Objective 10: Global Cultural Diffusion “The Silk Roads formed a king of spinal column and rib cage of the world system for over 2000 years”

Objective 10: Global Cultural Diffusion

“The Silk Roads formed a king of spinal column and rib cage of the world system for over 2000 years”

Global cultural diffusion

• The exchange and subsequent transformation of things, ideas, religious and philosophical traditions, technologies and diseases over space and through time

Paper: China Baghdad Europe

Agents of diffusion6th-12th centuries

• Muslims

• Crusaders

• Mongols

Mongols in Baghdad

“Diffusers”

• Migrants

• Merchants

• Missionaries

• Marauders

• Mites

• “Mappers” and “Meanderers” (Travelers)

Afroeurasian Intercommunicating Zone

Steppe

Nomad-Sedentary Conflict, see RGH pp. 199

#1: Why is this false?

• Southernization was the spread of European ideas and trade from areas surrounding the Mediterranean to the “southern regions” of India and China.

Southernization by Lynda Shaffer Journal of World History 1994

• “a rich south and a poor north”

• The process of spreading “southern” ideas, technologies, cash crops and mathematics to the “north”

• Prosperity is linked to warmer temps for the growing of cotton

• Southernization laid the foundation for westernization

40º North

#2 Why false?

• Trade over the silk road was only by land and, in the East, originated in China.

From India:BuddhismPepperSugarCotton“Arabic numerals”“zero”Lentils

From Southeast Asia:•Nutmeg•Mace•Cloves•Champa rice•Navigational techniques•lateen sail

From China:•paper technology•iron•varieties of Buddhism•Confucianism•gunpowder, compass

From East to West, often the Twain Shall Meet

Egyptian Spice Bazaar in Istanbul (Constantinople)

From Africa:

gold

salt

iron

Silk Roads

What is “south”

What is “north”?

40º North

Trading world of Indian OceanBasin, 600-1600 CE

#3 Why false?

• While Buddhism spread to parts of Asia and Christianity spread to Europe and Southwest Asia, Hinduism did not spread beyond India.

The Spread of Religions

Christianization of the Roman Empire

• Christianization of “pagan” cults and temples

• Christianization of Roman feast days

• Celebration of “martyrs”

• Conversion of Germanic peoples

• Persecuted religion intolerance of “pagans”

Catholic Church in AssisiFormerly Temple of Minerva

CHARLEMAGNE DEFEATS THE SAXONS

Conversion by the Sword?

THE HOLY THORN RELIQUARY OF JEAN, DUC DE BERRY

#4 Why false?

• Epidemic diseases reduced the populations of Han China and the Roman Empire, but can not be considered a factor in either’s decline.

The Byzantine Empire

• The “Eastern Roman Empire” survived 1000 years after fall of west

• Maintained and reinterpreted Roman traditions

• Challenged by Persians and Islamic empires Emperor Constantine

275-337

The “caesaropapist” emperors

• Byzantine emperors were both secular and religious leaders

• Constantine presided over the Council of Nicaea 325 CE

Emperor Justinian

Inside Hagia Sophia

Byzantine art

The Byzantine Empire at the time of Justinian

Tensions between the Eastern and Western Churches

• Latin versus Greek

• Byzantine more philosophical and intellectual; viewed western church as unsophisticated

• 8th-9th centuries debates over “iconoclasm” and other issues

• 1054 schism in the church Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches

#5 Why false?

• Internal problems within the Chinese and Roman Empires were the major reasons for each’s decline.

8 Misconceptions of Islam

• Islam another name for Mohammedism• Islam’s God is different than the Judeo

Christian God• Most Muslims are Arab• Jihad is holy war against non Muslims• Islam encourages terrorism• Islam intolerant of other religions• Nation of Islam and Islam are the same• Islam is sexist