1. Consequences of Cross-cultural Exchanges on Pre-modern Societies

2. Social Conversion: The Broader Process by Which Pre-modern Peoples Adopted or Adapted to Foreign Cultural Traditions

3. Three Patterns of Cross-cultural Conversion

4. 1. Conversion Through Voluntary Association
Why? Ans. Incentives
Prospects for political, economic or commercial alliances with well-organized foreigners

5. Who Were the Principal Instigators to Trade?
Merchants
Engaged in long-distance trade
Established diaspora communities
Brought in cultural authorities such as priests, monks, or qadis
Extended benefits to the ruling elite

6. Example: The Introduction of Islam to the East African Trading Civilizations Such As Mogadishu, Mombassa, Kilwa, Great Zimbabwe, or Sofala

7. The ? Of Conversion Itself
Is it genuine or is it faked
What are the individual’s motives
Manipulation vs. Personal commitment

8. 2. Conversion Through Political, Social, or Economic Pressure
Sometimes involved a choice between the sword and the conquerors’ beliefs and values
Usually occurred through the mass migration of peoples or military campaigns

9. Example: Constantine, the Roman Emperor Converts to Christianity in the Early 4th Century. The Imperial Government Increasingly Favors Christianity and Restricts Pagan Cults

10. 3. Conversion Through Assimilation
The process by which a minority group adapted to the cultural standards of the majority group, eventually adopting its values and beliefs

11. Example: Visigoths and Other Germanic Peoples Sought Political, Social, and Economic Participation in the Roman Empire of the 4th Century, and Thus Converted to Christianity

12. What Other Factors Facilitated the Large-scale Conversion of Whole Societies to New Cultural Traditions?

13. Syncretism: The Blending of Different Cultural Elements in Such a Way As to Produce an Altogether New Cultural Tradition

14. Example: The Introduction of Buddhism to China
Buddhist values differed radically from Confucian traditional Chinese values
Buddhist monastic celibacy vs. large Chinese families

15. Traditional Chinese Confucian Family Values Buddhist Mon-
One Son
In the Mon-
astery would
bring salvation to ten generations of kin
Traditional Chinese Confucian Family Values
Buddhist Mon-
astic Celibacy

16. An Important Point to Remember: The Three Patterns of Social Conversion and Syncretism Rarely Occurred in Isolation, and Often Combined in Various Ways to Form New Cultural Constructs

17. Responses of Pre-modern Peoples to Foreign Cultural Challenges and Opportunities

18. Responses:
Social Conversion: 3 types
Syncretism
Resistance:
Passive vs. Aggressive
Ignore it or Rebel Against it

19. It Took Approximately 400 – 500 Years for a New Cultural Tradition to Fully Integrate Itself Into the Gaining Society

20. 3 Important Intra-continental Developments Brought About by Cross-cultural Exchanges in Pre-modern Times

21. 1. The Emergence and Expansion of Complex, City-based Civilizations
Provided order and stability to society
Imperial expansion and the desire to trade linked civilizations together

22. 2. The Development of the Notion of “Barbarianism”
In Greek usage, barbarian referred to someone who did not speak Greek
By about the 800’s B.C.E., barbarian started to take on strong connotations of inferiority

23. Roman and Chinese Attitudes Towards Barbarians
Rome developed an aggressive and sometimes violent policy towards encroaching Germanic tribes
Settled Chinese agriculturalists came to regard steppe-dwelling nomads as barbarians

24. 3. Military Developments in the Nomadic Societies of the Steppes
As early as 900 B.C.E., steppe people had begun to experiment with cavalry formations and tactics
Their equestrian skills gave them a devastating advantage over their settled counterparts

25. Nomadic Steppe Peoples Became a Serious Threat to Settled Peoples for Centuries Because of Their Swift-moving Cavalry Units

26. Nomadic Peoples Were Ultimately Responsible for the Collapse of the Han (Xiongnu) and the Roman (Visigoths) Empires