Islam Pocket Map

Islamic Readings (HW 11/20)

1. What do the selections on mathematics and the scientific description of smallpox tell you about Islamic values?

They tell you that both mathematics and religion are in Islamic values. They both of them are important. They don't criticize or praise one eachother. The Islamic culture values intelligence, creativity, and the understanding of the world around you.

2. According to Al-Ghazzali, should mathematics and religion he separated? Why or why not? 

According to Al-Ghazzali, mathematics and religion shouldn't be separated. He says that they are connected and one can't be without the other. He said that they should both be followed together because they don't condemn or approve eachother.

3. In what ways is Al-Ghazzali thinking similar to Plato's allegory to the cave? In what ways do they diverge? 

They are similar in that they believe that someone or something would lead them to the truth or they would find it themselves. They are different because Al-Ghazzali believes that god will lead a person to the truth, while Plato does not specify who would lead a person to the truth. Also Al-Ghazzali doesn't believe that a person will know when they see truth because a person can never be sure if what they see is truth or not. There is no definite way to tell or see the difference. Plato thinks a person will know when they see the truth. 

HW 11/7 (Primary Source)

1.) The purpose of creating this code was to regulate "all affairs both divine and human", to expel "all injustice", and "to collect and revise the whole body of Roman jurisprudence". This means that it was set up to regulate people's lives, to serve as justice for wrong doing, and look after the Roman people.

2.) The text cites Lex Regia as the source of Roman law.

3.) The text teaches us that the Byzantine people were heavily influenced by Christianity, left everything to God and put their faith and fate into His hands, they feuded with the Roman Empire and thought that they were better than the Roman Empire and everyone else.

Chapter 13: SPICE Chart

Transformation HW

I do not agree with the idea of Transformation. This is the thought that the Roman Empire did not fall but rather developed into a new empire with the invading Germanic Tribes. I do not think that this happened because it was attacked by so many invades, especially the Huns, there was the spread of epidemic diseases, a lack of good leadership, and land owners began to gain a lot of power and form their own armies.

Rome Pocket Map

I did this just kept forgetting to post it until now!!! Sorry!

Han & Rome Venn Diagram

Alexander the Great Video HW 10/7/13

Alexander the Great does not deserve to be called the great because he did some many horrible things by impulse. One impulsive thing was that he killed Cleutis for no real reason. Cleutis said that Alexander did not live up to his father and his conquests were not as great because "he fought women". Alexander got so mad that he killed Cleutis with a spear. Another impulsive thing thaf Alexander did was that he also killed Calisthenes. Calisthenics told Alexander that he was not a god and that her was a normal human. For that, Alexander arrested him, tortured him, and then crucified him. This is why Alexander the Grewf does not deserve to be called the great.

In Class & Homework 10/3

1. What’s McNeill’s argument?

McNeil's argument is that Greek and Indian civilizations were founded on different ways of organizing and administrating their societies.

2. How does McNeill define Caste? Does this match up with the textbook’s definition?

A caste system is a group of people who eat with each other, intermarry, and exclude one another. It is similar to the book's definition. The book's definition is, "A a social class of hereditary and usually unchangeable status" (96).

3. What three feelings and thoughts helped to maintain the idea of caste:

        1. Ceremonial purity

        2. The fact that the poor and humble could look down in someone

        3. The doctrine and reincarnation of "varna"

4. Are these convincing?

Yes they do seem reasonable.

5. Why did caste itself not cause strong political organization to form?

The caste system lead to disengaging infron the state and politics.

6. What causes Indian religion to shift from deity pleasing to the act of worship itself?

Some Brahmins began to argue that by performing rituals correctly they could compel the gods to grant what was asked of them.

7. How did the Upanishads change the nature of Indian religion and thus the goals of Indian society?

The Upanishads believed that the goal of life is to escape the cycle of reincarnation and that people did not any gods to worship.

8. How does McNeill define “Territorial Sovereignty?”

It is self-governing city states.

9. Why did Greeks turn away from religion as an explanatory factor in organizing society?

They wanted to explain the world and people not in a mystical way but by the laws of nature.

10. What was the consequence of the Greeks’ rigid adherence to the polis?

The polis ideas and the ideas of the citizens "personal holiness" did not mesh well together.

11. Do you buy his argument? Why or why not?

I do agree with his argument because the Indian society was influenced by religion if the upper class while the Greek society was more of human and natural law.

Homework 9/30/13

Pg 225:

The number zero represents nothing and is alps used as a place holder. This is why zero is so important. You could have 265, but adding a zero as a place holder changes the number. It could not be 2065, 2605, or 2056. Zero makes calculations but easier and you are able to do more complicated math problems. This is why zero is really important.

Pg 227:

The teachings of Confucius and the care duties of Hiduism are similar because they are both influenced heavily by the social hierarchy. Hiduism calls for people to do their duties in their caste to be enlightened while the teaching of Confucius did not teach about hierarchy for your benefit of religion, to to benefit the government. Zarathustra is different from both Hiduism and Confuciunism because a social hierarchy does not play any sort of role in the religion. It appealse to everyone and not to one particular class.

Preventing the Han Dynasty Collapse (with Shravya)

Our plan for preventing the collapse of the Han dynasty is to either first attempt to prevent the war. The war with the Xiongnu was expensive, and the results were bad. A pact with the nomads could have been formed, leading to economic or political cooperation. If war became inevitable, the administration could have been more more effective in its military spending, or creating a budget to lower the resulting debt. The Han dynasty was doing well until the war, which was the turning point. Intervention should occur either before this, or directly after. 

What is Daoism?

Daoism tells you how to better yourself, society, and the government, and is a way of life.

The Chinese Classics : Confucius

1)  Is this a religion? Why do you think so/think not?

This is not a religion. This is because the books no not mention a god of any type. It only refers to what people must do to better improve themselves, their life, and their government.

2)  Does this reading support the idea that people are born good/bad/neutral?  Refer to three examples (using the book, section, and line number as the citations) that support your point of view.  

Says they were born neutral.

“Book '1: CHAP. VI. The Master said, 'A youth, when at home, should be filial, and, abroad, respectful to his elders. He should be earnest and truthful. He should overflow in love to all, and cultivate the friendship of the good. When he has time and opportunity, after the performance of these things, he should employ them in polite studies.”

“Book 2: CHAP. III. 1. The Master said, 'If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame.

2. 'If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good.”

“Book 4: CHAP. I. The Master said, 'It is virtuous manners which constitute the excellence of a neighborhood. If a man in selecting a residence, do not fix on one where such prevail, how

can he be wise?'

CHAP. II. The Master said, 'Those who are without virtue cannot abide long either in a condition of poverty and hardship, or in a condition of enjoyment. The virtuous rest in virtue; the wise desire virtue.”

Pocket Map: Persia

Gathas Explanation

In 33, the speaker says to follow the "Wise Creator" (Ahura Mazda) and to find and follow the truth. The speaker describes two twins, on good and one evil, saying that the good twin (Ahura Mazda) is full of truth and righteousness and is the one group to choose while the evil twin only wants to destroy life and to encourage people of violence. If you follow the "Spirit of Holy Power, the Good Mind, and Truth", then you will be with Ahura and be enlightened and if you follow the evil twin, you will be subjected to a horrible fate. Basically, if you do good things, then you will be rewarded and if you do bad things, then you will be punished.

In 18, the speaker describes a kind of judgment day, when the people who say untruthfulll things will be in the hands of the people who say the truth. The speaker also says to be like Mazda and the divine spirits, who made the world so perfect. They will also guide you through the truth. Then the evil will be destroyed and goodness, truth, and wisdom will encompass everyone. The speaker then says that the ultimate reward is salvation if you follow the truth and Ahura Mazda.

In 33, the speaker says that the ratu (judge) will give everyone, the people who are good, the ones who are evil, and the ones that are both, what is just from the primeval laws. The speaker then goes on to describe who the people are that revive salvation,"He who opposes Evil by his thought or word, Or by the work of his own two hands, He who instructs people to their good,... He who is most good to the righteous, Be he a noble, or a peasant, or a dependent, He who zealously makes the good living creation flourish,...". The speaker asks Ahura to give him eternal life with him.

In 25, the speaker is talking about the end of his/her life on Earth. He/she asks Mazda to take into consideration his/her goodness, truthfulness, and faithfulness before making the decision to grant them eternal life with him. The speaker says to spread the word of Mazda and the goodness that he gives. The speaker keeps giving Mazda many reasons to let him/her into righteousness and it is very evident that the speaker wants to be with Ahura Mazda very badly.

Engineering an Empire: Persia

Engineering an Empire: Persia

1. What is the order of Persian leaders?
   The order is Cyrus the Great and then his son, Darius.

2. What is a qanat?  How does it work?
   It was a series of underground canals. Vertical shafts were dug down a hill and then they dug the horizontal shaft going down the hill. The horizontal short had a slight angle so that the wate could continually flow.

3. What is Cyrus’ tomb like?
   The tomb was very simple and elegant. It was made from stone in a western style.

4. What interaction does Cyrus have with the Jews?
   He freed the Jews that were held in Babylon when he went there to conquer the people.
   
   

5. What did Darius build?
   Darius built the Royal Road that went through many different terrains and went through the Persian empire.

History Head Activity Comments

Hi Cassi.

I like the way you set up your poster. It was very organized. One thing you could have done better was put more color into your poster. It was a little bland and boring. One thing that both China and India have in common is a patriarchal society. A difference is that China was not very religious while India was. China honored thief ancestor while India honored their god. My question is what is lift 2 outside of the head? It looks like a fence. I love poster. Beautiful just like you.

Love, Rachel

Hi Torta!

Your drawing are very nice and you are very organized. Your pictures could have been shown a more clearly for understanding. My society is India. They are similar because they both had patriarchal societies. They are different because the mesamericans built temples from their gods while the Indian people did not. Why is bloodletting (picture 2 outside of the head) major in mesamerican culture?

Bye Tori. Love you!

History Head Activity - India

1. Patterns and impacts of interaction between humans and the environment

Indus River=silt=population growth (outside)

The Indus River shows the interaction between humans and the environment around them. This is because the Indus River brought silt to the Indus River Valley in India. Silt makes the soil in the valley very fertile causing agriculture to flourish in this area. Because of the booming agriculture in the valley, the human population in India exploded. This shows that the people in India took advantage of the silt that was in the environment and used it in a useful way.

Harappan decline (outside)

The Harappan decline also showed how the environment affected the people in India. The Harappan society declined due to the environment. The Harappan people used deforestation in the Indus River valley. They did this so that they could used the land for agriculture and cultivation and to also get firewood. Because of the deforestation, the topsoil eroded away and the amounts of rainfall also decreased. The Harappans also fell because of the flooding of the Indus River. they flooding devastated villages and killed many people who were trapped inside their houses. This best represents the life of the average human in India because the people had to brave the flooding and the erosion of topsoil to survive in India. The environment dictated the survival or the decline of the Harappan society.

1 room tenements (inside)

The patterns of settlement can be shown with the house that is inside the head. An average person in India usually lived in houses that were one-roomed. They were barrackslike houses. Most people lived in these structures while the elite few had houses of their own with many rooms and floors with a courtyard(s) in them. This  best represents the average person living in India because most people lived in these one-room houses. 

2. Development and interaction of cultures

sacrifices (outside)

Sacrifices are a reflection of the religion in India during 8000 B.C.E.-600 B.C.E. The people of India believed that the ritual sacrifices would please the gods. By pleasing the gods, the people thought that they would have a successful military, a long life expectancy, large herds of cattle, and large families. The Aryan people (who lived in India) would sacrifice no less than five sacrifices a day. This affects the whole community because everyone had to sacrifice an animal to please the gods. If they did not, then they everyone would think that they would not have any food or a successful military, etc. Therefore, these sacrifices affect the whole society and not just one individual.

hermits (inside)

Being a hermit also reflected the the religious beliefs of people in India during this time period. People began to live in the forests of the Ganges valley. The people lived as hermits because they wanted to be connected with the world and the gods. They also wanted to go the the state of moksha. This meant that they would be in a deep, dreamless sleep. This sleep would permanently free them from physical incarnation.This best represents the people in this time period because an individual people wanted to be connected to their god (Brahman) and be with him in the afterlife. This would affect an individual person.

3. State-building ,expansion, and conflict

clashing between Aryans and Dravidians (outside)

The Aryans and the Dravidians were both different societies living in India at the same time. They fought over land and also resources. The Vedas described the societies clashing. It was a clash between a group of peole and they were forced to do this. It affected the people because one group could take over the other and then the way the whole society ran was governed could change. That would affect everyone.

Representatives of the citizens (inside)

The early Aryans had no central government but had many chiefdoms with a raja (king) and a council of elders. The government then changed when the council of elders helped with the affairs of states that were governed by representatives of the citizens. This is inside of the head because a person could talk with the representative of their city for what they wanted and started to have a more direct say in the government.

4. Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems

horses-> wheels (outside)

Horses major in trade and commerce in India. Horses did not breed well in India so when people did go to other civilizations, they made sure to get more horses. Horses then brought the idea of wheels from the other civilizations and brought it to India.The wheels made it easier to transport and trade products. This also represents industrialization. The wheel was not invented in India but the idea was brought there and well as horses since they were not indigenous and did not breed well in that area.

human labor “untouchables” (inside)

Another part of theme four is the labor system. Part of the labor system is the human labor (untouchables). The untouchables were not all slaves but many did very unpleasant jobs. They are thought of as impure and less than human. This is inside the head because this is part of a person’s daily life and they job that they had to do. This best shows the average person because many people were indebted to other people by borrowing money or working on their land.

5. Development and transformation of social structures

varna “colors” (outside)

The beginning of the caste system was based on varna or “color”. The Aryans would think of themselves as superior to the Dravidians. The Aryans said that they were “wheat-colored” while they discriminated against the Dravidians because they were darker skinned. This is outside of the head because it is against the person’s power to decide what race they are and skin color they have. This best describes the average person in India during that time period because the caste system and varna decided what you would do and be in your life.

patriarchal society (inside)

A patriarchal society was a society that was headed by men. This means that they women had to obey men and do as they were told. This best represents the life of the average person because the average woman would stay at home and have no political say while men would rule over the family and rule over a society as well. They would have to obey the rules that their husband and fathers made for them.

Self Assessment 9/5/13

I thought that the test was going to be very hard therfore I was extremely nervous going into the test.  It was not as hard as I expected it to be though. It was specific questions but not very specific question. I was very nervous going into the essay today. I think that I could have done better but it was also the first essay the we have had in here. I thought that the question that we were given was a good question and got me thinking. They are many things I would do differently. Instead of studying the night before, I would start studying days before. I would also study one chapter per night or one civilization a night to retain more information about that subject. I would study the specifics a little more as well. Now that I know what the tests and essays are like, I have a better understanding of what I should be taking notes on and studying before each.