The Afro-Eurasian regions of the world experienced great upheaval during the shift of the late Middle Ages
The Afro-Eurasian regions of the world experienced great upheaval during the shift of the late Middle Ages into the early modern period. Crusades, invasions, disease, and population relocation on a mass scale created feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. But out of this also came new ways of thinking about the world, for better or for worse. People in Western Europe, being relatively isolated as they emerged from the Crusades and the Black Death, viewed and acted on their experiences much differently than groups in the East, like the Chinese or the Ottomans, who had similar experiences yet reacted in dramatically different manners.
Using only course readings explain the historical context in which we see these three groups (those in Western Europe, the Islamic lands, and China) reacting to the world around them as they enter the early modern period–what events altered their global perspectives in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and how? How did their experiences of past events alter or affect their actions toward their foreign neighbors?
The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries were a time of great upheaval in Afro-Eurasia. The Black Death, the Crusades, and the rise of the Ottomans all had a profound impact on the way people in these regions viewed the world.
In Western Europe, the Black Death was a major turning point. The plague killed an estimated one-third of the population, and it left a deep psychological scar. People began to question the old order, and they looked for new ways to understand the world. This led to a revival of learning, and to the development of new ideas about politics, religion, and science.
The Crusades also had a significant impact on Western Europe. The Christians' failure to capture Jerusalem led to a sense of disillusionment, and it made people question the value of religious warfare. This led to a growing interest in secular learning, and to the development of new ideas about politics and society.
The rise of the Ottomans was another major event that shaped Western Europe's view of the world. The Ottomans were a Muslim power, and their expansion threatened Christian Europe. This led to a new sense of urgency in Western Europe, and it helped to spark the Renaissance and the Age of Exploration.
In the Islamic lands, the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries were also a time of great change. The Black Death and the Crusades had a significant impact on the region, and they led to a decline in the power of the Abbasids. This led to a period of fragmentation, as different Muslim dynasties vied for power.
However, this period of fragmentation also led to a flowering of culture and learning. The Islamic world was home to some of the greatest thinkers and scientists of the age, including Ibn Khaldun, al-Ghazali, and Ibn Sina. These thinkers developed new ideas about history, philosophy, and science, and they helped to shape the intellectual landscape of the early modern world.
China also experienced significant change in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Yuan dynasty, which was founded by the Mongols, collapsed in the fourteenth century, and it was replaced by the Ming dynasty. The Ming dynasty was a time of relative peace and prosperity, and it saw a revival of Chinese culture and learning.
However, the Ming dynasty also became increasingly isolationist. The Chinese began to see themselves as the center of the world, and they looked down on other cultures. This led to a decline in trade and contact with the outside world.
The experiences of these three regions in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries had a profound impact on their global perspectives. Western Europe emerged from this period with a sense of renewed confidence and a renewed interest in the outside world. The Islamic lands, on the other hand, were fragmented and inward-looking. China, meanwhile, became increasingly isolationist.
These different global perspectives would have a major impact on the course of history in the early modern period. Western Europe would go on to colonize much of the world, while the Islamic lands and China would largely be left behind.
In addition to the events mentioned above, there were a number of other factors that contributed to the different global perspectives of Western Europe, the Islamic lands, and China in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. These factors include:
- The geography of each region. Western Europe is located on the edge of the Eurasian continent, making it more exposed to foreign influences. The Islamic lands and China, on the other hand, are located in the interior of the continent, making them more isolated.
- The political and economic systems of each region. Western Europe was a patchwork of small kingdoms and city-states, which encouraged competition and innovation. The Islamic lands were ruled by a number of different dynasties, which often clashed with each other. China, on the other hand, was ruled by a single dynasty, which promoted stability and uniformity.
- The religious beliefs of each region. Christianity, Islam, and Confucianism all have different views on the world and on the role of humans in it. These different religious beliefs influenced the way people in each region thought about the outside world.