Middle East and East Asia Post Classical Era

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Middle East and East AsiaPost Classical Era
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Middle East BeginningEarly Post Classical
Period (600 C.E.)

• The merchant class of Mecca originally practiced
  polytheism.
• After Muhammads revelation, he rejected
  polytheism and embraced a belief in one God.
• Muhammads followers were called the umma. They
  mounted a campaign against their enemies on the
  Arab peninsula.

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Middle East BeginningEarly Post Classical
Period (600 C.E.)

• In 630 C.E. followers of Islam attacked and
  conquered Mecca.
• They forced inhabitants to adopt Islam and
  destroyed all shrines.
• They built mosques.
• After his death, his advisors appointed Abu Bakr,
  a close friend, to serve as the caliph or deputy.
• The caliph became head of state and religious
  leader, commander of military, and chief juror.

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Middle East BeginningEarly Post Classical
Period (600 C.E.)

• The Shia sect was formed by the 4th caliph, a
  cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad who felt the
  position should be inherited from Muhammads
  descendants.
• The Sunnis believed the position should be
  decided among the umma or Muhammads followers.

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Middle East BeginningEarly Post Classical
Period (600 C.E.)

• The Umayyad caliphate was most interested in
  conquest.
• Conquered peoples could practice their faith, but
  they were required to pay a tax or jizya in
  order to do so.

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Middle East BeginningEarly Post Classical
Period (600 C.E.)

• When the Abbasids took control of the caliphate,
  religious officials and judges administered
  public policy based the Quran and Sharia (the
  holy laws).
• The Abbasids had a standing army and established
  a bureaucracy for finances, taxation, coinage,
  and postal services.
• They appointed regional governors and maintained
  excellent roads.
• The Abbasids fell in 1258 at the hands of the
  Mongols.

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Tang/Song DynastyEarly Post Classical Period
(600 C.E.)

• After the fall of the Han, the Sui dynasty
  established centralized rule in China through
  tight political discipline.
• Under the Sui, the Grand Canal was established.
  It allowed China to prosper

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Tang DynastyEarly Post Classical Period (600
C.E.)

• The Tang Dynasty transformed Chinese society.
• Emperior Tang Taizong was ruthless.
• He distributed land using the equal field system.
• He relied on the bureaucracy of merit.
• Confucianist principles.

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Tang/Song DynastyEarly Post Classical Period
(600 C.E.)

• The Tang was brought down by military commanders
  who used peasants to rebel.
• The Song had a strong Confucian government
  bureaucracy based on merit.
• Huge centralized government with many peasant
  revolts.
• Mongols attacked and brought them down in 1279.

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Middle East- Social Post Classical Period (600
C.E.)

• Agricultural growth spurred population growth
  with the development of huge cities.
• Before Muhammad, Arab women had many rights not
  seen in other regions
• They could inherit property, divorce husbands,
  engage in business.
• Women were equal in the eyes of Allah.
• Veiling of women originated in Mesopotamian and
  Persian tradition.

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East Asia Social Post Classical Period (600 C.E.)

• Increased agricultural output had a dramatic
  impact on population growth, urbanization, and
  social structures.
• Between 900 and 1200, China grew from 50 million
  to 115 million.
• Increased ancestor reverence and footbinding were
  two dominant practices.

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Middle East Economic Post Classical Period (600
C.E.)

• Sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetables, fruits,
  indigo, cotton, and henna.
• Textile industry emerged.
• Gold and salt came from China
• Slaves came from west Africa.
• Amber and furs came from Eastern Europe

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China Economic Post Classical Period (600 C.E.)

• Flying cash or letters of credit were accepted.
• Tang developed a tribute relationship with Korea.
  
• A vassal state, Korea gave gifts to Chinese
  emperors to avoid occupation by the Tang.
• Vietnamese adopted Chinese agricultural methods
  and irrigation techniques.
• Fast growing rice came to China from Vietnam.

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Middle East Technological Post Classical Period
(600 C.E.)

• New methods of farming irrigation, fertilizer,
  crop rotation
• Manufacture of paper came from the Chinese
• Improvements in the camel saddle allowed more
  goods to travel the desert.
• Lateen or triangular sail borrowed from Indian
  and Chinese ships allowed more direct routes.
• Astrolabe form the Hellenistic Mediterranean
  allowed them to calculate latitude.

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East Asia Technological Post Classical Period
(600 C.E.)

• Heavy iron plows, extensive irrigation systems,
  use of manure and organize materials to fertilize
  the soil, terraced mountain farming.
• Porcelain making
• Gunpowder
• Printing
• Block printing and movable type
• Naval technologymagnetic compass which was
  borrowed by seafarers throughout the Indian Ocean
  basin.

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East Asia Religious Post Classical Period (600
C.E.)

• Buddhism came to China via merchants traveling on
  the Silk Road.
• Under the Tang and the Song, Buddhism took hold
  in China.
• After the fall of the Han, support for
  Confucianism waned several religions were
  established in China, i.e. Christianity,
  Zoroastrianism, and Islam. These religions of
  salvation were mostly followed by foreign
  merchants.

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East Asia Religious Post Classical Period (600
C.E.)

• Buddhism found converts in the cities.
• The Chinese were attracted to Buddhism because of
  its high moral standards, its intellectual
  sophistication, and its promise of salvation.
• Wealthy converts donated land which monks farmed
  and shared with nearby peasants.
• Confucianists disliked Buddhism because of his
  emphasis on celibacy and monastic lifestyle,
  which was the opposite of the Confucian focus on
  family.

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East Asia Religious Post Classical Period (600
C.E.)

• Neoconfucianism developed out of the Confucian
  scholars appreciation for Buddhist interest in
  individual cosmic issues.
• Neoconfucianism spread into Vietnam, Korea, and
  Japan.