Chapter 12

The way the chapter catches the reader's attention is by talking about Columbus and challenging the fact that Columbus is celebrated and perhaps he should not because in the writer's eyes he was not who you may have thought he was because of the way he treated the cultures who were in the Americas before he had arrived. To be honest, in my elementary class, we did in fact talk about these topics and how the first European travelers came to America and completely took over and threw out the Indian settlers. This may have not been the most positive that our forefather have done, and no, they were not perfects, but come on! This is how the developing world worked. What ruler before this time did not take over a land without showing a sight of brutality or force? I believe it is the values we have now is what causes people to attack our historic heroes when they have been honored for years and years. There will always be someone who will get bored with the way things are and just cause a big deal like the quote found in the beginning in the book. As mentioned in class, we would not be here if this did not have happened and I can almost guarantee that if it was Columbus, it would had been someone else who may have been even more brutal and merciless.

Moving on, it is interesting that even during the fifteenth century there were still hunting and gathering societies that existed. These hunter gathering societies resided in Australia, Siberia, and Africa. This becoming interesting because in most of Eurasia the hunting gathering days are just about over and most civilizations have moved to agriculture. Since the Australians had been on a distant island, they eventually developed ways to fish, and ways to travel by water, like canoes, which sounds very familiar to one of the routes we just wrote a paper on.

Many of these distant cultures had their own ways of living. Some of which chose not to communicate with others, and others still made trade with other neighboring  groups. Trade enabled them to exchange goods and ideas, and created more development among even the less advanced societies.

Other things that was going on during this century was the increase of maritime travel. Many regions was taking advantage of the new technologies of travel by sea. China had practiced this until 1433 were they then considered the extra travel a waste of resources.

Populations in most regions began to increase, most notably in Europe. Religions continued to be exchanged throughout the world, and some of the Chinese population began to migrated and settle in neighboring territories such as Taiwan and Japan. 
 
by Andrew Murillo

Chapter 11 Documents

There are hardly any documents on the Mongol Empire because they didn't have their own written language. The only found documents we have gives us a little bit of idea of how the Mongol culture may have been. These documents tell us about one relationship that the Mongol people did practice, which was known as anda. Anda was a close relationship between two men,  and we learn a little about this practice from one of the major literary Mongol work, The Secret History of the Mongols. One quote found in the book says that when two men become anda their lives become one and they will always look out for one another. This friendship is close in resemblance to marriage in a religious manner. The Catholic religion considered a married couple one body, bound by their love and promises to one another. Anda is similar except it is between two men. The two men will even sleep together under the same blanket and grant one another gifts that have special personal value.

The first documents also touch base with the views of a newly proclaimed Khan, and his stresses and struggles. The documents show proof of great pride in the position and that the leader strives to do their best. After committing two mistakes, he is constantly putting himself down, feeling that he could had avoided them from happening. Another interesting thing found in the documents is the fact that Ogodei Khan is affected by others opinions of him.

The next document we get to look at is a letter from Chinggis Khan to a Chinese Daoist master named Changchun. These documents show the thoughts and the values of the emperor of the Mongols. He is stated to always be in the front of his army, to eat the same food, and wears the same basic clothes, he does not like change, and values those with great skills and considers them his close brothers. The people he rules over he considers his children, which is pretty nice to have a ruler who thinks that of the people he looks over. He sends a letter to this Daoist because he is looking for someone who is worthy to work close with him. He had heard of Changchun and was hoping he would join him by journeying a long journey to Chinggis Khan. According to the intro before the document, Changchun eventually does journey from China to Chinggis Khan and doesn't return back to china until almost a year later.

The Next Documents show us the Russian views of the Mongols. They actually use several different names to describe Mongols. First they call them Tartars, which are foreigners with countless numbers. Their countless numbers is compared to locusts. They came to Russian demanding one-tenth of everything, but the Russian obvious refuse to do so without a fight. So in effect they are later described as godless because of the complete brutality and destruction they cause on the Russian people. They burn down their houses and churches. They kill men, women, children, priests, nuns, everyone, all in different and various ways. The Mongols are seen as horrible, heartless people who think of nothing of themselves and taking everything for themselves.

The last document explains how the Chinese people thought negatively of the Mongols but others thought positively because the Mongols actually may have improved some China's way of governing. Many people feared the Mongols but the Mongols promised to protect the hard working people and told them not to keep their doors shut during the day. So in some ways the Mongols would favors to those who they found useful.

In my opinion, it sounds like the Mongol empire and ruler was pretty self centered. He took whatever he wanted however he wanted to take it, even if it meant killing many, and he only would benefit those who he personally found useful (oh wait this last part sounds familiar...). I really do believe that this group of people who brutal and they were brought up to be this way, were strength and power was their greatest value. This maybe why Chinggis Khan needed Changchun because of his lack of values, such as education and truth. Because of their existence, adjacent regions had a reason to fear for their lives because at any day the Mongol army could come and complete destroy them. They destroyed the peace and the only way to avoid this was to join them. I'm sure if more documents survived that describe other countries thoughts of the Mongols, they would say similar things that the Russians had written.

by Andrew Murillo

Chapter 9 Documents

Here are the questions posted by our professor about what we should be thinking about as we read the Chapter 9 Documents: 

1.) Students can think about how they would feel if they were to follow the Qur'an.

 2.) Students can think about what jihad means to them.

3.) Students can think about what impression they get of Islam and Muhammad and how do these impressions compare to feelings they get when they see religious paintings of Jesus or Buddha.

The Qur'an, from I remember learning, can only be truly understood if it is read in proper Arabic.In my previous history and culture class, my teacher had asked if any of the students had read it, and some said they read an English translation and he explained that it doesn't quite mean the same unless it is read in Arabic. He had shown us similar examples of this with how the bible is translated as well. He was a very mean and unfair teacher, but I hate to admit,  I learned a lot of useless information from the class that will only help me if I take another similar class, and it has come in handy since then...so I guess it isn't as useless as I think it is.

I don't know a who lot about the Qur'an or about the Islamic religion but the Chapter 9 Documents gives me a bit of insight on what is means to follow the Islamic religion. It seems like it can easily be combined with other religions that follow God. The Islamic religion seems to honor Mary and Jesus, which I did not know, and since I don't know enough about it, one can only wonder why it is separate from christian religions. The values and ideas that the religion has is very similar to the ones the Catholic religion has. It teaches respect in many ways we should show our respect. 

I am not sure if my religion completely agrees with jihad. I am not sure if violence is okay most cases unless it is for defense. It sounds like the way to punish those who disagree would be kind of against what God wants. To slay the necks of those who oppose the truth does not seem like the rightful way to get others to want to follow, also the trauma you would cause because of it. This may be one of the things that separates the religions, but for the most part, since I don't enough about the religion, it seems to agree with some Catholic values. I wouldn't all of a sudden join this religion because of its similarities since I am hearty devoted to my own religion but they seem to compliment one another.

Muhammad's words are quiet interesting as well since they speak of values, and really good ones. One thing I do feel is some of the things he says are kind of intense. While Jesus also told the bitter truth, Muhammad goes about how to live a good religious life but certain things he says are kind of strange, such as you are unable to look at a woman.

I guess another things that would be different to my religion is the fact that they gave God a name and they call him by that name. The Catholic religion has also given God a "name", well not an actually name, but some people would call him by the foreign word for father, or big papa. However, I believe it is disrespectful to call God by his name, or given name, because you don't call your own father by his first name, and since God created everyone, it wouldn't be proper to call him by his first name as well, but to call him Father, or God, or Lord.It is actually believed that God's name can not be pronounced by human tongues so when Moses asks what he should refer to him as, God's response is "I Am".

The way Muhammad speaks, is in a similar way that Jesus has spoke. I am not too sure how Buddha had spoke, and actually I am not sure if there are many things that show how Buddha spoke or the words that he used. Most things I read about Buddha dealt with what he did, and how people interpret what he represented.

Another thing that set the religions apart are that the Muslims put more emphasis on law which is very strange. Jesus actually had shown the worthlessness of most laws and explained how God's ten commandments should be valued more than another other law. Another strange thing is this religion is okay with adultery, which is against one of the ten commandments, Now that I have read this far, I see what really separates the two now. It is okay for a man to merry four wives! That is pretty ridiculous and contradictory to the ten commandment, and if Muslims believe in Jesus this shouldn't exist at all. Well with the exception of this, which was most likely not meant to be, most other values are pretty valid.

In conclusion, the Muslim religion has many great values, but of course I don't know the entire religion, but there is definitely a lot of good similarities between this religion and the Catholic religion. Also there are some things I greatly disagree with but that deals with the law side of it, and Mohammad may have not wanted it to be the way it is. Well anyways it is always good to learn about the different religions so that way you can understand the different cultures and be able to relate or communicate. Interesting documents as well.

Goodnight.

by Andrew Murillo

Chapter 10

I am quite pleased with Chapter 10: The Worlds of Christendom because it dealt a lot with Christianity and its expansion. This chapter talks a lot about how the Christian religion expanded and how it was divided into many different denomination.

The Christian religion was quite popular in Africa and Asia, and over time spread throughout the country. Also, interesting enough, a majority of Europe's population was Christian during the time, making it the leading Christian area. Today, when I think of Europe I think of the many different other religions that may be dominant in the area, and I hardly think of Christianity as being one except for in places like Italy, and maybe Germany. I think of the Muslims, the Buddhists, and the many other different Eastern philosophies that we study about today.

During the very early centuries, around the 8th century, Christianity was spread in many ways. After the death of Mohammad the Christian religion began to die down until several wars look place that once again cause another spike in the Christian religion. In some of my previous history classes I remember learning about many different rises and falls of the Christian religion. Basically due to some emperors being against and some enforcing it, the religion's population would continue to bounce. Followers would worship and continue to spread the word in secret, regardless of the risk because they knew in their hearts that nothing can compare to the suffering that Jesus had went through.

by Andrew Murillo

Was unable to read Chapter 8 here is why...

Hello Miss Andrews...
I was unable to read Chapter 8 because I have two exams this Friday but that is not the reason I was unable to get to the reading because normally I can balance and budget my time...
I was unable to because I have a ground-breaking math test tomorrow, but instead of our teacher leaving us time to study, she gave a 47 problem assignemnt (plus a, b, c, etc so more than 47 problems) that has nothing to do with what is on the test tomorrow. I had sent an email to the teacher asking to postpone the due date since that is just not fair to me or any of her students but I got no response so I did the homework...
It took me 6 and half hours plus I need to balance study time for my exams as well.
So please forgive me if I am unable to participate in any class discussions as I normally like to engage in.
As you can see it is 5:40 AM when I was typing this since I have been doing all this since the afternoon, and finally finished all my work plus studied as much as I could fit in between.
I am cranky.

Thank you
Andrew Murillo

Chapter 7 Documents

In this blog I am going to try to answer the questions that was posted by our teacher. I may not get to all of them for each of the documents but I will use them as a template for this blog.
Here they are:

1. In the documents of the men; what motivated them to travel so far? 

2. What similarities or differences did they see compared to their own and the ones they visited?

3. What can we take from these documents about the men (travelers) who wrote them?

4. Looking at the visual sources what can you identify that was most prominent during the Silk Road Trading?

The first document is written by Huili, who wrote about Xuanzang. Xuanzang traveled to seek out answers and tried to stop the division of Buddhism. One place that was important to him that he visited was the famous Bodhi tree where Buddha (supposedly) reached enlightenment. the documents speaks about other monks he had met and how dedicated they are to their studies and practice. What we can take from this is how virtuous and innocent these people are. They have a strong sense of righteousness do work extremely hard to reach their goal of enlightenment and try to completely get rid of all of their bad karma.

Marco Polo traveled by sea since the the age of seventeen with his father. I am not too sure why they traveled, it may be because they enjoyed travel or it may be because of trade. I personally think they traveled to explore the distant lands because they were able to and nothing was going to stop them. This document is rather long and go on talking about make things that Marco Polo had witnessed on his journey.

Ibn Battuta was an Arab scholar who traveled as a pilgrim. The reason why he traveled was so he could learn about other religious ideas, cultural ways, and to learn more about the world. In his writing he speaks about his interesting journey from place to place and speaks with excellent descriptions. You can truly tell he was well educated and made plenty of friends, and met plenty of different people along his way. 

by Andrew Murillo

Chapter 7 Commerce and Culture

The chapter begins by talking about a man who is buying an iPod for his son's graduation and he explains how quickly it gets to his house. This is a great way to start the chapter in my opinion because it gives the reader something to relate to that will tie into the chapter. It certainly caught my attention.

This chapter deals a lot with trade and it's importance that it had through out all of Eurasia. Trade has always been an interesting topic to me and is still done today. It may not be as important but now these day you can trade video games at your local gaming store. You can also trade your valuables with friends. In the past trade was done through routes and much more needed goods were traded for other valuable goods. Unlike today, trade was extremely necessary, and it wasn't done as quickly as it can be done today. Silk contained a huge role in trade. Gold was a powerful value and even slaves were traded.

Trade was through several different routes. Sand roads were used, but also during this era, sea routes were used as well. This allowed trade to happen between continents and islands which played a helpful role for the isolated islands, which now they weren't so isolated form the world anymore.

Trade didn't only take the form of psychical objects but the trade of ideas and philosophy were traded as well. This caused a great spread of Buddhism throughout Eurasia. Also diseases were traded as well which led to the black death. Back in middle school my 7th grade history teacher spent a lot of time talking about the black death. It must had really interesting her, but it really interested us, as a class as well. It was thought to be the end of the world during that time since no one could find a cure. The spread of this disease was massive and scary. I remember watching several documentaries on this catastrophe, and we even looked at many painting that distributed an artist's point of view of the time.Talking about the black death, or the plague, had to have been my most favorite history class moment, even though my teacher was super mean at the time, this topic made the class tolerable because it would actually put her in a good mood.

by Andrew Murillo