The 15th century was an era of critical transitions
involving world trade and the relative power of
civilizations. As in the 20th century, newly dynamic
civilizations challenged those that had previously
dominated. Technology played a key role.
The Islamic Empire and the caliphs during their greatest extent, 622–750
Chapter 15 The West and the
Changing World Balance
1300 - 1450
Old Order?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Collapse of Post-Classical states
Byzantines Following 2nd Crusade, slow decline Conquered
1453 by the Ottoman Turks
Abbassid Caliphate Weakened by sectionalism Under control of
Turkish clans
Mongols and Timurlane Conquered all major Eurasian states
Muslim cities destroyed New routes and cities arose due to
Mongols
SOUTH WEST ASIA
Muslim religious leaders began to exert control
• Rationalism opposed by religious conservatives
• Mysticism, Islamic legalist traditions in favor
• Pursuit of science declines
Landlords exercised greater authority
• Peasants reduced to borderline slavery, serfdom
• Agricultural productivity declined
• Tax revenue
Europeans challenged Arabs
• Mediterranean, rise of Aragon, Castile, Venice, France
• Merchants began to replace Muslim merchants
No total collapse of Islamic civilization
• Arabs lost power, old Abbassid realm fragments
• Ottoman Turks rapidly took over most of area
INTERNATIONAL POWER VACUUM
Ottoman Empire Sultans did not restore Muslims to same level
• Ottomans not center of international trade
• Science and philosophy stagnated.
• Result was power vacuum in Islamic world
Rise of Rivals to Ottomans
• India
• Persia
• Egypt
Mongols provided alternative framework
• Redirected land trade away from Muslims
• Land routes turned attention to sea routes.
THE CHINESE
Ming dynasty drove out the Mongols in 1368
• China was best placed to control Eurasian trade
• Ming emperors sought expansion
• Extending the borders of the empire
• Reviving the tribute system
• Initiating state-sponsored maritime expeditions.
Voyages reached India, the Middle East, and Africa
1. Ming emperors ordered the voyages to cease in 1433.
2. Costs of voyages hurt infrastructure
3. Scholar-gentry opposed voyages
China's decision reflected traditional
• Confucianism Concentration on internal improvements
• Cultural isolation
• Economic expansion did not depend on foreign trade
China's withdrawal from world
• Cleared the path for the emergence of Europeans
• China began long stagnation
• Ma He
• born into a
Muslim family
just beyond the
borders of China
(later Yunnan
Province) in
1371.
• Arabian
immigrated into
China
• In 1378 the
Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644)
conquered his
province
• taken to the
imperial Chinese
capital to serve
as a court
eunuch.
“Zheng HE”
THE EUROPEANS
By 15th century
• West began to expand its world contacts
• Important changes taking place in
• Europe Church Under attack
• Great Schism saw up to three rival popes
Wealth led to reformers, who were condemned
1. Hus (Czech priest)in Holy Roman Empire
2. Wycliffe in England "The Morning Star of the Reformation"
Western philosophy and creativity stagnate
Political organization of feudalism not effective
• Feudal monarchs acquire new powers, wealth
• Introduction of cannons, new weaponry
Death of nobles led to rise of citizen armies under kings
• Impact of the Black Death, Carried off almost one-third of Europe's
population
• Hit Italy and France worst
• Hit merchants and urban elites including clergy heavily
MEDIEVAL VITALITY
New States Arose
•
•
•
•
More powerful and centralized nations arose
Developed in aftermath of 100 Years' War.
France, England, Castile, Aragon, Sweden
New forms of military organization
1. Made greater centralization possible
2. Improvements in metallurgical technology
3. Construction and use of guns and munitions.
Capitalism became more evident
• Arose simultaneously in Netherlands, Italy
• Based on cities, non-nobles, banking, trade
Increased urbanization
• Especially true in Italy, Netherlands
• Often associated with trade
Map of the approximate political
boundaries in Europe around 450
WESTERN EUROPE GROWS
Overall trend between 1000/1700
• Rapid population expansion
• Black Death only slowed trend
Europeans acquire Asian technology
• Western technology equal to Eurasian
• Europeans adapt, improve on ideas
• Europeans invent new ideas
Medieval French manuscript
illustration of the three classes of
Europeans apply technology
medieval society: those who prayed the clergy, those who fought - the
• Adapted science to practical
knights, and those who workd - the
The relationship
• Used technology in trade, navigation, war peasantry.
between these classes was governed
[139]
by feudalism and manorialism.[140] (Li
Livres dou Sante, 13th century)
RENAISSANCE & SECULARISM
Renaissance means:
Literally, means a "rebirth", or "revival". It
is a time period when interest in art, literature, education,
and other similar subjects, along with interest in Ancient
Greece and Rome, was reborn.
the belief that public education and other
matters of civil policy should be conducted without
the introduction of a religious element.
Secularism means:
Began in Italy
• At the beginning of the 14th century
• Turned away from the medieval cultural
• More secular outlook in art and literature
• Wealth of Italian cities patronized the arts
Typical political unit of Italian peninsula
• City-state
• Florence, Milan, Venice, Rome and Naples
• Cities competed for land, accomplishments
• Administrative, economic innovations
• During the Renaissance, Italy remained divided politically. In northern
Italy, the city-states of Florence, Milan, and Venice became major centers of
the Renaissance civilization.
• Rome dominated the Papal States of central Italy, while the Kingdom of the
Two Sicilies embraced most of southern Italy.
Italian States
• Florence
– Oligarchy
– Medici family
– Savonarola
• Milan
– Condottiere
– Spanish empire
• Venice
– Great Council
• Doge
– Monopoly on spice and
luxury trade
• Papal States
– Renaissance
Popes
• Julius II
– Kingdom of the
Two Sicilies
• Poor land
• Spanish
empire
RENAISSANCE VALUES
Age of cultural innovation and individualism.
• Artists abandoned medieval formalism
• Concentration in arts, music, literature (humanities)
Initially Renaissance largely limited to Italy
• Even there its style was not accepted everywhere
• Spread to France, England, Netherlands, Germany Called Northern
Italian commercial and shipping techniques
• Laid the foundation for Western expansion
The "Renaissance spirit"
• Encouraged a sense of innovation and discovery.
IBERIA
Castile, Aragon, Portugal are lead states
• Christian Reconquista began 714
• Castile, Aragon united by marriage, 1469
• Drove Muslims out of Iberia by 1492
The Church Militant
• Constant warfare = powerful, trained armies
• Defense, expansion of Christianity a duty
• Church worked closely with Iberian states
• Encouraged sense of religious mission
Expansion abroad
• Attack Muslims
• Conquer lands for Christianity
• Break their trade monopolies
The marriage in 1469 of royal cousins,
Ferdinand of Aragon (1452-1516) and Isabella
of Castile (1451-1504)
EARLY EXPANSION
Began in the 13th century
• Early discoveries = promise of colonialism
• Early Explorations
1. Vivaldi brothers of Genoa explore Atlantic
2. In 14th century, Genoese discovered Canary Islands
3. Ships from Barcelona explore Atlantic African coast
Development of new technology
• More sea-worthy vessels
• Compass
• Astrolabe
European discoverers
• Generally dominated by Portugal
1. King supported a navy
2. Built school under Prince Henry, sent out ships
•
•
Penetrate even farther into the Atlantic
Along the African shore
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama was born in about
1460 into a noble family
1. 1497appointed to command an
expedition the Portuguese
government
2. find a maritime route to the
East.
• Da Gama was a Portuguese
explorer and navigator, and the
first person to sail directly from
Europe to India.
COLONIAL PATTERNS
Colonization followed exploration
Spanish and Portuguese
• Settlers established agricultural estates
1. European diseases killed off natives
2. Europeans tried to enslave natives
3. Europeans established feudal model for estates
Designed to produce commercial crops
• Sugar, cotton, and tobacco became popular crops
• Iberian settlers imported African slaves
Commercial ventures were successful
• Stimulate further colonization
• Plantation model of exploitation
OUTSIDE THE NETWORK
Areas not part of this global network
• The Americas
• Polynesia
• Most of sub-Saharan Africa
Remained unaffected by early expansion
• Eventually brought into European system
• Some experienced difficulties
• Vulnerable to European expansion
Austronesia Migration
Expansion, Migration, and Conquest in Polynesia
Between 7th and 15th centuries
Migrations
• From Society Islands to Polynesia
• From Polynesia to Hawaii
Settlement of Hawaii and New Zealand
To Hawaiian islands
• An agricultural society developed
Hawaii had regional kingdoms
1. Stratified societies
2. Dominated by priests and nobles
3. Hawaii lacked metallurgy, system
Polynesian Outriggers
-transport family, domestic animals, and goods of writing
and other necessities during migration.
Origin of Tattoos
Summary
This period saw change and continuity in global networks. Old trade
networks, like Middle Eastern Muslim networks, took place in a new
context, such as the Mongol empire, which emphasized new landbased routes. Mongol decline shifted attention to sea-based routes.
New states arose using new or diffused technologies. Social structures
were changing, too. The key continuity was the interest and
dependence of many regions on interregional trade.