Transcript DBQ Christian and Muslim view of merchants

E. Napp
How Muslims and
Christians view
Merchants: 2002
DBQ,COT And
COMP
Practice is the Mother of All Skills
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Students will be given 55 minutes to complete the 70 multiple-choice
questions and 130 minutes to complete the free-response section (the
three essays)
Of the 130 minutes for the free-response section, students will begin with
a mandatory 10-minute document-reading period for the DBQ essay
During the 10-minute document-reading period, students may take notes
on the documents but may not work on an actual essay
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The World History AP examination consists of 70 multiple-choice
questions and three essays
After the mandatory 10-minute document-reading period, students may begin writing
essays. Students should spend roughly 40 minutes on each essay. Obviously, the
DBQ essay should be the first essay written while the documents are still fresh in
the student’s mind. Therefore, let’s practice writing an actual DBQ essay from an
actual World History AP examination (courtesy of ETS and the College Board).
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FROM THE 2002 WORLD HISTORY AP
EXAMINATION (COURTESY OF COLLEGE
ENTRANCE EXAMINATION BOARD):
Using the documents, compare and contrast the attitudes of Christianity
and Islam toward merchants and trade from the religions’ origins until
about 1500. Are there indications of change over time in either case, or
both? What kinds of additional documents would you need to assess the
consequences of these attitudes on merchant activities.
2.
As you look at the documents, evaluate grouping, meaning, and POV
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1.
Prior Knowledge
About Christianity:
Muhammad was a merchant
Spread along trade routes
Zakat
Koran
5 pillars
Shariah
Cities
Sunni vs shiite
Caliphate
Advances in commerce
Crusades ( Game changer)
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Appealed to poor
Bible
Spread along trade routes
Role of monastic orders
Major factor of life
Major institution in Feudal Europe
Tithe
Cannon
7 deadly sins
Pope vs Patriarch ( Schism)
Monotheistic
Usury illegal
Crusades ( game changer)
Prior Knowledge
About Islam:
Document 1:
Grouping, meaning POV)
Source: Christian Bible, New Testament (Matthew), about 70 – 80 C.E.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom
of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a
rich man to ente
The rich will have attitudes very hard time getting into heaven.
It will probably be difficult to analyze bias or point of view for the Bible and for the Qur’an. That leaves
five documents for them to analyze in terms of source.
r into the kingdom of God.
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Doc. 1: Sources: Christian Bible, New Testament (Matthew), about 70-80 C.E.
Document 2:
Grouping, Meaning, POV?)
Source: Muslim Qur'an, about 620 – 650 C.E.
Woe to the cheaters! who, when they take measure of their dues from men, take it fully; and when they
measure out to others or weigh out for them, they give less than is due.
Doc. 2: Source: Muslim Qu’ran, about 620-650 C.E.
Honesty, fairness and truthfulness in all transactions lead to attitudes place in Heaven
for the Muslim merchant. Emphasis is on lawful and fair behavior. The honest
Muslim merchant ranks with martyrs
Document 2 continues on next slide
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O ye believers! devour not each other’s property among yourselves unlawfully save that by mutual trading
consent.
Document 3:
Source: Reginald, monk of Durham, younger contemporary and colleague of St. Godric, The Life of
Godric (A twelfth-century British merchant), written before St. Godric’s death in 1170.
He chose not to follow the life of a husbandman, but rather to study, learn and exercise the
rudiment of more subtle conceptions. For this reason, aspiring to the merchant’s trade, he began
to follow the chapman's [peddler’s] way of life, first learning how to gain in small
bargains and things of insignificant price; and to gain from things of greater expense
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Doc. 3: Source: Reginald, monk of Durham, younger contemporary and colleague of St. Gordic,
The Life of St. Gordic (attitudes twelfth-century British merchant), written before St. Gordic’s
death in 1170.
Godric chose to be a merchant, and was very successful, making a great profit. He later became disillusioned
with his business and wealth, and decided to serve God and become a hermit. In order to follow Christianity
he gave all his wealth to the poor. (cf: Doc 1 and contrast with Doc. 2) This excerpt from the life of Gordic
was written by a colleague and contemporary who very much respects and admires Gordic. Reginald is
likely to present Godric in the best light possible and does so.
Document 3 continues on next slide
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Document 4
Source: Thomas Aquinas, leading Scholastic theologian, Summa Theologica, 1273.
It is written (Matthew vii. 12): All things…whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to
them. But no man wishes to buy a thing for more than its worth. Therefore no man should sell a thing
to another man for more than its worth. (Moderates position)
I answer that it is altogether sinful to have recourse to deceit in order to sell a thing for more than its just
price, because this is to deceive one’s neighbor so as to injure him. Hence Tully [Cicero, the Roman
writer] says: Contracts should be entirely free from double-dealing: the seller must not impose upon the
bidder, nor the buyer against one that bids against him.
As a leading Christian theologian, Aquinas seeks to bring merchant behavior and trade into line with Christian
teaching. He clearly tries to talk a line between allowing the merchant to pursue his occupation and
condoning profit. This document espouses, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This
means that buying and selling must be based on honesty and a just price. Any other behavior is unjust,
unlawful and by extension, ungodly. This is in line with Doc. 2 and Doc 3, but the introduction of the idea of
the “just price” seems to moderate the idea that trade is inherently sinful and is closer to the Qur’an than to
the biblical view
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Doc. 4: Source: Thomas Aquinas, leading Scholastic theologian, Summa Theologica¸ in 1273.
Document 5:
Source: Ibn Khaldun, leading Muslim scholar, Universal History (Kitab al-ibar), fourteenth century
Commerce is the increasing of capital by buying goods and attempting to sell them at a price higher than
their cost. This is done either by waiting for a rise in the market price; or by transporting the goods to
another place where they are more keenly demanded and therefore fetch a higher price; or, lastly, by
selling them on a long-term credit basis. Commercial profit is small, relatively to the capital invested,
but if the capital is large, even a low rate of profit will produce a large total gain.
Doc. 5: Source: Ibn Khaldun, leading Muslim scholar, University History (Kitab al-libar), fourteenth century.
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As a leading Muslim scholar Ibn Khaldun might be expected to do the same as Aquinas, but Khaldun’s discussion of
merchants and trade is very much harsher than Aquinas’s. His tone in describing merchant practices is disdainful
and condemnatory. Those who are merchants or practice trade have to use deceitful practices in order to make a
profit. Buyers also practice dishonesty. People are generally dishonest, and trade brings this out. Those who
practice trade are inferior to those who rule society because of what they have to do to practice commerce. Thus,
merchants inevitably have weaker natures. By its very nature trade is disreputable, though necessary to society.
This is similar to Doc 2 in describing bad trade practices, but in contrast to Doc. 2 Ibn Khaldun sees merchant as
inferior by the nature of their work; his position seems closer to the early Christian position as stated in Doc 1 and
Doc 3.
Document 6:
Source: Letters to and from Italian merchants in the fourteenth-century.(beginning of commercial revolution)
A. Letters ordering religious paintings for sale( no conflict between trade and Godliness).
A panel of Our Lady on a background of fine gold with two doors, making a fine show with good and handsome
figures by the best painter. Let there be in the center Our Lord on the Cross, or Our Lady, whomsoever you can
find – I care not, so that the figures be handsome and large, the best and finest you can purvey, and the cost
no more than 51/2 or 61/2 florins.(fair cost: moderated view)
You tell me you can find no pictures for the money we will pay, for there are none so cheap, and
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Doc. 6: Source: Letters to and from Italian merchants in the fourteenth century.
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An order for religious paintings, but at a fair cost. Supply and demand.
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Don’t be excessive in the pursuit of wealth.
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God and profit go together.
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Letters A and C support profit as the merchant’s goal and see no conflict between trade and godliness.
These letters seem in direct opposition to Ibn Khaldun, St. Gordic and the Christian Bible. They
support the position that Christianity has come to a more positive view of merchants and trade by the
fourteenth century. Letter B urges some restraint in acquiring wealth, nevertheless linking wealth
and godliness. Perhaps in Letter B there is a faint echo of the Christian condemnation of being rich.
Since these are letters about business one would expect frankness about business practices and
feelings, and this indeed turns out to be so. But the letter from the mother is much more personal and
would reflect bias on her son’s behalf
Document 7:
Source: Islamic court decision, Ankara, seventeenth century but representative of Turkish guild practices in the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries
[The content of this document] is that Şah Mehmed and Haci Mehmed and others from the weavers’ guild summoned [to
court] Sakaoglu Nasuh from the said guild and said in complaint: “Whenever cotton yarn comes to [town], the
aforementioned arrives, pays an extra price, and takes it from its owner, and the other weavers remain deprived [of
cotton yarn]. As of old, when cotton yarn came, we all bought it together. The aforementioned has now acted contrary
to the old custom; we do not agree( religion and law are completely intermixed) profit as a sole motive is
condemned
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Religion and law are completely intermixed, and business practices only for profit are condemned.
Tradition, custom, and sharing are supported. The preeminence of tradition and custom are more closely
linked to the Qur’an (Doc 2) and Aquinas (Doc 4) than to most of the other documents. In contrast to the
fourteenth century Italian merchants who revere profit, here profit as the sole motive is condemned. The
goals of society are more important than profit for individuals.
The document is like an affidavit. The court is to rule on the complaint is very much from traditional
guild members. The religious court has the power to control merchant behavior.
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Doc. 7: Source: Islamic court decision, Ankara, 17th century but representative of Turkish
guild practices in the 15th and 16th centuries.
AND DON’T FORGET THE MISSING
VOICE
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An issue of canon ( Catholic law) illustrating the relaxation on church’s stance on usury (charging
of interest on loans)
Ships manifest ( log identifying cargo and people) into ports over a 300 year period of time to help
identify where, why and when goods were coming into and out of Europe
Banker in the Middle Ages who was allowed to charge interest to illustrate the difficulties in loans
Ibn Battuta: The Muslim Qadi who traveled 75,000 mile who could remark on 14 th century trade to
help evaluate the global transition from Islamic to Christian world.
Cosmio DeMidici the Florentine banker whose wealth was amassed by the charging of 45% interest
on loans to illuminate the extreme changes in banking practices.
Don’t forget its not just the what but also the why!!!!!!!!!
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Crusaders returning home with “booty” to illustrate the need the change opinion on merchants
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE THESIS?
Clearly, the thesis is the foundation upon which
the essay is built
 So, how does the student create a thesis
statement for this essay?
-Look at the question again
-What conclusions reached from the documents
answer the question?
-Hmmm, it seemed that at first, Christians
scorned traders and merchants but then over
time, came to see traders and merchants as
praised by God. Conversely, Muslims seemed to
praise trade and then become more critical of
previously acceptable trading practices over time.
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SAMPLE THESIS PARAGRAPH
Or
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Christianity and Islam proved their similarities with their perspective on trade and merchants’ morals before 1500. They had
many similarities on what they thought of trade and how it should be practiced. It had some differences in culture’s outlooks
and government involvement. By the year 1500, the change in each religion’s trading structure were evident
From the 1st- 15th centuries, trade has spread throughout the world influencing people, cultures,
and governments. Religion, on the other hand, has influenced the impact of trade. Christianity and
Islam, although specifically different in their views of trade, share a similar basis of belief in its
evil of exploitation or its goodness of sharing. These ideas can be seen in high prices/evilness and
the prosperity of fair and just trade
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While religion concerns matters of the spiritual world, the practitioners of the world’s religions
live in the material world, a world of increasing commerce and trade. World religions like Christianity and
Islam often had differing views concerning the role of merchants and trade in society but not static views.
Indeed, over time, these views often changed. So, while initially Christian theologians scorned merchant
activity and Muslims scholars praised it, over time, a reversal of some of these notions actually occurred in
both traditions. It was as if what was once praised was now worthy of some criticism.