Chapters 7,8,10

Commerce and Culture:
Trade brought about many things during this time. It helped spread religious ideas, was a means of social mobility, and also spread disease.

The silk roads of Eurasia were very prosperous trade routes. I think it's pretty amazing that these land based trade routes lasted for 2,000 years.

• They were mostly used to transport luxury goods
• Silk, which was in high demand and monopolized by China was a very popular textile
• Religion was also spread through the silk road- Buddhism spread across but also changed as it spread
• Disease made its way through these routes (smallpox, measles, black death)
• Interesting that it took out large percentage of populations but also interesting is how some Europeans were able to build and immunity to these diseases
• America suffered the most- lack of domesticated animals and the low interaction with other people meant that they didn't stand a chance against these diseases

Sea roads were another major vehicle of trade. It allowed for lower transportation costs since larger loads could be carried by boat instead of a camel.

• Monsoons made these voyages possible
• Mediterranean sea, East Africa, Arabia, India, and Southeast Asia all contributed to Indian Ocean Commerce

Golden age

I liked how the author named all the great things that came about during this "Golden age" in China but then mentions how it wasn't so great for women. Was anything during this time great for women?

• Revival of confucianism led to this age not being so great for women
• Foot binding sounds terrible and extremely painful. Very interesting way to distinguish women and how did this idea of small feet being beautiful come about?
• Song dynasty encouraged education...so that women could be better mothers to their sons? That's crazy
• The Chinese were very smart and innovative people at this time

Christianity

Reading this chapter, I kept thinking to myself, when will christianity ever catch a break?

Just when it seems like it's becoming a successful religion and taking off, the islamic state comes along and takes it out. I did not know much about Eastern Orthodoxy until this chapter, I found it very interesting. The contrasts between Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity and very interesting and something I've always wondered about. I remember shopping at target one year after easter, all the easter merchandise was on clearance and overheard a women excited about the lower prices but upset that they were sold out of almost all easter things. She said that orthodox easter was after easter. I had no idea what she was talking about...