The more we read through Strayer, the more disheartened I get. Are we doomed to repeat are previous mistakes? Our human nature seems to be fueled by our constant need for wealth and power, meanwhile we deplete our natural resources doing so. Empire building requires a great amount of natural and "Human resources". This is a common theme throughout history and we continue to do so today.

Building of empires required amassed wealth and unity of the people. This was achieved through commerce, exploration, religion and warfare. These empires struggled in many aspects to achieve this, some succeeding others not. The Mughal Empire, Emperor Akbar(1556-1605) attempted to unify his people through religion. He practiced tolerance, he allowed Hindu and Muslims to practice their faiths equally. Division among them became apparent and purists of either religion made their struggle for dominance. Unfortunately Akbar's attempts for religious peace failed. The Muslim religion regained hold and many Hindu temples were destroyed. Unifying territories huge or small is a difficult task. Each empire having his own challenges to meet. Russia with its vastness and nomadic people and Japan with its many feudal lords. Was an Empires success interdependent or independent? in some aspects or all?

During this era furs(soft gold), alcohol, slaves, spices and sugar were commodities of trade. Sugar, cotton and tobacco plantations were labor intensive, work done by slaves. Sugar plantations were the most precarious and many slaves died in the process. This purpose made slaves a high in demand.

The origin of the word "slave", originated from the Slavic people of the Black Sea Region. This was the original source for forced labor.
How Africans became prime source of Slave trade -
Ottoman Turks seized Constantinople and cut off the traffic of Slavic people
Native Americans perished easily to disease, introduced by the Europeans
Christians were exempt? and Europeans were expensive and temporary.
Africans were skilled farmers, immune to tropical and European diseases, non-Christians, great no#s and were available on the network of trade.

Slaves of North America vs South America
There were clear divisions and separations in North America. In South America there was more assimilation and mixing of cultures. Racial tensions existed but not to the extent of the North American counterparts. The comment made by Ibn Khaldun(p452), is so outlandish, it really amazed me to see it in print. This is definitely something that would not be tolerated today, we've come a long way since then.

Slave Trade - how it impacted African people? Their population growth was impaired because so many were taken from their homeland. Origins of people that were taken to displace from family and their villages (p453-455). The African people did not emerge as a Empire like other civilizations. The had no concept of "African Identity", they were made of hundreds of small communities/clans that were often divided. They did not contribute any new technological advances. Imagine if no slave trade existed? How would that have impacted the African Civilization and its population. Would there have been an African Empire to contend with among the Ottoman, Chinese, or Mughal Empires?

With our current economy, do we need to return to the days of simple commerce, and dismiss our modern technology? Things may have been more culturally volatile during this time but there were great opportunities to gain wealth. What does the U.S. currently have to offer as goods? I feel we've lost ground. We need to bring back our economy by reinvesting in our country. Outsourcing work needs to come to a halt and encourage production of U.S. goods for exportation.

I think it is especially important to try and understand the conflict in the Middle East. To understand it means understanding its many cultures and religions. Islam is made up of several nomadic tribes (Bedouins) bound together by the Muslim religion. The Muslim religion is perhaps one of the largest practiced religions in this area. I like the passage Strayer quotes from Muhammad;

"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, and Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white––except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood."

This is how the Muslims viewed each other. They also had the belief of "being" or "correct behavior". This means more than just saying your Muslim, but to live and breathe the religion. That your every thought and movement be governed by Allah.

Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (570-632 C.E.) born in Mecca, is Allah's messenger. He is the equivalent to Jesus, Moses, Buddha, and Abraham. Muhammad grew in a time of religious corruption and social inequalities. His revelations came to him approx. 610 and continued for 22yrs. These revelations came to be known as the Quran, the Muslim's live by this text. They are sacred scriptures meant to be recited not simply read. Reciting it in its original Arabic form is said to give one the feeling of "Divine" presence. The Muslim religion is monotheistic, there is only one God, Allah. He is seen as all powerful. creator, good, just, and merciful.

The Core message of the Quran - Law of God these are 5 requirements a.k.a. "Pillars of Islam"

1- There is no God but, Allah and Muhammad is its messenger.
2- prayer 5x a day while facing Mecca, this also involves rituals of cleansing, bowing, kneeling, prostration - this is a reminder that one is always in the presence of the Divine.
3- Be generous, help maintain the community and poor.
4- Fasting "Ramadan" - no food, drink, or sexual relations between dawn and sundown.
This symbolizes purification and reminds us of the needs of the hungry
5- Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in ones lifetime.
6-? Jihad- "of the sword" it is the struggle of the fight against evil.

The difference between Sunni and Shia

After Muhammad died, the community became divided. The dispute is based on whom should be the successor? The civil war began with the four Caliphs (close companions of the Prophet). The Sunni's believe the Caliphs are the rightful leaders. The Shia (faction) believe the bloodline of Ali(one of the original Caliphs) is the rightful heir to lead.

I enjoyed this chapter it helped me to understand the religion and the history of its people.

Part III - Ch. 8-10

500-1500 C.E.considered "postclassical" era, or precursor to the modern era.
During this time 3rd wave civilizations emerged, based upon previous classical civilizations.

New ones to emerged; Swahili, Kievan Rus, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Islam being the most expansive and influential.

Classic civilizations evolved such as Greco-Roman and China which grew larger or with the demise of one turned into another such as with the Aztecs.

Trade and commerce bound and influenced across cultures. The following routes of importance were:
Silk Roads
Indian Ocean basin
Sahara Desert
Mississippi River and others

these trade routes helped establish interactions between cultures - wether it be ideas, food,religion, technologies, or germs

"No man is an island, entire of itself," "Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main"- John Donne, sums up civilizations and their influence upon each other.

The Arab, Mongol, Inca Empires were also another vehicle to influence trade and commerce. The trade in turn brought wealth to these civilizations and influenced how they were to be governed.

Questions to consider for the following chapters:
how external stimuli produce change in particular societies?
were they free to decide to accept or reject new ideas and practices? or were they forced?

Strayer discusses a time in which life may have been more difficult to survive compared to our current luxuries and abilities to acquire things. But one can only imagine the wonder to which these cultures interacted with goods. Life was built upon necessity of the simplest needs, food, water, and shelter. It makes one reminiscent for a simpler time, no phones, no laptops,or cars etc. This is the basis of beginnings of our modern civilization.

Chapter 8
The importance of the trade routes where did they lie and what goods were of great value and influence. These goods where dictated by the civilizations environmental situation and what was in demand.

Silk Road - this route began eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, across the most northern part of Arabia, Persia, into India and Turkestan, then across China.

Indian Ocean basin - Sea trade routes, encompassed coasts of Africa, Arabia, India, southeast Asia and China. This oceanic system increased with understanding of trade winds(riding the monsoons between Madagascar and India). And China developing larger ships and the magnetic compass.

Sahara Desert - this route help link North Africa to the interior of West Africa

Mississippi River, Mesoamerica, and Andean regions - each of these regions had developed somewhat independent of each other. Thou some influences can be seen between the Mesoamericans and southwestern United States. The agricultural spread of Maize is what binds these three regions.

Items of trade along these routes were, from:
China - silk, bamboo, mirrors, gunpowder, paper, rhubarb, ginger, lacquerware, chrysanthemums, porcelain, tea
Mediterranean basin - ceramics, glassware, wine, gold, olive oil, glazes, grapevines, jewelry, artworks, perfume, wool and linen textiles
Siberia and Central Asia - furs, walrus tusks, amber, livestock, horses, falcons, hides, copper vessels, tents, saddles, slaves
India - cotton, herbal medicine, precious stones, spices, grain, ivory, timber, tortoiseshells
Arabia - frankincense, myrrh, perfumes
Southeast Asia - tin, sandalwood, cloves. nutmeg, mace
East Africa - ivory, gold, iron goods, slaves, tortoiseshells, quartz, leopard skins

These routes are very significant to each civilization. It helped further develop existing civilizations and foster new ones. Its influence can be seen in religion, language (spoken and written) and culture.


Chapter 9

China's influence, economically, technologically, as it evolved.
Tang dynasty (618-097) and Song dynasty (960-1279) are considered to be the era of the "Golden Age". Boom in the following areas population, structure in government, economy, education, arts, sciences and technology and resurgence of Confucianism incorporated with Buddhism and Daoism. All this allowed China to become one of the strongest civilizations during this time.

Northern vs. Southern China and the Northern struggle with Nomadic tribes. These nomadic tribes would regularly pillage the northern parts of China. Finally an agreement was made between the two cultures. Through the "tribute system" gifts would be made to the nomads to safety to the Chinese people in this region. The "tribute system" was how the Chinese Court came to see themselves, as superior to "barbarian" peoples, and any visiting cultures were required to kow tow before the Imperial Court and present gifts to them. This would also allow other cultures permission to do business with the Chinese.

China"s influence upon Korea, they did try to conquer Korea during the Sui dynasty. It depleted China's resources and they failed. Korea has remained independent of China's rule. China's cultural influence upon Korea was minimal, with the exception of Buddhism.
In Vietnam China's influence very evident in their religion, administrative techniques, examination system, arts, and literature. But like Korea, Vietnam established its independence
In Japan what cultural influences they borrowed from China was voluntary. The influences they did borrow they interpreted it in their own way. Japan being an island, made it difficult for China to assert its power over them.

Eurasian influences, paper-making, printing, gunpowder, metallurgy, and magnetic compass. As well as influencing other civilizations it also assimilated outside influences, such as Buddhism.

Buddhism in China was initially rejected because it was so contrary to Confucian thought, and was not embraced until after the end of the Han dynasty, approximately 300- 800 C.E. Buddhism would be embraced, then rejected and then incorporated with Confucianism and Daoism.


Chapter 10

The term "barbarian" is interesting the Chinese, Byzantium and Roman Empire, all view a "barbarian" as any influence or civilization other than there own.

Christianity, establishing itself, divergence Roman Catholic(Papal centered) and Eastern Orthodox the differences between the two:

Eastern Orthodox - encompassed the most Eastern part of Byzantium Empire, believed in God and State, Constantinople its center, Greek base in language and culture, iconoclasm- no idol worshipping, priest were allowed to marry and grow their hair and beards long.

Roman Catholic - encompassed the western part Byzantium Empire, Rome is its capital, latin based, God separate from state, Papal centered, Priest were required to shave and lead a life of celibacy, and they believed in icon veneration.

By 1054, both mutually excommunicated the other.

The Eastern Orthodox were in constant battle of controlling its influence and empire against the Muslims and in 1095 the Roman Catholics launched their crusade against Islam. This crusade also involved the ransacking of Constantinople. From this point on the separation between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics is to be irreparable.

Unity, harmony and wealth seem to the driving force for these civilizations. They made decisions based on what would benefit uniting their people. Such is the case with Prince Vladimir of Kiev. He chose the religion of Byzantium, for the sole purpose of uniting his people of Kievan Rus, based on their cultural lifestyle. Despite the fall of Rome,
many civilizations looked to the Romans(when it was at its height of reign) as a model to emulate and build upon.