Axis Age/ Golden Age in Greece

Introduction:  Today we interview Pericles.

               

Question:  What was the Golden Age in Greece?

Answer:  The Golden Greece was the time of light in ancient Greece.  We had beautiful architecture and art.  The theatre was revolutionized in the Greek civilization.  The Persian invaders had been driven out entirely and the Athenian empire needed to be rebuilt.  There was the evolution of the jury system.  Mathematics originated during this time period.  There was amazing science and philosophy also.  The Golden Age of Greece was when Athens was at its height in wealth, prestige and military power.


Question:  Were you a ruler during this age?

Answer:  Yes I was.  I ruled from 460-429 BC. 

Question:  What were your views on democracy?

Answer:  I had three goals; to strengthen democracy, beautify the empire and expand the empire.  I wanted a direct democracy.  I wanted to change the balance of power between the rich and poor.  I raised public service and individual ability above class. I paid my public officials, so the poor could afford to hold office.  As long as you were over 18, a free male, and a son of Athenian-born parents you could be in office. 

Question:  In philosophy, what some great Greek achievements?

Answer:  Some philosophical achievements in Greek would include humanism, which states that man is the center of Heaven and Earth.  Socrates developed the Socratic Method.  This method would be a series of questions he would ask citizens of Athens to analyze their lives.  He was put on trial at age 70 and he was condemned to death.  Plato, a student of Socrates, wanted a republic which was more of a group of educated men and a philosopher king.  He didn’t trust a democracy after the death of Socrates.  His student, Aristotle, wanted one single well educated ruler.  Overall, ancient Greece had many great philosophers. 
http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320hist&civ/slides/05space/pericles.jpg

Alexander the Great

Introduction:  Today we interview one of the most famous conquerors of all time.  He was important enough to make 33 on Michael Hart's list of top 100 most influential persons.  Introducing: Alexander the Great

Question:  Alexander the Great, the first question on everyone's mind is why were you called "Alexander the Great", and not just Alexander?

Answer:  Well to answer that question, you have to go further back into my history.  You have to start at the very beginning of my story.  What's unique about my story is that my family had already been rich and successful before I accomplished anything.  My lifestyle had already been chosen before I was born by my father; Philip of Macedon. 

Question:  You say your father chose your lifestyle.  What do you mean by that?

Answer:  My father, Phillip, lived from 359-336 B.C. and is best known for uniting Macedonia.  He had a powerful and skilled army that also conquered Greece.  He left a great inheritance when he died shortly after his conquests.  I already had money and stability, but I also had a large job to do; to rule the land that my father had conquered.  As a boy my father made sure I had the best education.  He had scholars come in to teach me about philosophy and my father himself taught me warfare and politics. 

Question:  There are nasty rumors going around that your mother, Olympia, arranged the assassination of your father so you could rule sooner.  What is your perspective on this?

Answer:  I believe that there are rumors about all large political figures.  Whether this one is true or not is my mother's business.  I was young when my father was murdered and I don't believe that my mother was responsible.  She told me I was the son of Zeus, not Philip.  Regardless I was crowned ruler and my father died. 

Question:  Your army helped you a great deal, did it not?

Answer:  With my father's death, he left me three things; gold, Greece and most importantly the strongest army in the 4th century.  My new army was different from any other.  Instead of the traditional three lines to fight battle, I had a unit that could respond to flags signals and trumpet calls, taking orders and being able to move at my will in different formations.  I had a strong navy, Cretan archers, and a great cavalry that no one could match.  My men were my strength and I treated them with great respect.  I lead them in all battles and we won all battles.  We never lost and I was invincible.  My enemies feared me more than any other being.

Question:  You had major conquests in Asia.  Tell me about them.

Answer:  I set out in spring of 334 to conquer Asia.  I first went to Troy to gain allies and recruits.  Next I encountered my first major battle at the Granicus River.  I won the battle and moved on to the city of Gordium.  In this city there was said to be a knot that only the true conqueror of Asia could loosen.  I tried for a while to untie the knot, but there weren't any loose ends showing so I simply cut through it with my sword.  I doing so I became the one prophesized to conquer Asia, but I first had to get past the Persian army.  They came between me and the sea in the mountains.  It was a town called Issus and they were on the other side of the Pinarus River.  I decided to go straight for King Darius.  When I did this he fled and his collapsed.  Winning this battle showed me and everyone else that I could become the King of Darius' land and my own current land.  I finally defeated them at Arbela in 331 BCE. 

Question:  What did the Egyptians think of you?

Answer:  The Egyptians were happy to be rid of the Persians.  They had forced their culture and gods on Egypt and I restored their culture.  They eventually made me a Pharaoh and a god.  I began to question whether I was a god.  I am charming, never lost a battle, rich and adored by everyone.  But I mostly wanted to accept their customs for an alliance and recruits to defeat the Persians. 

Question:  What nations did you conquer?

Answer:  I conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Gaza, Egypt, Bactria and Mesopotamia. I also extended the boundaries of my own empire as far as Punjab, India.

Epilogue:  Alexander the Great lived from 356 BCE to 323 BCE.  He died at the age of 32 and is known as the most successful conqueror of Greece and a prominent member of history.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451586c69e2011570b0e6f6970c-320wi

Constantine the Great

Introduction: Today we interview Constantine the Great.  He was born on 27 February AD 272 in Naissus.

Question: When were you Emperor?

Answer: I was the Emperor in 312 BC.
Question: What were your religious views?

Answer: I, personally, have been Christian since I was 30.  This made me the supreme ruler of France.  I do believe, however, that everyone is entitled to their own religious beliefs.  I support freedom of worship.  I made Christianity legal in 313 AD.  This conversion helped me with Christian allies. 

Question: What was your greatest accomplishment?

Answer: My greatest accomplishment was the creation of Constantinople in 330AD.  This is the city I made the capital during my reign as Emperor.  Constantinople was the center of trade for centuries. It commanded key trade routes and was the busiest market place.

Question:  What goods were traded at Constantinople?

Answer:  We received goods from many different ports.  We traded silks from China, wheat from Egypt, gems from India, spices from Southeast Asia, and furs from the lands of the Vikings.

Question: What was the downfall of Constantinople?

Answer:  Constantinople's decline started when the Fourth Crusades sacked Constantinople.  They brought extensive damage to the city. The Crusaders blocked the city with ships and stole its riches with force.  Men blinded by their greed didn't think to spare the sanity of the men and woman living in the city.  They took everything worth taking, sparing only the lives of some citizens.  They real end of Constantinople was when the Ottoman Turks took the city in 1453.  They later renamed my great city Istanbul.

http://img.pte.at/photo_db/hi_res/hires25959.jpg

Julius Caesar: Fall of the Roman Republic

Introduction:  Julius Caesar very famous in history.  His is the inspiration for Little Caesar’s Pizza, Caesar salads and Caesar's Place in Las Vegas.  In the year 46 BC he came to power as a dictator.

Question: So, what were you before a dictator?

Answer:  In 48 BC I went to battle against Pompey, my rival general.  Pompey and I had been colleagues, but he turned against me and turned the Senate against me too.  The Senate declared me an enemy and demanded for me to step down from my position as general, but I chose otherwise.  Instead of stepping down, I used my loyal soldiers and crossed the Rubicon River.  This was a bold action because in that time the river marked the boundary between my province and Italy.  It was a crime against the state, but I wasn't willing to give up all of my hard work because the Senate had declared me an enemy.  My troops crossed the river and in 49 BC the Civil War between Pompey and I began.  I won in Pharsalus, Greece.  After I won I took part of Asia. 

Question:  Did you ever return to Rome?

Answer: I returned to Rome in 46 BC and demanded that the Senate make me a dictator.  My people loved me because I reconstructed the government and made decisions for the people. 

Question:  What was your greatest accomplishment?

Answer:  My greatest accomplishment was probably the Julian Calendar, in which has been used to this day.

Question:  Is it true that you and Cleopatra had a love affair?

Answer:  Yes, it is.  This led Egypt to be my ally in times of conquest.  The Egyptians assassinated Pompey.

Epilogue:  Julius Caesar was late assassinated on   

March 14, 44BC by senate members.  This led to a 13 year was and the downfall of Rome.
http://www.desitin.se/images/JuliusCaesar.jpg

Rome Sacked/ Falls to the Barbarians

Introduction:  Today we interview King Alaric.  He was responsible for the fall of one of the greatest empires in ancient history; Rome.

Question:  How did you know when to attack Rome?

Answer:  I sacked Rome in 410.  At that time, Rome was already having internal issues.  There was political stability and economic problems.  There were 26 emperors in Rome’s history.  Only one of those emperors died of natural causes.  What does that say about the great city?  Obviously it was not a perfect system of government.  They had high taxes, farm lands were over cultivated and they entirely relied on slave labor.  To top it all off, in 284, Diocletian divides the empire into two halves.  He ruled the eastern half and his colleague, Maximian, ruled the western half.  Rome was no longer the capital of the Roman Empire.  Then Constantine came to power in 312 and he ruled two halves at first, but abandoned the system and ruled a single kingdom again.  He made the new capital of the empire Constantinople, a city in the east.  Barbarians came from the north to escape the Huns.  They moved into Rome and that’s when we knew to attack.  The empire had been weakened greatly and I knew that we, the Visigoths, would triumph.

Question:  How did you go about sacking the city?

Answer:  The Romans knew I was in their city.  They knew I was hostile towards them and they knew that was planning to attack their city.  I suddenly had an epiphany.  My army had men of all ages and some had barely grown out beards yet, they had just become of age.  I demised a plot to overthrow the city from within.  I went to the nobles of the city and said that I admired their loyalty to the emperor, so much so that I would leave the city with my men.  They were ecstatic to not have to worry about the barbarians attacking their city anymore.  I also gave each of them a gift for their admirable attributes; a slave.  I had three hundred of my men given to each member of the senate.  The men were obedient and intelligent.  They did exactly what the members wanted with no question asked.  Then when the planned time came, they rushed to the gate by the name of Salarian and killed the guards.  They opened the gate allowing my army to rush inside.  We burnt down houses and killed anything in our path.

http://cache2.artprintimages.com/p/LRG/17/1734/RTC3D00Z/art-print/j-chapman-alaric-i-king-of-the-goths-elected-king-of-the-visigoths-395-ad.jpg

Battle of Tours

Introduction:  Today we interview Charles Martel.

Question:  Why did the Battle of Tours take place?

Answer:  The Battle of Tours took place because of the Muslims.  They were creating an empire and trying to take Europe.  They were advancing quickly and took over the region from Palestine to North Africa to Spain.  They drew the last straw when a Muslim army crossed in to Spain.  They were well out of line crossing into my territory. 

Question:  Who won the Battle of Tours?

Answer:  In 732, I met them with a Frankish army and triumphed over the Muslims.  God was on our side.  They no longer advanced into Western Europe, but unfortunately the kept Spain.

Question:  What would have happened had you not stopped their advance?

Answer:  Everyone would be Muslim in Europe.  All new lands would be of Islamic religion and life would cease to exist as we know it. 

Question:  What was the affect of the Muslim presence in Europe?

Answer:  Knowing that there was an outside force close by made everyone paranoid.  It brought anxiety to out European Christian leaders.  However, some peasants did trade with the Muslims because, admittedly, they were smarter than us in many aspects. 

http://souklaye.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/charles-martel.jpg

Charlemagne

Introduction:  Today we interview Charlemagne, the Greatest King of the Dark Ages.  He is the most illuminating figure of the dark ages.  He never lost a military conquest, reestablishes education and economic importance of the empire.

Question:  How did you earn the respect you undoubtedly have now?

Answer:  I was King of the Franks and my territory included modern France, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria and Poland and most of Italy.  At 24, I was the largest share holder of the biggest kingdom in Europe.  I tried to pull the people of Europe out of the dark ages. 

Question:  What are your religious views?

Answer:  I am a Christian.  I gave my subjects a choice; become Christian or die.  Pagans were killed for practicing their beliefs.  I had 50 military campaigns that were designed to expand my empire and save souls.  Christian soldiers enforced the will of God and answered directly to me.  In 782, I defeated and murdered the Saxons for worshipping false gods.  This was known as the Bloody verdict of Verdum.

Question:  How did you combine your faith with your authority?

Answer:  Aside from my religious campaigns, I founded the Holy Roman Empire and was the first Holy Roman Emperor.  This meant that I had both religious and government authority. 

Question:  What were the educational aspects of your reign?

Answer:  I built a chain of royal schools starting a new age of learning.  I wanted children of all ages to receive education.  I, myself, tried to learn to read and write. 

Question:  What was your final challenge?

Answer:  On Christmas Day 800 I was 60 years old and crowned Emperor of the West.  I was very shocked.  I had no idea the coronation was going to take place.  It was the most daunting political challenge. 

http://www.searchingthescriptures.net/main_pages/articles/instrumental_music_in_church/artwork/charlemagne.jpg

The Great Schism

Introduction:  Today we interview the Byzantine Emperor Leo III. 

Question:  So, Leo, how did you contribute to the Great Schism?

Answer:  I contributed to the Great Schism because my decisions were basically the base of the controversy in Christianity.  I banned icons in my empire because it violated God’s commandment against worshiping “graven images”.  Many of my subjects worshiped icon and this set off violent battles within my empire.

Question:  What are icons?

Answer:  Icons are religious images. Byzantine Christians commonly used these in worship.  Common icons were Jesus, Mary, saints and such.

Question:  I don’t understand.  Why would banning the use of holy images lead to war and controversy?

Answer:  Religion is sacred and everyone wants to be right when it comes to God.  No one wants to be violating God’s wishes.  People would fight battles over religion all of the time because they wanted to fight for what they thought was religiously correct.

Question:  What is the Great Schism?

Answer:  The Great Schism was a split in Christianity which derived from my ban.  It happened in 1054.  The church split in two branches; the Roman Catholic Church which was western and the Orthodox, or eastern branch.  The Roman Catholic Church banned icons.  The Pope and Patriarch, the head of the Orthodox Church, excommunicated each other.  All further contact between the two branches became distant and competitive. 

Question: I was under the impression that the Great Schism led to three branches of the Church.  Is this true or a fallacy?

Answer:  This is true.  Around the 1500’s the church was not as Christians intended it to be.  The Pope was competing with Italian Princes for political power and fought wars to protect Papal States form Secular rulers.  They planned the demise of Monarchs who tried to get too involved in the Church and influence the Church’s hold on their lands.  The Church also wanted to expand its own interests.  People were able to buy their way into religious positions and Popes were violent.  The Christians wanted their churches to be beautiful.  They hired artists to paint and decorate churches.  Unfortunately, with labor comes a cost.  The church had encountered a dilemma; how to make money.  Churches increased charges for weddings and baptism.  They also sold indulgences.

Question: What are indulgences?

Answer:  Indulgences were the lessening of time a soul spent in purgatory.  They sold indulgences to fund church.  It was a way for rich people to get around being good people. Instead of having to perform a good deed to get into heaven, you could buy your way into the afterlife.  This led to protests and revolts.  A few famous ones were led by Erasmus and John Wycliffe.  However, the Church didn’t appreciate revolts and  Erasmus and John were both executed. 

Question:  How were these unjust actions stopped?

Answer:  Martin Luther stopped these revolts. I strongly recommend you interview him on this.

Intermission:  Searching for Martin Luther

Question:  Martin, how did you put a stop to the unjust actions of the Church?

Answer:  It started in 1517.  The Church had become corrupt and the last line was crossed in Wittenberg, Germany.  John Tetzel, a priest, was offering indulgences for the rebuilding of the St. Peter Cathedral in Rome.  He was claiming that if you purchased these indulgences you’d get entry into heaven and so would your dead relatives.  I got an idea.  I came up with the 95 theses.

Question:  What were the 95 theses?

Answer:  They were reasons that indulgences are unholy.  A few examples of what they stated were that indulgences had no basis in the Bible, the Pope had no authority to release souls from purgatory, and Christians can only be saved through faith.  I posted the list on the door of Wittenberg’s All Saints Church.  They were copied and distributed all over Europe.  I was asked to recant, but I wouldn’t.  I couldn’t give up my views and let this corruption continue.  Instead, I encouraged others to go against the authority of Rome.  I was excommunicated by Pope Leo X and Charles V labeled me an outlaw. They would’ve killed had I not been so well-known. 

Question:  What are your central beliefs?

Answer:  I believe that all Christians are equal before God.  I don’t support indulgences, pilgrimages, confession and prayers to Saints.  I also believe that Clergy can marry along with a simplified marital service. 

Question:  What were your followers referred to as?

Answer:  My followers were referred to as Protestants and created the third branch of Christianity; The Protestant Church.
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/martin-luther.jpg

Crusades

Introduction:  Today we interview Pope Urban II. 

Question:  Why were there so many knights during the middle of the 11^th century?

Answer:  Well, around that time Europe was still in the Dark Ages.  We had just conquered the Vikings.  During the time when we were at war with the Vikings we needed a lot of military support to fend off the raiders, so we had a lot of left over knights.  Life was hard.  There was economic depression, disease and religious persecution.  The knights turned from honorable to thugs.  They were strong, violent individuals that were hungry for battle, but there was no battle to fight.

Question:  What did you do with the knights when there is no imposing threat?

Answer:  At first lords hired them.  They were rich enough to buy large armies.  Lords would have them attack the peasants and force them to accept the lords’ authority.  Castles were built to subjugate the people in the countryside.   

Question:  How did you control the chaos?

Answer:  The Church placed limits on who, what, and when to attack.  Missionaries would use relics, or religious objects, to instill the importance of the rules.  We would threaten them.  If they disobeyed our rules, the Saints which the relics coincided with would punish them.  We had two main proclamations.  They were “Peace of God” and “Truth of God”.  They basically meant that certain weak individuals should not be attacked by the knights and there were periods where there shouldn’t be any warfare.  They also had to chivalrous, brave and loyal.  The highest honor in knighthood was to save a damsel in distress.  Bishops would try to redevelop the energy of the knights who weapons but lack land. 

Question:  What led to the Crusades?

Answer:  In 1095, Seljuk Turks invaded the holy land; Jerusalem.  It was time to launch a Crusade.  I could picture Jesus’ house being defied and disrespected by the Muslims.  It made me sick and anxious.  The crusades were god’s will.  The first Crusade was the most successful.  In 1099 we captured Jerusalem and massacred the Jewish and Muslim residents.  Over the next 200 years there were 9 Crusades with no permanent conquests.  In 1187, Jerusalem fell to the Muslims.

Question:  What good came of the Crusades if there no permanent conquests?

Answer:  The Crusaders came back to Europe with knowledge, books, medicine, surgery and language.  Also they brought back ancient Greek ideas.  Extraordinary stone castles were built, military supplies lines transformed into merchant roads, roads were rebuilt and tourism boomed.  We finally exited the dark ages. 
http://www.oceansbridge.com/paintings/artists/recently-added/july2008/big/Pope-Urban-II-xx-Antoine-Rivalz.JPG

William the Conqueror

Introduction:  Today we interview William the Conqueror.

Question:  How did you become King of England and earn your title?

Answer:  In 1066, King Edward the Confessor died without an heir to his thrown.  A council of nobles chose Harold Godwinson, Edward’s brother-in-law to become the next King, but King Edward had promised me the thrown.  I am a descendant of the Vikings and was back then known as “William, Duke of Normandy” from France.  I received the Pope’s support.  To determine who got the thrown, a war was to be fought.  I quickly raised an army and sailed across the English Channel to England.  I fought Harold in the Battle of Hasting and was victorious giving me the title “William the Conqueror”.  I was crowned King of England on Christmas Day 1066.

Question:  Once King, what did you set out to do?

Answer:  I wanted to get control of my land.  I accomplished this by granting fiefs to Norman Lords and Churches, keeping land for myself, and monitoring where all castles are built.  I also had all vassals swear allegiance to me. 

Question:  What is a vassal?

Answer:  A vassal was a knight that would pledge allegiance to feudal lords, but I had them pledge allegiance to me instead.  This way I couldn’t be threatened. 

Question:  What is a “Domesday Book”?

Answer:  A “Domesday book” was the census of everything in my kingdom.  In 1086, I wanted to learn about my kingdom so I had a complete census taken.  The “Domesday Book” listed all people, property, buildings and livestock in my kingdom.  This helped me to create the first tax system.    

http://mhpbooks.com/mobylives/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/william-the-conqueror2.gif

Magna Carta

Introduction: The Magna Carta was a document signed by King John.  And here today we will discuss this important piece of paper with King John himself.

Question: What was the Magna Carta?

Answer:  I was sent the Magna Carta in 1215.  It was a legal document which basically stated that I, the King, had to follow laws too.  It also stated the Due Process of Law.  This basically means that there are certain rules the government must follow for fair and impartial trials.

Question:  Why were you sent it?

Answer: I personally thought I did a fine job ruling.  I had some loses, but doesn't everyone?

Question: Yes, I suppose.  But if you a good ruler, why would they send you this?

Answer: I guess not everyone appreciated the job I was doing.  The Barons rebelled against me and forced me to sign the document.  Along with what I said before, the document stated the Baron's state rights.  My legal system was questionable according to them.  They didn't like the taxes I made. 

Question:  Earlier you said you had loses.  Can you elaborate?

Answer:   I lost England some land in France when I lost the battle against King Phillip II.  I gave up Anjou and Normandy.  I also lost a battle with Pope Innocent III.  He excommunicated me because we didn't agree on who the new archbishop should be.  And then I lost the battle with the nobles when the forced me to sign he Magna Carta. 

Question:  I heard that you weren't following your own law.  Is this true?

Answer:  As I said before, the document stated I needed to follow the laws.  They probably wouldn't have made me sign a document with this in it if they weren't under the impression I was breaking the law.  I have no obligation to answer your question other than to say that the Barons were under the impression that I was breaking the law. 

Question:  Just to sum things up; you the Magna Carta states that you had to follow the law, have fair trials or Due Process of Law, and give the Barons state rights.  They sent you this because you broke the law and had an unjust legal system, according to the nobles.

Answer:  Yes, that sounds about right.

Reply:  Well, thank you for letting me interview you.

Response: No problem.

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/images/king-john.jpg

Columbus Leaves Spain

Introduction:   We are interviewing Queen Isabella of Spain. 

Question:  Why did you finance Columbus’ voyage?

Answer:  Ferdinand and I had expelled all Jewish peasants in Spain because we wanted to strengthen Catholicism.  However, with the expulsion of these influential members of the community, we lost some of our most prosperous persons.  We hoped that this voyage would bring us wealth and stature. 

Question:  How did Columbus present his proposition?

Answer:  Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator from Genoa.  He came to us with a proposition.  He wanted to reach the East Indies, or a group of islands in Southeast Asia.  He knew that the world was sphere, so he was well educated.  Unfortunately he underestimated the Earth size. 

Question:  Tell me more about the voyage.

Answer:  We gave him three small ships; the Nina, the Pinta, and Santa Maria.  They set sail on August 3, 1492.  They saw land on October 12.  They halted immediately and docked the ships.  The world was larger than he’d expected, so the voyage had been going on long enough for them to be low on rations.   He was under the impression he had landed in the Indies.  The natives there were called “Indians”.  He returned back to Spain in 1493 as a hero.  He didn’t know he had discovered a new continent.  Later Europeans explorers found out the route led to what is now known as America. 

http://christophercolumbusfacts.com/images/christopher_columbus.jpg

To Mr. Carleton:

Sorry that the posts are out of order.  I tried to repost and delete them, but it didn't work. :(  This is how the order should go;
Buddhism Comes to China
Confucius
Lao Zi and Taoism
Unification of China
Great Wall
Han Dynasty
T'ang Dynasty
Sung Dynasty
Mongols Take China
Zheng He
Hope you enjoy!

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty is starting to bother me.  It started in 206 BC and now its 220 AD.  They've been ruling for as long as anyone can remember and I'm tired of it.  The Chin dynasty was overthrown by peasants and now the government they've created is crumbling down.  It is said that in the beginning of the empire, life was easy.  Taxes were lowered, extreme punishment ceased and merchants were given new freedoms.  China's borders expanded past the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.  The government made Confucianism the official state philosophy and used civil service tests to select government officials.  Unfortunatly, quick developement comes with a price.  Now we just want something better.  Our resources are becoming scarce and the governement knows the people are angry about him now foreseeing this.  He's replaced the army of peasants and transformed it into a trained military.  He knows rebellion is coming.  Everyone has been migrating recently.  18 million in the last millenium.  Ontop of all this, the Yellow river has once again flooded, threatening out way of life.  Maybe I will migrate, too.  Or should I join the rising rebellion?  I'm not sure what to do. 
http://homepages.stmartin.edu/Fac_Staff/rlangill/HIS%20217%20maps/Han%20dynasty%20map.JPG

T'ang Dynasty

This is the year 618 CE.  It is the time of the T'ang dynasty and it is the golden age of poetry.  Some refer to this time as the Sui Dynasty. China's most beloved poet is living at right now by the name of Li Po.  His writing is the product of the silk road.  "All weath and power is like clouds."  That is my favorite quote of his.  His writing is so beautiful.  The capitol of this dynasty is Chang-an, but I have a feeling in the future they'll call it Xi'an.  Sadly, the T'ang dynasty could decline due to revolution.  I've heard people planning one.
http://homepages.stmartin.edu/Fac_Staff/rlangill/HIS%20217%20maps/Tang%20dynasty%20map.JPG

Sung Dynasty

Many of my dear friends lived during the Sung Dynasty.  The Sung dynasty took place from 960 to 1279 AD.  After the T'ang dynasty there was a period of disunion from 907 to 960 AD.  After this period the Sung dynasty partially unified China.  The period called the Northern Sung took place from 960 to 1127 AD.  The capital was Kaifeng which meant "Yellow River".  This area helped ruled Northern Sung for 170 years and was the furthest outpost of Judaism.  In 1127, Northern Sung was conquered by the Chin dynasty.  For 150 more years the Sung ruled southern China.  (1127 to 1279)  The Mongols take China in 1279, conquering the Sung dynasty.  The Sung dynasty was the peak in Chinese civilization.  The Sung invented newspapers, movable type print, dictionary, compass, stern reuter and paper maps.  They also supported the widespread use of paper money which accelerated trade within China.  A large part of the way life was lived in the Sung dynasty was Neo-Confucianism.  This philosophy consisted of two schools; the School of Intuition and the School of Principle.  Both of these schools agreed that the mind consisted of two realms; the Realm of Principle and the Realm of Material force.  To live your life the neo-Confucius way, you had to give up material items and stick to principle.  My friend, Yi Bing, lived a happy life by this philosophy and encourages everyone to do the same. 

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Zheng He: Explorer!

I would like to say that Admiral Zheng He is my favorite explorer.  He had a total of seven voyages.  (Take that Christopher Columbus!)  Anyway, Admiral Zheng He wasn't always an explorer.  He started out as baby, like all of us, in 1371 CE.  His home town was conquered when he was the age of three.  He was brought to the emperor as a gift and was later castrated.  As he got older, he got closer to the emperor and became the chief lieutenant.  He set sail for the world in 1405.  In this amount of time, Admiral Zheng visited 37 countries and possibly America.  He sailed to ChoChin and the Persian Gulf.  These explorations brought new trade to China.  Zheng He's exploration could've opened many new doors for China had they chosen to pursue and map out the world, but exploration was abruptly put to a halt in 1433.  The Ming Dynasty had been conquered and the new emperor burned all ocean floats, ceasing any exploration or trade.  No one is sure of why this discussion was made, but some say it was to turn China's focus inward.  The new emperor wanted to improve China from the inside, as opposed to conquering or exploring other parts of the world.
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Mongols Take China

In about 1200 A.D. the Mongols came out of central Asia.  While doing this, they also overran the Song China and imposed Mongol rule on its people.  The tribes in the area were constantly at war.  In the early 1200's, a Mongol Chief united these warring tribes.  His name was Temujin, but the world knows him as Genghis Kahn.

I'm glad I never met Genghis Kahn.  From what I've heard of him, he was ruthless.  Although I've meant many legendary folk by chance, Genghis Kahn isn't someone that I'd hope to come across.  Most troubled adults are the result of a hard childhood.  Genghis Kahn wasn't exactly a "troubled" adult, but he was responsible for a few events that I'm sure he wouldn't be too proud of.  The Mongols were destroyers.  The conquered people were usually harshly treated and ridiculed if they pay taxes for their heritage.  Anyways, Genghis Kahn had reason for his less-than honorable perspective on life.  His father was poisoned by a rival tribe when he was nine.  By the age of fifteen he was taken prisoner.  He wasn't exactly a well-treated prisoner either.  Genghis Kahn was paraded around the enemy’s camp and humiliated.  They locked his inside of a cell.  At age fifteen being locked in a cell isn't exactly ideal.  (Although at any age being locked in a cell probably isn't ideal.  My point is that he was very young to be in prison.)  When he finally regained his freedom, he didn't forget his inhospitable treatment and seeked revenged.  My grandfather was alive during this time and he tells me stories of the Mongols' glory days as though they were the high-point in civilization.  (Maybe for some it was, but for most conditions weren't too appealing.) Genghis Kahn imposed strict military discipline and demanded absolute loyalty from his people.  This is probably why he was able to conquer northern China.  His army was mobile, highly skilled and had the best horsemen in the world.  He taught his followers how to use cannons.  Genghis Kahn ended up dying in conquest.  He lived from 1162 A.D. to 1227A.D. 

The Mongols in general were not oppressive rulers.  They were tolerant and just.  The Mongols believed in letting conquered people live so long as they paid a tribute to Mongols.  They listened to the beliefs of other religions and religious peoples such as; Confucians, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jews and Zoroastrians.
Genghis Kahn's son, who is the ruler now, established peace and order with in his domain.  With this advance cultural trade increased.  Food, tools, inventions, and ideas spread along the protected trade routes. 

The Song Empire in China was conquered by the Mongols in 1279.  Under Mongol rule, China's capitol was made Beijing which was renamed Khanbaliq.  Kublai Kahn tried to prevent the Mongols from being absorbed into Chinese civilization.  He made a law saying only Mongols could enter the military and reserved the highest government jobs for Mongols.  But there was one problem with Kublai's new rules; China was a big country and there weren't enough Mongolians.  Despite Kublai's best efforts, Chinese and foreign traditions began to blend.  Eventually Kublai himself adopted a new Chinese name for his empire; Yuan.  The Yuan Empire lasted from 1279 to 1294 A.D.  It decline after Kublai's death and eventually became conquered by the Ming Dynasty in 1368. 

Genghis Kahn’s actions led to a new empire, even though all of his actions weren’t exactly honorable. 

Buddhism Comes to China

It is said that when he was born, the world flooded with light.  That the lame walked, the blind saw, that criminals were freed from their chains.  It is said that at the birth of this great prodigy, the fires of hell were quenched and that everyone rejoiced except one; Mara the evil one. 

I was walking past a Bo tree when I saw him.  I would’ve just passed by, but he seemed so deep in meditation.  I had seen people meditate before, but never had I seen someone so immersed and concentrated that I wondered what he was thinking.  Then something extraordinary happened.  A woman appeared and I began to feel uneasy about spying.  She seemed so intent on disrupting his concentration, but he was so deep in concentration he didn’t even acknowledge her.  Then another woman appeared.  They were both extremely beautiful, god-like.  The one seemed to have karma about her.  She seemed so dark, evil.  The other one brought with her three voluptuous women.  They all danced trying to distract the man sitting by the tree.  She said her name was Kama to the other one.  The evil one, said her name was Mara.  Mara began forming hurricanes and I took shelter, but only seemed to affect the man.  He stayed as still as a rock.    Then the hurricanes ceased and turned to flower petals.  She roared one question.  “Who are you to become the Buddha?  What makes you so special to be the enlightened one?”  But her cries were in vain because he just stayed in meditation.  Then it was as though the whole world had altered.  Lotuses bloomed from every tree.  What is now called The Great Awakening had taken place.  The man sitting under the tree had become the Buddha.  Mara the sneered and said, “Why bother?  No one will understand.”  Then, for the first time, the man spoke.  He said simply, “There will be some that will understand.”  Then the woman vanished

It’s said that he wondered for 49 days in rapture.  Buddha found an order of monks and challenged the Brahmin society.  He trained monks, comforted and counseled people.  I ran into him once, when I went back to the Bo Tree.  I asked him, “What are you?”  He then replied, “I am awake.”  I walked away, confused and unsure of what that meant.  Then, something stopped me.  I wasn’t sure what it was.  I turned and asked who he was before he became the Buddha.  He then went on to tell me of his former life.  He was born 563 B.C, Nepal.  His name was Siddhartha Gautama of the Sakyas.  His father, the king of the Sakyas, took him to a fortune teller at his birth.  He had everything in life one could want.  He lived in luxury and high-quality from the day he was born.  The fortune tellers foretold two paths.  If he stayed with the world he would unify India and become a great conqueror.  If he forsook the world he would not become a world conqueror but a world redeemer; a savior.  His father wanted him to be a conquerer as opposed to a savior.  He was given 3 palaces and 40,000 dancing women.  When he went out runners went ahead of him and cleared the roads of ugliness.  But one day, the runners made a mistake.  They passed a man with grayed hair, crooked teeth and wrinkles.  Siddhartha then learned of old age.  Then he saw a body racked with disease and a corpse.  Siddhartha learned of disease and death.  His reality had been so different from those of the rest of the world that he resent his father for trying to hide the world from him.  The fourth thing Siddhartha saw was a monk with a shaven head, ochre robe, and bowl. On this occasion he learned the life of withdrawal from the world.  These sights became known as the four passing sights.  He began to question his way of life.  He asked himself, "Where is the realm of life in which there is neither age nor death?”  When he turned 29 he left his life of luxury in search of enlightenment.  He wondered the forest for 6 years.  He sought out the two foremost Hindu masters and learned a great deal about Raja Yoga.  He joined a group of Ascetics and ate 6 grains of rice a day.  The Buddha came across a revelation; the four noble truths.  The first truth is Dukka, or the conclusion that life is dislocated.  The second was Tanha, or desire.  The third noble truth is overcoming the first two.  The fourth and final noble truth is to follw the eight-fold path.  He died at the age of 80 in the house of Cunda the smith.  The cause of death was dysentery from eating dried boar.  He thanks Cunda because know he could now go to Nirvana. 

The Great Wall

After I was approached by the assistant, he eventually told me his name was Ying Bei.  He offered me a job after I explained my most recent use of my time.  He said I work as a builder.  A builder of what was is now the Great Wall of China.  The Great Wall of China was built in 220 BCE by the first emperor Qin Shi Huangdi of the Qin Dynasty.  The purpose of this masterpiece was to keep Barbarians and invaders out, as well as keeping the Chinese people in.  It was built on the border of China by one fifth of China’s workforce.  One fourth of the laborers died while working on the wall and were buried inside of it.  This was the reasoning for the Great Walls other name, the long graveyard.  I’m pretty glad that I turned down the offer now knowing the reality and brutality of the position.  The wall was constructed by placing wood panels on the sides and then filling the middle with earth, stone and sticks.  When the clay dried the panels were removed and there was a large block of cement-like wall.  Later, in 206 the Han Dynasty extended the wall to the west.  Codes and signals were devised to defend and protect the wall.  There were smoke towers at different intervals where there was a constant supply of fuel to burn in case of an invasion.  When an invader was spotted or there was trouble, a smoke tower would be ignited and then when the watchmen saw a lit tower they would ignite the next smoke tower letting the whole wall know there was a problem that needed to be attended to.  The codes were kept a secret from the public so only the government knew what was going on.  The reason I know all of this information is because after I turned down the position as builder, I moved on to learn and help architect parts of the wall. 

Lao Tzu and Taoism

Today I was walking in the forest and I came across a man walking aimlessly looking at a large tree that looked foreign to me.  He was smiling unconsciously as he ran his palm over the leaves.  Why was he so giddy?  He seemed completely engrossed in the beauty of the tree when he abruptly sat down and closed his eyes.  He crossed his arms over his lower belly and fell into deep meditation.  He looked as though he was sleeping and he seemed completely content and tranquil leaning against the tree.  I was extremely curious as to what was so appealing to the tree, but I didn’t want to disturb him.  He then opened one eye and said, “May I help you?”  I was suddenly embarrassed at my spying and struggle to clear my voice. 

“Um…I was just curious as to what type of tree that was.”

“Ah…well that is a question I do not know the answer to.  Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

“What?”

“The key concept of Taoism is to live in harmony with nature.”

“What is Taoism?”

“Tao is The Way.”

“The way to what?”

“Those who speak the Tao do not know it, those who know the Tao do not speak of it.”

“Oh,” I was very confused at this point.  What is Tao?  How does it coincide with nature?

He then went on to explain that Taoism teaches that you should reject conflict and have little or no government.  “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

The key to Taoism is to coincide with nature.  He used a term I wasn’t familiar with; he told me to go with the flow.  I smiled crookedly and began to think he was a bit of a loon.  He laughed easily and explained that water doesn't resist but yields to outside pressure and is also unstoppable.  Another key concept of Taoism is ying and yang, or good and bad.  There must be a balance of ying and yang to have a good atmosphere according to Taoists.  He told me he was going to write a book and call it "Te Ching", meaning book of wisdom.  He said it would be about wisdom of the ancestors control of the past. 

Before I left, I asked for his name.  He told me that he was Lao Tzu meaning “Old Master”.  I told him I was planning to travel towards the Great Wall.  He told me that a good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.  I then felt a little lighter and walked north towards my destination, wondering whether I would even get there.

Confucius

Confucius: The Man behind the Legend

Confucius was born in 551 BCE during the Chou dynasty in northwest China.  His father died when he was the age of three and he was left to live in poverty with his mother.  Confucius grew up in a harsh time when rival warlords were fighting.  Everything was focused on war.  Mass executions took place and people were consumed by war being used as soldiers, growing food for soldiers or making goods for soldiers.  Where was the meaning?  What were they fighting to preserve?  It was in this time of hardship and despair that Confucius had an epiphany.  He realized that society could be held together by goodness and only goodness. 

Confucius Philosophy is a Way of Life

Confucius then developed some basic principles of a good society by blending his ideas with those of traditional Chinese.  The first was that society would be in harmony as long as everyone performs their duties.  The second principle was that if the ruler is good, then people will follow his example.  The third is that humanity is the center of Heaven and Earth.  The fourth was that family is the foundation of society.  The fifth was that respect and authority are keys to goodness.  And lastly; Confucius believed you should not ask more from people than they can give.  Confucius eventually goes to work in the government; he hopes that in this position he can use his ideas in fostering a better way of life for the Chinese people.  Another of his philosophies was for a subordinate to point out his or hers superior's mistakes.  When he does this in his job, his superior's feel insulted and he is fired.  He then spends the remainder of his life as a wandering teacher dying in 479 BCE.

            At this point in time the Qin Dynasty had been conquered.  I had managed to stay in the government business, but not in architecture.  I was now working in the Han Dynasty and had been put in charge of society structure and relationships.  I had been doing some research on philosophy; traveling around the region, listening to people’s personal guidelines on how to have a good society.  Times were hard and we needed some structure on how to treat one another.  I eventually came across the concept of Confucianism.  I had never met Confucius himself, but his ideas and philosophies seemed valid and a good foundation for our new society.

Confucianism Makes Leaves a Mark in History

I then began to pursue my new goal; to make Confucianism the official state philosophy of the Han Dynasty.  Eventually, after a lot of debates and discussion, my goal was reached.  Confucianism was now the way of life in China.  This includes using a civil service test to select the most suited government officials.  There are two branches of Confucianism; Mohism and Legalism.  Mozi or Mo Di was the first to spread Mohism.  The main concept of Mohism is universal love.  They believe that forgiveness and equality are key to a good society.  Mohist are against campaigns of conquest and obedient to superiors.  Legalism on the other hand consists of standardized laws and considers human nature to be inherently evil.  Legalists believe that when you are born you are born evil and must be shown what is right and good.  They severely punish bad behavior as well as reward behavior that is good for the state.  I personally was a Mohist believing that forgiveness and nonviolence is best, but there are many other opinions to consider when building a government.

Unification of China

Ying Zheng was born in 259 BC.  He was brought into a harsh world where he had many enemies plotting his demise hoping to steal his thrown.  His mother, the most dangerous of these foes, plotted to kill her son.  He found this out and had her banished from his kingdom.  This was when he decided that his ultimate goal would be to conquer China.  Over the next few years, he accomplished this goal and became Qin Shi Huangdi, or first emperor of the Qin Dynasty.

I was parched.  I had been walking for a few miles when I saw him.  He looked majestic on horseback where he had a look of intense concentration.  I hadn’t seen a person for a while and setting my eyes upon this fellow made me realize how not only was I thirsty, but I was also fatigued.  I slow my pace to a stop and looked up at the man.  His gaze veered sharply towards me, assessing my appearance (which I imagine would’ve been a bit shabby).  He then gestured to his assistant who approached me in a sort of timid way, almost as though I were diseased.  I smiled in an inviting way so that he wouldn’t be as nervous.  He then began moving towards me in a brisk fashion. 

“State your purpose,” he demanded.
“I’m just passing through.”
“Not through here you’re not.  This area is under protection by the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi.”
“Who,” I felt embarrassed to not be keeping up on politics.
“Are you not familiar with the leader of our society?”
“I guess not.  The last news I heard was during the Warring States.”
“Well, all of the states are in control of the Qin Dynasty.”

He then almost took pity on my ignorance and explained what I had been missing while I was out wandering in the forest.  Now, looking back on the experience, I know what I didn’t then.  The Qin Dynasty was ruthless.  It started out as one of the western states during the Period of the Warring states which took place in 475-221 BCE.  Their objective was conquering and unifying China. They were revolutionary in warfare due to two great advantages in war.  One of these was their abundance of foot soldiers and another was their use of horsemen.  They also knew how to mass produce weapons.  With these strengths they defeated the other six warring states and achieved their goal.  The Qin dynasty was the first to unify China.  Although it only lasted from 221-207 BCE, the dynasty was very significant to China's history. 

Accomplishments of the Qin Dynasty

Aside from being one of the most technologically advanced civilizations in history, the Qin also managed to standardize the language and writing of China.  The new region had a need for consistent communication and so they established a common language.  Another accomplishment was the work of Li Bing.  Li Bing was a hydraulic engineer who built a channel through Mount Qian.  The rivers of this region were treacherous to townspeople when there were overflows and conversely during droughts lack of water threatened their way of life.  Li Bing wanted to control the water so it would be of abundance when needed and contained during heavy rains.  He had one obstacle while creating this channel; Mount Qian.  Mount Qian was directly in the way of his water system.  He couldn't move the mountain out of the way and to make heavy lifting easier he devised an ingenious plan.  He put sticks in the cracks of boulders and then filled them with water.  The wood would absorb the water causing it to expand and crack the boulders into movable sizes.  With this method, Li Bing managed to make a channel through the mountain for water to pass.  When the channel was built, the region became highly populated with more agriculture.  This region was where I eventually decided to move my home to. 

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