1. The West and the Changing world Balance
Chapter 15
The West and the Changing world Balance

2. Intro In 1400 the world was in transition
The Arab world fell to Mongol invasions
New candidates emerged as powers – Ming in China
Western Europe became more advanced
Italy, Spain and Portugal emerge as leaders
Changes in the Americas

3. Decline of the Old Order
Middle East was dominated by the Byzantine Empire in the east and Islam in the East
By 1400 the Middle East had fallen to the Turks who were invading Byzantium
Constantinople fell in 1453 ending the Empire

4. Social and cultural changes in the ME
After 1300 religion dominated over science
Landlords seized power over the peasantry
Middle Eastern peasants became serfs
Agricultural productivity suffered
Tax revenues declined and trade suffered
European merchants moved in
Arabs remained Active in the Indian ocean but will fall behind
Trade will not rebound until after 1400
Ottoman Turks will soon control many Muslim lands
Very powerful politically and militarily
They will take over Southeastern Europe but the Turks will not promote trade as heavily as Arabs had.

5. Chinese Thrust
Took advantage of new trading opportunities when the Mongosl were driven out in 1368
Ming dynasty begins, China re-establishes influence over its neighbors, Korea and Vietnam
Will sail the India, the Middle East and Africa, under Zhenge, a Muslim from western China.

6. Chinese Thrust
Chine established settlements in the Philippines, and Indonesia and then, they stopped.
Its leaders were suspicious of commercial activity
Economic development internally slowed the need for foreign products
This exit cleared the way for less developed civs to advance
With the Muslims in decline and the Chinese now isolated, W. Europe began to expand in trade and exploration.

7. Rise of the West Emergence in the 15th century was surprising
Still in awe of more advanced civs
Church was under attack, economy a mess
Population increases led to disease and famine
Plague was terrible and had killed 30 million or 1/3 of Europe.

8. Medieval Vitality More effective governments
Military innovation better
Non-aristocratic soldiers paid by the gov.
Stronger monarchies in Spain and Portugal
Muslims get the boot from Spain
Growth of cities

9. International Problems
Mongols provided E. Europe new knowledge from Asia (printing, gunpowder)
Western Europe will not be interrupted by the Mongols
Merchant activity increases
European elite wanted spices, silk, perfumes but nothing good to trade for them.
Europeans goods were low quality
There was an unfavorable balanced to trade that will be made up in gold
Gold is limited and by 1400 there was a gold famine
There was a new Muslim threat of the Ottoman Empire

10. Secular Directions in the Italian Renaissance
1400 had a vital cultural and political movement called the Renaissance or rebirth
Stressed more secular (non-religious) subjects
Artists and writers were more open about ambitions
Italy led the west in banking
Active commerce and manufacturing gave rise to new activities

11. Human values and Renaissance culture
Begins in Florence, Italy
Style and grace, concern for codes of behavior
Art and Music, more earthly, things of this earth
Architecture shifts from Gothic to Roman
Little influence outside of Italy, not popular with lower classes
Italian shipping will result with more trade with Asia
Columbus applies this to exploration

12. Iberian Spirit and religious mission
Center for Change will be Spain and Portugal
Regional monarchs established at Castile and Aragon, united by marriage in 1469
Rigorous military agenda
Gov had a mission to promote Christianity by expelling Arabs and Jews to maintain purity
Close links between church and state
Gov. supported church courts and efforts to enforce moral codes and purity
Gov. had a sense of religious mission

13. Western Expansion: Early Explorations
1291 Vivaldis from Genoa sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar seeking a western route to the Indies – never heard from again. Ooops
Western coast of Africa explored
Until 1430 technology prevented further exploration, navigation and ships were bad
Europeans got better at map-making
Europeans were ready in the late 1400s to undertake new voyages but they had mistaken geography
In 1498 Vasco de Gama, first European to reach India by sea, wanted by bypass the Muslim world.

14. Colonial Patterns
Henry the Navigator (Portugal) was the driving force behind explorations
Europeans set up agricultural estates to produce crops sold to Europe
Cotton and tobacco are introduced in Americas
Colonies brought in slaves from Africa
European decided quickly what to do with the lands and people

15. Outside the world network
Developments in Americas not yet affected
Other regions will be pulled into the world after 1400 but they were distinctly separate
Aztec exploitation of people for gold and sacrifice had resentment
Incas had internal issues with local leadership
Overextension was a problem

16. Expansion, Migration and conquest in Polynesia
7th – 15th century there was expansion to Society Island (Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa)
Hawaii – uninhabited before 7th century
1400 – 1778 cut off from even Polynesia
Polynesian in Hawaii spread across island in cluster and fishing villages
Imported pigs (animal husbandry)
Regional warlike kingdoms
Social scale – priests and nobles
No metal or written language

17. Maori of New Zeland
Polynesians migrated south to New Zealand in 8th century
Maori, cold, harsh climate
Tribal military leaders and priests held power
Each tribe had slaves
Total isolation – vulnerable to disease
Weaknesses in weaponry, technology and cultural disintegration
Ethnocentric western superiority, there were coincidences and accidents that allowed advancement, not superiority