World History Notes - Christian Contraction in Asia and Africa

Chapter 10 Christian Contraction in Asia and Africa Asian Christianity Destruction of earlier Christian communities occurred really quickly It happened within a century after Muhammad's death in 632 In the Middle East, other Jewish and Christian communities also began experiencing the same thing. Muslims built the Dome of the Rock (in 687-691) in Jerusalem Jerusalem was a sacred location for Jews and Christians @ Jews -> contained the stone that Abraham prepared to offer his son, Isaac as a sacrafice to God @ Christians -> was the place where Jesus had visited as a child to converse with learned teachers and later the place where he drove out money changers Abd al-Malik -> an Umayyad caliph He constructed the Dome of the Rock as a way to demonstrate his victorious arrival of a new faith, announcing that Islam was here to stay Christianity prevailed in Persia and Syria Syria and Persian was mainly concentrated with Christians However, when Arabs conquered them, population converted to Islam Christians in Muslim communities were forced to wear distinctive clothing Their churches would be burned along with their fields In Syria, Christians were accepted under Muslim rule Christians were recruited in the administration, schools, translation services, and even the armed forces of the Arab Empire Nestorian Christian communities of Syria, Iraq, and Persia (sometimes called the Church of the East) survived the assult of Islam They abandoned their religious paintings and sculptures, fearing they would offend the Muslims A small Nestorian church, initiated in 635, had taken root in China It was initiated by a Persian missionary monk China's art and literature articulated the Christian message using Buddhist and Daoist concepts In the mid-ninm century, the Chinese state abandoned all religions of foreign origin This includes Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity When the Mongols conquested China later, Christianity was renewed However Mongol rule was short, ending in 1368 A small number of Chinese made sure the faith (Christianity) completely vanished with a rise to Confucianism. African Christianity Africa also faced the same situation as the Middle East, the expansion of Islam In N. Africa, widespread of Islam reduced the number of Christian communities. In Egypt, Christianity became the religion of the majority Many people spoke Coptic and practiced their religion as dhimmis By 13th century, Egypt began experiencing dramatic changes. Christian crusaders from Europe and Mongol invaders from the east threatened Egypt In the mid-fourteenth century, the country witness violent anti-Christian pogroms, destruction of churches, and removal of Christians. 10% of Christians remained in Egypt at the end. New center of African Christianity was taking shape in the 5th and 6th centuries in several kingdoms of Nubia. Nubia -> south of Egypt Parts of the Bible were translated into the Nubian language. By mid-seventh century, the ruling class and commoners had become Christian Nubian army defeated Arab attacks twice. By 1500, Nubian Christianity disappeared because Egypt became more hostile toward Christians. Christianity was also in Ethiopia Rulers of Axum adopted Christianity in the 4th century and so did the general population As Islam spread, Ethiopia became a "Christian island in a Muslim Sea" Ethiopia was protected by its mountainous terrain and its distance from major centers of Islamic power. Temujin's father was murdered by tribal rivals before Temujin turned 10. His father's death forced the family to abandon pastoralism They lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering wild foods. It humiliated the family as their social status dropped Temujin relied on his friends to help build up a small following (group) He allied with other powerful leaders which gave him a boost from Chinese patrons Temujin's rise to power in Mongolia was a surprise to everyone In 1206, Temujin became Chinggis Khan Chinggis Khan -> supreme leader of unified Great Mongol Nation In 1209, the south of Mongolia was attacked This attack lasted half a century Mongols were said to be very strong, capable of defeating anyone they encountered. Explaining the Mongol Moment Mongol fell rapidly similar to the Roman Empire. Mongols did not have much technological superiority Mongol's success lay in their army Mongol warriors were very loyal and disciplined Mongols demanded that their conquered people serve as laborers Artisans, craftsmen, and skilled people were spared from massacre Mongol forces were known as ruthless and brutal Relay stations provided rapid communication across the empire and fostered trade Mongols had 10,000 stations and 200,000 horses Mongols accepted many other religion/beliefs such as Budanism, Christianity, Islam, and Daoism, as long as they did not start political opposition Encountering the Mongols: Comparing Three Cases China and the Mongols Mongols in S. China (under Song rule) were less violent They were granted the Mandate of Heaven The Mongols used Chinese administrative practices and techniques of taxation along with their postal system. Khubilai Khan is the grandson of Chinggis Khan who ruled China as a Mongol from 1271-1294