Classical China Renaissance

The Renaissance Era in China was just as significant as the one in Europe. The third wave civilization of China had many innovations ranging from agriculture, politics, manufacturing and education which started with the Sui Dynasty between the years 589-618. The emperors created a major extension of the nation’s canal system and stretched about 1200 miles. It was described by one scholar as “an engineering feat without parallel in the world of its time” in the textbook. This system was crucial because it connected the north and south part of the country. After the collapse of the Sui Dynasty the Tang took over between 618-907 and the Song during 960 and 1279.

This time was referred to the “golden age” of arts and literature setting standards of excellence in poetry, landscape painting, and ceramics, while setting standards in poetry, landscape painting and ceramics. And the revival of Confucianism took place which incorporated some insights of Buddhism and Daoism. Both dynasties also made changes to their government that was maintained for a thousand years. The Censorate was an agency that looked over the rest of the government by checking the character and competence of public officials and six major ministries: personnel, finance, rites, army, justice, and public works. The printing press was also invented, which helped the ability to print books for the first time in world history. Classical China began to choosing officials based on merit rather than picking sons of established aristocratic families.

The Song dynasty was referred as “by far the richest, most skilled, and populous country on earth” due to its economic revolution. One major aspect of China’s prosperity was its rapid population growth. By 1200, its population doubled from 50 million to 120 million as the people adopted a fast-ripening and drought-resistant strain of rice from Vietnam. Hangzhou, which was the capital at the time had  specialized markets for meat, herbs, vegetables, books, rice, and more while actors entertained shoppers. Also clubs were available for poets, fisherman, Buddhists, physical fitness enthusiast, horse lovers and other interests. Even famous Italian explorer Marco Polo raved that the capital as "beyond dispute the finest and noblest [city] in the world." One of the major reasons why major cities in China experienced such population growth was because they had an immense network of internal waterways: canals, rivers and lakes. It allowed China to have cheap transportation and tied the country together economically.  At the same time, industrial production skyrocketed between large-scale enterprises and small family-owned businesses.

The iron industry especially increased its output dramatically and starting in the 11th century, it was providing the government with 32,000 suits of armor and 16 million iron arrowheads annually along with metal for coins, tools, construction and bells in Buddhist monasteries.  By the year 1000, inventions in printing made books very cheap and available to everyone and people could learn more about religion, agriculture, medical, and math topics. Additionally, the Chinese were leading the world in navigational and shipbuilding technologies. They were also a commercialized society- producing for the world market rather than just the locals. As they were using paper money more and more, financial instruments such as letters of credit and promissory notes contributed to the commercialization of this civilization. Overall, China set many precedents for the rest of the world and highly influenced other nations in the process. From the idea that people should be given things based on merit rather than lineage was crucial. Also, being able to produce books on all sorts of subjects allowed people all over China to gain knowledge through reading. Also it's economy was booming because all its new innovations making it one of the best in the world. China's Classical Era was just as important if not more important than the one in Europe.

Chapter 7 World's Collide

Between the years 500 and 1500, we see that the Eastern and Western hemisphere consistently interact with each other. At this point the world was moving into the modern age. As large civilizations crumbled, small city states took their place, new civilizations emerged and cultural borrowing and influences were found all over the world.  What made the third-wave civilizations distinct was their culture, as well as the specialization economic roles, sharp class and gender inequalities. Out of all the cultures, the largest, most expansive, and most widely influential was Islam which expanded from Spain, Northern Africa, to India. On every continent besides the North and South poles were multiple, local cosmopolitan regions sprang up were trade and migration brought people from different backgrounds, and these were even considered "mini globalizations". Those who controlled trade often became extremely wealthy which excited and made others envy who didn't. Many people learned about new products along with technologies via trade routes. Also, large nations began to incorporate many cultures to create a political system and because of their size and stability was able to provide security that encouraged travelers and traders to journey far distances. Since this part of history focuses on cross cultural relationships and traveling, merchants, missionaries, migrants, soldiers and administrations were a crucial part of shaping world history at this time.

There were three major trade routes that effected the majority of the world: Silk, Sea and Sand Roads.  The Silk Roads was a route that went as far west as Europe and east to China and went up to Turkenstan then south into west coast of India. People who traveled on these roads went by camel caravan and horse. There wasn't a particular start and end point so goods and people traveled all sorts of directions. Silk and dye came from China, medicine and herbs came from India, livestock from the Middle East, fruits and nuts from Siberia and disease from Europe. Almost of these goods were small and were purchased by the wealthy. The Sand Roads were of course more a route than an actual road. The people who traveled across the Sand route used the stars and astrology to navigate. Goods such as animals, their hides, slaves, gold, precious stones and salt were traded along this path. Like the Silk road, people traveled by camel. Also, instead of stopping at major cosmopolitan areas, travelers would make stop in towns or villages. The Sand Roads paths were found in Africa in present-day Arab states. Lastly, the Sea Route expanded from the East African to China and people made stops on islands south of the mainland on boats and ships. Tangible goods like textiles, pepper, sugar and wheat were being traded. Lots of goods were able to be traded because ships were so huge and people who owned these ships were able to make a lot of money. It was the world's largest sea-based system. Luxury goods such as ivory and gold came from East Africa, while porcelain came from China. Both luxury and everyday goods were traded all along the Sea Route.

Second Wave Civilizations of Africa

During the second era of history, Sub-Sahara Africa was home to several civilizations. Surprisingly, only 11 percent of the world's population lived on the continent even though the first people migrated out of there. Similar to the America's the continent of lacked domesticated animals at first to help with agriculture, but because its proximity to Eurasia, they became widely available to African peoples. For the Berber people of the western region, domesticated camels allowed them to live a nomadic life during the first three centuries C.E. Iron tools and weapons have developed here and they played a large role in economics and in the military. Africa is also has the most environmental diversity and culture. Small areas in the north experience Mediterranean climate, huge deserts are located in the Sahara and Kalahari desert, along with grasslands, mountain ranges, and rain forests. African interacted with Mediterranean people- specially ancient Egypt with Crete, the Roman Empire which spread Christianity, and Arabia.




A Nile Valley civilization that appeared south of Egypt of was Nubia. For hundreds of years both civilizations traded and fought, and on one occasion the Nubian kingdom of Kush ruled Egypt for a century Nubia's center then became the city of Meroe between 300 BCE and 100 BCE as Egypt increasingly fell under foreign control. Meroe was governed by an all-powerful and sacred monarch, which was a position held by a woman at least 10 times, and these queens had the same power as males whether she ruled alone or alongside him. Occupations that people had during this time was being merchants, weavers, potters, and masons as well as servants, and laborers. They smelted iron and manufacturing iron tools and weapons were especially prominent industries. Outside of Meroe, rural people practiced herding and farming, and rain-based agriculture was possible because farmers were less dependent on irrigation, which was not common in a lot of civilizations during this time. Mere's wealth and military power came mostly form its extensive long-distance trading connections of camel caravans north of the of the Nile. They also had their own style of writing, a script, which is still deciphered. After 100 CE, the kingdom declined due to deforestation for the need of wood to make charcoal to smelt iron, and completely fell apart when it was conquered by the kingdom of Axum in 340 BCE. One thing that I found the most fascinating about Meroe was how diversed it was culturally for a city. For almost a thousand years it was a Christian civilization, using the Greek language and constructing churches in Coptic of Byzantine fashion.


As Meroe declined, a new kingdom emerged called Axum that was located in present-day northern Ethiopia and Eritrea. Axum's economics relied heavily on agriculture. One thing that makes the way they farmed different from other places is that the people used a hoe or digging stick instead of a plow. The community grew great amounts of wheat, barley, millet and teff which is a grain unique to that region. As the Roman's demanded Indian pearls, textiles, and pepper, Axum's state grew immensely in 50 CE. Also, merchants who flocked to Adulis, the largest port in on the East Africa, wanting to purchase animal hides, rhino horns, ivory, and tortoiseshells. Taxes that were put on trading these goods were a major source of revenue. The capital city of Axum was the  center or monumental building and royal patronage of the arts, having huge stone buildings over 100 feet tall and obelisks. The expansion of Christianity was also seen in this kingdom as well. During King Ezana's rule, Axum's coins had southern Arabia gods on them and towards the end it had the Christian cross. By the 4th and 6th century the civilization tried to expand imperially by invading Meroe and South Arabia.


In the Niger Valley in West Africa, a extremely long dry period after 500 BCE in the south Sahara had people migrate to the middle of Niger. This area was occupied by clusters of cities or urban centers that sprang up near the city of Jenne-jeno where over 40,000 people lived at one point. Just like the Indus River Valley,  this civilization didn't have a distinct state structure which makes it unique. Archeologists have found very little evidence of domestic power, warfare or social inequalities, although these cities developed a caste system later on. One of the most prestigious occupations at this time was iron smithing, while villages of cotton weavers, potters leather workers, and griots emerged as well. By the second millennium CE, Ghana, Mali, and Songhay amongst other empires or large states appeared in West Africa. Camel-borne trans-Saharan commerce was becoming larger and this region became more connected to North Africa and the Mediterranean and Islam expanded here. The history of the African continent is very unique history compared to other parts of the world and I hope we get to learn about it in class, since most history classes do not talk about it enough.