Overall Summation
Song Dynasty in China continued a long period of technological and cultural progress |
Japan, unlike most other states, became more feudal as a result of weakened central systems |
Western Europe relied on feudalism as well because of invasions from the northmen |
In India, the Chola and Vijayanagar Kingdoms used trade to build states, while the Delhi Sultanate relied on conquest |
The Aztecs, Incas, and Maya formed empires based on conquest and strong militaries and were centralised, unlike most other early American empires |
Most of Europe excluding the West was less reliant on feudalism due to the emergence of stronger centralised states |
Comparisons in Religion
In Song and Tang Dynasty China, Confucianism was tied heavily to the bureaucracy |
The Ghana Kingdom adopted Islam in order to strengthen relations with Muslim merchants |
Since most of Europe comprised of small, politically unstable nation-states, the Church acted as its unifying body |
Conquest from Central Asian armies led to the rise of Islamic states such as the Mughal Empire and Delhi Sultanate in India |
Cultural diffusion through exposure to Indian merchants brought Hinduism and Buddhism to Southeast Asia |
Note that Hinduism and Islam experienced intermittent conflict because Hinduism was still the predominant religion of India while Islam was a faith imported by conquest and usually adopted for political reasons or to escape the caste system, i.e. Harihara and Bukka
The Role of Nomads
In Eurasia, the rise of the Mongol empire and their subsequent conquest of huge swathes of pastoral land opened communication between China and Europe because of how much trade was expedited by the implementation of new trade routes |
Seljuk and Ottoman Turks built separate empires in the eastern Mediterranean, but they did not endeavour to unify as the Mongols did |
Turkic-speaking peoples from the Central Asian steppe region were integral to the formation of trade routes and the politics of Europe/Asia |
Following the establishment of proper empires by the nomadic peoples, these would be the last interactions between a pastoral wandering people and settled agrarian people
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State-Building and Trade
The introduction of bananas to West Africa and champa rice to China led to huge population booms that allowed complex developments to take place |
Paper manufacturing in China spread to Europe, resulting in higher literacy rates in Europe and the popularization of print books |
Song Dynasty China was able to sustain its massive population by trading silk, porcelain, paper, and other luxuries in exchange for huge profits |
Most state-building via trade during this time was quite slow as even though the Mongols had introduced trade routes, they devastated huge parts of Europe and Asia, and recovery was necessary before prosperity took hold. Additionally, much of Europe's contact with Asia and the Middle East occurred due to conflicts.
State-Building Type 1: Reusing Land
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What is the principle of state-building by reusing land? This is when land previously occupied by one state is utilised for the building of a new empire by a different group of people
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What is an example of this type of state-building? The Delhi Sultanate used land previously occupied by the Gupta Empire to build their own state, and the Mamluks in Egypt used land previously held by the Abbasids
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State-Building Type 2: Reviving Empires
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What is the principle of state-building by reviving empires? This is when new leadership continues or builds upon work done by its predecessors by introducing innovations
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What are some examples of state-building by reviving empires The Song Dynasty was based upon the Han Dynasty with a tighter bureaucracy and better trade, and the Holy Roman Empire was borrowing from the Roman Empire but Christianized.
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State-Building Type 3: Synthesis
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What is the principle of state-building by synthesis of different traditions? This is when a state adopts foreign ideas but adapts them to its own people
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What are some examples of state-building by synthesis of different traditions? The Delhi Sultanate introducing Arab/Persian customs to its largely Hindu population; Silla Korea adopting Chinese noble customs and religion
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State-Building Type 4: Scope
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What is the principle of state-building by expansion of scope? This is when an existing state expands itself by means of conquest, trade, or religion.
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What are some examples of state-building by expansion of scope? The Incas expanding via conquest of most of Mesoamerica; the African kingdoms relying on trade to grow
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State-Building Type 4: Scope
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What is the principle of state-building by expansion of scope? This is when an existing state expands itself by means of conquest, trade, or religion.
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What are some examples of state-building by expansion of scope? The Incas expanding via conquest of most of Mesoamerica; the African kingdoms relying on trade to grow
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