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Are you smarter than a 9th Grader?

Posted by Mr.V on 12 June 2017
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This map (below) contains the locations of places, persons, and events discussed during the semester. Can you match the icons on the map with the correct description provided in the list that follows? Give it a shot.

World History II Map Review

World History II Map Review

1. From Tenochtitlan, located in this area, did the Mexica (Aztec) rule over their empire.
2. This is the city from where the Emperor Justinian (Corpus Juris Civilis) and Alexius I (1st Crusade) ruled the Byzantine Empire.
3. This area encompasses much of the Mughal Empire.
4. The Grand Canal, the oldest man-made structure still used for it’s original purpose, is located here.
5. The location of Portugal and Spain since they became ‘nations’ during the Renaissance.
6. This became an Ottoman ‘lake’ after the decline of Venice in the 15th – 16th C.
7. The defeat of the Spanish Armada (1518) at the hands of Queen Elizabeth I’s English Navy occurred here. England was primed to challenge the Spanish Empire in the open seas.
8. Cahokia, the greatest ‘Mound Builder’s’ (Mississippian) city was here.
9. The great cities of Jenne, Timbuktu, and Gao reflected the wealth and political strength of the ‘trade’ empires that developed here.
10. It was to this island that the Mongols attempted to invade, but were repulsed, twice, by a force that came to be known as ‘Kamikaze’.

Pu04b_The European Renaissance

Posted by Mr.V on 7 June 2017
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Pu04b_Ch17-European Renaissance

Pu04b_European Renaissance

East – West 

3. 95 formal statements attacking the “pardon-merchants”. Nailed on the door of Castle church in Wittenberg. (2 words)
5. The exclusion of religious considerations from civic affairs. Additionally, the social movement toward a greater emphasis on the non-religious elements of human existence.
7. An Italian author of a famous political text that modeled its protagonist on King Ferdinand II of Spain. It was written in the vernacular.
9. A person faithful to the Roman Catholic religion, but compelled to express his views not in accord with papal policy. (2 words)
12. Benefactor, supporter, or role model for an artist.
13. A movement spearheaded by an office of the Catholic Church. Its purpose was to address the spread of heresy within Catholic Europe.
17. Sculptor and painter. Great works include “David”, “Moses”, and the Sistine Chapel.
19. This is also known as the “Catholic Reformation”. This movement was inspired and led by the Reforming Popes. It’s goal was to address the excesses of Church officials. (2 words)
21. A painter, sculptor, and scientist. Credited with such works as “The Last Supper”, the “Mona Lisa”, and the “Sforza Horse”.
22. This pope was a patron of the Arts. He commissioned works by artists like Raphael and Michelangelo. (2 words)
23. Philosophical and artistic movement emphasizing the centrality of humanity (Man).
24. A priest with a zeal to establish a fundamental Christian lifestyle in Florence. He successfully led a rebellion to overthrow the Medici. He was the organizer of “The Bonfires of the Vanities”.
25. Spanish novelist credited with writing one of the greatest novels of all time- Don Quixote.

North – South 

1. Italian author of The Divine Comedy.
2. This four-armed, four-legged drawing of a man represents the Renaissance’s obsession with measuring (quantifying) nature. (2 words)
4. Author of “In Praise of Folly”.
6. An artistic technique that creates the illusion of a three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.
8. This movement, accelerated by the Protestant Reformation, resulted in the establishment of non-Catholic Christian churches.
10. A category of painting employing wet plaster as a medium.
11. Patriarch of the most powerful banking family in Florence and Europe in the 15th C.
12. A category of painting whose subject and emphasis is an individual.
14. A period in European History distinguished by the reinvigorated interest in the arts and sciences of the Classical period.
15. This pope issued a papal bull endorsing the authority of the Vatican to sell indulgences. (2 words)
16. This Florentine banking family is credited for funding much of the creativity of Italian Renaissance artists and thinkers.
18. Pardons from the Pope, often in the form of a certificate, that released the holder from performing the penance prescribed for a sin.
20. A literary form focusing on the life and exploits of its author.

R04c_The Case for Historical Continuity: Byzantine and Ottoman Civilizations

Posted by Mr.V on 24 May 2017
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R04c_The Case for Historical Continuity: The Byzantine and Ottoman Civilizations.

At midday Tuesday, May 29, 1453, Mehmed, whom history will call the Conqueror, rides into the city on his white horse. The chronicler Kritovoulos reports that the sultan shed tears of compassion: ‘What a city we have given over to plunder and destruction.’.

Priding himself as a new Constantine sitting on the throne of the Caesars, Mehmed the Conqueror repopulated his new capital and restaffed its bureaucracy partly with Greeks and Serbs. In his court, influenced by Persian as well as Byzantine traditions, he became an aloof autocrat surrounded by elaborate ceremony.

The once migratory Ottomans, now based in Constantine’s city, proceeded to conquer a mosaic of nations similar in extent to Justinian’s empire. The Ottoman Empire let its Orthodox subjects keep their Christian religion and Greco-Roman laws – so long as they paid tribute, kept their churches inconspicuous so as not to offend Islamic eyes, and furnished levies for its armies and administration. This tithe in humans periodically took the most intelligent Christian Balkan boys … converted them to Islam, and drafted them into the elite army corps, the Janissaries, or trained them as court functionaries.

The conquerors emulated Hagia Sophia in their great single-domed shrines, such as Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, built over and using materials from the Great Palace. Greeks became prominent in trade, seafaring, banking and medicine.., and the Turks, who had long used Byzantine currency in foreign exchange, minted their own gold coins two decades after the conquest.

‘When we Turks came off the steppes, we were nomads with little culture,’ Dr. Nezih Firath, the director of Istanbul’s Museum of Archaeology, told me. ‘It was natural to adopt some Byzantine ways. Our forebears had no ovens for making bread – only portable iron griddles for unleavened flat cakes. Hence the Turkish word for oven comes from the Greek.’ The Turkish han inn for merchants replaced the Byzantine caravansary, and the famed Turkish bath, the Byzantine bath.

Daily life in Nicaea or Philadelphia (Turkish Iznik & Alaechir) only two generations ago differed little from Byzantine times. ‘Byzantine continuity is not a popular idea in Turkey,’ said Dr. Firath, looking at me squarely in the eye, ‘but it is the truth.'”

Source: Merle Severy, “The Byzantine Empire: Rome of the East,” National Geographic, December. 1983, p.756 and 757.

Ponder
To what extent can we assert that the former Byzantine Civilization continued thriving as part of the Ottoman Empire?

Pu04a_Native American Civilizations

Posted by Mr.V on 19 May 2017
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Pu04a_Native American Civilizations

Pu04a_Native American Civilizations

Pu04a_Native American Civilizations

Pu04a_Native American Civilizations-Clues1

Pu04a_Native American Civilizations-Clues2

Pu04a_Native American Civilizations-Clues2

Pu03c_Early and Feudal Japan

Posted by Mr.V on 3 May 2017
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Pu03c_Early and Feudal Japan

Pu03c_Early and Feudal Japan

Pu03c_Early and Feudal Japan

Latitudinal

6. A social, political, & economic system based on land ownership.
7. Japan’s 1st shogunate. Repelled Mongols that reached Japan.
11. ‘Human-like’ or ‘Man-like’, but not necessarily in form or physical appearance.
13. Marks the gateway to a Shinto Shrine. Often found near or in a body of water.
14. ~80% of Japan is covered by this.
17. A literary (poetic) form marked by a 5-7-5 syllabic structure. Reached it’s height during the Heian Period (8th-12th C.).
18. The title of one who is entrusted with the responsibility of acting as a ‘conduit’ between the natural and supernatural worlds.
20. “Divine Wind”. Protector of Japan and mortal enemy of the Mongols.
22. One expression of Japan’s geologically active nature.
23. Families related to one another via a common ancestor.
24. A clan that has historically and traditionally been dedicated to a particular Kami. One responsibility for this type of clan is to maintain a shrine dedicated to that Kami. This tradition dates back to the prehistoric period in Japan (before 7th C).
25. The ethical code of the Samurai warrior.
26. In times of peace, the Samurai warrior becomes this for his Daimyo. It is an administrative role.
27. Capital city of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Longitudinal

1. Having originated, or occurring naturally, in a region or environment.
2. The watery result of an oceanic earthquake.
3. Japanese feudal warrior.
4. Capital city of modern Japan.
5. A Samurai (land-owning) lord.
8. A category of faiths that view the natural world as having a spiritual element.
Objects in nature are generally infused with a spiritual force.
9. Overall military commander of feudal Japan. Traditionally, appointed by the Emperor, but is the ‘actual’ day-to-day ruler of the state.
10. Images and/ or objects of religious reverence. Hint: Revisit the differences between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church during the Early Middle Ages.
12. A Samurai without a lord.
15. The “Divine Sun”. The top entity within Shinto’s pantheon of divine forces.
16. Japan’s indigenous religion.
17. Japan’s cultural golden age.
19. This form of Buddhism was imported from China ~6th C. It became central to the Samurai ethic for its dependence on meditation (focused thought) and self-discipline.
20. Japanese word literally translated as “divine” or “spirit”. They’re anthropomorphic forces within nature.
21. A group of islands.

Pu03c_The Mongols

Posted by Mr.V on 3 May 2017
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Pu03c_The Mongols

Pu03c_The Mongols

Pu03c_The Mongols

East – West
2. Lacking a tomb culture, this was a form of burial for peoples living on the steppes. (2 words)
4. A government whose top political figure is a ‘Khan’. Initially, these were sections of the larger Mongol Empire. Eventually, they broke away and became independent.
6. The ‘given’ name of the 12th – 13th C. unifier of the nomadic peoples of the steppes.
8. An action meant to be of short duration for the purpose of stealing property from a neighboring people. Historically common among nomadic peoples of the world.
9. Mongol for “Leader” or “Ruler”.
12. Served as a physical dividing line between the nomadic lifestyle of the North and West, and the sedentary lifestyle of the South. (2 words)
13. Stretches of dry (arid) grasslands in central and eastern Asia. Often the homes of nomadic peoples who depend on the grasslands to raise livestock (sheep, horses, camels, goats, etc…).
North – South
1. Her life is example of the influence and authority women exerted in Mongol society.
3. Today, it identifies a Turkic ethnic group in Russia. Formerly, and erroneously, extended to include nearly all Central Asian, Turkic, and Mongolian ethnic groups.
5. Mongol for ‘Meeting’ or ‘Assembly’ of tribal chieftains. This is a cultural trait of Central Asian steppe peoples.
6. Mongol ‘Sky’ god.
7. The lifestyle that dominated the steppes north and west of the Great Wall.
10. This animal was absolutely pivotal to the peoples of the steppes. Though not often a food source, it was indispensable for survival.
11. Though not a food source, this creature was important as a pack-animal. Another species of this creature roams the arid areas of the Middle East and North Africa.

R03c_Bushido, Warrior Code of Conduct

Posted by Mr.V on 2 May 2017
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R03c_BUSHIDO, WARRIOR CODE OF CONDUCT

Bushido Origins
By Cheryl Matrasko

Bushido is the unwritten code of conduct of the Samurai. Literally, Bushido means “warrior – samurai – ways”. Bushi is a term for warrior, but directly infers a more prestigious or higher class warrior. The “ways” or “way” is a term used by most “do-martial arts” (such as: Judo, Kendo, Aikido, and Iaido), which means “the way to … “

Bushido is comprised of a system or standards of moral principles that became the soul of the Samurai, during the feudal periods of Japan. It developed over the centuries from the influences of Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and the expression of these affectations, had their medium in the visual and literary arts such as painting, poetry, and living the way of life (Bushido) they chose to take. Each of these gifts molded and shaped Bushido, as a moral standard of conduct to follow.

Influencing Bushido, Zen Buddhism lent to the Samurai a very Stoic disposition. This Stoicism was realized out of a genuine respect for life and also for death. Death, an inevitable eventuality of our own lives, is as much a part of nature as is life. It gives us an added level of thought and meaning to our existence. With the advent of death, there is the introduction of life. There are strong human emotions of anger, remorse, and detachment, etc., that are associated with death that complicate its understanding. However we are gifted by these very same feelings, that allow us to appreciate life and the things we enjoy and love. We most notably appreciate the things we take for granted once they are gone forever. The Samurai trust and faith in nature was because of the great admiration and respect for both life and death.

In tune with this level of consciousness, Shintoism also influenced the Bushido of the Samurai. To seek honor by first looking inside the soul and confront the intimate fears that we hide from ourselves, and that plague our psyche in everyday life. This is the purification of one’s soul — “… to know thyself “. In addition, Shintoism brought a sense of filial piety and loyalty to the family and homeland. When you “… know yourself, you know your weaknesses and strengths, and most of all – you know where you belong.” This sense of belonging has been attributed to the patriotic and nationalistic culture of Japaneven to this day.

Another factor in the backbone of the code of Bushido was Confucianism. It bonded community and family relationships. These relationships had several different moral priorities or qualities to them. In feudal Japan, the samurai served various different lords and their loyalty was given to them. This association was that of servant and master. The samurai himself was the head of his family. The safety and well-being depended upon him. His role was that of head of the house, husband, father, brother, or son.

The Bushido of the samurai had very deep roots in the philosophies of Zen Buddhism, Confucianism and Shintoism. With such historical origins, it is understandable why Bushido was not just a mere belief, but a culture that became the hallmark of the samurai for centuries. And this lifestyle was not forced on the samurai, but was chosen of free will. It was a serious choice to be sure, and one that they were very proud to follow.

© 1999, C. A. Matrasko. All rights reserved.

Author Sources:
– J. Sasamori, G.Warner. This is Kendo, the Art of the Japanese, 1989
– I. Nitobe. Bushido: The Warrior’s Code. 1979.
– T. Deshimaru. The Zen Wayto the Martial Arts. 1982.
– M. Musashi. The Book of Five Rings.
– I. Takahashi. Class sessions and private talks about the Samurai and Bushido. 1965 – 1971
About the Author:

Cheryl Matrasko started Aikido in 1965, studying under Isao Takahashi as her first instructor. She enjoyed working out under many well known Aikido instructors during her tenure with Takahashi Sensei and thereafter following his death in 1971. Cheryl has dedicated time with instructors in Northern Shaolin Long-Fist, Seven Stars Praying Mantis, and Daito-Ryu Aikijujitsu. Currently, she is instructing Aikido at NorthwesternUniversity’s Chicago Campus, Associate Instructor at NorthShore Aikido in Skokie, and supporting Aikido World Journal.

Teacher Note:
This text was edited for brevity and clarity for classroom use by Mr.V.
Source:
http://www.aikido-world.com/articles/Bushido-Code%20of%20the%20Warrior-Origins%20of%20Bushido.htm accessed for classroom use by Mr. V on 29 April 2004.
Ponder:

1. What has contributed to the development of the Bushido Code?
2. Which principle or value did each contribute to this code?
3. Why would “knowing oneself” be an important part of a warrior’s training?