China’s Geography, Predynastic China, and the Xia Dynasty
China’s Geography
very isolating, hard to travel in western china
easier to travel in eastern china, but still extremely isolated
invasions are rare
Rivers
2 major rivers in chinese history
huang he (yellow river)
chang jiang (yangtze river)
monsoons cause rivers to flood
causes sediment deposition and fertile soil!
Monsoons
multiple monsoon systems impact china
wet in summer, dry in winter
Loess
fine sediment
deposited through wind, specifically from the gobi desert
winter monsoons start north, and winds blow south, picking up loess
most of eastern china is very fertile
Climate of China
north
cooler
dry (10’’ rain per year)
good for growing grains like wheat and millet
south
warmer
wet (40’’ of rain per year)
perfect for growing rice
Predynastic China
people began settling and starting agricultural societies in the huang he valley around 8000 BCE
staple foods = barley, wheat, grain, buckwheat, millet, etc
Xia Dynasty (we don’t even know if it existed or not)
a dynasty is a line of hereditary rulers
first dynasty in chinese history (if it existed)
yellow emperor - mythical first emperor of china
yu the great
chinese folklore says there was a huge flood covering all of china, and yu tamed the Huang He to end the flood
yeah, we literally have no clue if any of this happened.
Shang + Zhou Dynasties
Shang Dynasty
overthrow happened around 1700 bce
ruled until around 1000 bce
Government and Social Class
strong central monarchy
moved the capitol
social classes
nobles/aristocrats
soldiers - split between infantry/cavalry
artisans
peasants
very large army (but not a standing army)
chariots were often used as cavalry
king as a ritual position - aristocrats and nobles did most of the actual governing
Shang Elite
most of society was Focused on those at the top of the hierarchy
bottom half of social hierarchy is scared of the power that the upper classes have over them
leisure was very highly valued, and hunting was very fancy
people of the shang dynasty bury themselves with their belongings and even other bodies so that they could have stuff in the afterlife
bronze and jade were used (jade = very expensive) for tools and other belongings
Religion (Animism, Shamanism, and Ancestor Worship)
everything has its own permanent soul or spirit
ancestor worship — ancestors were VERY respected
divine kingship: kings mostly just did rituals to please the spirits
communicated with ancestry and asked for advice
Oracle Bones
questions were inscribed on animal bones or tortoise shells
hot piece of bronze was pressed against bone, causing it to crack
specially trained priests would interpret the cracks
Shang Advancements
writing system
through oracle bones, progression from full pictographs to simpler symbols
bronzeworking
giant bronze vessels were used
Zhou Overthrow
shang were overthrown around 1055 BCE by the zhou people
at this time, the zhou people were a ‘subject people’
zhou dynasty split into 2 periods
western zhou dynasty: zhou is strong, expanding territory, capital is in zongzhou
Tian Ming - “Mandate of Heaven”
(the heavens give one person the right to rule china)
zhou argued that the shang had lost the mandate of heaven, and said that the heavens now wanted the zhou to rule
tian ming was reflected through ecology, politics, social ills, etc
ultimately, tian ming is the will of the people
Dynastic Cycle
new dynasty
fixes social issues
lives improve
problems begin
taxes increase
government increases spending
peasants lose respect for the government
rebels fight, and one leader rises
rebel and defeat current emperor
repeat.
Zhou Advancements
expanded territory
metallurgy, specifically iron working
siege weapons (independent of the assyrians)
agriculture - grains, etc
increased size of harvest
cities grew with surplus food
roads and canals
money system advancements
spade money
shovel money
knife money
Confucianism
The Warring States Period
7 states fighting to obtain power (zhou still currently in power)
hyperviolence
murder on/off the battlefield
immense death
new ideas arise; ideas for solutions
confucius
lao tzu
laozi
“do not do upon others what you would not like done to yourself”
Kung Fu Tzu - Confucianism
lived during the warring states period
was a ‘civil servant’ (failed); became a traveling teacher with his followers/disciples
his students/followers took notes on his teachings
Filial Piety
respect and loyalty to your family
3 degrees:
being a credit to your parents
not being a disgrace
simply supporting your family
5 Constant Relationships
Ruler and Subject
love the ruler as a father
be a credit to the ruler
Husband and Wife
wife needs to listen and love her husband
the wife must obey the husband
respect and duty paid to parent
Older and Younger Siblings
respect the older sibling
Peer to Peer
respect and love and pay duty to your peers
Junzi
looking on past rulers to learn from their mistakes
sage kings of antiquity
yellow emperor
emperor yao
yu the great
duke of zhou
sage examples to achieve
promised
built
protected
overcame/improved
honesty and loyalty
truth
family
hard work
Humaneness
confucius says its important for rulers to be humane; the government must benefit the people!
rulers need to set a good example for their people
examples of humaneness
giving to the people
putting the people first
keeping peace (no wars!)
Punishment
confucius believed the idea of punishment caused more destruction than the punishment itself
punishment causes a spiral/domino reaction of troble
INSTEAD:
help others to be good/improve
“shame and anxiety is punishment enough”
set a good example
Ruling/Morality in Government
does not really rule by law but by moral example
women were not relevant in government or law
Qin Dynasty
Rise of the Qin
qin people were expert horsem*n
qin statesman Shang Yang develops a new idea to finally defeat the remaining 6 states and end the wars
throw out the “gentlemen’s rules” and win at any cost
idea was put into practice by qin ruler Ying Zheng who quickly defeated the other remaining states in 221 BCE
the victory established the qin dynasty, and ying zheng changes his name to Qin Shi Huangdi (first emperor of the qin)
Early Qin Rule
qin shi huangdi began his rule by improving the lives of the common people
hired and paid peasants in great works projects, such as the first version of what would later become the great wall of china
further developed road and canal system (including 1st version of grand canal)
Qin Progression
peasants stopped getting paid for their work on public projects
peasants enslaved (poor food, communal living far away from home)
eventually anyone could be forced to work on these projects
weapons were restricted heavily
only members of the army could have weapons
weapons were confiscated and used to make huge statues in glory of the qin dynasty
massive network of spies and secret police to prevent uprising
Further Qin Tyranny
nobles feel pressure/lose trust as they no longer have unilateral support of the dynasty
confucians resist, writing texts on the tyranny of the qin dynasty and their failures through a confucian perspective
qin shi huang - upon suggestion from his prime minister Li Si - calls for book burnings, out lawing anything critical of the qin.
even mentioning anti-qin texts could result in your death
Legalism
philosophical/government belief system created by Han Fei during the warring states period
further developed by shang yang and li si
system of many different rules and regulations: very brutal strict, and harsh
must have a standing military to enforce (over 800k soldiers at its peak)
built upon military matters and violence
promotions based on effectiveness as a soldier
Qin Shi Huangdi’s Death
survived 3 assassination attempts
became paranoid and obsessed with preventing his death
decrees a new building project - a massive tomb the size of a city with everything needed to continue his rule in his death
included an army of clay soldiers (Terracotta Warriors)
dies form mercury poisoning in 210 BCE
elixir of ‘immortality’ ??
Qin Dynasty post-Qin Shi Huangdi
after his death, his ‘second in command’ li si makes a plan
qin shi huangdi’s chosen successor is his son, Fusu
li si thinks fusu might replace him with someone else, so he changes the will
Hu Hai will now be leader
hu hai is a weak leader with a bad temper
hu hai’s former teacher Zhao Gao executes li si
hu hai killed in 207 BCE
zhao gao installs a new, weak emperor - tries to control him, doesn’t work
zhao gao killed hin the same year
rebellions topple qin dynasty in 206 BCE
Han Dynasty China and Silk Road
Qin Collapse/Han Rebellion
qin dynasty collapses after QSHD death
207 BCE - rebellions widespread
han people and Liu Bang (peasant) defeat other rebels and unite china under the han dynasty (206 BCE)
Han Legalism
what is legalism?
belief that social and gov. harmony can only be achieved if there is state control and obedience
meritocracy: promotion based on merits, not connections
what was qin legalism built upon?
brutality and violence
meritocracy came from only military matters
how was han legalism different?
more focused on trade
blended with confucian ideals
Meritocracy, Bureaucrats, and Civil Service Exams
han dynasty appointed 100s of regional governors to maintain order
appointed people through a series of written tests
civil service exams
open to men of all ages and social classes
focused on knowledge of confucius, laozi, and han fei
3 different levels of degrees:
lowest: taken locally; qualified you for the local government
mid-level: taken in a provincial capital; qualified you for regional government
highest: taken in beijing, qualified you for the country government
must pay to take the test
imperial academy was to prepare young men to take the CSEs
Han Expansion
territorial expansions across east asia
military and political expansions
major wars against the xiongnu peoples in the north
han traded outside of country
Silk Road
trading networks (not a singular road; a collection of routes)
connected china to the western world
exchange of goods as well as ideas and philosophies
exchanges were in danger of theft along the road
han used political power and alliances to protect traders
paid by bartering
Silk Road Trade Goods
West —> East
horses, dogs, camels, etc
animal furs and skins
honey and fruits
wool blankets
slaves
weapons
etc
East —> West
silk
tea
dyes
stones
porcelain
spices
bronze and gold
medicine
perfumes
rice
paper
gunpowder
etc
exchange of ideas influenced the world
spreaded diseases like the plague
some of the earliest ideas of a ‘global’ economy
‘backbone’ of the han dynasty (held up the economy)
Minoan Civilizations
Greek Geography (Minoan Civ)
bronze age civ
aegean sea to the east of greece
“minoan” because Minos’s kid is the Minotaur
Minoan Mysteries
we have not cracked the language yet
linear A and B (writing systems)
Minoan ‘Palaces’
center of the community
don’t know the overall political system
we do know they collected some form of tax
connected by roads
thought to be a peaceful civilization
no fortification or walls
palaces destroyed and rebuilt many times
volcanos and earthquakes
layers of techniques/building/architecture
Minoan Civ Falls
yeah so we have no clue why.
invasion?
Greek Polis System
Polis…?
translated to “city state”
basic unit of greek society
independent of its surrounding area
urban center
eventually there were 1k+ across greece
most influential:
athens
sparta
corinth
thebes
sycrause
Common Features of a Polis
a sacred Acropolis OR
‘heart’ of the city
temples
fortified/protected
an agora (market)
buy/sell
exchange ideas
recreation
a strong sense of identity
“i’m athenian” > “i’m greek”
polis-specific culture and political systems (each city-state had its own patron god/goddess)
law codes, coinage, specific goods, community history and more
Polis Politics
different systems depending on city-state
oligarchy/aristocracy
small group rules/holds power
tyranny/monarchy
rule by one
democracy
rule by the people
citizenship = big deal
how you got the benefits of the city-state
City States
Athens
POSEIDEN VS ATHENA (for athens)
poseidon struck his trident into rock
athena planted an olive tree — main food source
athena = patron goddess
athens fell to persia
egypt = major trade partner
advancements
geometry
many wars with sparta
invented democracy
lots of arts; obsessed with knowlege
Corinth
center of ancient trade
oligarchy
marriage at 13 or 14 yrs old
black painted pottery
isthmian/panhellenic games (chariot races, music, festivals)
poseidon = patron god
influenced by/worshipped other gods as well
Sparta
patron god=athena
sacrifices before and after battles
council and 2 kings
loved war —> hated cowards
women had businesses and property
anyone can be educated
didn’t like trade —> iron bars used as currency
invented an encryption device
Persian and Peloponnesian Wars
Persian Wars Background
Achaemenid Empire under Darius I
expanded lots in late 6th century BCE
turkey=ionia=asia minor=anatolia
Persian Wars Beginning
athenians are helping ionians - darius is mad
darius sends word to greece, telling them to surrender (greeks execute messengers)
athens + sparta vs persia
Athens vs Persia Marathon
persian army = 90k men
lightly armored archers
greek army = 12k men
heavily armored
bronze and leather armor
bronze shield
short sword and many spears
The Phalanx
revolutionary idea at the time
tightly compacted blocks of soldiers (usually 8 deep)
shield in left hand, spear in right
covered by your shield on left side, and right side is covered by the other man
required cohesive training
increased offense and defense effectiveness in battle
Miltiades: Athens Gen.
persian archers not effective against the phalanx (they lose)
persians retreat
messenger sprints 26.2 miles to Athens, proclaims “Nike” and dies out of exhaustion
Thermopylae
second invasion of mainland greece by darius’s successor (xerxes)
large persian army comes down on very small group of greeks led by Leonidas in the mountain pass
greeks lose, but held out for 3 days
Salamis
athenian general Themistocles needed to destroy 500 persian ships with his 300 ships
greek ships = triremes
large, fast
2 lvls of rowers
bronze ram
themistocles baits persians into dangerous waves (straights of salamis)
greek navy eliminates persian navy
persians burn athens
Plataea
largest battle of the war
persians still control most of greece at this point
greeks field largest hoplite army
greeks win
Persian War - Results
persian army goes home
peace signed in 449 BCE
persian empire lasts for 200+ years
golden age in greece
alliance formed - Delian League
Peloponnesian War - Background
athens and sparta = primary powers
athenians built allies and dependent states
small first war (athens and corinth)
athenians start resource dispute
Pelop. War Beginning
Megarian Decrees
bans megara from using athenian ports (making them more dependent on athenians)
megara=long time spartan ally
sparta asks for decrees to be removed
pericles (athenian leader) convinces them to keep the decrees
colonies attatch to eachother
thebes and plataea
spartan military invades attica (region where athens is) in 431 BCE
Delian League
led by athens
over 300 members paid tribute to athens through $$ or ships
protective alliance
essentially the athenian empire
naval power
Peloponnesian League
led by sparta
smaller # of city states
corinth = main ally
mainly a land power
Invasion of Attica
sparta and pelop. league start annual invasions (burnt fields, orchards, towns)
no decisive battles
siege of athens many times (athens=siege resistant; connected to ports)
spartans wanted battle, athens doesn’t take bait
athenians raided pelop. coastlines
plague in athens in 430 BCE postpones invasion
pericles is ostracized, athenians sue for peace
War
war becomes familiar to normal citizens
brutality unknown to the area at the time
‘rules’ of war thrown aside
sparta murders all men in the city
Sicilian Expedition
both sides want to break stalemate
athens needed good timber from Sicily to shore up the fleet
larges polis on sicily=sycrause (corinthian ally)
Alcibiades’s Adventures
helps spartans raid farms and helps broker a deal with persians
says ‘hold up yall lemme roll with the persians they’re lit’
says ‘wait guys im cooked lemme go back’
bro cannot make up his mind
Victory
spartans corner athenian navy
3000+ soldiers killed
delian league is cooked, spartans and pelop. league win
Aftermath
athens is broke af and have to pay tribute to sparta
Alexander and Hellenistic Greece
Macedonia
small kingdom
northern greece
strayed from peloponnesian war conflicts
Rise of the Macedonian Kingdom
King Philip II had different ideas
wants expansion
won battle of Chaeronea - gain most of greece
planning to go to war with persian empire
Alexander III
son of philip II
trained by aristotle - very influential in his life
trained the untamable horse
helped his dad with war and politics
assumes throne when philip is assassinated
wants to continue plans to invade persia
Asia Minor
army of 32000 infantry and 5100 cavalry
invaded asia minor
ruthless conquest
Gordian Knot
in phrygia
mythological knot — no person has untied
alexander slices it in half
Tyre
island city off the coast of lebanon —> walls
naval blockade, builds a causeway
breaks city, executes 8000
Gaugamela and Persian Campaigns
chasing darius iii
alexander wins battle; no capture of darius
The Roman Empire
Caesar’s Early Life
patrician class
effective soldier in his youth
focused on keeping his word
pirate ransom - really good w/ people, really violent
rose in political ranks
creates first triumvirate with pompey and crassus
aligned with populare faction against optimate faction
caesar and pompey = smart, crassus = rich
Caesar and Civil War
governor of Gaul when triumvirate dissolves
crassus killed, pompey betrays
pompey convinces senate to take away all of caesar’s powers and orders him back to rome alone
caesar decides to march on rome with his army crossing the rubicon river saying “alia icta est!”
pompey flees to spain, then greece, where his army is defeated in battle but pompey escapes to egypt
egyptians betray and kill pompey
Caesar Leading Rome
caesar is “outraged” and declares martial law
takes over egyptian palace
optimate forces arrive, caesar spends next 6months in palace with the pharoah;
but caesar is literally married to calpurnia … marriage was weird back then
defeats optimate forces
returns to rome with cleopatra and his new son (never fully accepts him)
despite this scandal, the senate names him dictator perpetuus
never held the title of emperor
Caesar’s Reforms (very popular!)
names his grandnephew, octavian, his successor
grants citizenship in gaul and hispania to roman sibjects
land redistribution
land reform for veterans
political reforms removing powers from senators
mostly disregarded the senate
calendar
police force
changed the tax system
Assassination of Caesar
ides of march; assassinated by many, but led by brutus
stabbed 23 times
cousin + 2nd in command is not killed
marc antony allies with octavion to defeat brutus and his forces
m.a. then allies with cleopatra to try to kill octavian and take the throne for himself
they fail. defeated at the battle of actium
Octavius/Octavian/Augustus
caesar adopts him, and he changes his name to match
establishes a triumvirate after caesar’s death with m.a. and cepidus
kills any political rivals or supporters of caesar’s killing
gains power after killing m.a.
has caesareon with cleopatra, and m.a.’s son is killed
“2 caesars too many”
Augustus Imperator
played the political game of rome masterfully
calls himself ‘first citizen’
gave up his power, only for it to immediately be returned
‘the illustrious one’
imperium maius - greater imperium
complete control over empire
pater batriae - father of the country
Pax Romana
golden age of peace and development
culture flourishes
Vergil writes the aeneid
really big public baths and temples built
passes laws pertaining to marriage and family life
aiming to raise roman birthrate
made adultery illegal
Death of Augustus
“i found rome a city of clay, and left it a city of marble”
deified and added to the pantheon
Caligula
one of rome’s worst emperors
raised by soldiers
adopted by previous emperor Tiberius
tiberius’s brutality and harshness rubs off on caligula
becomes co-emperor with tiberius’s son Gemellus
gemellus soon dies….. interestinggg…..
well liked at first
Caligula’s Downfall
has a brush with death
becomes paranoid
raised taxes
executing enemies (including wife?)
gave horse huge necklaces and tried to make him a member of the consul
frivolous military campaigns
once told his army they would fight neptune
assassinated by bodyguard
Nero
Agrippina marries emperor Claudius
birth father calls him ‘unlikeable and a disaster’
one of the worst emperors
claudius dies from poisoned mushrooms
agrippina = very protective
Nero’s Early Reign
early years are good
bread and circuses
restored senator's power
large spectacles were cover for nero to pursue his interests
nero was crap at singing
it was illegal to leave his performances unless he was done
Nero and Agrippina
mom is telling people she calls the shots
nero removes her from the palace and denies her the protection of a guard
agpna. tries to install new emperor - he is killed
Nero’s Downfall
plans assassination for his mom
ends up stabbing her to death; leaves him destroyed inside
people hate this guy
senators try to assassinate him and fail
nero=very paranoid
Nero and The Fire
rome begins burning
many dead, or homeless/unemployed
diff. theories on what nero was doing meanwhile
rome was rebuilt with:
wider streets
brick buildings
nero raised taxes
declared enemy of state, and senate removes him from emperor
EVERYONE hates nero.
Trajan
born in italica
first provincial born emperor
young life full of military victories
previous emperor (nerva) was about to die and was childless
adopted trajan
gains power
well loved - popular reforms:
care for children of the poor
repairing roads
builds ports
main passion is war
wins many campaigns; expands roman territory
takes money and uses it to build
the forum
large open air market/shop center
center of politics, commerce, and religion (cults)
trajan’s column
100ft column; details his victories
dies childless
Hadrian
son of a senator - adopted by trajan
senate questioned the legitimacy of his succession
spent most of his life in the military
strong general
loved by the troops
spent a lot of time as emperor with the troops
traveled around the empire; which was at its peak
Hadrian’s Wall
most famous building project
wall across britannia to protect roman territory
building lasts 6 years
forts around wall
“peace through strength”
parallels to modern nuclear weapons
Diocletian
rome is in significant decline before his reign
losing money and territories
not truly a soldier, more an administrator
thought the empire was way too large for one emperor to manage
splits empire ½, then ¼ for efficiency
selects a new leader for each chunk
¼ goes back to ½ western roman empire and eastern r.e.
build of power in byzantine
‘caesar’ and ‘augustus’ for each
Diocletian and Christianity
christianity on the rise (‘alternative’ religion)
christians persecuted in the empire many times
physically punished for faith
executed
officially unallowed
late in Diocletian’s reign — last major persecution
influence from a zealot ?
desire to restore unity??
rear of christians creating a state w/i a state?
promised not to spill blood — did not follow through
saw himself as a god
created another series of christian martyrs
kills anyone who doesn’t make a sacrifice to the gods
persecution ends with diocletian’s death following his only visit to rome
Constantine
diocletian’s plan comes with a problem…
who rules after diocletian and the others die?
messy power struggle — co-agustus go to war
“constantine the great”
augustus of the east
wants to end the tetrarchy
Battle of Milvian Bridge
constantine “sees” something in the stars
chiro
goes to sleep and has a vision
jesus says “in this sign, you have victory”
victory
rejoins the roman empire
credits victories to the christian God — still isn’t christian
mother was perhaps influential
Conversion to Christianity
edict of milan — tolerate christians
constantinople —> instanbul
leaves rome heading east
church builder
church of holy sepulcher
beginning of Hagia Sophia
becomes christian on his deathbed (officially)
donation of constantine
said that he donated a bunch of land to the pope….but we really don’t think it happened
Fall of Rome
many causes of the fall of rome
“fall of the roman empire” refers to the western part
invasion of barbarian tribes contributed to the fall
some argued christianity weakened rome
Barbarian Invaders
“dramatic peoples native from their native lands”
goths; light hair, light eyes
huns invade goth territory - rebellion
visigothic kingdom!
settle in germany
Christianity
Disciples and Chartering
peter (1 of 12 disciples) is selected to lead Jesus’s church
after jesus dies, his disciples spread out all over
Constantine and Nicaea
controversy surrounding arianism
arianism says that jesus isn’t God, he’s just a representation
this goes against holy trinity
council rules that arianism is a banned belief
nicene creed - statement of catholic beliefs
Council of Nicaea
impacted everyone - ecumenical
showed how the church would come together to make big decisions
“Official” Foundation of Catholic Church
have been christians in rome since peter
christians are led by priests with different levels of authority
bishops on top
constantine doesn’t give up entire western roman empire but he donates large amounts to the church
establishes vatican city
Power Changing
bishops of rome gain power as roman culture/power declines
rome is sacked by visigoths under Alaric
atilla (hun) is tearing through the empire, sacking the cities
current bishop Leo I sent to negotiate - convinces huns to retreat and not sack rome
title of pope is given to bishop of rome
Franks
Franks
loose confederation of tribal groups (live along rhine river)
not a cohesive group
“franks” used when they ally together
kept out of roman territory
breakdown of roman authority allowed them to invade into gaul
technically barbarians
deep and developed culture
complex society
Clovis I and Merovingian Dynasty
leader of salians (tribe of franks)
converts—> catholic
franks become catholic
conquered rest of frankish tribes in gaul
dies as “king of all the franks”
his four sons succeeded him
Fall of Merovingian Dynasty
succession was messy
causes lots of civil wars w/ people trying to consolidate power
edict of paris gave power to regional
merovignian rulers slowly lose influence
regional elites gain power
end up ruling thru puppet kings
most famous=charles martel
Carolignians
pepin the short secures papal support and overthrows the last mero. king
secures thrown for himself
founds the carolignian dynasty
pepin dies, frankish lands divided between sons
charles and carloman I
rule together for a while
Charlemagne (charles) takes sole power
Charlemagne
ruled with support of aristocracy and the church
conquered lombards
crowned ‘holy roman emperor’ by pope leo iii on christmas
probably an attempt from the church to exert more influence on him
also increased the pristege and power of carolignian dynasty
Post-Charlemagne
leaves empire to his son; louis the pious
empire is divided into 1/3 to prevent civil war between louis’s sons
The Black Plague
Black Death - Europe
contagious bacteria that attacks the immune system
1 in 3 died from it
Plague Spreads
spread by fleas on rats
became a pandemic
outbreak of rapidly spreading disease
trade routes and cities affected
Life and Economy Breakdown
thought plague was sent from God as a punishment
fled cities or hid
Jews were blamed
inflation
peasant revolts
Church Looks Weak
priests and monks die
church unable to provide answers
there was a schism; split the churches
eastern orthodox
roman catholic
people who questioned the church were called heretics and were arrested and killed
Change of Economy
1. feudalism declines in europe
2. labor force dies
3. survivors paid more
4. treatment is better
repeat
The Disease
black, bloody boils
swelling lymph nodes
wool shortage - sheep dead
50-70 mil dead in europe
treatments failed to help
blood letting
boil-lancing
herb burning
rose water
Plague Doctors
“balance of 4 humors”
blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile
Miasma = ‘bad air’
bad smells will make you sick
Foundations of Islam
Early Life of Muhammad
born in mecca
part of a respected clan
orphaned at 6
raised by his uncle - Abu Talib
became a caravan trader
known for his honesty
Marriage to the mother of Islam
at 25 he was proposed to by a wealthy widow Kadija
she was 15 yrs older
he didn’t take additional wives
Becoming a Prophet
begins meditating alone in a cave
receives a message from the angel Gabriel
first message from Allah
he is terrified; runs home to his wife
kadija takes him to her cousin - an abrahamic christian scholar
cousin says it is a call to prophecy
Prophethood
continues to hear messages from gabriel
starts practicing/preaching with friends and family
first conversion is kadija, second is close friend Abu Bakr
goes to public with his teachings
message is not received well by Meccans
Ka’ba
black stone cube where various idols were stored
Muhammad in Mecca
meccans try to stop the spread of message
year of the sorrow
kadija and abu talib die
Medina
medina (nearby city) had converted to islam
they invite muhammad and followers
want him to lead city
muhammad encourages followers to migrate
muhammad and abu bakr are the last to migrate
Meccan Conflict
muhammad and followers want to strike back on mecca
conduct raids
meccans want to eliminate islamic faith forever
Battle of Badr
muslim troops defeat larger meccan army
victory attributed to muhammad’s brain - and/or divine intervention
Rise of Islam
muhammad doesn’t stop there
followers are now a part of a military force as well as a religion
mecca surrendered and welcomed muslims
Death of Muhammad
islam continues to grow
at time of death in mecca, he was the most powerful political and religious leader in arabia
The Quran
his teachings are revelations from gabriel
they have been memorized before death
after death, they are written down for the first time
the Quran = his teachings (holy text)
Pillars of Islam
Pillars
MUST ADHERE IF U ARE MUSLIM
Shahada
declaration of faith in the 1 true god, Allah
concept of Allah is beyond all imagination, beyond all power, everything is his, everything submits to his will
Salah
praying of specific prayers 5x a day, facing mecca
men are required to do so in a mosque
women can pray at home
recitation from the quran and Sunnah
Zakat
giving of ‘alms’ or charity
done yearly by all that are able
goes to underprivileged muslims
charity to non muslims does not count as zakat
Sawm
required fasting during ramadan
there are personal exceptions
when the sun is out, you can’t eat or drink or do any worldly pleasures
encourages believers to grow closer to Allah and reevaluate priorities
Hajj
pilgrimage to ka’aba in mecca (holiest site in islamic culture)
only have to do this once in lifetime
series of rituals and rites to do
Early Islamic Conflict
Post-Muhammad Muslim Leadership
after mumd. death, there is confusion thru the ummah
Ali=son of M’s uncle, married M’s daughter
most muslims support abu baker over ali
party of ali=shia’t ali (shia)
supporters of abu bakr=sunnis (followers of the sunna - ‘way of the prophet’)
First Caliph
abu bakr becomes first caliph/successor
fatima and ali reject his authority
abu bakr sends men to convince them to accept abu bakr
AB calls for jihad (holy war)
jihad means struggle - does not always mean violence
Early Expansion
muslim armies defeat rebels
increase in territory
AB calls armies to byzantine and sassian to consolidate power over arab people (this doesnt really happen)
AB codifies quran
AB expanded territory significantly while being caliph
Second Caliph - Umar ibn Kattah
continues AB’s campaigns
conquers most of sassian empire and east. provinces of byzantine
huge reformer
assassinated by persians
3rd Caliph - Uthman ibn Affan
came from a powerful clan
unpopular ruler
relied on clan connections to rule
unable to maintain support for his military campaigns
different groups rebel
refused to put down rebellions - didn’t want to spill muslim blood
murdered by egyptian soldiers
4th Caliph - Ali ibn Abi Talib
ali comes into power and immediately removes certain governors from power
thought to be corrupt
Uthman’s cousin Muawiyya - gov of syria - wants revenge for death of uthman
takes blood stained clothes and puts them on display
mua and other muslims are also pushing for revenge
ali=conflicted; doesn’t want to spill muslim blood
Battles of Camel and Siffin
captures aisha (M’s wife) in battle of camel
first time muslims fight each other
ali wants to stop mua’s resistance as well
armies meet at siffin - fight for a few days
eventually, ali’s army convinces him to ceasefire - as a stalemate has developed
Arbitration of Ali and Muawiyya
ali and mua go into arbitration
said neither were fit to be caliph
Capital and Challenges
ali moves capital to kufa
support
centralization
protect medina from civil state
very controversial
further expansion halted
Death and Aftermath
kharijites have been growing in power
until ali defeats military
abandon open conflict - resort to secrecy
assasinate ali w/ poisoned sword
Mua Becomes 5th Caliph
The Crusades
Crusade=Journey to retake holy lands
Context
christianity
byzantium feeling pressure from islamic expanison
europe; not enough land, too many nobles (feudalism in place still)
pilgrims killed by seljuks
islam
caliphates large expansion gave more land, but less unity
sunni/shia split
islam spreading into levant, egypt, and iraq
Urban II and the Franks
council of clermont in 1095 - urban gives an inspiring speech
seljuks barred christians from jerusalem
clerics moblilzed to preach crusade
“deus vault!” (god wills it)
10,000 head towards holy lands
Saladin vs Baldwin
saladin
destroys fatamid caliphate
muslims can’t unify
haven’t united since sunni/shia split
support from his family
baldwin
king of kingdom of jerusalem
born with leprosy
christians are not unified
jerusalem is many different religions
Saladin’s Genius
unites muslims
destroys assasins
battle of hattin - baldwin dead prior
one of the greatest victories in history
takes jerusalem
is surprisingly lenient with C’s and J’s
saladin=idol of chivalry
3rd Crusade - king’s crusade
saladin, richard the lionheart, philip augustus, fredrick barbarossa
Gregory VIII - pope
retake jerusalem
retake true cross
kings swear to stop bickering
focus on holy lands
Getting to Holy Land?
barbarossa dies
richard attacks sicily; conquers cyprus
creates supply chain
philip=upset
plotting
they have beef
Siege of Acre
richard = sick
asks doctors to carry him as he fights
german, french, english, crusader kingdom present
comp. to see who will take acre first
banners trampled, germans leave crusade 4eva
richard treats muslims harshly
philip leaves crusade b/c political problems at home
richard hates him for leaving
Arsuf —> Jaffa
richard wanted jaffa
must conquer arsuf first
battle; richard vs saladin
shows richard is better general
War or Crusade?
richard wants to go to egypt
cut saladin off of supplies?
takes jaffa
rick can control sea w/ navy
saladin
losing support, caliph telling him to stop
MUST ANSWER TO CALIPH
christian soldiers want jerusalem
bro is missing whole point
TREATY OF JAFFA
muslims keep jerusalem; christians get access.
ends 3rd crusade
Chivalry
saladin and richard bromance
Islamic Golden Age
Golden Age —> 8-13 Century
Muhammad
Rashidun Caliphate
Umayyad C
Abbassid C (partial)
Fatamid C
Baghdad
city created by abbassid
gateway between east and west
Cordoba
in modern spain
conquered by abbassid from umayyad
abbassid ends up taking all of umayyad land
richest city in the world
trade routes
textiles
streets paved
clean water
great mosque of cordoba
very large library
Education
obligation
learned abt religion, but also math, medicine, etc
Madrasas
official muslim schools
law, theology, sciences
teachers were hired based on character
have to pay for this education
‘memorize then analyze’
quran
hadiths (stories of prophet)
fatwas (legal cases)
goal of education=CREATE GOOD LEADERS
House of Wisdom
originally al-mansur’s private collection
al-rasmid opens it to scholars
al-mahmoun made it a public translation center
Translations
classical arabic becomes official language of abbassid caliphate
important texts translates—> arabic
studied
greek classics analyzed
Math
al-khwarizmi creates algebra and the hindu-arabic number system
Medicine
translate hipocrates
al-razi creates an encyclopaedia on diseases
al-zahrawi - med scientist focused on tools and techniques
ibn cina/avicenna - writer of al-Qanun
scientific book used worldwide
Philosophy
al-kindi - studied, questioned, and compared platonic and aristotillian thought with the quran
Sufism
individualism with islamic beliefs
‘closeness to Allah doesn’t just come from the quran’
they believe you need to view allah in your everyday life
worship in their own way
worship for the right reasons
‘whirling dirvish’ = dance = worship
Ottoman Empire
Turks (11th Century)
steppe people move west
seljuks accept sunni islam and spread west thru persia
settle in anatolia
seljuks rule
Mongol Invasion
steppe peoples expand
largest contiguous ‘empire’ in history
sacked baghdad and destroy house of wisdom
ends abbassid caliphate
only manage to capture eastern anatolia
quickly lose control
Osman
leader of ottoman tribe
took control of his Bey after father’s death
begins wars of expansion
very successful expansion even after death
ottoman empire named after osman
Mehmed II
mehmed the FIRST reunifies ottoman holdings
mehmed the SECOND, or mehmed the conqueror wants to finish off byzantines
sieges constantinople
fall of byzantine empire ‘ends ancient history’
