Table&of&Contents& Lecture'Notes'...'1! Exam'Study'Notes'...'75!! Lecture&Notes& Lecture One Recent concept of globalization " Novelty of our present day " World today fundamentally different " Everything transformed Lecturer s view: " It is different in some ways " In other ways e..g trade, has been changing for centuries more connectedness than previously thought. Focus on world since 15 th century Start from 15 th century connected by travel, exchange, communication networks Global history as distinct from disconnectedness Roberts: there was a sense of a world in which people lived. Lecturer argues that connectedness not constant. Not about rates of connectedness, but rather ebbs and flows. Challenge simplistic assumptions of slow progress. Periods of HIS are not discete.
Lecture Two Asia as the hub of World Trade History is about dealing with evidence from the past, but based in the present Few fragments available, complete story needed History is as much invented as it is found thus is in some way a creative process Not occurring in the past, but in the present. It is shaped by present ideologies, values and mindsets e.g. was Christopher Columbus the bringer of civilisation or destruction? History is thus a subjective concept. However, not all histories are valid e.g holocaust deniers History is not a listing of events, but rather the imposition of a narrative, the joining of the dots. If not, it would be like reading a phonebook. Some histories get time in the limelight. What makes some more persuasive than others? Winners or loser s history? 1988 an author Andre Frank stipulated that Asia s place in terms of world power was a reality, but had been previously denied by Eurocentric behaviour. Written by those who emphasise what happened in Europe, and generally written by western historians. David Northrup says that 1492 (Columbus) and 1498 (Vasco de Gama) were the key turning points in Global History, at which point the world began to become more connectively defined. Eurocentric model of the world: -defined as a term for all beliefs and arguments that assume the past and present superiority of Europeans over non-europeans. - the rest of the world lacked political and economic systems to bring the world together. 1. one theory: Climate in Britain was undesireable for living. Weather lead people to leave. In tropical areas, laziness and contentment created a disincentive to leave. 2. Christianity evangelical ideas 3. Temperament less well defined concept. Something about European-ness Marx sees everything happening in Europe. He believed some of these ideas. Oriental despotism Oriental political systems inadequate, thus hampering political progress Ethnocentric views typical not supported by evidence, but rather chauvinism. Many of these ideas blatantly racist. Many of these views still tend to dominate. E.g. in the aftermath of the Beijing Olympics, journalists began saying maybe China will dominate the next century. In reality, China will reclaim its power as it has always been. The West
dominated for a mere blip in time. In larger global terms, Asia, especially Eastern Asia, has been the most powerful party of the world in recordable history. 1760-1900 Western ascendency Thus, when the historian says that 1492 is the year that our world began, who does he mean by our. Before the 15 th century, people and goods moved freely. Asia, Africa and Europe linked by trade. Golden gosener link of trade By 15 th century, the world had some resemblance to our own, but slower. Connection between Rome and China " Silk route for over a millennia senators wore dress from China and traded porcelain. Pre-14 th goods made in China were the most sought after in China. Trading route by sea Arabian Gulf India SE Asia Critical hubs in world trade were East Asia and the Ottoman Empire. Europe was relatively peripheral and marginal to world trade. China was the largest and most intensive hub " Maritime power " Largest population " Wealthiest 1405-1433 " Zheng He maritime leader led a fleet of 300 ships, each enormously larger than Columbus. What was traded: Commodities -Silk, porcelain, metal, medicine, sugar, paper (china) - Spices, woods, minerals, rarities (SE Asia) Rise and Fall of empires related to proximity to trade routes, e.g. Timbuktu Ideas " e.g. Buddism along Silk route and into SE Asia " Islam
" Christianity People " Traders " Peripheral aspects of the trade system Asian Economic Dominance Year Value of Global GDP China (China +India) West Europe +Britain 1600 51% 25% 1700 47% 25% 1870 30% 43% History needs to be looked at in terms of ebbs and flows
Lecture 3 Empires of Islam Focus Qs: " 3 great empires " How did Islam spread? " What were the challenges and responses of each of the empires 570/571 CE " Birth of Mohammad " Son of a merchant " United people with belief in common gods 610CE Mohammad received revelation from God that he was God s commissioner 630CE Mohammad conquered Mecca 632CE Mohammad s death A great deal of his success lay in the fact that he was able to bring a sense of community and belonging. This allowed Islam to spread very quickly. 10 th century: " Abbasid Empire collapsed " Political instability " Vulnerable to threats from the outside (particularly normads from Euroasia). 950-1050 - Further instability 1040-1200 - Mass conversion 1150-1350 Moughal regions expand into Islam By the 15 th century, three great Islamic empires had developed: " Safavid " Ottoman " Moughal By this stage historians could claim that Islam was the first global relgion. Safavid " Centred in Persia " 1501-1524 " Shiite Muslim
" Sunni Muslims forced to conform Moughal -Peak: 16 th century - Ruled most of India - Leader: Babur the tiger - Tremendous accomplishments e.g. Taj Mahal + Peacock throne - Muslim leadership and largely Hindu population - Religious toleration. - However conversion processes e.g. tax incentives and conversions of mosques Ottoman: " Originally normadic peoples " Muslim sultans enlisted then to protect from Moghuls. " Key founder: Osman I " Legend: had a dream of a great dynasty " Followers of Osman were called Ottomans " Gazis freelance soldiers of the Ottoman Empire whose purpose it was to spread Islam to the world. " Direction of expansion: west " Couldn t expand S or E they were muslims " Thus went to Byzantine Empire " United Anatolia into a single Empire " Result was a movement of a normadic civilisation to a settled way of life. " Few conflicts with Christians " Constantinople still in the hands of Byzantine Empire. Every leader since Osman wanted to seize the city. It was like a perfect fruit waiting to be picked. " By 1453, the time had come. With a population of only 50,000, it was a vulnerable spot, despite being protected by water on three sides and a strong wall on the other side. However, with the help of 100,000 soldiers as well as gunpowder technology, the city fell on the 29 th of April to Mehmed the Conqueror. " In a move symbolic of this annexation, Mehmed converted the Hagia Sofia (a 6 th century church) into a mosque : Life in Ottoman Empire " Navy of 100 ships " Covered Europe and Asia " High point: Soloman the Magnificent 1520-1526 " Balkans and Hungary
" Alliance with France " Critical elements slave armies, education, beaurcracy, sultan (defender of Islam) " 1500 9 mil people, 1600 28m people Class system -Elite citizens were Muslim - Rural society -Multilingual, multi-cultural -High degree of religious tolerance. Minority groups were largely free to administer their own affairs. Millet system where by non-muslims paid a special tax. - Trade very important E + W + Bursa Challenges and Responses: 1. Trade Patterns British and Dutch trade expanded and overland trade decreased 2. Domestic issues demands for reform " Early 17 th cent sultans were removed from ordinary live. There were numerous examples of poor administration e.g. Ibriham the Crazy 3. External e.g. the failure to capture Vienna in 1683. Reform needed: -18 th century - invited European advisors to give advice. At elite level: desire to replace Westernism End of the 18 th century: Western style army created to keep pace with Europe. This Westernisation created tension however. There was a gradual departure from Islamic Orthodoxy. What path to take forward?
Lecture Four China Key words: -Big - Old 5000 years of Chinese history - Central - Always had a large influence on the world -Only in the last 200 years that China has lost its position as the pre-eminent world power. - Now: a restoration of China s rightful position in the world -1793: NE of Beijing. Emperor who had ruled for 57 years met with an ambassador from Britain to discuss trade issues. The Emperor is said to have dismissed the Brit, saying we have no need for your trifles and proclaiming Chinese self-sufficiency. This episode has traditionally been treated by historians as an arrogant, delusional view, particularly given the fact that only 50 years later the Chinese were defeated by the British in the Opium Wars. However, it is likely that the Emperors view was in fact logical. - 22% of world s pop, only 15% of arable land. Thus, China has always practiced intensive agriculture. -Huge amount of land in China is mountainous. Most of the pop live East of Himalayas. Modern china: 9.3m sq km Europe: 9.9 sq km Population: 1-1300CE 60-100m 1368 (Ming starts) 60-80m 1644 (Ming ends) 150-200m 1683 (Conquest by Qing) 150-170m 1770s 275m 1850 410-450m 18 th Century: China s population doubles Driven by: new crops, with origins in South America, allowing Chinese farmers to grow more crops on land which couldn t take rice.