Chapters 23 & 24..farewell to my history blog

Just as the American revolutionaries fought and won their independence from the European colonies, the Asian and African European colonies also sought their independence. The colonists of the America only had to fight for political independence but the colonies that were governed by foreigners also had to rediscover and redefine their cultural vitality that had been lost under colonial rule. It is incomprehensible to be governed by a foreign land with dissimilar cultural, religious and political beliefs. I went to Hong Kong when it was under British rule and even though the Asian culture was very prevalent, the British and western culture were also present.

To further illustrate my lack of knowledge of world history…I was unaware that the boundaries of Pakistan were once a part of India. It is very unfortunate to learn that so many people died in the partition of the two countries and, as always, extremists arose from the struggles and, unfortunately, the result was the death of Gandhi.

I also found it interesting reading about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and how he transformed the remnants of the strong political, religious and cultural Ottoman Empire to a more modernized society. He made such radical changes without great upheavals. I also enjoyed reading about the Shah of Iran and how his ideologies caused so much hostility amongst the citizens of Iran. Not to date myself…but I remember when Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini came into power. I remember when there was a shortage of gasoline due to the shut down of oil production. The gas stations would hang either red or green flags indicating whether they had gasoline that day. The day a person could purchase gasoline was determined by the last number on their license plate. If the day of the month was an even day and your license plate ended in an even number, than you could wait in a LONG line to receive gasoline. It was a mess!

Growing up in a very small town in Northern California my world existed basically in my surroundings. I would watch the news coverage of the Vietnam War, on our two channel black and white television set, but it was difficult for me to comprehend where on the globe Vietnam was. The world today is so drastically different. With the internet, the frequency of transcontinental flights, and cultural diversity our world has been integrated by modern globalization. Unfortunately along with the prosperous growth of economies there were economies of other regions that were poor and deprived of basic necessities. As we can see from Chapter 24, a disparity creates conflict. These conflicts can be present among neighborhoods, communities or globally.

I enjoyed reading that Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring had been included in our textbook. When I was enrolled in Way of the Earth religion class we watched a movie about Rachel Carson. She was an amazing woman who devoted her life to nature. In her movie there were movie clips of children playing in their front yards or eating their lunches at school as they were having pesticides heavily sprayed upon them. Because the pesticide spray was deemed harmless everyone thought that the poisons their bodies were ingesting was fine. There was a nice section of the Smithsonian in the American History museum dedicated to her work. Here is a clip of Rachel Carson.

Chapters 21 & 22

Reading Chapter 21 opened my eyes to the devastation of the wars of the twentieth century. As I said in previous blogs, my knowledge of history was very limited until I enrolled in this class. Even though I live in a family filled with discussions of historical accounts of World War I, II and Vietnam War, my knowledge was minimal.

The outbreak of World War I was an accident that began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne. There was so much competition amongst the Great Powers of Europe that the war was inevitable. It is crazy to read how much popular support the war effort had. People couldn’t wait to enlist in the military and there were celebratory parades as the soldiers went off to war. The more conservative governments welcomed the war because of the gender-based conflicts of early twentieth century Europe. War promoted masculinity which created female inferiority. WWI was a “trench war” which depicts frightening images in my mind. There were so many lives lost and really for what?

When we hear about the Great Depression it is usually in the context of the United States. It was very informative to read about how the Depression impacted the global economy. I was sitting with my girlfriends at an airport reading my textbook when I read about Mother’s Day and how the French proclaimed the day as a new holiday designed to encourage childbearing. The children born would replace the millions of people who perished during the war. I read my friend the paragraph which made us both laugh. The day was originally not to honor your mother but to get your wife pregnant!!

The information about Germany, Italy and Japan (Axis powers) and what they did with their great power status was interesting. Even though the countries were experiencing industrialization and modernization the social impact of their less fortunate citizens were devastating. The global conflict of World War II began due to dissatisfaction of Japan, Italy and Germany with the international agreements that were the outcome of World War I. To read that 60 million people lost their lives in WWII is crazy especially when to find out that over half of them were civilians. That is an atrocity.

Communism did bring opportunities to the peoples of the communist governments because communist nations provided opportunities to its citizens by the modern and industrial revitalizations. However, communism also brought much hardship due to the horrific acts against the people of their nation such as unjustified imprisonment and human rights violations. Currently the people of Vietnam are oppressed by their communist leaders. A Vietnamese friend of mind states that the people of Vietnam do not have any freedom of speech. For instance, if a person speaks against the government they will receive a visit by some political authorities and be roughed around. If a citizen wishes to travel out of their city, they must receive approval from their government. This concept seems so unbelievable to people in a foreign land.

Paul Revere

Chapters 17, 18 & 20

At the beginning of Chapter 17 the author summaries the atrocities the communist government of China inflicted upon their citizens who were protesting for democracy. In 1989 when Chinese authorities violently crushed demonstrators with armored tanks in Tiananmen Square, I was in an airplane with my sister on our way to Hong Kong. We were unaware of the massacre until the following morning when we witnessed throughout the city the massive memorials for the victims. The people of Hong Kong wore black arm bands to show solidarity and along the streets of Kowloon and Hong Kong were large displays of flowers adorned in black. We spoke to many young people who worked as tour guides, and they were very passionate and supportive of the demonstrators. Our vacation included a trip to Canton; unfortunately, all foreigners were quickly removed from China for their safety.

I enjoyed reading about the revolutions. These upheavals were caused by unfair taxes, the need for foreign and authoritarian independence and personal freedom. When I read about the number of slaves versus the number of whites along with the discrepancies of net worth, it was inevitable that the Haitian revolt would transpire. It is unfortunate that 8,000 plantations were destroyed in the once most richest colony. Haiti never recovered after the revolt and now it is considered one of the poorest areas in the world. I understand when emotions were stirring and the revolt was taking place, people don’t think rationally when their livelihood is at stake. If the infrastructure was left secure, possibly Haiti could have continued to thrive.

I found it interesting how nations developed along with the selection of languages and religions. I believe that it is very important that traditions such as songs, dances, folktales, historical experiences are kept alive for future generations. Even today, I worry that many of the songs that I learned as a child will disappear with my generation.

I am a strong advocate for women’s rights. When I read the section regarding the beginning of the feminist movement, I felt proud of those women who stood up for their rights and the rights of the women who would come after them.

The image at the beginning of Chapter 18 is very depressing. I am all for progress but not while devastating mother earth! In previous chapters it was stated that gatherers and hunters had much more leisure time than the agricultural society. As civilization entered into the industrial revolution, many of the societies’ lower class workers had to work as many as 13 hours per day. The early era of the industrial revolution was very difficult on the people and planet. I found it interesting how the different countries managed or mismanaged the growth, class divide and wealth of the industrial revolution.

Reading Chapter 20 made me ashamed to be of European descent. So much pain and suffering was inflicted on societies who were just living their lives. The picture of the two boys with their severed arms because their village was unable to supply the required amount of wild rubber is heartbreaking. The need for power and wealth has promoted so much violence. With the need for enterprise, Europeans instituted taxation, seized lands, and subjected labor to build railroads, ports and roads in order to transform foreign lands and acquire wealth. At the end of Chapter 20 the author states that defenders of colonial development praise the transformation as a jump-start in modern growth. I think that is a question to contemplate.

Timbuktu

I did not realize that there is really a place called Timbuktu! Timbuktu is in Mali which is located in West Africa.

Chapters 14, 15 & 16

Chapter Fourteen tells how the modern empire building impacted existing peoples and places. I found this chapter difficult to read because it contained stories of the exploitations that were carried out against the people who were in the way of another’s advancement. For instance, before the arrival of Europeans into Mesoamerican and Andean zones, there was an estimated 60 to 80 million people living in the area and after the contact with domesticated animals and diseases brought by Europeans and their slaves, the population fell by 90%. That information is astonishing. Another example is the devastation of the indigenous people of the Caribbean islands. Within 50 years after the arrival of Columbus the population vanished. A bit of information that I was unaware of was the use of slavery for the production of sugar in Brazil and Caribbean. It wasn’t that I was unaware that the use of slaves existed but not to the extent of the vast numbers. Brazil and the Caribbean used 80% of the slaves that were captured from their homes in African for sugar production. Not only were the slaves subjected to the atrocity of slavery but they were forced to work in dreadful conditions which resulted in a 5 to 10% death rate. It is very disheartening that the people of the era found this horrific act acceptable.

Chapter 15 begins with an interesting story about Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese mariner. Vasco da Gama witnessed the profits made by cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, pepper, silk, cottons and jewels as they were traded in Muslim Egypt. Da Gama decided to circumvent the Muslim participation in the trade by sailing through the unarmed Indian Ocean where they established fortified bases. The Portuguese officials partially blocked the Red Sea route to the Mediterranean and required all vessels to purchase a pass to day duties from 6 to 10 percent on their cargos. That story is unbelievable. If I decided to go to the local park and collect tolls from people who wished to enter, my story would resemble the Portuguese.

When I read about how Japan ruled their state and local authorities it was “déjà vu.” The Tokugawa shoguns used silver profits to finance their military to defeat hundreds of rival feudal lords and unify their country. The shoguns joined with merchants to form a market-based economy and invest in agriculture and industrial enterprises, and they also worked hard to protect the forests, attempted to have fewer children, used contraception and abortion. The outcome of Japan’s slowing down their economy was a substantial conservation program.

I am always saddened when I hear about the killing of animals. When gatherers and hunters killed animals to use for their clothing, it was understandable but when animals are killed for the use of luxury items I am saddened. Fur-bearing animals were almost put into extinction so humans could flaunt their wares.

I enjoyed reading about the Reformation. Martin Luther’s belief that the good works of a sinner or the sacraments of the Church would not get you into heaven. His conviction was that faith, a free gift of God, was graciously granted to his needy and undeserving people. I believe that Martin Luther’s religious beliefs are so true. My religious upbringing was in a small town Catholic Church in Northern California. Every Saturday afternoon my mother would coral her four children and take us to confession and then the following Sunday morning we went to mass. If we missed mass, it was a mortal sin and if we missed confession we could not receive communion until we repented our sin. As an adult, faith is still important in my life but my beliefs are no longer rigid. I believe what is important in life is being a good person and treat people how you would like to be treated.

I have attached a photograph of St. Paul’s I took in Macao which was one of the fortified bases of the Portuguese during the early Modern Era. St. Paul’s was built from 1582 to 1602 by the Jesuits, the cathedral was the largest Catholic church in Asia at the time, and the royalty of Europe vied with each other to bestow upon the cathedral the best gifts

Chapters 11, 12 & 13

As I stated in a previous blog, I very much enjoy learning about the creation of world religions. There are so many aspects of Islamic history I was unaware of. I did not know that in the early years when Jews, Christians and Muslims lived somewhat harmoniously side-by-side, the followers of Muhammad while in prayer faced Jerusalem but when some Jewish groups allied with Muhammad’s enemies the offenders were cruelly punished and the Islamic prayer then faced Mecca. Now that is interesting!!

While Christianity focused on accurate religious belief, the Sharia, the sacred law of Islam, was focused on correct behavior. I have read many Surahs, Qur’an’s 114 chapters, and I was surprised to read that the Qur’an was a book of guidance dealing with every aspect of a person’s life. The stories that Muhammad tells in the Qur’an such as Noah, Adam, and Abraham are parallel with what is written in the Bible. There is much controversy that these Judeo-Christian stories were retold by Muhammad. With my limited knowledge, I plan on leaving that controversy alone!

The more indebt stories of the pastoral peoples and nomads were very interesting. In the past when I heard the word nomadic or pastoral, the vision in my mind was a dirty, poor person who struggled through society. But after reading Chapter 12, I realized that they were a thriving society where women were equal to men, the pastoral people initiated trade with the surrounding agricultural societies and they traveled with the seasons. The pastoral peoples and nomads were a society which flourished while living in undesirable lands.

I also realized that I knew very little about the Mongol Empire which was the largest land-based empire in all of human history. There are many books and movies about the Persian, Roman and Chinese Empires but insignificant information about the Mongol Empire. Needless to say, I would probably watch the movie with my eyes closed due to all of the savagery and brutality Chinggis Khan inflicted on the surrounding empires. But Western Europe “lucked out” because of the death of the Great Khan Ogodeiin which caused the Mongols to return to Mongolia in addition to the lack of much desired pastoral lands spared the area from conflict.

With the Mongol Empire, with no written language, began a large commercial network of trade within the Afro-Eurasian regions. These trade routes promoted the widespread movement of skilled craftsmen and educated people to different regions of the empire. This movement enhanced the exchange of ideas and techniques to which brought technology throughout the area. One unfortunate factor that the trade routes produce is the sharing of diseases. The plague spread from diseased rodents and transmitted by mosquitoes. It is a testament to the Mongol’s brutality by the act of catapulting diseased corps into Caffa. First of all there is no respect for humanity..dead or alive.

Chapter 13 is a synopsis of the major developments of the fifteenth century. As I read about the voyages of Zheng He, I imagined the image of what 300 ships looked like as they neared the coast to the peoples of East Africa. Another question came to my mind which is the subject of the reflections. “What if?” There are so many “what ifs” that if history ran a different course life as we know it would be different. What if China discovered America? That is a question to contemplate. We are moving fast through the chapters of our book and even though I have learned a lot in the class it is a lot to comprehend.