Pocket map Islam

Homework 11/20

1.) the selections of mathematics tells me that Islamic values depend on faith in God and religion. Their faith can't be scientifically proven- it depends on the belief and trust of the people.

2.) according to Al-Ghazzali, math and religion should be seperated because math has a negative effect on religion. Since it is so concrete and can be proven, people who study mathematics will look for the same clearness in religion. When they don't find it, they start to doubt religion.

Al-Ghazali's thinking is similar to Plato's Allegory of the Cave because he says that we are all in a deep and murky sea, full with mystery and uncertainty. The sea is similar to the cave because in the cave, people are trapped in a dark space without knowing what is truly the answer.

Justinians Code

The purpose of creating this code was to provide a law that was easily understood, did not have superflous fluff, and that corrected all wrongs.

The source of Roman law are the laws of nature.

This teaches us that Byzantine law is influenced by the Greeks, that it contains "statutes, plebiscites, senatusconsults, enactments of the Emperors, edicts of the magistrates, and answers of those learned in the law. " also, the government needed strict law to regulate and correct society.

Byzantine Empire spice chart

Pocketmap Rome

Decline of the Roman Empire

Some historians believe in the theory of transformation in the classical Roman era; that instead of the empire being destroyed, it merely changed and evolved into a different empire. Historians argue that the barbaric Germanic invaders contributed to the Roman culture in a positive way. Although it is true that central rule continued in Italy with the Germanic kingdoms, i do not agree with this statement that the Roman empire continued on. It does not make sense especially since the capital city of Rome itself was sacked and replaced by Germans. If Roman leaders continued to rule after the Germanic migrations and the culture changed with the addition of new cultures, I would agree that the empire has transformed while still remaining Roman. However, since German rulers took over it is most reasonable to say that Rome was not Rome anymore, although Germanic kingdoms did adopt some of its culture.

Venn Diagram

Homework 10/7

"Does Alexander the Great deserve to be called 'the Great'?  Why or why not? 

No, I do not think Alexander the Great deserved to be called "The Great". Although it is true that he accomplished extraordinary things for a man his age, he was not a kind man. He burned Persepolis, and killed Cleutis in a drunken rage. Clearly, other people wanted him dead. Alexander had great battle skills, and he was a very smart conqueror, but in order for him to be known as "the Great", I think he should show benevolence to his people as well. That way, he will be truly respected.

India and Greece article

India and Greece--What you need to be able to get out of the article

1. What’s McNeill’s argument? McNeill's argument is that India and Greece organized and administrated their societies, which led to profound effects on the history of Indian and European society.

2. How does McNeill define Caste? Does this match up with the textbook’s definition? McNeill defines Caste as a group of people who will eat together and intermarry, while excluding others. Yes, this basically matches with the textbook's definition because the textbook says that people of the same class and job will stick together.

3. What three feelings and thoughts helped to maintain the idea of caste:

        1. Ceremonial purity

        2. Almost everyone could look down on somebody else

        3. Varna

4. Are these convincing? No, because they have to do with racism, and people being "unclean" because of their jobs, which is unfair.

5. Why did caste itself not cause strong political organization to form? Because most people felt most loyal to their castes, so a king or ruler could not command the undivided loyalty to a state.

6. What causes Indian religion to shift from deity pleasing to the act of worship itself? Ancient Indians never widely accepted priests' claims to hold authority over gods and men.

7. How did the Upanishads change the nature of Indian religion and thus the goals of Indian society? The Upanishads conceive the end of a religious life in a radically new way- the ultimate goal was not riches or a long life, it was to escape the endless cycle of reincarnation.

8. How does McNeill define “Territorial Sovereignty?” Self-governing city states that don't belong to any central bureaucracy.

9. Why did Greeks turn away from religion as an explanatory factor in organizing society? The first philosophers used the power of reason, omitted the gods, and sought to explain things with the laws of nature.

10. What was the consequence of the Greeks’ rigid adherence to the polis? A wider segment of the total population was involved in the culture and politics, so classical Greek civilization flowered.

11. Do you buy his argument? Why or why not? Yes, because he supports it with many accurate historical points, therefore proving his point.

Homework 9/30

The creation of zero was so important because it made mathematical calculations much easier. The concept of zero had been invented before, but Indian mathematicians adopted a place-value notation, where the value of a symbol depends on its place in the representation of a number. Therefore, the number zero could be inserted into a number to completely change its value; 123 became 1023. Also, math was much easier because it dealt with all numbers, as opposed to using letters of the alphabet like the Romans. 

With Zarathustra, he considered the material world a blessing that reflected the benevolent nature of the supreme god, Ahura Mazda. But in the Bhagavad Gita, it states that full understanding of truth does not come to those "attached to worldly pleasures and power". These would be contrasting ideas, as in Zoroastrism they value material things more and people could enjoy the world and its fruits. In Confuscionism, he emphasized the value of ren, which said that government needed to advocate benevolence and humanity and avoid wars. Meanwhile, the Bhagavad Gita stresses the detatchment of feelings and to just do your duty and fight the battles you're supposed to. 

Han issues

The Han Dynasty might not have collapsed if there had been a division of jurisdiction over land.  They could have had one large and powerful emperor with power over smaller emperors who ruled small regions of the country.  This way, each small leader could take care of their region, while still staying loyal to the higher emperor.  The lower emperors could write laws and collect taxes for all the people, and the Dynasty, as a whole, would be a lot easier to control. If rebellions happened, the lower emperors could take care of it with firm military force.

Pocketmap Qin and Han dynasties

Daoism

Do not worry about things such as education or greed- instead, harmony is achieved when you acknowledge that simplicity is the best way to live.

Pocketmap Persia

Homework 9/16

1. No, I do not think Confuscionism is a religion. In the first and second chapters, there is no mention of a supernatural power, or reverence to any god. There is an absence of any prayer. Confucious does not teach people about the afterlife, or a Judgement Day. Instead, he tells about how to live every day and be a good, virtuous person. Therefore, I think Confucionism is a philosophy to live by but not quite a religion. 

2. This reading supports the idea that people are born neutral. Confucious says, "“If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good" (Book II, CHAP. III., line 2). This indicates that they must be taught "rules of propriety" in order to become good via the sense of shame. Confucious implies that if people are not led by virtue, people will lack this fundamental sense of shame, and will be bad. Therefore, if people must be guided one way or the other, they must be born neutral. They would not need to be led by virtue if everyone was born good, but they would need a lot more than "virtue" to keep them in order if everyone was born bad. The Master also says, in order to cause the people to be faithful to their ruler, "“Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent;-- then

they will eagerly seek to be virtuous" (Book II, CHAP. XX., line 1). Confucious states that if people are taught to be more intelligent and resourceful, this will make them also be more righteous. People would not be "eagerly seeking" to be virtuous if they were born pure and saintly already. Instead, the gain of intelligence leads to the gain of higher moral values, implying that virtue is indirectly bestowed upon the people through education. Lastly, the Master insists that "“Man is born for

uprightness" (Book VI, CHAP. XVII., line 1), with uprightness being honest and just. However, he does not specifically state that man is born into uprightness. Just because it may be the purpose of man to become righteous and good, does not mean man automatically becomes righteous and good. He is born neutral, and therefore must follow the teachings of Confucious in order to achieve this uprightness that he was born for.

Gathas for class activity

1. In the first Gatha, the author gives moral advice to the reader. He passes along the message of the "Wise Creator", and the sacred Truth. He says you can reach Heaven through truth. He tells the reader to listen and reflect to his advice, and let each person choose for himself his own path. In the beginning there were two spirits: Good and Evil. The author says to chooss wisely between the two. Followers of evil will have the worst existence, and the righteous will have the best. Those who would please Ahura Mazda (their god) would be those who had faith in the truth. Meanwhile, the followers of evil did not choose wisely. They tried to destroy life with violence. The soul will be with Armaity, the spirit of Benevolence and Right-mindedness, if it passes through the test of truth.

The main message of this hymn is to be good, not evil. The author then goes on to describe that if you are evil, you will suffer for it, while if you are good, you will be rewarded.

2. When the evil ones are finally punished, the good shall go to Heaven! So, the author says that everyone should make the world a better place. He prays that Mazda and the Divine Spirits will help everyone find the right path to Truth. Those who reject this Truth shall be punished, while those who accept it shall be received in the promised place. 

The main message of this hymn is to follow the Truth of Good, and if you do this then Mazda will help and reward you. The Lord has given orders for happiness and pain, and you should choose the path of good.

3. The Judge will be perfectly fair in dealing judgement to the good, the evil, and those who are both. The author says that if a man actively opposes evil and constantly chooses good, no matter who he is,he will dwell in the realm of the Good Mind. The author then says that he himself is one of these good followers of Truth, who keeps evil away from Mazda. So, he appeals to Mazda directly, to bless him with wisdom and vision,

The main message of this hymn is about the author and how he works to be a follower of Truth. Therefore, he writes this hymn to appeal to Mazda Ahura, asking to meet with the Wise Lord.

4. In this hymn, the author asks for acceptance and blessing. He asks that everyone be allowed to advance to Mazda and promote the Truth. He humbly says that all expressions of life come to the people through Mazda's divine power. He asks the Lord to be gracious, and describes how he has purpose through devotion and purity through Mazda's Spirit. He asks to be wise and open minded, and inspired by the Truth. Zarathushtra dedicates the works of his life and his very self to the Lord Mazda.

Engineering an Empire Questions

Engineering an Empire: Persia

1. What is the order of Persian leaders?

Cyrus the Great, Darius the Great, Xerxes

2. What is a qanat?  How does it work?
   A system of underground canals. Vertical shafts were dug down from the surface, and the tunnel was excavated for a short distance. Then another vertical shaft, and the channel continued to the lake. The angle of the slope was crucial- not too steep, not too flat. This prevented loss of water due to evaporation.

3. What is Cyrus’ tomb like?
   Chose to be buried in Pasagar. The tomb is relatively unadorned. It is very simple and elegant. It had large, rectangular cut stones. It was 36 feet. It is remarkably well preserved. 

4. What interaction does Cyrus have with the Jews?
   Recognized and tolerated different beliefs. He freed the Jews from Babylon in captivity. Cyrus was later refered to in the Bible as the "messiah"

5. What did Darius build?
   A massive stone highway. This would weave the empire together from North Africa to India. It is called the "Royal Road". It helped keep carts and feet out of being stuck in the mud.
   
   

About the Test

I did not think the test was as terrible as everyone said it was going to be, but it was certainly more difficult than any test we took in last year's history class. The questions were a lot more specific and some of them I had to just completely guess on. It was challenging because there was a lot of information in those six chapters and it is impossible to memorize it all. But the test was definitely a good wake up call; this class will not be an easy class and I will make sure to go over more specific facts for next time, not just get the general idea of the chapters. As for the essay, I did not think I did that bad- at least, I didn't completely blank out during the period! It was helpful to know what the essay would be so I could prepare specifically for that. Once I get my essay back, I will look over my grade and see what needs to be improved, then remember it when writing my next one.

Response #2

To Olivia Varghese- Hi Olivia! Your poster is very simple and easy to follow. You are also quite a talented artist. I like your drawing of a cow. It is very cute. However, I dont think your poster pops enough. It needs color!! Also, if you drew the stuff on the outside a little bigger, that probably would have worked better. My society was India. India and Mesopotamia are similar in their patriarchal societies. I can tell Mesopotamia was a patriarchy because you drew a very nice picture of a woman wearing a veil. One difference is the writing. India did not have much written work, where it is clear from your picture that Mesopotamia did. One question I have for you is how does a drawing of a family relate to the theme of "Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems?" Your pal, Anjali

Response to History Head poster

To Arvind Pasupuleti - Your poster is very nice and organized. I like how each picture is neatly printed and detailed. Each picture also relates to the theme very nicely. However, I do not understand the pictures for theme 2. However, every other picture is very clear how it corresponds with the themes. The only thing is you weren't supposed to use words and the picture for Theme 5 outside the head includes titles. My society was India. India is similar to Mesoamerica in terms of the way humans interacted with the environment. They cut down trees and cleared land for agriculture. An interesting difference betwee India and Mesoamerica is the tradition of blood letting. Mesoamericans had this major part of their culture, where in India it was not so violent. One question I have is why you show Europeans meeting with Native Americans for theme 4 inside the head- I thought that happened much much later, like in the 1400s AD?

History Head Activity

1. (Inside the head) An axe symbolizes deforestation. Harappans deforested the Indus valley to clear land for cultivation and to obtain firewood. Also, Aryan settlers in the Ganges valley learned how to make iron tools such as axes. They used it to clear trees away and establish agricultural communities. The average Aryan might be a farmer, and he would use this land for food production.

(Outside the head) With many groups of people cutting trees and using the land for their farming in the Indus River valley, deforestation started to have an impact. Without any trees, there started to be erosion of topsoil and reduced amounts of rainfall. Over hundreds of years, most of the valley had become a desert. This change reduced agricultural yields dramatically, causing Harappan society to face a crisis after 1900 BCE.

Although humans had an effect on the environment, the environment also had an affect on humans. The flooded house represents this. The Indus River draws its waters from rain and melting snow off of the mountains, raging downhill with much force. It floods annually, sometimes with devastating effect. 

2. (Inside) The sword represents the Aryans' beliefs during their migrations. Since they were an active, often violent group, their main god Indra led them with military leadership. He was stormy and violent, and they believed he trampled enemy forces and opened the way for Aryans. The average early Aryan honored Indra as his hero and told dozens of stories about his great deeds.

The butterfly represents the religious beliefs of the Dravidians, who had a great respect for all living things. They believed in reincarnation, where human souls could take on new physical forms after death, including in animals. When Dravidian beliefs blended with Aryans, they developed into the Upanishads, where people would try to understand the journey of their souls and how to get them to Brahman. Brahman was the ultimate goal of an eternal soul.

(Outside) This image represents how Aryans and Dravidians, who came from different places and had different skin colors, mixed. They intermarried, interacted, and became the foundation of Indian society. 

3. (Inside) The arrows show how Aryans migrated into the region. They filtered over the Hindu Kush mountains. They came in groups, slowly filling the Indus River valley in herding communities. 

(Outside) The four men sitting in chairs represent a council of elders. This was the first government system the Aryans had. Councils of respected elders became the principal sources of political authority. They directed affairs of small states, so the average Aryan citizen would be led by these men. States were republics, governed by representatives of the citizens. 

The two kings fighting represented the enourmous potential for conflict between Aryan states. They formed hundreds of chiefdoms led by a leader known as a raja, who worked in collaboration with a council of village elders. The men of one village often raided the herds of the neighboring village. Ambitious chiefs also sometimes sought to conauer neighbors. An everyday farmer might have to watch out for attacks from neighboring chiefdoms. 

4. (Inside) The cow represents the Aryans' main economy when they entered India. They had a pastiral economy, keeping sheeps, goats, horses, and herds of cattle. The average person in an Aryan group would probably have herded cattle or another animal.

The ship represents trade. Harappans engaged in trade with neighboring peoples in Persia, the Hindu-Kush mountains, and Mesopotamia. An average person trading in a Harappan society would have used a ship following the coastline of the Arabian Sea between the mouth of the Indus River and the Persian Gulf. With Sumerians they traded copper, ivory, pearls, and semiprecious stones for wool, leather, and olive oil.

(Outside) Eventually herding societies developed into agricultural societies, which led to cities being formed. Population increased enough in the Ganges River Valley that many Aryan groups formed cities. This would be a dramatic change for an Aryan group who had been used to migrating and herding all their lives. 

5. (Inside) The giant male symbol next to the tiny female symbol represents the strongly patriarchal society that developed in Aryan groups. Men had already dominated Aryan society. Priests, warriors, and tribal chiefs were all men, and women had no public authority. The common Aryan man could expect to inherit property and be the leaders of the community. In fact the Lawbook of Manu, which dealt with priper moral behavior, placed women explicitly under the control of men.

The man hugging his knees to his chest and looking sad represented the "Untouchables". These were people who performed dirty and unpleasant tasks, and theoretically became so disgusting and polluted from their work that people of higher status refused to touch them in fear of being polluted themselves. The average Indian citizen would probably be a little higher up than these, and would make sure to avoid associating with them at all costs.

(Outside) These two men represent the caste system that developed when Aryan and Dravidian groups mixed. Aryans, who refered to themselves as "noble peoples" were "wheat colored" while Dravidians had darker skin. Aryans used the term varna, which meant "color" in Sanskrit, to refer to the major social classes. This was a racist system and could affect the average citizen well or poorly, depending on where he was born and his skin color.