mediterranean basin
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Mediterranean Basin. Post Classical Age: 1st Phase 600-1200. EASTERN EUROPE. West Asia, Near East, Middle East. Western Europe. West Africa. Physical features: interaction between people & their environment. Mediterranean Sea Sahara Desert Black Sea Niger River Tiber River Alps - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Mediterranean Basin
Post Classical Age: 1st Phase600-1200
EASTERN EUROPE
West Asia, Near East, Middle East
Western Europe
Physical features: interaction between people & their environment
Mediterranean SeaSahara DesertBlack SeaNiger RiverTiber RiverAlpsBalkansTigris & EuphratesNile
Baltic SeaAtlantic OceanSeine, Thames & Rhine RiversPyrenees Mountains Northern European PlainDnieper & Danube RiversBosporus and Dardanelles Straits
What happened toMediterranean Unity?
Crises of Late Antiquity…Invasions
Origins of Islamic Arab Culture & Conquest
Challenge to the unity of the Mediterranean Basin
Arab Culture• Arabian Peninsula (Desert)• Bedouin existence (nomadic)• Loyalty & identification with tribes & clans– Necessary for protection and survival
• Oasis towns, Animal Husbandry, Trade– Trade with Persia, Byzantines, India– Camel indigenous
Scarce resources conflict– Rivalry over available water– Differing degrees of wealth
• Polytheistic deities (Ka'aba at Mecca)• Oral Traditions – Poetry – source of unity & identity
Muhammad’s Life & Impact• Merchant of the Quraysh clan• Khadijah (wife of Muhammad)• Respected, worked as intermediary between rival clans
• Vision of Angel Gabriel, one God, Allah– Followers small in number at first, grew overtime– Viewed as a threat by Umayyad clan as his influence grew– Forced to flee Mecca for Medina (hejira) in 622
• By 632, most of Peninsula, included the Umayyad were won over to the new faith
The Spread of Islam During Muhammad's Lifetime
Tenants of the Faith: the Five Pillars
• One God – Allah, Muhammad is the prophet• Prayer towards Mecca 5x a day (salat)• Tax for Charity (zakat)• Fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadan
Origins of Quran (Holy book)(Muhammad’s revelations)
• Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
What other religious developments were taking
place?
Great Schism, 1054
Christian Church: Great Schism 1054
Western ChurchPopeLatin Language
Eastern Church: Eastern Orthodoxy Patriarch and EmperorGreek language
Who is the rightful head of the Church?
Should icons be permitted?
Latin or Greek?Excommunication!
Main religion (more than 75%)Main religion (50% - 75%)Important minority religion (20% - 50%)Important minority religion (5% - 20%)Minority religion (1% - 5%)
Traditional AnimismSub Saharan Africa
Animistic BeliefsBeliefs & Practices varied …• Concept of Deity…
– Many recognized single divine creator who sustained the world order indirectly
– Lesser gods, spirits associated with natural forces participated directly & actively
– Ancestors had the power to intervene in daily life
• Practices…– Rituals to win favor of deities and ancestors – Prayers, animal sacrifices, ceremonies– Religious specialists (Priests) & diviners
• Prescribe medicines, rituals to eliminate problems
• Goals…– Emphasized morality & proper behavior– Local societies enforced rules as necessary for prosperity
Religion & its Influence on law and society
Eastern EuropeWestern Europe
West Asia – North AfricaWest Africa
What beliefs dominated the regions connected by the Mediterranean Basin and what political and
social institutions enforced their doctrine?
Eastern Christianity Western Christian
IslamAnimism
Western Europe: Christianity
Dark Ages: lack of Central GovernmentFrankish Kingdom establishes alliance with Christian ChurchCarolingians stop Muslims @ ToursCharlemagne crowned Holy Roman EmpireFeudal System emerges in aftermath of 9th and 10th C invasions
Eastern Europe:Christianity
Byzantine Empire Theocracy – CesaropapismTheatre State (subjects awed into loyalty) with sizeable bureaucracyRussian beginnings at Kiev
West Asia & North Africa:Islam
Islamic Caliphates enforced both secular and religious law throughout the Dar-al-IslamSharia and Umayyad conquerors of Arab originAbbasid Golden Age
West Africa:Animism
Stateless societies throughout Consensus by way of Council of Elders Animism integral to Tribal identity – kin based unitsReligious practices vary according to tribeOutside contacts (trade) gives way to new political and religious institutions
Thematic Overview
600-1200Mediterranean Basin
Trade & ContactIntellectual
pursuits: art and education
Gender Expectations
A visit to the Post Classical Zones of development in the
Mediterranean Basin…
Understanding Trade, Gender and the Intellectual life in
Mediterranean Basin
600-1200
Trade and Contact: Economic ActivityLocal Trade• Purpose: to maximize
Usefulness, not for profit– Subsistence goods– Most people participated to
some degree– Barter was commonplace
• Function: Traditional based economic practices– Restricted trading partners– Established obligations
Long Distance TradePurpose: for profit
Process: • Slow moving, Small
amounts of luxury goods– Animal drawn carts– Human or wind powered
ships– Silk, spices, gold
• Widespread use of precious metals for money
• To transverse entire world trade routes was rare
What regions met with greatest success at trade, and least? What were the
consequences of such successes and failures?
Constantinople: Economic Success• Production: Abundant agricultural surpluses
(grains) and Craft workers (Glassware, textiles, gems, jewelry, gold, silver)
• “Clearinghouse” for trade for western part of Eurasia– Carpets from Persia, wool from Western Europe, timber,
furs, slaves from Russia
• Government Involvement– Government -wealth from control of trade– Regulated -prevent monopoly– Bezant: gold coin was standard currency for the
Mediterranean for 500 years– Banking & partnerships helped to raise capital and limit
liability
Cultural, Artistic & Intellectual Pursuits
Attitudes toward, institutions supporting and evidence of…– Architecture– Art– Education– Science–Math– Literature– Philosophy
What regions experienced the greatest
degree of innovation? How might this have
been linked to religion, trade ,etc.?
Comparison: Western Europe and Muslim World @15:55
The Awakening No contradiction between faith and Knowledge
• Hajj (movement & diffusion-geographical position of Muslim World)
• Introduction of Paper – Books• Arabic language – unifying force
Renaissance beginnings!
Sought out scientific understanding
Hindu NumeralsAlgebra, Trigonometry
Greek Philosophers Aristotle, PlatoSpirit of Inquiry
Scientific processMedicine
Hospitals, concept of Germs, Anatomy, cataract surgery (modern camera)
Key CitiesBaghdad
Rival of Athens or RomeJewel of the WorldHouse of Wisdom, Academies, LibrariesChristians, Muslims, Jews
Cordoba, SpainRivaled BaghdadStreet lights, paved roads, hospitals, libraries, palaces, running waterMosque at CordobaOnly Christian World Contact
Carolingian RenaissanceWas the Carolingian Renaissance truly a
Renaissance?
Intellectual and cultural revival of the 8th & 9th Century
• Mostly targeted Monks and clergy• Palace & other schools meant to educate clergy• origins of the liberal arts • Standardized Medieval Latin• Created new writing system (minuscule)
10th century text written in Carolingian minuscules
Gender Expectations
• Legal rights- property, marriage, family• Opportunities for public participation,
education and occupation• Cultural expectations for dress, movement,
contact• Historical and cultural roots of treatment and
attitudes towards womenWas public perception different than reality? How did the establishment of gender rules cross regional boundaries?
The Role of WomenAccording to the Quran …• Rights & obligations for both in
marriage • Equal access to salvation• Dowries (free gift)• Child bearing crucial role• Wives share property• Obedience to husband• Punishments for indecency• Provisions for wife in case of
divorce or death of husband• Polygamy (sake of protection)
In Practice…• Foundations of Patriarchal
society• Sharia reinforced male
dominance & inheritance• Required legitimacy of
heritance- guardians, chaperones
• Influence of Persia & Byzantine culture– Veiling to ensure modesty– Upper class women’s movement
restricted
Conclusions: “… It is also relevant to emphasize that although Islamic laws marked a distinct decline, a Greek, a Roman, and a Christian period had already brought about major losses in women’s rights and status. In effect, Islam merely continued a restrictive trend already established by the successive conquerors of Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean…” –Leila Ahmed,
Women and Gender in Islam
Theodora• Procopius:
History of the Wars of Justinian, and Secret History
• Influenced many reforms, some which expanded the rights of women – divorce and property ownership – guardianship rights over their children – forbid the killing of a wife who committed
adultery– closed brothels and created convents where the
ex-prostitutes could support themselves.
Africa: Tribal Culture• Gender expectations– Men- blacksmiths, tanners, clear the field– Women – potters, domestic chores, child-rearing– Both planted & harvested crops
• Women enjoyed more rights in Africa than other Eurasian regions (occupations, freedom of movement)
• Familial Arrangements: – Age sets (age grade)– Communal tasks – Rights of passage– Nuclear family recognized, not practiced
Household & Family
Muslim Households in comparison to Western Christian Households @11:23 – 17:38 AND @19:43
600-1200:Mediterranean
Basin A region in flux
Competing ideologies Competing, combative and
newly emerging political powers Extension of cultural ‘civilized’ zones
Towards economic integration Cultural integration of some regions
Survival & Restoration of Classical Age contributions
Roots of modern identity