Reflection 6

These chapters were definitely informative. Strayer talked about how major empires expanded and the start of the Modern era.  It was interesting to find out how the Europeans carved out huge empires an ocean away from their home land by the maritime expansion.   Columbus’ accidental discovery of America was significant because of the Europeans’ technology which made a tremendous difference for the country. According to Strayer; the distance made it easier for  the European Empire to sail to America where as other major empire of the world did not, such as; China. On other hand, the American Indian was already here but they were not civilized nor technologically advance until the conquest of the Europeans. I understand more why there are so little Native American Indians after reading the chapter; it was the diseases the Europeans brought who already have strong immunity where the natives’ were lacking. For that reason and starvation it wiped out 90 percent of the Native American Indian population. Europeans were taking control of America, due to the sharply diminished population they had labor shortage for cultivation and animal husbandry which led to slave trade and other items from African.  While Europeans were controlling America, Strayer stated that China was building their empire in the modern era by mastering the language, Confucian teaching, using Chinese bureaucratic techniques to govern the empire; and so did other major empires were solidifying.

It was impressive to see that trades were expanded globally and strengthened the world’s economy in the early modern era.  Agriculture, spices, gold and silver were of course the main goods for trade as well as the Atlantic slave trade-a major process of this time. Porcelain was one of the goods in the trades through China. I found that I keep learning new thing as I read through the chapters; all these year that I have been in the United States I have been wondering why porcelain dishes were called “china” in the back of my head, but I was not curious enough to search for the answer. I felt satisfied to finding out my long question that is finally answered.

Globalization of religion was long chapter to read how Christianity became globalized pretty all across the European countries, Spain, The Philippines and some part of Asia. I was surprised to find that Indonesia has a big Islamic population I thought the vast majority of them were Buddhist interestingly it is the other way around. Christianity is such a wide spread religion to my understanding the religion is spread through doctrines and practices; preaching plays a significant role in spreading the religion; where as in comparing to Buddhism there is no preaching involved. In my understanding, it does not matter what one’s religion is all religion teaches people to be benevolent to have a good heart. All religion helps people mentally aware of what’s good and what’s not. It guides people to have good behaviors and to influence other in the society to do good deed for their communities they reside in.

Blog #5

Interview experience

The event of my research is on  China’s Culture revolution.   Before the interview, I read a journal online tried to have some more understanding about the event (I have always heard from older generation Chinese saying how difficult times were during culture revolution, but I have very little understanding about it).  I also use some academic journals through UDUN library. By interviewing the person face-to –face, I can find out how they feel about the event and their reactions. The person I interviewed was a fifty year old male. The recording method I used was by taking notes and recording. One of the challenges I encountered was that I don't know much about the event that they had gone through, I found myself stuck and not understanding certain things they were saying. I didn't know who the people were behind the event, and translating it into English from Chinese was challenging. I feel that while this might be a good situation to do my research on, it might also be challenging for me.

Reflection 4

Muslim is one of the many religions that I have little understanding of, which had spread and continued in the modern era at about 22 percent of the world’s population. I was really impressed that the rise of Islam religion was so quickly spread to 1.2 billion of the world’s population. In early history, how nomads, people in general believed in god to overcome difficult times.  In the making of an Arab Empire, they were able to construct such a huge empire so quickly by “continuing a long pattern of tribal raids into surrounding civilization” and were able to organized their own mobilize military. The wide spread of conversion to Islam was amazing, the government offer different incentives for claiming Muslim identity; such as slaves and prisoners, traders who were Muslim did not have to pay taxes in their country.  Muslim practiced the religion very seriously they memorized words and recite in groups, they so into their religion that they gave up everything for it. Muslim religion ruled many countries and other religions during the classical era. For example it rules Christianity in Spain until after 1200.

One of the significance of world history was the Mongol Empire; they gave rise to large land-base empires from Asia to Eastern Europe. “What contributed to his growing power was shifting alliances and betrayals, a mounting string of military victories, the indecisiveness of his enemies, a reputation as a leader generous to friends and ruthless to enemies, and the incorporation of warriors from effected tribes into his own force.”  According to Strayer;  He built a strong empire that contain China, Korea, Central Asia, Russia, most of the Islamic Middle East, and part of Eastern Europe very quickly. His armies were better organized, better led, and more disciplined than their opponents.  While ruling China the Mongol put the Chinese to work to improve infrastructures, water systems, agriculture etc. the Mongols did not become Chinese, they did not allow intermarriage, ignored their examination system, discriminated against the Chinese, did not learn the Chinese language and prohibited the Chinese from learning their script. On the other hand, after conquering Persia, they totally adopted to their culture. The Mongols converted to Muslim, learned the Persian language, and allowed intermarriages.  Unfortunately, after thirty years of services they collapse and disappeared instead of driven out by Persian. Moreover, Russian found it beneficial to adopt Mongol empires government systems by paying the required tributes to the Mongol and be left alone. Hence the Russians learned a lot from the Mongols how to better organize and govern their country.

It was astonishing to find out how the spread of that plague wiped out more than 50 percent of the world’s population and they thought the world was coming to an end. The Mongol empire had lost it with the century; from there they lost control of all the countries that they had once ruled and the “entire Afro-Eurasian world economy was affected and largely closed.”

I was not surprised to find out how Chinese were rebuilt in my understanding Chinese had strong army and emperors.  It was very informative of this text to inform the students that China was once ruled by another empire and rebuilt during the Ming dynasty. I was glad that the Chinese reestablish the civil service examination system and beyond after the chaos of the Mongol empire.

Reflection 3

China is one of the oldest countries in the entire world besides its many discoveries Silk is the most well known of its origin. What an amazing discovery! Who would have thought or researched to turn the worm’s spit or poop into fabric. The Chinese totally deserved the well known empowerment. I have heard that the Chinese kept the silk making secret to themselves for more than two thousand years. According to Strayer; silk became a symbol of high status and it was a highly desired commodity across Eurasia; In Central Asia, silk was used as currency and as a mean of accumulating wealth. For that reason silk became to the most precious item in the trade route across the globe. Some say that it was offensive to the husband when his wife wears revealing silk dress outside. During this postclassical era silk clothing was restricted to member of the elite by law, and later it was associated with religions of Buddhism and Christianity as mentioned by Strayer. As the globe was concentrating on silk (for their high status symbol) and other goods trading they also got devastating disease which dramatically decreased the population. This answers my long wondering question; why immigrants had to prove that they are medically healthy and free of diseases before immigrating to the United States.

“The foundation of renewed unity, the ‘Golden age’ was when standards were set for the excellence of poetry, landscape painting, and ceramic.” I think China was advance at the time; however, the discrimination of women had slowed down the country. As mention on my previous blog what on earth made men think that women could not do what they could? Confucius supposedly a pioneer Chinese thinker, but to put women down as they are good for nothing was not as smart of him.  What a torture to women to have to go through a food binding pretty much a handicap state for the rest of her life! As of the Chinese tribute system sounded to me as bribery, a tribute like goods does not benefit the people it only stays within the emperor. That “tribute system” I call it bribery is still widely practiced today in China. Their government system is very much corrupted by bribing.

It’s interesting how religion exploded with civilization and to see how each religion cannot tolerate one another. How Confucius and Daoist thinkers were offensive of the foreigner Buddha, criticized Buddhism and later the criticism became more sharply focused that imperial commanded monks and nuns to return to normal life. And I feel sorry for all the Buddhist monasteries, Shrines and temples got destroyed.

I was not aware that the Roman was once collapsed. I have never taken World history before, however, I have heard about the decreased of population due to disease and warfare.  I think when an Empire collapse the people would not care about their public properties, roads and other places. To those who might have been  governed strictly once before they might think that it was an exhale to be finally free of government until they miss it.