A Brief Global History - Assignment Example

World history Question Among the largest non-European Empires was the Mongol empire. The Mongol Empire was arguably the largest empire in the world. The empire existed in the 13th and 14th centuries. The empire grew systematically thereby expanding to various parts of the world a feature that portrayed its political, military and economic might. The empire began in the plains of Central Asia. It expanded systematically eventually stretching from Sea of Japan to central Europe. It occupied parts of Serbia, Levant, and Arabia. The Mongol empire began slowly owing to the conducive agricultural conditions in the Mongol plateau, which enhanced the breeding of horses thus enabling the formation of strong military that would later lead the Mongol conquest. The conquest caused immense destruction and loss of life. The famine that followed compelled the survivors to surrender to the expanding Mongol Empire. The empire had a hereditary system of politics and grew rapidly under the leadership of Genghis Khan and his descendants who carried out extensive invasions of their neighbors thus expanding the territory (Strayer 221). Another strong empire was the Qing dynasty. Created by the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan in the Northeastern parts of China in 1644, the dynasty grew rapidly thereby extending to parts of the modern day China. It fortified it rule owing to its economic and military might. It succeeded the Ming dynasty and formed a perfect platform for the formation of the modern Republic of China. The political system in the dynasty just as was the case with many other dynasties at the time was hereditary. The dynasty had effective political structures that collected taxes from the population and used the taxes to expand the dynasty. Umayyad Caliphate was yet another empire of the era. It was the second among the major Islamic caliphates. The empire covered the areas of the modern day Middle East, North East Asia and North Africa. It had an effective hereditary political structure beginning with Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan of the Umayyad family and a long-time governor of Syria. The empire had effective administrative structures headquartered in Damascus. Question 2 The Columbian exchange was a period of biological and cultural exchanges between Afro-Eurasian Hemisphere and the Americas. The period succeeded Columbus’ discovery of America in 1492 and extended to the 15th and 16th century. The contact between the Afro-Eurasian hemisphere and America was integral in enhancing the circulation of new technological ideas thus the dawn of the modern world history. The exchange involved the exchange of crops, technologies, diseases, cultures and animals among many others. The exchange enhanced the modernization of the world since it ensured holistic development of the world coupled with the invention of new ideas and new opportunities. The major significances of the Columbian exchange were increase in crop and animal production globally. The regions exchanged crops. Before the 1490s, potatoes were grown only in South America. However, in the years preceding 1500s, potatoes became a major cash crop in Europe among other regions. The same applied to animals as the regions exchanged better breeds of various domestic animals. However, the exchange enhanced the exchange of diseases as well. Various animal, crop and human infections spread to different parts of the world owing to the contact. Despite such, the contact influenced the development of the modern world. It enhanced the spread of crops, animals and technology thus enhancing food security thus the global economic development. The diseases for example necessitated medical researches thus leading to the discovery of better medicines such as quinine in the treatment of malaria among many others. Question 3 Plantation complexes were constructed environment common especially in the southeastern United States from the 17th to the 20th century. The complexes consisted of vast agricultural plantations, livestock pens and main areas of residence. The plantations relied on forced labor rom the slaves and produced cash crops a feature that enhanced the rapid development of the southeastern United States. The concept began in the 17th century and spread rapidly throughout the southeastern states. It enhanced the spread of the agrarian revolution and the expansion of slave trade in the region (Strayer 541). The beginning of the 17th century experienced an increased in commercial activities throughout the world. The United States traded with Europe among other regions globally. Demand continually grew for agricultural products owing to the development of industries. As such, landowner in the fertile Southeastern parts of the United States ventured into plantation farming. This comprised of vast farmlands used to grow a particular crop such as cotton, sugarcanes and tea among others. Unfortunately, the lack of machines implied that the system was labor intensive thereby leading to the growth of slavery and slave trade. Slaves provided free labor. The growth of slave trade intensified commercial activities in the southeastern United States. Slave traders obtained the slaves from West Africa and shipped them to the United States where they worked in the plantations. They lived as squatters in sections of the plantations. The plantation complex began declining with the onset of the industrial revolution in the 18th century when farmers could use machines to produce high quality produce. The independence of the United States coupled with abolition of slave trade and the emancipation of the slaves led to the end of the plantation complexes. Question 4 Slavery was both an economic and legal system that treated people as property. In the 18th and 19th century, slavery became a legal institution in the United States. People owned slaves, used them forcefully as sources of labor and traded them as they would any other property. Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade just as the name suggests occurred across the Atlantic Ocean. Slave traders operated with agents in central and West Africa where they captured the slaves and sold them to slave merchants in Europe or directly to the slave traders in the United States. The plantation environment in the southeastern United States created and sustained a large demand for slaves. Slave trade thus became a major economic activity both in the United States and in Europe. Portuguese were among the first Europeans to participate in slave trade. Ship owners enhanced the trade since they provided efficient ways of transporting slaves to the New World where they worked tobacco, coffee, sugarcane and cotton plantations. Others worked in mines, construction industry, in timber and as domestic servants. Demand for slaves grew just as did the economy of the New World. The end of slave trade began in the 1770s with the rise in the number of abolitionists such as William Wilberforce. As the wave of resistance grew in Europe, several other factors reduced the demand for slaves. Key among such was the industrial revolution. With the development of machines, demand for human labor diminished while the slaves began to form systematic revolution against slavery thereby causing turmoil and political concern in Europe and the United states. In early 1800, the Haitian revolution portrayed the extent of the revolution thus expediting the ratification of political systems to help end both slave trade and slavery in different parts of Europe and United States. Question 5 The European achieved naval superiority as early as the 16th century becoming stronger than China owing to a number of factors. The Portuguese were the earliest Europeans to engage in naval explorations. Various Portuguese explorers reached as far as Africa. Several other European nations joined with advanced ship technologies as they extended to the Americas and Africa. Among the major difference between the European and the Chinese was that the Chinese limited their explorations to the Easter bloc while the European explorers extended to various parts of the world. Additionally, the Europeans often claimed ownership of the areas they discovered. Numerous Europeans for example moved to the Americas and to Africa following successful exploration of those regions. This way, the European enhanced their economic might and could therefore afford better naval technologies owing to the booming industrial sectors in their home countries. This was not the case in China, which remained secluded from the rest of the world. In addition, China had a conservative culture that did not permit cross territorial interactions. Question 6 Military and naval technological advancement was a major factor that enabled European countries to attain military and naval superiority. Europeans began experimenting with new military technologies from as early as the era of Leonardo Da Vinci in the modern day Spain. Some of such iconic inventions influenced the development of the military power. Invention of gunpowder was among such technologies that changed warfare. The western countries would later develop advanced submarines and war ships. Additionally, the western countries strived to develop elite military forces that often made major inventions thereby enhancing their military prowess Question 7 Modernization refers to a systematic change in the western civilization from the “traditional” to the modern society. The transformations took place between the 19th and 20th century owing to a number of factors. Key among the factors that led to modernization of the western civilization includes the development of industries and industrial societies. Industrial revolutions changed the way of life. The use of machines improved food security and increased efficiency. As such, people sought to develop functional skills in respective filed a feature that contributed to the rapid spread of education. The development of cities was yet another vital factor that contributed to modernization. People lived in cosmopolitan societies and traded cultural values. New technologies rose as the traditional ways of doing this became obsolete. Education enhanced the spread of knowledge thus the development of an elite population that disregarded the traditional cultural values (Strayer 772). Work cited Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. , 2013. Print. Read More