The Super Summary of World History - Alan Dale Daniel [300]
[70] The Catholic Church demanded the natives not be enslaved, so the Spanish just called it by a different name and did the same thing.
[71] Guns, Germs, and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies, by Jared Diamond, 2005.
[72] The Black Death is reported in China about 1341; and by 1347, it had reached Europe. This was the last of several plagues to sweep over Europe.
[73] The Shang dynasty was founded in 1600 BC, and the Chou was founded about 1050 BC. All dates in this section must be considered approximate; thus, when it says the dynasty lasted 200 years please be aware that means it lasted approximately 200 years.
[74] P. 41, The Penguin Atlas of World History, Vol 1, Kinder & Hilgemann, 1978, Penguin Books.
[75] Christians may argue this is “self-salvation.” In Christian theology, Jesus Christ alone can save a person’s soul, and one must confess Jesus is the Son of God and that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for their sins. A Buddhist (or Hindu) would see this as somewhat foolish, in large part because it avoids the question of conforming one’s mind to the necessary attitude to reach the oneness of the universe. Hindus think there are many paths to truth so they accept Jesus as one way to the truth; however, Christians argue there is only one way, Jesus. In both Buddhism and Hinduism there are many complexities that go far beyond the ability of this text to explain them.
[76] These “nomads” from the center of the Asian land mass were a problem for everyone. They attacked, under various names, China, Europe, the Middle East, and India. Their ability to use cavalry to defeat the civilized world on all sides of them is amazing. As historians, we have a problem understanding their background because they left very little written information about themselves. No writing, no history. The Huns were the great problem for the Han and constant wars were fought between the two “civilizations”. The Great Wall was constructed to keep the Huns out more than anyone else.
[77] This date is highly variable.
[78] It can be argued that China’s entry into the Korean War and the Vietnam War was for the purpose of keeping foreigners out of its sphere of influence.
[79] Please see the previous chapters on India and the Aryans.
[80] “upper” here means southern. Egypt considered the mouth of the Nile at the Mediterranean Sea the “lower” Nile.
[81] The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon, Penguin Classics, ISBN 0140433945, p.563; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_(6th_century)
[82] None-the-less, this success was marred by civil war, in which split the Muslim world into two sects: Sunni, the majority of Muslims, perhaps 80 percent belong to this sect, believing the Muslim leader does not have to be a descendent of Muhammad, and the Shiites who believe Muhammad’s son in law Ali should have been the leader of the Muslims. This division in the Islamic world continues today, and the consequences have been chaotic and bloody. Each sect believes the other is reprobate and in need of extermination. This led to conflicts of the most violent character which continue into 2010.
[83] Acre fell in 1291, and this was the last of the major Levant Crusader strongholds; however, the island of Rhodes held on until 1522 and the island of Malta until 1798.
[84] This was the discovery of America because it was publicized. The Vikings and others may have arrived first, but they did nothing with the knowledge. Columbus came back and let everyone know how great he was; unfortunately, he failed to understand where he had been. Nonetheless, everyone in Europe knew that new lands had been found; thus, it was Columbus who discovered America because one who discovers something and keeps it secret has discovered nothing—except for himself.
[85] OK, OK . . . . So they were not ALL English colonist, but I just can’t type English, German, Irish, Dutch, French, Russian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Belgian,