World History Notes - The Shapes of Human Communities

Chapter 12 The Shapes of Human Communities Paleolithic Persistence: Australia and North America Australians practiced a hunting and gathering way of life Agricultural practices were not penetrated in Australia They manipulated their environment "Firestick farming" -> pattern of deliberately set fires This cleared bushes making hunting easier Native Australians traded goods among themselves over distances of hundreds of miles Developed traditions of sculpture and rock painting In N. America, civilizations like Chinookan, Tulalip, Skagit, and etc... also lived a hunting and gathering way of life. They are different from the Australians because they have permanent settlements, economic specialization, ranked societies (sometimes includes slavery), powerful clan leaders that dominated chiefdoms, and large storage of food By the time of the Agricultural Revolution, hunting and gathering peoples started to decrease Agricultural Village Societies: The Igbo and the Iroquois In W. Africa, East of the Niger River, lay the land of Igbo peoples Igbo peoples and their neighbors did not live in isolated, self-contained societies They traded among themselves and with other distant peoples, such as the African kingdom of Songhay As the use of agriculture increased, population grew, settlement size increased, and more people emerged Agriculture was largely seen as women's work The increased level of conflict among Iroquois peoples triggered a remarkable political innovation in the 15th century. The 5 groups of Iroquois-speaking peoples - the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca - made an agreement (Great Law of Peace) They called themselves the Five Nations The Iroquois did not allow anyone to be superior to another person Women and men were equal Married couples lived with the wife's family Women controlled agriculture and property Men were hunters, warriors, and the primary political officeholders Pastoral Peoples: Central Asia and West Africa Pastoral people in Africa stayed independent or established empires centuries longer than those of Inner Asia. Fulbe -> W. Africa's largest pastoral society They migrated eastward after 1000 CE They lived in small communities, unlike Inner Asia They also paid various grazing fees and taxes for the privilege of pasturing their cattle. As they moved eastward, they began to adopt Islam Some dropped pastoral life to settle in towns where they could worship the faith and become highly respected religious leaders. Civilizations of the 15th Century: Comparing China and Europe Ming Dynasty China During the Ming Dynasty, China recovered from the Mongol rule and the plague. In the early decades of the dynasty, all signs of foreign rule was to be eliminated Mongol names and clothing was prohibited. Emperor was Yongle The capital was relocated to Beijing The Forbidden City was built along with the Temple of Heaven The Civil Service Exam was reestablished Power was only in the hand of the emperor The state vigorously tried to repair the damage the Mongol made Canals were rebuilt, along with reservoirs and irrigation works. A billion trees were planted As a result, economy rebounded, both international and domestic trade flourished, and population grew. By 15th century, China had fully recovered. Yongle launched the expedition to other areas in 1405 Zheng He was the captain of these voyages. This expedition served to establish Chinese power and prestige in the Indian Ocean Chinese did not go on these expedition to settle, conquer, or spread their culture. They went to intervene in a number of local disputes Removed the jizya on non-Muslims Tolerated other religions Constructed a House of Worship where intellectual discussion occurred from representatives of many religions: Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism Mughal Empire was in favor of cosmopolitan and hybrid Indian-Persian-Turkic culture. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (1564-1624) -> a philosopher who claimed to be the "renewer" of of authentic Islam Aurangzeb -> the emperor that reversed Akbar's policy of accommodation and wanted to impose Islamic supremacy. He forbade sati Music and dancing were now banned at court Gambling, drinking, prostitution, and narcotics were all suppressed The jizya was imposed again and many Hindu temples were destroyed. After Aurangzeb's death, the Europeans (British) took over in the second half of the 18th century. Muslims and Christians in the Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire was also the creation of Turkic warrior groups They had to protect Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina (the holy cities of Islam) As they expanded across Anatolia, many Christians converted to Islam as the Byzantine weakened By 1500, 90% of Anatolia's population was Muslim and Turkic speakers Class Discussion Miscegenation -> racial mixing Dini-Ilahi -> the religion Akbar created In the region of Punjab, Sikkism was very important