Chapter 10 Blog- The Worlds of Christendom

A main focus as pertaining to chapter 10 is all about the Christian religion. This chapter touches on a few main eras. The ones I'm blogging about are; Asian, African, Byzantine State and practicing  Christianity. To start, it is a fact that anyone can celebrate and convert to Christianity. Most typically think of specific cultures practicing the beliefs of Jesus. Especially in places like the United States. To elaborate, in 1990 a Chinese woman by the name of Yao Hong discovered, at the age of twenty, that her husband committed adultery. After such a horrible personal experience, Hong then strayed away from her own religion and converted to Christianity. She felt a sense of love and family within the Christian Community.  To add on, in the past three decades or so other Asian countries chose to welcome Christianity into their life just like Yao. Moving forward to the pentecostal protestants expanded during the twentieth century. Progressing forward in time Christianity diminished in Arabia, the homeland of Islam. They ended up getting rid of earlier Christian communities quickly. Also, only a few Christian groups remained after Muhammad's death in 632.  The churches such as the ones seen in Middle East, too  found themselves on the defensive with membership going down in the presence of expanding Islam. Then there is the Byzantine State which after 1085 the territory shrank. Due to the overrunning by aggressive Western European Powers by Catholic Crusaders and Turkic Muslim invaders. Ending in 1453, the Turkin Ottoman Empire claimed and ruled over Constantinople. Eastern Orthodox Christianity had a widespread effect on every bit of Byzantine life. In conclusion, lots of the elements of Christendom had a long life during the third-wave. This extended way on to the modern era. 

Chapter 6 Part 3 Blog

In chapter 6 part 3, there was a problem in defining a millennium especially after the second wave moving onto the third wave. Islam was the most important, expansive and the largest of the new third wave. This was created in Arabia in the seventh century C.E. Another different historical pattern at the time of the Third Wave Millenium was involving those older civilizations that carry on or were constructed. Many takes on this idea of carrying on or renewing older traditions took form. A pattern ended up taking form in Western Europe after the ending of the Roman Empire. Western Europian civilizations came forth growing at a rapid rate and expansive group of competitive states wanting like other new civilizations to use from more formed neighbors

Blog on Chpt. 5 Society and Inequality in Eurasia/North Africa

In chapter 5, China was seen as very unique in the ancient world. Chinese bureaucrats searched for administrators who were loyal to the central state more than to their own families and regions.  In China around the time of 200 B.C.E, they started using a meritocracy system for this purpose. They used this as a way to award official positions to those they saw fit. Today, the best test takers get the best positions in business and government. To add on in 124 B.C.E, Emperor Wu Di started an imperial academy where probable officers were instructed as scholars. They had a focus on Confucius' teachings. As well as being exposed to; history, literature, art, and mathematics.   

India, on the other hand was most famous for its caste system.  This is in opposition to China's meritocracy rewarding anyone and everyone based on their ability.  In India, this wasn't true.  The caste system bottomed out with the lowest caste and those in the lowest group could not ever succeed.  By around 500 BCE, four classes, Varnas, which everyone was born into and remained in for the rest of their lives:   at the high most point were the Brahmins who were priests, the second highest were the Kshatirya who were the warriors and rules who protected society, the third were the Vaisya class who were originally commoners who were farmers, merchants, and artisans.  These three classes were called Aryans or those that were "twice born".  Fourthly, far below the Aryans were the Sudras who were the native peoples regarding as the serving class for the higher classes.  Lastly, these four classes were formed from the body of a god.  Outside of the caste system were the "untouchables" who were even below the Sudras and worked in garbage.  This is the system that people were born into in classical India.

I was interested about how the caste system has effected the youth of India. How they were able to get an education and success. Although we learned that the Untouchables who were much younger were unable to get the education they wanted. 

Intro to part 2 and Chapter 3 blog.

The second waves in civilizations and world history involved greater population growth, states and empires grew that were even bigger than the first civilizations. The first civilizations were fragile as time went on. So, Mesopotamia was taken over by other greater empires (Babylon & Assyria); Egypt was conquered by foreign states (Roman empire being the greatest at the time); Indus Valley became a desert and collapsed politically; the Norte Chico disappeared; the Olmec civilization also collapsed (Mayan collapse was noted as having a huge impact on population in the region);  and China's civilization was plagued by war.  After the First Civilizations; what changed and what didn't?  After these civilizations collapsed there was no going back:  new urban-centered and state-based societies replaced the first civilizations; smaller civilizations arose elsewhere in Ethiopia, West Africa, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam & Cambodia so that civilization began to develop worldwide. These second wave civilizations also collapsed in time; The Roman empire, Han Dynasty in china and Mayan cities. The third wave of civilizations copied older patterns for example China. They borrowed from each other. continuity and civilizations, where the question is how the second and third wave differed from the first. The answer is they didn't differ very much. States rose and fell, kings ruled, women were kept at at a lower status than men, slavery was still prominent and there was a huge divide between the poor. There were no technological breakthroughs. Kings ruled over everyone merchants included. The first civilization was superior to the second and third because of agricultural developments. As far as changes in civilization went world population rose at an increasing rate, the size of states and empires grew even more than during the first civilization. Important innovations occurred; in culture and religion in Confucianism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The caste system in India made things much worse among other things. Communication and exchange improved; World trade grew as well. Basic economic and social patterns remained the same. In Chapter 3, I looked at Eurasian/North Africans in the second wave. By comparing there political and State structures. Here, culture and religious traditions, as mentioned above, are looked at very closely.

Extra Credit Blog Post - North Dakota Access Pipeline

Answers to the Questions of the North Dakota Access Pipeline 

Why is the North Dakota pipeline project controversial?

High potential for water contamination is a huge reason why the North Dakota Access Pipeline project is so controversial. If installed it would bring oil from the "Baakan Fields" eventually linking up to North Texas. Although this may seem cost efficient to some. Others especially Native Americans can agree that its harmful to the land and water supply.

What is historically significant about the way Native Americans are joining forces to protest this? 

For the first time every state and every states tribes are banning together to stop this environmental atrocity. Also to add, whereas previous protests from Natives have been brushed aside. This one in particular has been covered in main stream media across not only the US. but even internationally which include the First Nations from Canada.

 Are the Native American protestors trespassing, as claimed by some? 

Back in 1901 our 26th president Theodore Roosevelt encouraged by executive order established the conservation and preservation of our natural resources. While developing our nations National Parks. Theodore believed in conservation of the land just as the Native Americans still believe in protecting there own territory. Especially in the Cannonball Grasslands region. As claimed by some, the Native American protesters are the ones trespassing. When in actuality this is isn't true. Although, the pipeline hasn't established a final set route through this area. Natives and Environmentalists alike are still worried that it could possibly go through burial sites, water and other sacred sites. The land is owned by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. This tribe has owned the Cannonball Grassland region for decades since after 1876. It doesn't matter what tribe your from. You are always welcomed on a corresponding reservation. So all Indigenous people most specifically the Standing Rock Tribe, who own the land outright, are allowed legally because it belongs to them by treaty.

 Are the Native American protestors trespassing, as claimed by some?  Are they protesting within there rights?

Yes, the indigenous people are practicing within there civil rights. They have peaceful disobedience as well as there rightful perspective regarding there own land. Another point is that, as mentioned above, they are gaining the worlds attention. They haven't brought out any lethal weapons, hurt anyone, broke the law etc. They have tried to stay true to there culture. They stuck with the Martin Luther King theory of peacful protest as opposed to the Malcom X approach of hurting others for power.

Should Americans in other parts of the country support them?

They should support the Native Americans because of the need for clean drinking water, how it would effect the youth of the future, food, nature, the elders etc. We need to stop focusing on Fossil Fuel and find alternative energy sources.

Chapter 2 Blog Post - The Difference between First Civilizations

How did various First Civilizations differ from one another? 

The First Civilizations were marital around the time of 3500 B.C.E to around the time of 3000 B.C.E. With that in mind the various First Civilizations differed from one another. One way that these Civilizations differed from one another is that women were treated differently. In Mesopotamia society, men typically dominated the opposite sex. Women also from the Mesopotamia era who were married had to wear a vail covering there face. On the other hand if a female was a prostitute or a slave she wasn't required to do so. Now moving on to the Egyptian society. Women were allowed to make crucial decisions for themselves as well as others. More so than Mesopotamia women. A key factor is that all Egyptian women were allowed to put a signature on there divorce and marriage papers. Whereas women from Mesopotamia couldn't. They were also not required to were veils if they were married. The Mesopotamia women had a strict rule where it was not an exception.