate, reflect, refrain from earthly pleasures to achieve nirvana, which ends cycle of reincarnation - Popular alternative to Hinduism, spreads through Asia (trade) and CHANGES! (Many variations!) → visible in depictions of Buddha throughout different cultures/regions - Theravada Buddhism: will spread through India and Southeast Asia - Buddha = wise teacher, but on your own to reach enlightenment - Requires monastic living, requires multiple reincarnations - More restricting, less open - Mahayana Buddhism - Buddha becomes more divine/god-like; many will pray to Buddha - Bodhisattvas (capable of reaching nirvana, but delay to help others) - No monastic life needed, nirvana may be achieved in one lifetime - Focus on compassion! - TEMPLES TO KNOW: Angkor Wat, Cambodia (Hindu but later Buddhist) and Borobudur, Indonesia (Buddhist Temple) - Social Traditions - Caste system = extremely rigid - Higher caste = higher status; occupation is determined by caste - Brahmins: priests/teachers - Kshatriya: government/military - Vaishya: merchants/farmers - Shudra; manual labor/peasants - Daalits: waste removal/scavenging - No social mobility between classes - Gender roles  - Hinduism recognizes female deities (considered embodiment of Shakti, universal mother → seen as both benevolent and malevolent - Gender inequalities in hindu practice - Valued by how many children they have, only purpose - Women confined to separate sphere; segregated in household (dependent on male members of the family) - Role of wife/mother valued; lose social status if no children - No divorce, remarriage, no property rights (widowed women could not remarry) - Cultural Traditions (continued) - Islam - Brought by Turkic invasions into India and Sufi missionaries - Sufis: More spiritual/mystical; look inside oneself to find God - Shun materialism; often ignore Sharia Law, accommodate local beliefs - Popular with low-caste Hindus and disillusioned Buddhists - Only 20% of India’s population will convert to Islam (mostly north) - Interactions with Dar-al-Islam - Indian developments in math will be added to by House of Wisdom - Blending of Hindu art with geometric patterns of Islamic architecture - Urdu: new language of Muslims in South Asia (mix of Hindu, Arabic, Persian) - Will spread into SE Asia just like Hinduism and Buddhism - Bhakti Movement - New form of Hinduism; reaction against Buddhism and Islam in India - More mystical focus on inner reflection; less emphasis on strict rules/rituals - Did not like Brahmin high-caste control of religion/ceremonies (believed all castes were equal; did not discriminate against women - Focused on relationship with one Hindu deity; used poetry to express devotion  - Resurgence of Bhakti Hinduism will end Buddhism in India 1.4 Developments in the Americas Political Traditions in North America - Mississippian (700 CE - 1450 CE) - Massive trading empire (capital city of Cahokia = Largest city north of Mexico pre-Columbus - Walled city (protection) large enough that they have enemies and must defend themselves - Known as mound builders! Built 120 mounds (important people lived at the top!) – practiced human sacrifice - HUGE trade network (artifacts found and can be traced!) - Very sophisticated – astronomy! Created astronomical observatory “Woodhenge” – tracked the solstice, equinox, etc. - Matrilineal society: descent traced through women! - Southwest Civilizations (located in arid DESERTS of Southwestern United States; required innovations! - Navajo: Irrigation system with water to create agriculture! - Mesa Verde: built into sides of cliffs with bricks of sandstone! - Iroquois Confederacy - Alliance of 5 tribes located in northeastern United States (joined together to create massive empire) → Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca - Matrilineal society! (Women in charge of villages; men responsible for hunting/warfare!) Political Traditions of MesoAmericans → Came much before our time period, but the Aztecs took many cultural traditions and other aspects from these civilizations - Mayan (250 BCE - 900 CE) - Conquered land on Yucatan peninsula - Mostly a system of city-states, each run by their own ruler! (no empires, kings) → TRADE with each other when not at war (one reason they disappeared! Constantly fighting with each other, weakened) - INNOVATION! - Concept of zero, complex writing system  - Accurate calendar based on astronomical observations!! Build massive pyramids for astronomy! (ex. Chichen Itza) - Polytheistic, but most important were gods of Sun, Rain, Corn → performed human sacrifice often for religious ceremonies - Teotihuacan (100 CE - 750 CE) - ONE MASSIVE city that will influence much of MesoAmerica! - Large temple complex on the Avenue of the Dead; 3rd largest pyramid - Aztecs will consider a significant religious and cultural place (Wow these people were totally smart/intelligent! - Kinda disappeared – sudden collapse and we don’t really have solid evidence for why – possible conquest by Toltecs or revolution by lower classes? - Toltec (900 CE – 1168 CE) - Military based culture that conquered the Valley of Mexico - Will be the “mother culture” of MesoAmerica - Aztecs will revere the Toltecs; will adopt many cultural practices - Founded the Cult of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent - Built large stone temples to their gods; admired for masonry craftsmanship - Practiced human sacrifice as part of religious ceremonies – polytheistic Mexica and Aztec Empire - Mexica seeking new homeland - Forced to migrate due to drought; food becomes scarce, competition for resources → lost and kicked out, moved south - Told by Huitzilophochtili to settle where eagle, perched on cactus, eating snake - 1325: settle on island with 5 connecting lakes - Tenochtitlan → LIKED this island!! - Protected on all sides by water; can only access by boat or causeway, easy to defend - Build causeways! (kinda like a bridge) Made it easy to leave the island AND to defend! - Lake provided food! (fish, frogs, waterfowl)  - Dredged lake for mode to build floating gardens called chinampas! - Aztec Triple Alliance - 15 century: alliance between Mexica / Texcoc / Tlacopan - Begin to CONQUER civilizations to expand the empire! (highly militarized) - Demanded tribute in the form conquered peoples (ie. food, blankets, jewelry, pottery, weapons) - No Bureaucracy or centralized government; left local governments unchanged! (If you pay tribute, we’ll leave you alone) - No standing army; put together military forces as needed Social/Cultural Traditions - Social Structure - Emperor: semi divine, elected! (no hereditary) - Priests: considerable influence on rulers (included women!) - Warriors/Nobles: elite warriors on council that selected rules - Artisans/Merchants: higher status because they created for the elite - Farmers: cultivated the chinampas; had to pay tribute with crops - Slaves: captives from military conquest; families might sell members into slavery - Polytheistic/Animist religion - Absorbed religious beliefs of Teotihuacan and Toltecs - Human sacrifice - blood sacrifice needed to sustain sun/earth - Gender roles in MesoAmerica - GENDER PARALLELISM - men/women worked in different but equivalent spheres - Allowed to become priestesses, merchants, midwifes - As warrior culture developed, women did lose some status - Children belonged equally to mothers and fathers Political Traditions of South America - Andes = barrier – geography matters, changes how people live their lives/innovations! → Incas don’t cross Andes, empire is very long and skinny - Chimu Empire (900 CE 1470 CE) - Dominated lowlands; agricultural economy with extensive irrigation networks - Lupaca Empire (1150 CE - 1463 CE) - Dominated the highlands; terraced fields built with stone retaining walls  - Inca will copy this form of agriculture! - Inca Empire - Migrated to Andean highlands around Lake Titicaca - mid 1200s (outsiders) - Lived peacefully with neighbors at first - Emperor Pachacuti begins campaign of military expansion - 1438 - By 1500s - Inca Empire stretched 2500 miles along Andes - Long/skinny because Andes prevent eastward expansion - Split empire into 5 provinces; each with own governor and bureaucracy - Took hostages from ruling classes; forced to culturally assimilate - Forced to learn Quechua and Inca culture - Inca demanded tribute in the form of labor! - Mit’a system - Mandatory public service from conquered peoples - Used for agriculture, military, construction of Carpa Nan road network - Roads will hold Inca empire together despite its size Social/Cultural Traditions - Social Structure - Emperor = descendent of the Sun God; owned all land/property - Aristocrats/Priests; influential and highly educated - Commonors: most people in the empire (including conquered peoples) - Paid taxes through the mita system - compulsory labor service - Polytheistic/Animist religion - Most important is Sun God, Inti - Ancestor veneration - former emperors mummified; continued to rule/own property - Each new emperor had to conquer to gain new land/property to rule - Animal and Human sacrifice common - Capacocha - sacrificing children - considered to be the purest - Gender roles in South America - Gender parallelism - men/women worked together, but in different spheres - Complimentary, but interdependent - Women gained status because of weaving (an item used for tribute) - Parrell religious cults - Men worship the sun; women worship the moon - Female priestess preside over female temples 1.5 Developments in Africa North Africa - The Maghreb (originally conquered/part of Dar al-Islam, the Islamic Caliphates) - Conquered by nomadic Berber tribes (non-Arabs from Northern Africa) - Ruled by successive Berber dynasties (almoravid and Almohad) – Under Islam! - Sufi Islam: focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism, and asceticism (not about following the rules, personal relationship/connection with Allah) - Trans-Saharan Trade: connects with West Africa → North Africa → Mediterranean - MANY trade relationships due to geography - Kingdom of Axum (Ethiopia) - Founded in 1st century CE - Trade center connecting Europe, Africa, and Middle East (GREAT geographic location, connected to Mediterranean!) - Christianity will spread from Roman Empire into Egypt and south - Island of Christianity in Islamic Africa - Powerful for a bit, but declines in power with the spread of Dar al-Islam - Will become Abyssinian Empire (12th - 16th centuries; remains Christian) East Africa - The Zanj / Swahili City States (located on East Africa, right on the coast) - Network of independent city states → each city rules by powerful merchant families - Grew due to trade along the Indian Ocean → VERY WELL connected – South Asia, Dar al-Islam (leads to wealth) - Collected goods from interior Africa; gold, ivory, iron, slaves - Cities are melting pots of African, Arab, Persian, Indians - Swahili language: unique mix of Bantu and Arabic (unique!) - Islamization - voluntary conversion to Islam; links are to Dar al-Islam - Great Zimbabwe - Inland kingdom in East Africa founded by Bantu peoples - Bantu agriculturists migrated out of central Africa  - Absorbed new peoples as they migrated south (not conquering, lots of innovation, people voluntarily joined! → unifying linguistic base across much of Africa - Superior farming techniques and iron-metallurgy technology - Traded with Swahili states city-states; linked to Dar al- Islam, India, SE Asia – MAJOR African trade network (part of larger Indian Ocean trade routes) → discovered artifacts/materials from many different regions - Innovation/Engineering skills - MASSIVE walled city (30 ft tall and 15 feet thick) built without mortar! - Europeans wouldn’t believe it was built by African civilization - Religion: Shona religion (blend of monotheism and ancestor veneration – some aspects of Confucianism, kinda similar) West Africa - Hausu Kingdoms - Seven independent city-states; no central authority - Each city state had a speciality (textiles, leatherworking, gold, salt) - Lacked access to sea; traded across Sahara with North Africa - Islamization - monarchs/elites convert voluntarily but rural areas retain traditional faiths - Benin Kingdom - Experts with working in brass, wood ivory; known for bas-relief sculptures - On the coast, lots of trade → will be heavily involved in the West African slave trade - Polytheistic religion; believe the Oba (ruler) is a descendant of the creator god - Mali - Founding ruler, Sundiata used Islam to develop trade with North African/Arab merchants - Muslim merchants began to intermarry with the local African aristocracy - Believed in a mixture of Islam and indigenous African religion (syncretism) - Mansa Musa develops Mali into a hub for the Islamic faith - Pilgrimage to Mecca; Islamic university Timbuktu (center of learning); Great Mosque to Djenne (evidence of religions  spreading outside of where they were born, Muslim mosque in Africa) → puts Mali on the map due to wealth! - Songhai - Founding ruler, Sunni Ali, will conquer the Mali Empire - Creates a centralized government with large bureaucracy - Mansa Askiam Muhammad fully converts to Islam (complete the Hajj) - Replaces government administrators with Arab Muslims; imposes Sharia Law - Actively promotes Islamic learning with universities in cities - Rural communities remained loyal to tradition animist beliefs Central Africa - Kongo Kingdom - Dominated by Bantu-speaking peoples - Highly centralized and rules by a single monarch (nkani) with a council of 12 advisers - Specialized groups of craftworkers such as weavers, potters, metalworkers - Regional trade of copper, ivory, and slaves along the Congo river - Kingdom’s wealth boosted by the arrival of Portuguese traders in 15th century - Kongo kings converted to Christianity due to contact with Europeans - Association with wealthy European traders enhanced the prestige of the king - Rural communities kinda continued to do their own things Gender Roles in Africa - Gender roles were rigid (Islam was extremely patriarchal) - Men dominated the government officials and merchants - Women focused on agriculture and weaving; domestic chores; childcare - BUT African women have more freedom than in Dar al-Islam - Not required to wear a veil, dress scantier than in other Muslim societies - Ibn Battua will find this scandalous! - Freely mingle with men who are not family members - Griot/Griottes: bards or oral storytellers - Kept the oral histories; passed history from generation to generation  - Venerated and feared for their power of language - advised/helped kings through stories of ancestors - One way that women had empowerment in patriarchal societies 1.6 Developments in Europe Political Traditions in Europe - Roman Empire Conquered Much of Europe - One centralized government → one leader in one area, control all of the territory (first a Republic, later an Emperor) - Will grow too big to govern from one capital city → divided into Western and Eastern; each with its own Emperor → began to create major differences in religion, culture, ways of life - Western Europe - East falls to “barbarians” in 476 CE; start of the Middle Ages - Feudalism: decentralized political organization based on land for loyalty - King gave land (fiefs) to lords; lord (vassal) owed service to the King - Lords gave land to knights; knights fought for the Lord - Lords gave land/security to peasants; peasants farm land/provide - Later Middle Ages, some monarchs will grow more powerful/stronger - Tax the people to pay for military; no longer reliant on lords/knights – “If I have my own military, I don’t need to depend on these other people to protect me” - France, England, Holy Roman Empire dominate Western Europe - Eastern Europe - East continues as Byzantine Empire (heirs to Roman Empire) - Central government with organized bureaucracy in Constantinople - Origins of Russia: independent city-states from Scandinavia to Central Asia - Kievan-Rus: city state at center of trade network - Adopt Orthodox Christianity, close cultural ties with Byzantine Empire Religious Traditions Europe - Great Schism of Christianity - 1054 CE - Roman Catholic: led by the Pope, dominated in Western Europe (NOT a king, separate head of religion and state)  - Unifying force in politically decentralized region - Often the Church had more wealth/power than Kings - Anti-Semitism: Jews expelled from west, moved to Byzantium → prosecuted all other religions (tortured, expelled, killed) - Eastern Orthodox: dominated from Greece to Russia - Caesaropapism: Emperor is “caesar” and “pope” - Would choose a Patriarch to lead the church - Religious tolerance of Jews (and other religions, closer to Middle East) - Crusades - Holy Wars against Non-Christians - Byzantine Empire losing territory to Seljuk Turks; Asks help from Catholic Pope - 1st Crusade (1099 CE) conquered Jerusalem - Muslims reconquer 1187 CE - 4th Crusade (1204 CE) attacked Constantinople instead of Muslim lands - Makes the split in Christian churches permanent - Baltic Crusades (further north) → (1195 CE) forced conversion of pagan peoples (really just wanted their land) Cultural Traditions - Western Europe - The Church dominates all aspects of your life; reinforced the feudal structure - Only paths to salvation/heaven was through the church - Church was not to be questioned; had authority from God → controlled everything in Western Europe - Often were the only people who were literate in Latin (language of church) - Renaissance begins in 14th century - Revival on classic Greek/Roman art, culture, literature, civics - Knowledge preserved by Dar-al Islam - Humanism promotes a focus on individuals rather than God  - Printing Press (from China) will expand literacy and vernacular languages (languages people speak) → church loses power (cheaper to make books) - Will bring Europe out of the “Dark Ages” and on par with other civilizations → no more Feudalism - Eastern Europe - Christianity important in binding together diverse cultures into a single empire - Greeks, Armenians, Slavs, Georgians, and many other minorities - Jews and Muslims were permitted to freely practice their religion - Official language was Greek; students educated in Greek history, literature - Strong imperial government patronized Byzantine art - Hagia Sophia, Byzantine mosaics Social Traditions - Western Europe - Feudalism is a rigid social structure; inherited and could never change - King - ruled by divine right (chosen by God) - Lords - a vassal to the King - Knight - a vassal to the Lord - Bourgeoisie/Burghers: merchants, shopkeepers, craftsmen - Won’t emerge until end of Middle Ages - Black death gives peasants more power - Increased urbanization Gender Roles - Western Europe - Western European society was patriarchal - Code of Chivalry; viewed women as fragile; in need of protection - Women seen as intellectually inferior, impure (sin of Eve) - Women under male control (fathers / husbands / sons) - No right to divorce, no property rights - Women could join monastic communities (become nuns) - Alternative to marriage and male control; education, leadership - Eastern Europe – more freedom of opportunity - Aristocratic women were expected to manage the home and care for the children  - Able to own property; could inherit equally with their brothers - If a husband died, his wife became the official guardian of the children - Could not hold public office or participate in political sphere - Lower class women worked in agriculture and various industries (textiles) - Women could own their own land and businesses - Some improved their social position through marriage - Women could join monastic communities (become nuns) - Attracted women who had become widows or lacked means to live independently