Chapter 15
The West and the Changing Balance of Power
A World in Transition (#1)

Two events signaled a profound transition
in the balance of world power by the year
1400:
◦ 1) The downfall of the last Arab caliphate in
1258. The Muslim empires (Umayyad and
Abbasid) had been a source of stability for
over 600 years.
◦ 2) Mongols invasions had caused severe
disruption to the stability of Asia and Eastern
Europe.
Mongol Trading Network (#2)

Their holdings
throughout the Far
East, central Asia, the
Middle East, and
Eastern Europe
connected far reaching
areas together. This
empire encouraged
interregional travelers
and provided great
opportunities for trade
and exchange of
technology and ideas.
Chinese
Western Europeans
Who’s next??? (#3)
Chinese expansion (at least briefly!)
The Ming government begins to fund huge
state-sponsored trading expeditions to
southern Asia and beyond. (#4)
 These fleets numbered nearly 3,000 shipping
vessels, 400 armed naval ships, and longdistance ships. Nine great treasure ships
(junks) monitored the Indian Ocean from
China all the way to the Persian Gulf and the
Red Sea. (#5)
 The expeditions were led by the famed
Chinese naval commander, Zheng He (watch
video).

Admiral Zheng He (#6)

An imperial eunuch and
admiral who led great
trading expeditions on
behalf of the Ming emperor
from 1405-1433. He was
also a Muslim, therefore, he
could establish lasting
trade contacts with the
Arab world. His
expeditions took Chinese
goods to the Middle East,
Africa, and India, and also
brought back luxury and
exotic goods.
A Chinese Recall (#7)
In 1433, Zheng He’s fleets
were called back to China.
 Confucian bureaucrats,
jealous of his growing
power, argued that the
expeditions were too
expensive and that the
money could be better used
elsewhere, like fighting
nomadic threats and the
ongoing construction of
Beijing.
 Also, the new Ming emperor
wanted to distance himself
from the policies of his
predecessor.

Zheng He’s Voyages
Back to the Norm (#8)
For the Chinese, a withdrawal from
international trade was simply a return to
the status quo.
 Never ones for foreign dependence, the
cancelling of Zheng He’s expeditions in
1433 reaffirmed the Chinese policy of
isolationism that had been the norm
throughout their history.

Rise of the West (#10)


For western Europe, who had been mired in
the Middle Ages, their location in relation to
the Mongol Empire was actually perfect.
They were:
◦ A) Close enough to benefit from trade and
exchange (printing, the compass, paper currency,
and explosive powder) due to the Mongols
tolerant policy of free trade.
◦ B) Spared from the wrath of destruction that so
many other cultures experienced from the
Mongol raids.
Rise of the West (#9)

These advantages helped European economy slowly pick back up. But,
Europe was facing tough problems in other areas:
◦ A) Church- The Church’s influence was weakening in the face of
divisions and no theological explanations for the Bubonic plague.
People began to question its authority and seek their own gains
instead.
◦ B) Famine – Recurring famine in the 1300’s due to increased
population and no new agricultural inventions to increase food
supply FORCED Europeans to look for new agricultural methods to
feed its people.
◦ C)Plague – Ironically, the plague helped solve the problem of food
shortage by killing 1/3 of Europe’s population. Also, with fewer
workers, wages went up and investments in business and commerce
increased.
* Believe it or not, the plague eventually led to economic
growth. Famine (fear of starvation) proved to be a great
motivator for Europeans to find solutions to their
An Asian Obsession (#11)
Of course, another issue encouraged Europeans to
branch out: Asian goods!!!
 The elite, upper classes of western Europe had
become obsessed with the more refined products of
Asia like spices (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg), silks,
perfumes, and jewels. The cruder European goods
such as wool, copper, tin, honey, and salt could not
make up the discrepancy in value. The balance had to
be made up in gold shipments to Asia.
 This created a gold famine in Europe which
threatened to collapse the entire European economy.
 The solution to this problem was to find more
gold!!! So, Europeans began exploring (more on that
later).

Asian goods
Gold
European goods
>
Wool
The Ottoman Issue



There was also a new,
powerful Muslim regime
that had taken over in
the Middle East, the
Ottomans.
Their control of Middle
Eastern ports made
them the “middle men”
between Europe and
Asian economies.
A European response
would be to find
alternative routes that
could bypass the Muslim
realms.
Renaissance (#12)



The Renaissance was a cultural and political
movement in Western Europe that began in
Italy in the 1300’s.
There was an emphasis on artistic and
architectural output. As a result, not only
were paintings and sculptures created, but
cathedrals, bridges, plazas, etc.
This created jobs, competition, and higher
incomes for Italian artists, making the
Renaissance not just a cultural, but an
economic revolution as well.
Florence, Italy
Genoa, Italy
Cities began competing with one another
over trade and commercial rights as well
as artistic superiority.
Medieval art (Religiously focused)
Renaissance art (Human emphasis)
While Renaissance art and culture remained religiously
dominated, there was more of an emphasis on realistic
portrayals of humans and nature.This was known as
humanism and was more secular than medieval art.
(#13)
Experimenting with Exploration
(#14)
In 1469, Ferdinand of Castille (a Spanish province)
and Isabella of Aragon (another Spanish province)
wed to create the famous dual monarchy of
Ferdinand and Isabella.
 Devout Catholics, they began a military campaign
(the Reconquista) to expel Arabs and Jews from
their regions and eventually all of Spain.
 In this way, they clearly brought state affairs and
religious affairs together. The government had a
duty to promote and protect religion according
to these rulers.
 Eventually, they would look to expand their
power beyond Spain through exploration.

Nautical Shortcomings (#15)



European nations such as Spain, Portugal, and
Italy began searching for routes to the
“Indies” by the late 1200’s.
However, Europeans lacked adequate
navigational techniques which prohibited
them from venturing into the Atlantic. Their
ships, designed for the Mediterranean, were
shallow-drafted and oar-driven.
Eventually, through trade with Arabs and
Chinese (via the Mongols), Europeans
acquired the compass and astrolabe as well
as improved maps to aid their quests.
Henry the Navigator – an
exploration entrepreneur (#16)
Henry the Navigator was a
Portuguese prince with a
fascination for exploration.
A student of astronomy
and nautical science
himself, he funded about a
third of all Portuguese
voyages before his death in
1460. His motivations were
scientific, intellectual,
economic and religious.
 He also built a school of
navigation in Portugal to
train prospective
explorers.

Commercial Agriculture begins


By 1439, the Portuguese
had control of the
Azores Islands and the
Spanish soon took the
Madeira and Canary
Islands.
They began growing cash
crops like sugar and
tobacco on these islands,
and more importantly,
imported African slaves
for the first time to aid
in this plantation style
labor system.
Azores
Madeira
Canary Is.
European Arrival in the Americas
(#17)
When Europeans arrived in the late
1400’s to the lands of the Aztec and Inca,
both New World empires were already in
decline.
 The Aztec had many enemies due to
enslavement and religious sacrifice while
the Inca were over expanded. These
factors (along with guns, steel weapons,
horses, and germs) made Spanish
conquest very easy.

Polynesian Culture (#18)


Polynesia, an area
located in the South
Pacific waters, had
developed its own
unique culture before
European arrival as
well.
From their initial base,
Polynesian peoples
migrated and
conquered islands
throughout the Pacific.
Hawaiian Culture (#18)






Migrations in great war
canoes brought Polynesian
peoples and culture to
Hawaii.
Agricultural and fishing
communities emerged.
Pigs were imported for a vital
source of meat.
Hawaiian political systems
were regional and highly
warlike.
A caste system emerged with
priests, nobles, and warriors
on top.
Because of their isolation,
they had primitive technology
and no written language.
New Zealand Culture (#18)
Like Hawaii, New Zealand
was settled by Polynesians
via war canoe migration.
 These native New
Zealanders, called Maori,
flourished in a much colder
and harsher climate than
that of Hawaii.
 Like Hawaii, a class of
warriors and priests ruled.
 They produced the most
elaborate of Polynesian art,
with distinct tattoos to
separate classes in their
society.
