Transcript The world in Tang China

How do we create our world?
Globalization Beta: The role of Islamic and Chinese empires
in growing the roots of globalization
Emily Oberlitner, IB Coordinator, Lansing Eastern High School
Matthew M. Jason, Teacher, Lansing Eastern High School
Created with support from Michigan State University Asian
Studies Center, Michigan Geographic Alliance, and use of the
IB MYP humanities framework
Understanding our modern “global” world
► Globalization
has brought
humans across the world
together in many new
and unexpected ways.
► In
order to get along with
different cultures it is
important to understand
the roots of our present
circumstance
► How
do we help our
students do this?
How do we define globalization?
► Only
popularly used since the late 1980s, early
1990s.
► Focus on global institutions like multinational
corporations, World Bank, IMF, United Nations.
► In secondary history courses it is largely Eurocentric, with an origin in the European Age of
Exploration (i.e. Columbus, da Gama).
► However, these origins were not, in reality, a
one-way process. Much of the impetus came
from Asia, which continues to be central to
globalization today.
Globalization: Historical Context
► Rooted
in an age of intercontinental empires
like:
 Romans
 Persians
 Mongols
 Chinese
 Arabs
1st Century CE, Trans-Asia Trade
-Based on writings of Ptolemy, 150 CE
www.wikipedia.org
Silk Road(s) Context
► 1st
century BCE – 14th century CE
► Dominated by Chinese goods and South
West Asian nomadic traders.
► After death of Muhammad (7th C.), acted as
conduit for Islam into Central and South East
Asia.
► Simultaneously, ocean routes directly
connected East Africa and Arabian Peninsula
to China.
Muslims, Arabs, & Chinese Today
► Often
misrepresented
and misunderstood in
our highly competitive
global economy
► Viewed
as the “other”
in media, particularly
post-9/11
How do we approach such complexity?
►Try
and avoid the influence of stereotypes
and misconceptions
►Give
students case studies to investigate,
particularly those that humanize the
subjects and help build connections across
cultures
►Use
and create biographies!
Unit Focus
► Islamic
Caliphates, 7th – 13th centuries
► Dynastic China (Tang, Song, and early Ming),
7th – 17th centuries
► These
were characterized by:
 Curiosity about the world beyond their borders
 Long distance trade
 Support for learning and technological innovation
Succession of Caliphates after Muhammad’s Death
•632 CE to largest extent in 850 CE
•Abbasid Caliphate existed from 750 – 1258 CE
•Influential during “Golden Age of Islam”
“Paper Bag” Biographical Sketches of
Muslim Scholars
► During
“The Golden Age of Islam” there were
dozens of scholars from Andalusia to
Afghanistan that contributed to the arts and
sciences.
► Have your students research an individual and
then teach the class in some form.
Biographical Sketches of Muslim Scholars
►Describe
the scholar’s background
►How
did this person contribute to their own
society and contemporary world?
►What
is this person’s impact on the world
today?
►Create
a visual symbol or illustration that
represents this person and/or their ideas.
Biographical Sketches of Muslim Scholars
►What
can be said about these thinkers?
►What
do the words “Muslim” and “Arab”
mean in the context of these peoples’ lives?
►What
can we learn about the connections
between “our” world and the lives of Ibn
Rushd and Ibn Sina?
Chinese Dynasties & Timeframes
►Tang:
618 – 907 CE
►Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
►Song: 960 – 1279 CE
►Yuan: 1279 – 1368 CE (Mongol)
►Ming: 1368 – 1644 CE
►Qing: 1644 – 1911 CE (Manchu)
►Abbasid
Caliphate: 750 – 1258 CE
World Wealth, 1500
worldmapper.org
The world in Tang China...
►
By 8th century, over
200,000 Persians,
Arabs, Indians,
Malays lived in
coastal Chinese cities
(mostly Guangzhou
[Canton]).
►
Said Ibn Abi Waqqas,
companion of
Muhammad, traveled
to China by end of 7th
century, established
Huaiseng Mosque in
Guangzhou.
The world in Tang China...
►Guangzhou
bustling port and place of
residence for foreign-born.
►758 CE: A “rebellion” occurred in which large
sections of the city burned, city closed for 5
decades to foreign residents.
►878 CE: Huang Cho rebellion, records
indicated up to 120,000 Jews, Christians,
Muslims, and Magians killed.
The world in Tang China...
►Guangzhou
bustling port and place of
residence for foreign-born.
►758 CE: A “rebellion” occurred in which large
sections of the city burned, city closed for 5
decades to foreign residents.
►878 CE: Huang Cho rebellion, records
indicated up to 120,000 Jews, Christians,
Muslims, and Magians killed.
The world in Tang China...
►Foreign
goods, particularly those of Central
Asia, highly prized by the elite.
►Elements of Mediterranean cultures had
made their way into Chinese society,
particularly pottery motifs, legends, and
religious imagery.
►A complex tribute system existed to maintain
good relations between the Emperor and
foreign nations to facilitate trade and
harmonious relations.
“Camel Rider” ceramic
Tang China in the World...
►Geographer
Jia Dan, late 8th C. writes that
junk had to anchor in mouth of Euphrates to
transfer goods to Baghdad.
►Confirmed by contemporary Arab merchant
Shulama.
►Chinese paper makers captured by Abbasid
soldiers @ Battle of Talas, 751 CE led to
changes in paper technology throughout SE
Asia.
Battle of
Talas
Arabic language map of
SE Asia
Expansion during Tang
Dynasty
Case Study: Belitung Shipwreck
► Arab
dhow, c. 826, found
late 1990s.
► Over
60,000 pieces,
including gold, silver, fine
porcelain, many mass
produced ceramics (urns,
ink pots).
► Pieces
inscribed with
“salaam” and other Arabic
phrases.
► Places
regular Arab-Chinese
trade centuries earlier than
thought.
Belitung Pieces
Blue and white ware.
Changsha bowl with Arabic
inscription.
What can we learn from the
Belitung Wreck?
►What
can we learn from the kinds of artifacts
found?
►What can we infer about the sea trade that
took place during the time of the Silk Roads?
►What does the evidence of this wreck say
about the state of global trade, some 700
years before the time of Columbus?
►BBC Article, images from Singapore
collection.
Song Dynasty, 960 – 1279 CE
►Peak
of technological innovation.
►Creation of technologies integral to today's
world:
 Explosive powder
 Printing press
 Paper currency
 Compass
►Ends
with Mongol conquest of China.
Teaching about the Innovations of
Song China
►Have
students teach each other.
►Students focus on a particular technology, do
the research, and post their findings, with an
artifact.
►Requires decoding visual and written texts,
summarizing and synthesizing.
►Using the web to display and view student
work enhances student engagement.
Using Artifacts
►Focused,
sustained study on some “thing”
from the period studied.
►Helps students build their historical
imagination, visualize the content they are
learning.
►Students studying student work is fun, and
encourages thinking about how they think
(metacognition).
Ming Dynasty: 1368 – 1644
► Long
period of stable rule.
► Military,
naval growth, as well as infrastructure.
► Signs
of a market economy, with currency as
central element.
► Extensive
private industry, high output.
► Considerable
trade with Americas, via Spanish
(silver and sweet potatoes!)
► Over
30% of world's GDP, perhaps as much as
40% of the world's silver.
Zheng He and the Influence of Ming
China
► Look
over your biography on Zheng He
► What can we learn about Zheng He, the
person?
► From the story of Zheng He, what can we learn
about Ming China?
Admiral Zheng He
► 1371
– 1433 CE
► Ethnic Hui, eunuch advisor to Yongle Emperor.
► Descendant of Yunnan governor, Uzbek origins.
► 7 voyages, as far as East Africa, Persian Gulf.
► 1405 expedition consisted of 27,800 men, 62
treasure ships supported by approximately 190
smaller ships, including:
 Equine ships, water tankers, troop transports
► Credited with founding Chinese community in
SE Asia and re-popularizing Islam
► Arab sources corroborate Zheng's own records.
Models comparing
the ships of Zheng
He and
Christopher
Columbus, Ibn
Battuta Mall,
Dubai.
Ships from Zheng He’s
fleet, c. 1400.
Ramifications of Zheng He
► Ming
China was multicultural, as had China
been, for centuries.
► China's reach was wide-ranging, possibly to
Atlantic and Mediterranean.
► Voyages part of a larger tribute system of
building ties to emperor, not colonial.
► China was open, and not isolationist as often
suggested.
Other ways to explore Ming China
►New
capital in Beijing
►Forbidden
►Great
►Grand
City
Wall
Canal
Contributions to the European Age of
Exploration
►
Mounted rudder,
China via Arabia.
►
Astrolabe, Arabia.
►
Compass, China.
►
qarib – Arab
model for
European caravel
From left to right:
Chinese junk, Arab
dhow, Portuguese
caravel.
Lessons for the Present
► Globalization
has deep roots.
► The history of Chinese relations is more
significant than its “isolated” geography.
► Western stereotypes of Arabs, Muslims, and
the Chinese come from recent periods like
“The War on Terror,” Cold War, and rule of
Mao.
► Less thinking of “East” and “West” and more
of a complex process we are continually
learning more about.