Map of Postclassical India

Diagram for Chinese Influence on Japan, Korea, and Vietnam

Harun al-Rashid

The Wikipedia article on Harun al-Rashid would be considered a good source. It did not show any favorable partiality towards this person, meaning there was no evident sign of a liking for him. As a result, this piece had an objective viewpoint, especially because it included both the good and the bad of his caliphate. For example, the article incorporated that the time of his reign was actually one of turmoil and rebellion. Also, it explained how he led to the division of the Abbasid empire by appointing it to both of his sons while giving each one the means to overtake the other. Due to al-Rashid's decision, a civil war started after he died. Some of the positives of his rule were that Baghdad thrived, becoming one of the most splendid cities of its time, and that the large amount tribute received went to architecture and an extravagant court life. This can be looked at as a quality source as well because along with the information provided, the article also offers reasonable explanations and analysis to parts that are unclear. For instance, this document describes that the tale about the romantic story regarding Ja'far and the decline of the Barmakids is most likely untrue. As a result of this, the article includes a more acceptable approach to this fall based on legitimate accounts from scholars around at this period. More specifically, one possible reason was that the behavior of the Barmakids caused al-Rashid to feel disrespected. The use of scholars' works who were living at this time or who have studied al-Rashid and thus, provided intellectual accounts also results in the increased validity of this source. The explanation for the Barmakids' fall as well as many other ideas, such as the exchange of presents between al-Rashid and Charlemagne, have support from the writings of scholars. However, there was one real setback in this article, but should not have any effect on its quality. Some pieces of information are out of order, making the seemingly chronological sequence of the article confusing. The part about his death and the division between the sons afterwards was not placed directly at the end where it would have made more sense. Also, his campaign against the Byzantines should have been incorporated before the tidbit on the Barmakids and the control of the administration.

Based on this reading, the main question that comes to mind is how capable of a governmental leader was this man. It seems that he never truly had control over his administration or he always looked for help in difficult situations. The article points out that the Barmakids controlled the admistration, but does not include an indication of al-Rashid trying to stop this. As a result, it would appear that with this control and a lack to hinder it that entering al-Rashid's court without permission and making decisions without his content would be alright for the Barmakids to do. In a sense, al-Rashid is allowing them to keep their control over the administration. Therefore, without establishing himself as being higher than the Barmakids, they felt it was sensible to continue their actions. He also punished the man he appointed governor of Khorasan after a revolt broke out when the governor tried to impose al-Rashid's central government on its inhabitants. The idea of punishment was initiated as well with the Barmakids. This shows his lack of a proper ruling system, since he resorted to punishment immediately to fix problems. He also went to his mentor when giving complete executive powers for the administration. He did not seek who was best qualified but just a person he knew, and this was definitely dangerous considering the amount of power he gave and what happened before when others had control in his government. By doing this, he again shows his weakness. The Wikipedia article helps in answering some questions, but the lack of his political authority in the piece presents the need for more information. In order to search for this in Google, one would write Harun al-Rashid political influence in the search engine. To refine the search, one could access "more" on the Google toolbar, hit "even more" at the bottom , and then scroll to "specialized search" and press "scholar". This would provide definite accurate information.

Harun al-Rashid's link to fantasies and tales explains the reason for his prevalence in pop culture. The article clearly identifies this by stating how the Thousand-and-One Nights stories turned al-Rashid into a legend rather than a historical figure. This also gives a reasonable explanation for his fame and notoriety. His accomplishments are not as substantial as other leaders in the past, but the numerous tales about his court made him famous. The article adds to this by including some of the stories and how significant they were. One such tale was about a clock that he sent to Charlemagne which appeared to play tricks. Another indication of his being a part of pop culture, which is included in the article, is that music and art boomed during his time. Therefore, it opens his reign to more cultural activity than others before.

Benjamin of Tudela's Credibility based on Baghdad and Constantinople

Based on the readings by Benjamin of Tudela on Constantinople and Baghdad, he can be considered as a biased writer. In his account of Baghdad, he only explains the Abbasid caliph and his palace in detail while his description of Constantinople includes almost all aspects of the city. His favoritism towards this specific part of Baghdad especially the caliph is clearly evident through the lengthy explanation of this leader's power, wealth, generosity, and righteousness. However, he fails to provide any significant details about other life such as the citizens. He also does not include much about the economy of Baghdad, especially in comparison to Constantinople. His description of this city incorporated how merchants constantly came there and the large amount of tribute brought to Constantinople. His depiction of this capital, while it may be less enthusiastic than his account on the caliph and Baghdad, still serves as a better objective viewpoint since includes almost all facets of the city. Due to his like of the Abbasid caliph as indicated by his repetition of how great and kind this man is, Benjamin seems to favor Baghdad more. Also, the writing on Constantinople compared its wealth to nothing like it in the whole world. However, this makes him appear unqualified because of his inability to know that this city's prosperity is better than all others on earth. In describing Baghdad, he includes that the city was like no other in all of Mesopotamia. By limiting the region of comparison, he makes himself more accurate in his account but, it again shows his favoritism towards Baghdad since he decided to refine his comparison when explaining this capital. The clear enjoyment he received from visiting here is easily portrayed in his writing, which leads to the proposition that it is not valid or it is far-fetched. His increased use of the word "great" in the Baghdad depiction as well as the fact that he found a way to incorporate Baghdad in the Constantinople description but not vice versa shows his clear liking for only one city. He even states that Baghdad was great while he was still describing Constantinople. As a result, his bias or personal feelings in portraying Baghdad, even if it was only this capital, causes him to lose some credibility in his other accounts of cities.

Map of Expansion of Dar-Al-Islam

Islam vs. Judaism vs. Christianity vs. Zoroastrianism

The relationship between Allah and human beings, as outlined in the Quran, relate to the teachings of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity; however, these religions also have differences in regards to such a relationship. According to the Quran, there is only one God that followers must worship, Allah. This is similar to both Judaism and Christianity in that Jews only follow Yahweh and Christians only believe in God. On the other hand, Zoroastrians believe in two main gods, Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, as well as six lesser deities. All of these religions had a main prophet who helped in guiding and informing people of the correct relationship to have with their God. For example, Islam had Muhammad and Judaism had Moses. Also, each religion stressed that humans behave to the highest moral standards in order to please their God. In addition, each one incorporated the idea of judgement in that their God would reward those who obeyed him and punish those who did not. Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism all believed that their respective God was almighty and beneficent as well as a divine creator of all things. Each religion similarly included that there is an evil being who is against the followers' God trying to persuade people to follow him instead of their benevolent God. As a result, each religion's God provides the guidelines in which the people must behave accordingly to. Another dissimilarity, however, is that Zoroastrians saw the material world as a sign of kindness from Ahura Mazda and thus, should enjoy it. The other three religions encouraged help to the poor, especially Islam in that the Quran points out that people are expected to share their goods with the needier.

Foltz: Spread of Islam

The spread of Islam according to this reading by Richard C. Foltz supports Bentley's argument of how people convert to religions, which could be from voluntary association, syncretism, or pressure. Muslim control of the western half of the silk roads led to voluntary association, especially among the merchants. A converted businessman would benefit from communication with Muslim traders as well as from the pleasing conditions received from Muslim officials and Islamic laws focused on commerce. Assimilation, or syncretism, also occurred as indicated by the conversion of Central Asians. By living in rural areas, they kept their Iranian (agricultural) or Turkic (pastoral) religious ways while attaining or adding Islamic meanings, interpretations, and appearances. The final factor of pressure could be seen through the political pressure provided by increased Muslim rule over Central Asia. In addition, Islam's convert-or-die method, despite only being used on local rulers who objected the Muslims, still displayed the use of force or threat to spread the religion.

Perspectives of Authors of Descriptions of Constantinople

Ibn Battuta provides a neutral perspective on the city of Constantinople.  In his description, he explains both the negatives and positives of the city, which therefore, balance each other out.  He describes how Constantinople is split into two regions due to a river running through and the second part, Galata, is rebellious, dirty, and filthy.  However, Battuta also gives a depiction of what seems to be the prominent feature for the city, the church, since it is explained as being “one of the greatest churches of the Greeks”.  His portrayal of the other part, Istambul, is definitely neutral because he does appear to be praising anything.  He just gives a list of all of its features such as the bazaars, city-wall, and citadel, but never shows absolute admiration for any of these.  The information Battuta provides can be trusted because of the fact that he was not biased in his descriptions.  Also, he went to great depths to ensure he included everything as indicated by his inclusion of the other, but worse, region of Galata.

Benjamin of Tudela, based on his article, has a positive outlook on Constantinople.  He describes how the wealth of the city cannot be found in any other area of the world.  Also, he includes that the entertainment the emperor provided was like that of no other society.  The description of the Greek inhabitants as looking like princes indicates the extent of the city’s prosperity.  The main point he made to support his positivity was when he expressed that Constantinople was like no other city in the world except Baghdad, another extremely prosperous city as well as the center of Islam.  All of these statements of an indication to the idea that Constantinople is unique in regards to its wealth and high business activity portray Benjamin’s positive perception of this capital.  His description should not be trusted because it appears to have some bias.  His explanations that stated the city or something about the city was like no other in the world are opinionated and assumptions rather than truthful facts.

Liudprand of Cremona's description is clearly presented as a negative perspective on the city of Constantinople.  Throughout his entire account, he consistently and unenthusiastically describes his experiences with the city.  Right at the beginning of this piece, his pessimistic attitude is evident as indicated by his description of the dwelling he was admitted to as a “hateful, waterless, draughty stone house”.  In addition, he depicts the emperor Nicephorus very negatively in that he is described as being “a monstrosity of a man, a dwarf”.  During the procession of the emperor, he attacked the wardrobes of the nobles, tradesmen, and even the emperor.  For example, he portrayed the emperor as looking “more disgusting than ever in the regalia” that was created for him.  This explanation also cannot be trusted because it is full of bias.  It only accounts for his encounter with Constantinople at one period of time.  Unlike the other descriptions, there is no account of any of the city’s features.  The only thing Liudprand did was attack the people, especially the emperor, living in the city.      

Postclassical Era Reading

Based on the reading of the postclassical era, it seems that this period of time will be about rebuilding the empires in the eastern hemisphere. The essay indicated how political and social turmoil led to these societies' downfalls and as a result, restoring order to these fields was a first priority. Also, it sounds as if the empires will become more commercialized and industrialized because of the increase in manufacturing and trading as well as the decrease in cultivation. This time period appears to be a successful era for all of the empires in the eastern hemisphere. For example, with new and advanced agricultural techniques, farming improved and in turn, led to a rise in human population. Also, it allowed more people to be focused on manufacturing, which resulted in an increase in inventions as well as creative, innovational thinking. According to the reading, the different changes that this era brought to these societies would continue to be influential even to this day. For example, the new religions that spread across the empires, such as Islam and Roman Catholic Christianity, are still present nowadays.

Han Emperor's Response to Rome

As a Han Emperor, I would see Rome as a possible friend to the Han Dynasty. The Roman Empire shares similarities with the Han, which makes the two very relatable. For example, there is a postal service with postal stations, which is similar to China. Also, the commoners in Rome are said to have qualities similar to those of the Chinese. In addition, there seems to be no sign of hostility from the Romans since they have always wished to communicate with China. Also, the abundance of wealth and fine goods would be pleasing news to the emperor. With a sign of a want to interact and the sighting of these possible materials, Rome would make a very beneficial trading partner. Even though this empire may appear as a plausible rival because of their power and intelligence at the time since the commoners could write, I would still most likely try to use them as a friend. An affable relationship between the two empires would be highly advantageous for both.

Challenges of Silk Road Map Activity

The challenges that the Silk Road map activity posed included the difficulty of identifying the locations of the cities or other geographical features. It was also difficult to accurately portray the routes of the Silk Road from the reading. At times, the reading did not indicate how the route reached a certain area. For example, one of routes went to the south of the Caspian Sea and then across the Karakorum into India. It was a struggle to try to figure out how that would happen after finding out Karakorum's location. Otherwise, there were no other problems with completing the assignment. In regards to the struggles that these routes may have presented to merchants and caravans, the differing environments along the way would have definitely been an issue. They could be crossing deserts, rivers, or moving through cities. They have to be incredibly prepared for such a journey in advance. Also, traveling such lengths across dangerous and barren terrains such as mountains and deserts can lead to robberies by nomadic herds or barbarians living near the routes. This would add another important challenge for the merchants when it comes to trading.

Map of Silk Roads

Perception of Roman Empire

Based on the the videos, Frontiline and Roman City, and the readings on Romen women in regards to marriage and divorce, my image of the Roman Empire would be negative.  Despite the Romans' advances in the organization of city-building and its striking similarity to the cities of modern times, their negative actions far outweigh any of these positives.  The Roman government was brutal and used force to take down any belief systems or religions that seemed to belittle their power.  For example, according to the Frontline video, one relgious group was completely killed by Roman soldiers following governmental orders.  They were not exiled or placed in prison, but were enitrely annihilated and executed.  In addition, women were heavily mistreated and their rights were substanially limited.  The readings on both divorce and marriage favored men much more than women.  They did not have consent in being married and punishments for a wronged divorce were much higher for females than for males.  As a result, my perspective, in respects to this empire, leans towards the negative side because of these issues.

Rome's Transition from Republic to Empire

Political and social unrest as well as land expansion led to Rome's transition from a republic to an empire. As the Roman Republic expanded its authority and more people came under their control, it became increasingly difficult for a republic to govern. The laws of the government under the Republic written down in The Twelve Tables did not suit in ruling Rome's newly acquired masses of people. In addition, the aristocrats, or patricians, had the power in a republic, and thus, filled governmental positions. The patricians used this control to better themselves and take down anyone who disagreed such as the land reformer, Tiberius Gracchus. This difference eventually caused social disagreement between the patricians and plebeians, leading to a civil war between Marius, the people's representative, and Sulla, the leader of the patricians. The end of the Republic's reign finally came after Caesar's assassination and Augustus came to power. He enacted reforms that set up a centralized government and kept mostly everyone in the empire under control. By expanding Rome's dominance in the Mediterranean and abroad, a republic was no longer practical and centralized rule was needed to govern this empire's enlargement.

Alexander the Great as President

Alexander the Great would not be electable as the President of the United States during modern times. Despite his charismatic and influential leadership, his numerous flaws outweigh these positives. There is a good amount of historical information about him as a leader, especially a military one. This is important since the U.S. President is the commander in chief of the military. However, his desire of expanding the empire and seeking revenge on enemies would not work in present times. If he did this, he would put the country in war continuously and that is not what Americans want. Also, his anger, drinking problem, and problem-solving would not coincide with the values American citizens uphold for the President. Alexander used force to fix things that did not go his way, whereas today, there is more negotiation and plans to resolve the issues. In addition, it does not seem that Alexander was strong in regards to economic concerns, which is again another important aspect of presidency. Alexander the Great, even with his ability to lead, does not have all the essential qualities Americans today look for in a President. Additionally, his negative attributes restrain him from being electable as a President.

King Abdullah II of Jordan

King Abdullah II of Jordan can succeed in transitioning his country into a democracy. From experiencing democracy's implementation in nearby nations, he knows how he must go about in this movement. For example, he learned that holding elections first and then changing the constitution results in the government not having a strong foundation regarding laws. This can lead to delayed elections if it takes longer to modify the constitution or the newly elected officials to acquire more power. Jordan does it differently in that the constitution is changed first and afterwards, elections are held. In this regard, the new people who are chosen have a defined role and cannot alter the rules to better themselves. Also, King Abdullah II realizes that this a long process and will take a few years before completing. It is not something that can be enforced immediately but needs to be gradually engrained. In addition, he feels that Arab Spring, the protests for a change in government in Middle Eastern countries, is a good thing for Jordan and therefore, agrees with the change. As a result, democracy can be implemented easier with the help of the country's king. The country is also smaller compared to the others who have tried democracy, such as Egypt and Iraq, which is significant for this type of government to run successfully. However, again, it will take time to get all the citizens well-informed and capable to make the decisions needed for the sustainment of the nation.

Democracy

A democracy is a type of government in which all citizens have an equal vote. The advantages or pros of such a system is it allows lower class individuals to feel as if they are a part of the government. In addition, it does not give one leader or group of rulers sole power over the region. This government gives the people in the society a say in how they are ruled or wish to be ruled. The disadvantages or cons of democracy are that some individuals are not educated enough or well-informed to make important governmental decisions. Also, acquiring all the votes from the area takes a long time.
Democracy is better suited for small societies than it would be if utilized in larger civilizations. The government becomes impractical as more people become a part of the governed region. A larger population leads to an increase in the number of equal voters, which means a more time-consuming process. Also, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep everyone informed when the number of people rises. There is a higher chance of agreement among the population as well when there are fewer individuals because it takes less people to reach a general consensus.

Ashokavadana pg. 223

Answer:

This story from the Ashokavadana may have appealed to various groups of early Buddhists because it portrayed every human being as equal no matter what caste they were in. Since King Ashoka bowed at the Buddhist monks' feet, he showed that they had the same amount of reverence as he did. Coming from all different areas of the caste system, it was important for early Buddhists to be taught equality. This selection, in promoting this principle, would then definitely attract many of the religion's followers. The passage also ensures that they have the support of the leader; adhering to the religion is much easier without the threat of religious persecution from the government. In addition, Buddhist monks would favor such a story because Ashoka explained how one cannot be focused solely on superiority. They have to see everyone in the same light and not act arrogantly towards others. In this way, the lower classes that made up the group of monks would be treated similarly to those with more power and wealth.

Map of China: Qin and Han Dynasties

Differences between Indian and Chinese Dynasties

There were definitely differences between the Chinese and Indian dynasties especially in regards to their political systems. Despite the fact that both developed centralized bureaucracies, China's was more large-scale while India's was more tightly organized. Also, China's rulers entrusted the communication and implementation of their policies to officers in the court. India, mainly the Gupta Dynasty, had their allies enforce the principles of the government. This leads to separations of the kingdom as well as a less strict enforcement of the rules. During the Chinese dynasties, imperial rule was much more successful than it was throughout the Indian dynasties. In addition, India became regional kingdoms more than they became centralized empires like China and even Persia. Other than the dissimilarities in governmental systems, China and India also differed in social order. India created a much more advanced caste system than China in that it developed to even include subgroups called jati. Despite these differences, similarities did exist between these two societies' dynasties.

Mencius and Xun Zi Beliefs on Human Nature

Mencius believes that all men are born with four principles that are associated with goodness. These are benevolence, or kindness, righteousness, propriety, or appropriate behavior, and knowledge. They must develop these standards of correct moral conduct and then they will be better servants of the kingdom. However, if they do not allow them to grow and evolve, the result is an inability to serve properly. His other belief is that every man does not want suffering for others. According to these thoughts, Mencius feels everyone has good in them. He also points out that the early leaders who understood these ideas and utilized them ran a very smooth government. In addition, Mencius indicates that a government without any harsh implications will satisfy their own people as well as gain the respect from neighbors.

Xun Zi believes that human nature is bad and good is a human product. He feels that the man is born with desires and if adhered to, will result in turmoil, violence, and inappropriate behavior. In order to become good, one must be educated by teachers and other good gentleman. They must also learn rituals and moral principles and follow laws and limitations. He keeps referencing, similar to Mencius, how in ancient times the kings knew that man was naturally bad and needed these things to be good. Therefore, order was established and things were peaceful. Xun Zi also adds that influence impacts all people, meaning that listening to bad people will lead to engaging in wrong behavior. However, if one follows those who are good, then they will in turn act properly.

I do not fully line up with either of these two opinions. I believe we are born with the free will to chose between good and evil. We are not automatically born good or born bad. Based on the formation of our conscience and the maturity of our moral standards as we grow up, we can then decide which path to pursue. We always have the free ability to change the choice we make. If there is one that I somewhat agree with, it would be Xun Zi's belief. Even though I do not believe that we are born bad, I agree with his idea that with correct education about morals, we can become good people.

Answers to Questions on Confucian Analects

Is this a religion or not? Why do you think so?

This is not a religion because according to the definition of religion, it is a belief in a divine power. In Confucianism, no such belief exists. It is more of a philosophy that tries to explain moral standards and how the government should behave. Even though it has followers and a few components that could make it a religion, it does not have the key idea that sets it apart from a school of thought and puts it into the realms of religion.

Does this reading support the idea that people are born good/bad/neutral? Cite three examples that support your point of view.

The reading suggests that people are born neutral and then either become good or bad depending upon their experiences and family generations before. For example, a man should observe his father's behavior and after the father dies, if he "...does not alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial" (7). The man will learn from the actions of his parents and then follow their morals, thus having a part in the decision of being good or bad. Also, when one is treated with correct moral standards and "...led by virtue..." (10), "...they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good" (10). One becomes good as well based on the altercations with others (their experiences). A person will act based on how others behave towards them, and this could lead to either good or bad behavior. He or she, if "...respect is shown according to what is proper..." (8), "...keeps far from shame and disgrace" (8). When a man is born, he or she starts with a clean slate, and then as experiences and family influences occur, the person becomes morally good or morally bad.

Map of Persian Empire

Answer to Question Pg. 176

Primary Source Text: Zarathustra on Good and Evil

What assumptions does Zarathustra make about human nature and the capacity of human beings to make morally good choices out of their own free will?

Zarathustra assumes that all human beings have the ability to make morally good choices out of their own free will.  However, in truth, some do not always choose this way.  He feels this occurs because of human nature's constant struggle within oneself to make the right choices all the time.  In order to ensure this happens, one must feed oneself with goodness.  Perfoming righteous deeds is one way in which human beings can do this.

Part 2 of History Head Project: Comments

Hey Lynn,

I liked how you drew all your images.  They really came out nice and definitely added a lot of creativity to your project. All the pictures were a perfect size and could be easily seen.  The writing for both the key and the timeline, on the other hand, could have been a little bit larger.  You have to get pretty close in order to read them.  Both of our societies, mine was India, had patriarchal societies and a leader to run the society or kingdoms of the society.  However, there were differences between our two societies.  Unlike the Mesoamerican king who had servants and seemed to have more control, the Indian tribal chief had advisers and much less power.  I’m just wondering why you chose to put the calendar as part of the first theme, interaction between humans and environment?  It seems more fitting for the second theme, which incorporates science and technology.

-Mark Whitney

 

Hey Holly,
 

The idea of constructing the caste system yourself was very creative.  I also liked how you showed the nomadic tribes that influenced ancient China.  Some of the images were unclear though, and it was difficult to figure out what they represented.  You could try getting clearer pictures or drawing them in yourself next time.  I did my history head on India and it also had a caste system that they had to follow.  However, China’s had more distinctions; India only had four.  I also noticed something different between the societies.  Even though both were influenced by outside tribes, unlike yours, which used them to assist in trade, India interacted with them more culturally and adopted some of their religious beliefs.  I just was not sure what theme the picture outside the head on the bottom right and the one inside all the way to the right depicted?
 

-Mark Whitney  

 

Five Themes Project

Thoughts on Essay and Test

      The test and the essay on the specifc chapters from the textbook were both challenging assessments.  In regards to the test, time was not a problem and some of the questions were straightforward and relatively easy to answer.  However, there were others that were more diffcult and required a longer time to think about.  I felt that I did much better on the test in comparison to the essay.  For the essay, time became an issue.  By the time I understood and decided where I was going with the prompt, I had left myself with too little room to write the complete essay I planned on writing.  On the test, I felt I gave myself the best opportunity to do well since I had enough time to go through and answer each question.  On the other hand, the essay was not as complete as it should have been.
     I definitely felt relieved after completing both assessments.  I feel glad that we are done with the first two major assignments of the year and I like that it prepares us for the rest of them.  For my next essay, I have to organize my thoughts quicker and establish my outline fast enough to allow myself enough time to put together quality writing.  On all upcoming tests, I will review and study for as long as I can before the day of the assessment.  This means that the day we are informed about our next test is the day in which I begin to look over my previous notes.  Thus, I can pace myself so on the night before, I can just tie everything I studied back together in one final review.  As for these first assignments, I believed I was prepared.  I read and took notes on all six chapters.  As a result, I was able to go back and review my notes when it came time for studying.  The notes definitely helped in organizing the load of information from each chapter.  Both assignments were difficult, but in the end, I feel the test was a little bit easier than the essay.