Transcript Objectives 15 and 16: Global Cultural Diffusion and

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 diffusion
6th-12th centuries
• Muslims
• Crusaders
• Mongols
Mongols in Baghdad
“Diffusers”
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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:
Buddhism
Pepper
Sugar
Cotton
“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 Ocean
Basin, 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 Assisi
Formerly 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