ch. 13 worlds of the fifteenth century

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Ways of the World:

A Brief Global History

First Edition

CHAPTER 13The Worlds of the Fifteenth Century

Copyriht ! "##$ by Bedford%&t' (artin)s

Robert W. Strayer



*' +penin ,inette

A. Columbus's legacy has been the subject of much debate.

1. his reputation as heroic discoverer has been challenged

2. emphasis has been placed on the history of death, slavery,

racism, and exploitation that followed his voyage

. reminder that the past is as unpredictable as the future!. "ven though Columbus's voyage is arguably the most important

single event of the

fifteenth century, many other developments were occurring

across the globe at the same time.

C. #his chapter's purpose is to review the human story up to thesixteenth century and

to establish a baseline against which to measure the

transformations of the period

1$%%&2%%%.



**' The &hapes of Hu-an

Co--unities



A' The &hapes of Hu-an Co--unities

n 1$%%, the world still had all types of societies,

from bands of gatherers and hunters to empires,

but the balance between them was different than it

had been in $%%.



!. (aleolithic (ersistence1. gathering and hunting societies )(aleolithic peoples* still existed throughout all of

Australia , much of +iberia, the arctic coastlands, and parts of Africa and the Americas

2. they had changed over time, interacted with their neighbors

. example of Australian gatherers and hunters

a. some 2$% separate groups

b. had assimilated outside technologies and ideas, e.g., outrigger canoes, fishhoos, netting techni-ues, artistic styles, rituals, mythological concepts

c. had not adopted agriculture

d. manipulated their environment through firestic farming/

e. exchanged goods over hundreds of miles

f. developed sophisticated sculpture and roc painting0. northwest coast of orth America developed very differently

a. abundant environment allowed development of a complex gathering and

hunting culture

b. had permanent villages, economic specialiation, hierarchies, chiefdoms, food

storage

$. elsewhere, farming had advanced and absorbed (aleolithic lands



C. Agricultural 3illage +ocieties1. predominated in much of orth America, in

Africa south of the e-uator, in parts of the

Amaon 4iver basin and +outheast Asia2. their societies mostly avoided oppressive

authority, class ine-ualities, and seclusion of

women typical of other civiliations

. example of forested region in present&day

southern igeria , where three different political

patterns developeda. 5oruba people created city&states, each ruled by

a ing )oba*, many of whom were women and

who performed both religious and political

functions

b. ingdom of !enin6 centralied territorial state

ruled by a warrior ing named "wuare

c. gbo peoples6 dense population and trade, butpurposely rejected ingship and state building

d. 5oruba, !enin , and gbo peoples traded among

themselves and beyond

e. the region shared common artistic traditions

f. all shifted from matrilineal to patrilineal system



C. Agricultural 3illage +ocieties

0. in what is now central ew 5or +tate,agricultural village societies underwent

substantial change in the centuries before

1$%%a. ro-uois speaers had become fully agricultural

)maie and beans* by around 1%%

b. population growth, emergence of distinct peoples

c. rise of warfare as ey to male prestige )perhaps

since women did the farming, so males were no

longer needed for getting food*

d. warfare triggered the creation of the ro-uois

7eague of 8ive ations, based on agreementnown as the 9reat 7aw of (eace

e. some "uropean colonists appreciated ro-uois

values of social e-uality and personal freedom

)even for women*



:. (astoral (eoples6 Central Asia and ;est Africa

1. #uric warrior #imur )#amerlane* tried to restore the <ongol "mpire ca. 10%%

a. his army devastated 4ussia , (ersia , and ndia

b. #imur died in 10%$, while preparing invasion of China

c. his successors ept control of the area between (ersia and Afghanistan for a

century

d. #imur=s con-uest was the last great military success of Central Asian nomads

2. in the following centuries, the steppe nomads= homeland was swallowed up in

expanding 4ussian and Chinese empires. African pastoralists remained independent from established empires for several

centuries longer )until late nineteenth century*

0. example of the 8ulbe ) ;est Africa=s largest pastoral society*

a. gradual eastward migration after 1%%% c.e.

b. usually lived in small communities among agriculturalistsc. gradually adopted slam

d. some moved to towns and became noted religious leaders

e. series of jihads in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries created new states

ruled by the 8ulbe



!etween 1%%% and 1$%% C.". three different patterns of politi.al

development emerged in ;est Africa. Compare the following6

)>riginal6 p. ?@ ;ith +ources6 p. $@*YORUBA BENIN IGBO

A series of

city-states,

each within a

walled town,

and ruled byan oba (in!"

#$any of

who$ were

wo$en--who

%erfor$ed

both

reli!ious and %olitical

functions

A

centrali&ed

territorial

state that

was ruled by a warrior

in! na$e

Euware'

e was said

to ha)e

con*uered

+ townsand )illa!es

in the

%rocess of

foundin!

the new

state'

isad$inistrati

Re.ected

in!s and

state-

buildin!

efforts oftheir

nei!hbors'

Instead

they relied

on other

institutions

--titlesocieties in

which

wealthy

$en

recei)ed a

series of

%resti!iousrans,



/is.ussion &tarter: /o you thin0 that

deeply rooted underlyin .auses or.oin.iden.e and .han.e play a -ore

i-portant role in shapin the .ourse

of orld history2a. :eeply rooted underlying causes play a more

important role in shaping the course of world

history.b. Coincidence and chance play a more important

role in shaping the course of world history.



A. !y the

fifteenth

century c.e., amajority of the

world=s

populationlived within a

major

civiliation

***' Ciili4ations of the Fifteenth Century:

Co-parin China and Europe



!. <ing :ynasty China

1. China had been badly

disrupted by <ongol ruleand the plague

2. recovery under the <ing

dynasty )1?B1?00*a. effort to eliminate all signs

of foreign rule

b. promotion of Confucian

learning

c. "mperor 5ongle )r. 10%2

1022* sponsored an

11,%%%&volume

Encyclopedia summariing

all the wisdom of the past. reestablished the civil

service examination

system



Conne.tion: Whi.h of the folloin as

5+T a ay in hi.h European -ariti-eoyain as influen.ed by lon6ter-

.ross6.ultural en.ounters2

a. "uropean competition with the Chinese <ing "mpire to constructthe largest and most sophisticated fleet in the worldb. #he maret for Asian products in "urope created through long&

distance tradec. 4eligious and military competition with the slamic ;orld, which

inspired western "uropeans to see to contact by sea with

potential Christian allies whom they hoped to convince to jointheir crusading struggled. "uropeans drawing on technological developments in ship design

elsewhere in "urasia to improve their ships



/is.ussion &tarter: *f * had lied inthe fifteenth .entury7 * ould hae

preferred to hae been born in

a. <ing :ynasty China.

b. Aboriginal Australia.

c. gbo ;est Africa.d. the territories of the ro-uois 7eague.



!. <ing :ynasty China0. created a highly centralied government

a. great power was given to court eunuchsb. state restored land to cultivation, constructed waterwors, planted perhaps a

billion trees

c. was perhaps the best&governed and most prosperous civiliation of the fifteenth

century

$. maritime venturesa. Chinese sailors and traders had become important in the +outh China +ea and

in +outheast Asian ports in the eleventh century

b. "mperor 5ongle commissioned a massive fleet launched in 10%$ under

command of Dheng Ee

c. fleet sought to enroll distant peoples and states in Chinese tribute system but did

not see to con-uer new territories or establish settlements

d. Chinese government abruptly stopped the voyages in 10

e. Chinese merchants and craftsmen continued to settle and trade in Fapan ,

(hilippines , #aiwan , and +outheast Asia, but without government support



C. "uropean Comparisons6 +tate

!uilding and Cultural 4enewal1. a similar process of demographic recovery, consolidation, cultural

flowering, and "uropean expansion too place in ;estern "urope

2. "uropean population began to rise again ca. 10$%

. state building, but fragmented, with many independent and competitive

states0. the 4enaissance6 reclamation of classical 9ree traditions

a. began in the commercial cities of taly ca. 1$%1$%%

b. returning to the sources/ as a cultural standard to imitate

c. turn to greater naturalism in art )e.g., 7eonardo da 3inci, 4aphael,

<ichelangelo*d. humanist/ scholars explored secular topics in addition to religious

matters )e.g., iccolG <achiavelli=s The Prince*

$. Christine de (ian wrote against misogyny

?. 4enaissance thiners more concerned with describing the world as it is rather than

exploring eternal truths



:. "uropean Comparisons6 <aritime 3oyaging

1. (ortuguese voyages of

discovery began in 101$

2. 10H26 Columbus reached the

Americas

. 10H@10HB6 3asco da 9ama

sailed around Africa to ndia

0. "uropean voyages were very

small compared to Chinese

ones

$. unlie the Chinese voyages,

"uropeans were seeing

wealth, converts, allies in

Crusades against slam



:. "uropean Comparisons6 <aritime 3oyaging

?. "uropeans used violence to carve

out empires@. Chinese voyages ended "uropean

ones ept escalatinga. no overarching political authority in

"urope to end the voyages

b. rivalry between states encouragedmore exploration

c. much of "uropean elite interested in

overseas expansion

d. China had everything it needed

"uropeans wanted the greater riches of

the "ast

e. China =s food production could expand

internally "uropean system expanded

by ac-uiring new lands



*,' Ciili4ations of the

Fifteenth Century:

The *sla-i. World

A. #he long&fragmented slamic world

crystallied into four major states or empires.



!. n the slamic Eeartland6 #he >ttoman and +afavid "mpires

1. >ttoman "mpire lasted from fourteenth to early twentieth

century

a. huge territory6 Anatolia, eastern "urope, much of<iddle "ast, orth African coast, lands around !lac

+ea

b. sultans claimed the title caliph/ and the legacy of the

Abbasids

c. effort to bring new unity to the slamic world

2. >ttoman aggression toward Christian landsa. fall of Constantinople in 10$

b. 1$2H siege of 3ienna

c. "uropeans feared #urish expansion

. +afavid "mpire emerged in (ersia from a +ufi religious order

a. empire was established shortly after 1$%%

b. imposed +hia slam as the official religion of the state

0. +unni >ttoman "mpire and +hia +afavid "mpire fought

periodically between 1$0 and 1?H



O33O7AN

E78IRE

6A9A:I4

E78IRE

8O;I

3I<

A;

3uric

Otto$ans

clai$ed the

le!acy of

the earlier

Abbasid

E$%ire and

sou!ht to

brin! a

renewed

unity to the

Isla$ic

world'

3hey also

sawthe$sel)es

as

successors

to the

Ro$an

E$%ire' In=+>, they

East of the

Otto$an

E$%ire, this

Isla$ic state

was created

by a 3uric

leader who

was fro$ a

6ufi reli!ious

order' By

==, the

6afa)id

E$%ire

decided to

forciblyi$%ose a

6hia )ersion

of Isla$ as

the official

reli!ion of

the state'8olitically

' 9ill in the chart' (Ori!inal %%' @-@+C Dith 6ources %%' =-=>"

C > f +



C. >n the 8rontiers of slam6 #he +onghay and <ughal "mpires

C > th 8 ti f l #h + h d < h l " i



C. >n the 8rontiers of slam6 #he +onghay and <ughal "mpires

1. +onghay "mpire rose in ;est Africa in the

second half of the fifteenth century

a. slam was limited largely to urban elites

b. +onni Ali )r. 10?$10H2* followed <uslim

practices, but was also regarded as a

magician with an invisibility charm

c. +onghay "mpire was a major center of

slamic learningItrade2. <ughal "mpire in ndia was created by #uric

group that invaded ndia in 1$2?

a. over the sixteenth century, <ughals

gained control of most of ndia

b. effort to create a partnership between

Eindus and <uslimsc. Eindu ingdom of 3ijayanagara

continued to flourish in the south

/ Th f th f t ( li



/' The ae of these four reat (usli-

e-pires is so-eti-es .alled a

8se.ond floerin of *sla-'9

1. new age of energy, prosperity, and cultural brilliance

2. spread of slam to new areas, such as +outheast Asia

. rise of <alacca as a sign of the timesJbecame a

major <uslim port city in the fifteenth century

a. <alaccan slam blended with EinduI!uddhist

traditions

b. was a center for slamic learning

<alacca was strategically



<alacca was strategically

located on the waterway

between +umatra and

<alaya. :uring the 1$th

century, it was transformed

from a small fishing villageto a major <uslim port city

and became a springboard

for the spread of slam

throughout the region. #he

slam of <alacca, however,demonstrated much

blending with the local

EinduI!uddhist traditions.

<alacca, lie #imbutu,

became a center for slamiclearning.

9ill i th h t (O i i l @ @+ Dith 6 = =>"



6ONGAY 7UGA;

8O;I

3I<

A;

A $onarch

#6onni

Ali--who

!a)e al$s

and fasted

durin!

Ra$adan in

%ro%er

Isla$ic

style' It

was asubstantial

Isla$ic

state on the

African

frontier of a

stille0%andin!

<reated by an

Isla$i&ed

3uric !rou%'

ad inclusi)e

%olicies to

acco$$odate

the indu

sub.ects

7ilitary

%ower

' 9ill in the chart' (Ori!inal %%' @-@+C Dith 6ources %%' =-=>"



,' Ciili4ations of the Fifteenth Century:The A-eri.as

A. !oth the Atec and the nca empires were

established by once&marginal peoples who too over

and absorbed older cultures, and both were destroyed

by +panish con-uistadores and their diseases.

#h A t " i



#he Atec "mpire

1. #he <exica were a seminomadic people

who migrated southward from northern<exicoa. established themselves on an island in 7ae

#excoco by 12$

b. built themselves up and established capital

city of #enochtitlKn

2. #riple Alliance )102B*6 <exica and two

other city&states uniteda. launched a program of military con-uest

b. con-uered much of <esoamerica in under a

century

c. Atec rulers claimed descent from earlierpeoples

#he Atec "mpire



#he Atec "mpire . Atec "mpire was a loosely

structured, unstable con-uest state

a. population of $? million b.

con-uered peoples paid regular

tribute c. #enochtitlKn had

1$%,%%%2%%,%%% people d. local

and long&distance trade on a vast

scale

0. trade included slaves, many intended

for sacrifice

a. human sacrifice much more

prominent in Atec "mpire than in

earlier <esoamerica

b. #lacaelel is credited with

crystalliing ideology of state giving

human sacrifice such importance

$. created an important

philosophicalIpoetic tradition focused

on the fragility of human life

#h " i



#he nca "mpire1. Luechua speaers established the nca "mpire along the length of the

Andes

a. empire was 2,$%% miles long

b. around 1% million subjects

2. nca "mpire was more bureaucratic, centralied than the Atecs

a. emperor was an absolute ruler regarded as divine

b. state theoretically owned all land and resources

c. around B% provinces, each with an nca governord. subjects grouped into hierarchical units of people )1%, $%, 1%%, $%%, etc.*, at

least in the central regions

e. inspectors checed up on provincial officials

f. population data was recorded on quipus )notted cords*

g. massive resettlement program moved much of the population. ncas attempted cultural integration

a. leaders of con-uered peoples had to learn Luechua

b. sons were taen to Cuco )the capital* for acculturation

c. subjects had to acnowledge major nca deities, but then could carry on

their own religious traditions

#h " i



#he nca "mpire . ncas attempted cultural integration

a. leaders of con-uered peoples had to learn Luechua

b. sons were taen to Cuco )the capital* for acculturation

c. subjects had to acnowledge major nca deities, but then could carry on

their own religious traditions

0. almost everyone had to perform labor service )mita* for the nca state

a. wor on state farms, herding, mining, military service, state constructionb. also production of goods for the state

c. state provided elaborate feasts in return

$. the state played a large role in distribution of goods



!oth the nca and Atec civiliations

practiced gender parallelism./

1. women and men operated in

separate but e-uivalent spheres/2. parallel religious cults for women and

men

. parallel hierarchies of female and

male political officials )especially

among ncas*0. women=s household tass were not

regarded as inferior

$. still, men had top positions in political

and religious life

?. glorification of the military probably

undermined gender parallelism

@. nca ruler and his wife governed

jointly, were descended from sun and

moon, respectively



4ole of ;omen;ithin the home, Atec women cooed, cleaned, spun and wove cloth, raised their

children, and undertoo ritual activities. >utside the home, they served as officialsin palaces, priestesses in temples, traders in marets, teachers in schools, and

members of craft worers= organiations.

n the Andes, women worshipped the moon with matching religious officials, and

attended to the duties lie Atec women.

Among the ncas, parallel hierarchies of male and female political officials

governed the empire. n the Andes, men broe the ground, women sowed, and

both too part in the harvest.

!oth societies practiced what scholars call gender parallelism,/ in which women

and men operated in two separate but e-ual spheres, each gender enjoyingautonomy in its own sphere.

Chosen women/ were removed from their homes as young girls, trained in nca

ideology, and set to producing corn beer and cloth at state centers. 7ater they

were given as wives or sent to serve as priestesses in various temples.



Co-parison: *n .o-parison to (in

/ynasty China7 the *n.an E-pire

a. laced a political ideology that gave divine

sanction to the emperor=s rule.b. relied more on long&distance cross&cultural

trade.

c. ruled over a more populous empire numbering

some 1%% million subjects.

d. played a more important role in both the

production and distribution of goods.



Chane: All ECEPT hi.h of the

folloin is an i-portant .hane thatseparates the fifteenth .entury fro- the

-odern era that e-ered after 1;##2

a. #he lining for the first time of the (acific, American, and Afro&"urasian ones of interaction after 1$%%

b. ndustrialiation rooted in a sustained growth oftechnological innovation after 1$%%

c. #he growing prominence of "uropean peoples on theworld stage after 1$%%d. #he emergence of less powerful and less intrusive states

after 1$%%

W b f C ti



Webs of Conne.tion

A. 7arge&scale political systems brought together culturally different people.

!. 4eligion both united and divided far&flung peoples.

1. common religious culture of Christendom, but divided into 4oman

Catholicism and "astern >rthodoxy

2. !uddhism lined people in China , Morea , #ibet , Fapan , and parts of

+outheast Asia

. slam was particularly good at bringing together its people

a. the annual hajj

b. yet conflict within the umma persisted

C. (atterns of trade were very evident in the fifteenth century

1. trade was going on almost everywhere2. the balance of Afro&"urasian trade was changing

a. the +il 4oad networ was contracting

b. ocean trade in the west AtlanticIndian >cean piced up

A Preie of Co-in Attra.tions: <oo0in Ahead to the




(odern Era =1;##>"###? A. o fifteenth&century connections were truly global.

1. those came only with "uropean expansion in the sixteenth century

2. 1$%%2%1%6 inextricable lining of the worlds of Afro&"urasia, the Americas, and (acific >ceania

!. <odern/ human society emerged first in "urope in the nineteenth century

and then throughout the world.

1. core feature6 industrialiation

2. accompanied by massive population increase

. societies favored holders of urban wealth over rural landowning elites

0. states became more powerful and intrusive

$. opening up of public and political life to more of the population

?. self&conscious departure from tradition@. the modernity revolution was as important as the Agricultural 4evolution

a. introduced new divisions and conflicts, new economic ine-ualities

b. destruction of older patterns of human life





(odern Era =1;##>"###?

C. #he prominence of "uropean peoples on the global stage grew over the last $%%

years.

1. after 1$%%, ;estern "urope became the most innovative, prosperous, powerful,imitated part of the world

2. spread of "uropean languages and Christian religion throughout the world

. initiated the +cientific 4evolution and the ndustrial 4evolution

0. origin of modern &isms6 liberalism, nationalism, feminism, socialism

$. rest of the world was confronted by powerful, intrusive "uropeans



/is.ussion &tarter: What do youthin0 as the -ost surprisin

fifteenth6.entury deelop-ent2

a. "nd of Chinese maritime voyages in 10

b. Collapse of the !yantine "mpire

c. "mergence of the nca "mpire

d. (ersistence of (aleolithic cultures

ch. 13 worlds of the fifteenth century

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