Cultures of the Medieval World

in CULTURES OF THE MEDIEVAL WORLD ● Aspects of Culture ○ RELIGION: What religion did they practice? How did it influence their lives? ○ SOCIAL INTERACTIONS: How did they interact with each other and others? ○ TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIONS: What technology/innovations existed? are How did these influence their lives? ○ EDUCATION: How did education (what they learned, how they learned, etc.) shape their society? ○ ARTS: What arts (music, art, architecture, etc.) existed? What role does it play society? ● EUROPE and BYZANTINE EMPIRE ○ Christianity: A Brief Overview ■ Christianity is a monotheistic religion that stemmed from Judaisim approximately 2000 years ago. ■ Christianity is the term for the umbrella region, which means that there many different branches that fall under the Christianity category. ● Two of these branches are the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and the Eastern Orthodox Church (EOC). ○ The “East” and the “West” ■ The European Kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire were once part of the original Roman Empire, until it split into two halves: ● The Holy Roman Empire ● The Byzantine Empire ■ They both practiced Christianity ○ Comparison: The East and the West ■ There were major cultural, political, and religious differences that caused conflict between the two areas, leading to the Great Schism in 1054. ○ The Great Schism of 1054 ■ The Christian Church that united the Byzantine Empire and the European kingdoms split. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church split from each other in 1054, known as the Great Schism ● Three major disagreements led to this split: ○ Should icons be allowed in the Church? ○ Who is the rightful ruler? ○ Excommunication ■ Iconoclasm ● Christians in the East believed that people were wrongly worshiping icons as if they were divine. Byzantine Emperor Leo III banned the use of religious images in all Christian churches and homes. ○ This policy of iconoclasm led to the destruction of much religious art. ■ Holy Roman Emperor ● Pope Leo III had to crown the next Holy Roman Emperor. He chose King Charlemagne of the Franks rather than Empress Irene of the Byzantine Empire ○ Outraged Byzantine Empire ■ Excommunication ● Cerularius, the patriarch of Constantinople is excommunicated by Cardinal Humbert for closing all churches that worship with western rites. ● Cerularius responds by excommunicating Cardinal Humbert. While he did not have the official power to do this, this act signified that the split between east and west was complete. ○ Culture of Medieval Europe ■ Art in Medieval Europe ● Religious art (icons) ● Most people in medieval Europe did not know how to read or write, so this type of art helped tell the story of the Church in a way that most people could understand. ■ Architecture in Medieval Europe ● Cathedrals - visible expressions of Europe’s Christian devotion, they were built by hand and took over 50 years to complete. ● Built to inspire awe, built in the Gothic style ■ Education in Medieval Europe ● Most schooling occurred in the monasteries in Europe, as the monks would copy the ancient texts, preserving the language of Latin ● These studies paved the way for universities in Europe, where scholars could study Latin, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. ○ Crusades ■ Seljuk Turks Take Over ● The Islamic Empire came under the rule of the Seljuk Turks during the 10th century. As the Seljuk Turks expanded, they took over Syria and Palestine, also conquering Anatolia ○ As Muslims spread and got closer to Europe, the Europeans became alarmed and worried that they would take the property of the Christians living in the Byzantine Empire and the rest of Europe ■ Jerusalem: A Sacred City ● Jerusalem was an important site for Judaism, Christianity, AND Islam ○ Judaism - It was their capital city during ancient times and the site of the Great Temple ○ Christianity - It was the city where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead ○ Islam - It was where Muhammad ascended to Heaven during his Night Journey ● Because of this, Jerusalem and the Holy Land were frequently visited by all Christians and Jews making pilgrimages to their holy sites ■ The Fight for the Holy Land ● Early on, the Islamic Empire was tolerant of Christians and Jews making pilgrimages to Jerusalem and living there ○ When the Seljuk Turks took over, this changed ● They were intolerant of Christians and Jews and there were reports of Christians and Jews being robbed and killed as they tried to visit the Holy Land ○ Christians from Europe began arming themselves as they traveled to the Holy Land ● Set the stage for European Christians to launch a series of wars to reclaim the Holy Land, known as the Crusades ● ISLAMIC EMPIRE ○ Core Teachings and Beliefs of Islam ■ The Religion of Islam has many core teachings, beliefs, and practices that guide Muslims in their faith. ■ The Five Pillars of Islam are the basic acts of worship that Muslims perform on a regular basis. ● Faith, prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage ■ In addition to these acts of worship, several other teachings of Islam influence Muslims’ lives: ● The Qur’an, the Sunnah, Jihad ○ Islamic Empire and Cultural Diffusion ■ The Islamic lands were ideally located for cultural diffusion. Muslims learned from other cultures and helped spread their own cultural influences to other places. ● Cultural Diffusion: The spread of cultural elements from one society to another ● Example: Papermaking from the Chinese passed through the Islamic Empire to Europe ● WEST AFRICA ○ Islam Spreads into West Africa ■ The religion of Islam spread to West Africa primarily through trans-Saharan trade during the medieval time period. ■ As merchants from the Islamic Empire traveled to West Africa for goods like gold and salt, their religious values were shared with the people they encountered along the way. ○ Religious Shift in West Africa ■ Religious shift that occurred in West Africa is a result of cultural diffusion ● West Africa had its own traditional religious values before Islam spread there ● As Islam reached the region, West African religion began to shift as it took on many values and practices associated with Islam ○ Mansa Musa’s hajj and promotion of Islam in Mali helped to promote Islam in West Africa ● Traditional religion in West Africa and Islam coexisted, people of West Africa often blended Islamic culture with their own local traditions ○ Influence of Islam in West Africa ■ Government and Law: West African rulers adopted Islamic titles, like emir, amir, and sultan, and Islamic law replaced much of their traditional laws. ■ Religion: Many people started to adopt aspects of Islam into their religion, while still maintaining certain aspects of their own traditional religion, like praying to their ancestral spirits. ■ Education: Education was encouraged. Schools were opened, and Timbuktu became famous for its community of Islamic scholars. ■ Language: Islam introduced a common language among West African tribes: Arabic ■ Architecture: The influence of Islam brought new styles of architecture to West Africa. ● Mosques ● New design for houses - Homes used to be round with cone-shaped, thatched roofs. Now homes were rectangular with flat roofs. ■ Decorative Arts: The culture of Islam influenced the type of art that was created in West Africa, including writing styles, designs and clothing ● Calligraphy ● Geometric patterns ● Arabic robe ● CHINA ○ Confucianism in Chinese Society ■ Teachings of Confucius were the basis for the information of the Civil Service Exam in medieval China ● Confucianism is the earliest traditional “religion” that evolved in China ● Hugely influential in early Chinese society ○ Stressed how people should behave in society, taught respect and obedience ■ Other Belief Systems in Chinese Society ● Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism (blend of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism) ○ Foreign Policy in Yuan Dynasty ■ The Mongols and the Yuan Dynasty ● Mongols, under the rule of Kublai Khan, conquered China in 1279 and ruled for nearly 100 years ○ Promoted and encouraged trade, and welcomed foreign merchants ○ Helped to make trade easier by setting up stations every 20 miles along the Silk Road for merchants to find food and a place to sleep. Also made the Silk Road safer. ■ Trade and Cultural Diffusion in the Yuan Dynasty ● China was exposed to many new goods and ideas through their active promotion of trade in the Yuan Dynasty ■ Foreigners in the Yuan Dynasty ● Foreigners had a high status in society and were given certain privileges ○ They could travel freely (Chinese merchants could not do this) ○ They did not have to pay taxes ○ They spoke other languages (which the native Chinese were not allowed to learn) ● Kublai Khan also appointed foreigners to government positions in his government, like Marco Polo (a merchant from Italy), who was sent on inspection tours around China for the emperor ■ Native Chinese in the Yuan Dynasty ● In the Yuan Dynasty, life was much less pleasant for the native Chinese ○ They were at the bottom of the social order ○ They resented the restrictions placed on them ○ They disliked being ruled by foreigners, who were often harsh and dishonest ● This resentment and distrust of foreigners built up over time ● When the Yuan Dynasty fell and the Ming Dynasty began, their foreign policy reflected these suspicions ○ Foreign Policy in the Ming Dynasty ■ Replaced the Yuan dynasty and ruled China for nearly 300 years ■ Early Ming emperors were very interested in contact with foreign lands ● Zheng He was sent out by the emperor to visit foreign lands and make new contacts for China. ■ The later Ming officials attempted to restrict trade. They wanted to protect their people from foreign influences. ● They forbade travel outside China and contact between Chinese people and foreigners had to be approved by the government ● JAPAN ○ Japan’s Foreign Interaction ■ Because Japan was an archipelago, they were able to control their interaction with other societies ● Certain points in history that Japan openly interacted with its neighboring countries like China, Korea, and India ○ As a result, the culture that developed in Japan has evidence of influence from these neighboring countries ■ Cultural Diffusion in Japan ● Japan’s government became very interested in foreign interaction in the late 500s, and started sending government officials and other groups to China ● The people sent by the Japanese government overseas to China would remain on the mainland for a few years, and would return to Japan with new ideas and things they learned for other cultures ○ Japan’s Unique Culture ■ As a result of these foreign contacts, the Japanese acquired new ideas in religion, the arts, architecture, and writing ● Japanese blended these new ideas with their own to create their own unique culture ○ Samurai Culture and Training ■ Military Training for Samurai ● Samurai wore intricate armor to protect their bodies, and iron masks to protect their faces; they were armed with bows, arrows, spears, and swords ● The training for samurai began at a young age, and were trained to be fearless warriors, and to fight with anything as a weapon ■ Samurai’s Code of Behavior ● Samurai were highly respected and were role models for other people in Japanese society ● The Samurai had a code of behavior by which they were supposed to live their lives - Code of Bushido, “The Way of the Warrior” ■ Code of Bushido ● Samurai were expected to: ○ Be honest, fair, fearless in the face of death, value loyalty, value personal honor more than their own lives ● They were expected to be loyal to their lord, and guard their personal honor ■ Seppuku ● Samurai are expected to perform seppuku if they fail to live up to the code of Bushido. Some examples of reasons for performing seppuku: ○ Preserving personal honor, avoiding capture in battle, to pay for a crime, pay for a shameful deed, pay for an insult to a person of higher rank, when their lord dies, as a form of protest against injustice ● Seppuku: the Japanese practice of a ritual suicide ■ Cultural Expectations of a Samurai ● When Japan was in a peaceful period, the samurai had expectations to uphold and exemplify what was important in Japanese culture ○ They served as role models and examples for the rest of society, and were expected to train and excel in mental training, writing and literature, and spiritual strength.