The Worlds of the Fifteenth Century

Strayer Chapter 12

Hunter-gatherer societies

Paleolithic lifestyles still to be found in Australia, N. America, Siberia, Arctic coasts, parts of Africa

Hunter-gatherers: Australia

Environment didn’t support agriculture“firestick farming” – controlled burns to encourage new plant growthExtensive trade among groups

Hunter-gatherers: Australia

“Dreamtime” – animist beliefs

Ancient spirits created the world, became part of the landSacred spaces

Importance of relationships

Hunter-gatherers: N. America

Affluent societies on Pacific coastChinookan, Skagit, Tulalip, etc.Abundant food allowed for villages, complex societies, chiefdoms

Agricultural Village Societies

Farming communities that were not part of larger empiresUsually organized in kinship groups, not cities or statesFewer inequalities, and more roles for women outside of the homeExamples: Igbo (Africa), Iroquois tribes (N. America)

Iroquois

Lived in present-day New York stateFarming of maize and beans

Increased conflict/warfare linked to farming?

The Iroquois League – “The Great Law of Peace”

By 1500, conflicts between groups led to an alliance of 5 main tribes:

SenecaOneidaCayugaMohawkOnondaga

Pastoral Groups: Central AsiaMongol empire had disintegrated by 1368last of the Central Asian invasions led by Timur

Timur the Lame / Tamerlane (1336-1405)Muslim leader who wanted to restore the Mongol empire of his hero, Chinggis Khan

TimurTurkish/ UzbekGrew up in the Chagatai khanateCalled himself “The sword of Islam” – Sunni Muslim

Conquered Central Asia, Russia, Lithuania, Persia, Mesopotamia, the Caucasus, northern India, and Turkey

TimurKnown for ruthlessness and crueltyInterested in conquering, but not in governanceDied while leading an invasion of Ming ChinaTimurid dynasty based in Samarkand; his descendants ruled until the 1600s.

Timur married into the family of Chinggis Khan– so he took the title emir, rather than khan.

Timur’s tomb in Samarkand

Ming China (1368-1644)Dominated by ethnic Han ChineseChina tries to eliminate foreign influences, especially MongolPromoted Confucianism; Buddhism and Daoism still popular

Ming Dynasty

AccomplishmentsCapitals at Nanjing and BeijingRe-established the civil service systemHighly centralized government led by the emperor• Conflict between scholar-officials (aka

mandarins) and court eunuchs, who were highly loyal to emperor

Ming Dynasty

Agricultural lands reclaimed – trees plantedDomestic and foreign trade flourishesPopulation growsHighly prosperous

Ming Dynasty – Emperor Hongwu

Ming founder: Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew Yuan rulers and took the title Hongwu (“vastly martial”); aka Taizu

Ming dynasty – Emperor Yongle (1402-1422)Born Zhu Di – the 4th son of HongwuMoved capital back to Beijing

Built the Forbidden City and Porcelain TowerRepaired the Grand CanalCompiled the Yongle Encyclopedia, which collected Chinese literature, philosophy, & history

The Forbidden City

Maritime explorations

Zheng He, a Muslim eunuch from Central Asia, became admiral of Yongle’s fleetLed 7 expeditions (1405-1433) to Indian Ocean basin

Visited Vietnam, Malacca, India, Sri Lanka, Arabia, East Africa

Zheng He’s Voyages

Fleets also had supply ships for water, troops, horsesGoal: bring tribute to Ming court; to assert Chinese diplomacy; to limit piracy in Indian ocean

Bao Chuan (“Treasure

Ships”)

Zheng He’s voyagesZheng He’s journeys ended after Yongle died

Confucian bureaucrats disliked so much money spent on naval expeditionsNorthern and western borders needed attention and resourcesZheng He’s maps were destroyed; bao chuan left to rot in port

Chinese merchants continued to local trade, w/o gov’t support

The Islamic World of the 15th Century

Gunpowder Empires: the Muslim empires of the 1400s-1700s who made use of new gunpowder weapons (cannon, artillery, etc.)

The Ottoman Empire (1299-1922)

Based in Anatolia (Turkey)Included Eastern Europe, Middle East, Egypt, northern AfricaControl of large portions of Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Black Sea coastsSunni MuslimsLeaders called “Sultans”

Ottoman Empire: greatest leadersOsman I – the founder

Expanded his kingdom to Byzantine borders

Mehmed II – conquered Constantinople in 1453, ended the Byzantine EmpireSelim I – conquered Egypt and Syria from the Mamluks (1516-1517)

Ottoman leadersSuleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566)

Conquered Belgrade, BaghdadLed failed invasion of Viennaaka “the Lawgiver”

Ottoman Empire: Military

Their navies controlled trade in the Mediterranean, Red, and Black SeasOttoman armies

Ghazis – Muslim warriors – later replaced by theJanissaries – Christians who had been enslaved and converted to Islam

Safavid Empire (1502-1722)

Based in Persia/IranFounded by Ismail, who took the title “shah” and embraced a form of Shi’a Islam

Led to conflict w/nearby Sunni Muslims, esp. Ottomans

Safavids specialized in trade of silks and Turkish rugs A qizilbash soldier

Safavid Empire

Shah Abbas the Great (1588-1629) – greatest Safavid leader

Expanded and strengthened the empireDefeated OttomansBuilt new capital at Isfahan

The Mughal Empire (1526-1761)Previous Indian states included:

Maurya Empire (322 BCE-185 BCE) Gupta empire (320-550) Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526)Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1565)

The Mughal EmpireFounded by Babur “the Tiger,” a descendent of Chinggis Khan and Timur

“Mughal” is the Persian word for MongolBabur was a Turkish Sunni Muslim invader, ruling over a Hindu population

Mughal EmpireAkbar the Great (1556-1605)

Greatest Mughal rulerBegan expansion into southern IndiaReligiously tolerant – he was Muslim, but embraced Hindu, Zoroastrian, Sikh, Christian, and Sufi beliefs

Jahangir (1605-1627)

Akbar the Great

Abbas and Jahangir

Mughal Empire

Shah Jahan (1628-1658) – built the Taj MahalAurangzeb (1658-1707)

Continued Mughal expansionsPromoted Muslim faith• Taxed Hindus, demolished Hindu

temples and built mosques• Increased Hindu resentment – led to

rebellions

The Taj Mahal

Built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal