This was the most boring part of the book so far. Perhaps, that is due to the fact that, even as the author admits: “Historians, frankly, have had some difficulty in defining a distinct identity for this millennium, and this problem is reflected in the vague terms used to describe it” (Strayer 209). The entire three chapters were difficult for me to pin down, but I will do my best to reflect on them in today’s blog.
Chapter 8 focuses on the “globalization of civilization.” It discusses various routes of travel that connected people in a way that had not previously been possible, and we learn about large empires, and the effect of nomadic peoples on civilizations. The evolution of travel was of particular significance, as this spread religion and disease, but most importantly, material goods. The spread of commerce, either via the Silk Road, the Sea Roads, or the Sand Roads, greatly enhanced the lives of people during this time, motivating them to increase production. Civilizations such as China capitalized on their large population, and other empires used slave labor to enhance the bottom line of their production.
The Silk Road crossed Eurasia and the Sahara, transporting mostly luxury goods, but spreading them nonetheless. This travel, while expensive, connected cities in a way that had never before been possible. Most trading was done by relay, so it’s not as if someone living in China would have direct contact with a person in Antioch, but it allowed people in faraway lands to have a sense that something “exotic” lived not so far away that they couldn’t someday imagine visiting it. It took away some of the fear associated with the completely unknown. Not that xenophobia didn’t exist—in some ways travel might have enhanced it, but the routes at least got people thinking about other cultures, and wondering for instance, what kind of person might have made the silk cloth that was being used to make their clothing. It wasn’t just silk that was carried from China to Antioch, but gunpowder, ginger and bamboo also made the trip. From other parts of Asia, furs and livestock, slaves and horses were introduced. From India, cotton and spices were shipped, and the Middle East contributed dates, nuts and dyes to the world trading system. From the Mediterranean basin, gold coins, perfume, linen and olive oil were a few of the products that found their way into the economic systems of distant lands.
More important even than consumer goods were the religions that made their way across the land. Buddhism made its way from India to China, and Zoroastrianism, which began in Persia, became popular in India. Buddhism appealed to the wealthy because, although the initial teachings of the religion preached turning away from the material world, one form of the teachings had changed to allow the building of monasteries and contributing financially to monks as a way of earning “points” on your way to Nirvana. The wealthy Buddhists tried living a moral life and using meditation as a means of worship. The religions also taught that suffering, some brought on by disease, was a means of a better life the next time around.
Disease devastated many groups of people, allowing them to be taken over by invading armies. The Byzantine capital of Constantinople lost about 10,000 people PER DAY during a 40-day period in 534 C.E. In four years, about one-third of Europe’s population died from the “Black Death,” or bubonic plague. Disease—and fortune--were spread by sea travel as well as travel by land.
Travel by sea, across the Indian Ocean, revolutionized communication and trade between Asia and Africa, allowing cities in Southeast Asia to prosper. It facilitated the revitalization of China, as the economy boomed from the new trade, providing an economic foundation to launch a civilization based on the principles of Confucius, but allowing for more religious freedom of thought through Buddhism. What are now Vietnam, Korea and Japan were able to get in on the trading, and were also able to maintain political autonomy. These communities developed a language based on the Chinese language, but each created their own version. This gave them more independence from powerful China. They successfully resisted military control, even while participating in China’s “tribute system.” The tribute system required people who wanted to trade with China to bring gifts to the emperor. They had to bow down, telling him how great he was (I use “him” here, because all of the emperors were men except Empress Wu). The emperor would then offer a gift of his own to the trader. This continued, even when China was economically inferior to the person who wanted to trade. In these cases, the gifts coming from the emperor were worth more than what was given; the practice was just used as a show of subservience and respect. The nomadic people charged China for “protection.” They maintained their own culture and customs, and did not assimilate into the Chinese system. They were independent and powerful enough that they could afford to remain autonomous.
In Chapter 10, we learn about the spread of Christianity throughout Europe. This religion could have united the area, but instead, the differences deeply divided people. The Byzantine state had a centralized government in its capital, Constantinople. There, the emperor decided he was God’s representative, and equal to the apostles. But the government didn’t really make an impact on the average person, as they were busy trying to earn a living while the emperor and his people were busy collecting taxes. They did not believe in a separation of church and state, but believed that the emperor was both the head of the church and the head of the state. This didn’t sit well with people outside the empire. The Byzantines believed in the Greek philosophy, and allowed their priests to wear beards and marry. They did not believe in religious icons. This is contrary to the beliefs of Catholics, who believe that their priests must shave, cannot marry, and had symbols and statues to remind them of God and Jesus. These ideas could not co-exist, as each side felt they had the one, true path to God, and the other side was going to hell and taking all their followers with them. This division launched the Crusades, where the Catholic Pope passed through Byzantium and killed a bunch of people, ransacked the churches and took over the country for 50 years.
Christianity pretty much took over Europe, with Catholics waging “holy wars” for 400 years. The two sides believed they were fighting for the spiritual health of all Christians. They also decided to take over Jerusalem, killing Muslims and Jewish people. This part of the book is so reminiscent to me of the rift between the fundamentalist Christians and the normal Christians. It’s always people who are extreme, and feel the need to force their belief system on other people that makes religion such a downer. Why don’t they understand that God isn’t about fear? I thought Christians were supposed to “love one another.” It seems they only really love the ones who agree with them.
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