Blog #3 Third Wave of Civilization

Blog #3

During the third wave of civilization we see Islam become prominent not only as a religion but as a growing empire. Many countries embraced Islam including Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, and some places in Eurasia.  We also see the beginning of the Byzantine Empire, which was a continuation of the Roman Empire in the eastern part of Europe. Germanic people led the western part of Europe. It would seem a separation of Europe but there was more interaction than ever before. The reason being, trade brought cultures together. One of the biggest movers in the trade industry within Eurasia was the Silk Roads. The global market was coming onto the scene and people now had to change their way of thinking. They no longer produced goods for themselves or local vendors, but to be sold in far and distant lands. We see people experiencing different cultures through foods and goods that were being transported. Not only did these trips bring foods from distant places, but they also brought new culture, religion, language, and disease. The people of China and India which had notoriously been herders and hunters now became empires in the trade industry. This was a dramatic shift in doing business, and it brought much more than profits.  This allowed religions to travel from one contained land to another. People could now migrate to new countries, military increased; multi-cultures were now interacting.

I love that the author always includes the role of women in each era; we are able to get a glimpse at to their contribution to history. He points out that the 3^rd wave of civilization is male dominated, but women do play a vital role. As in most traditions women were the foundation for the family, but also maintained the culture, language, and religion of the family.

We begin to see a change in the trade industry with the production of silk which originated in China. This was a commodity for the wealthy and it was very much sought after. This triggered the establishment of social status, those with money were able to show it, somewhat similar to driving down the road and seeing increased numbers of Tesla cars. But all of these interactions created a need for some type of government to oversee the taxing of overseas trade. There needed to be some type of security for those traveling with expensive items.  For every new industry, there is always a need for some type of administration. This was a vast new world, and it spread quickly.

Again Strayer keeps the reader informed of the role of women in this new silk industry. The women were literally in “the weeds” of this new empire. They were the laborers who extracted the silk from the worms on the trees, weaving these threads into textiles. Women made a sizable contribution to the economy during the silk industry; they even paid their share of taxes. On the flip side women of wealth demanded these silk fabrics.

The silk industry touched every aspect of society, even religious and spiritual cultures. Travelers brought silks as gifts to the Buddhist monasteries and in Christianity silk wall hangings and vestments became a sign of honor. We can see a shift from the purest of spiritual practices to the influence of wealth within those cultures.

Silk roads linked cultures by land and Sea Roads now opened up vast new opportunities for trade by way of the Indian Ocean. These voyages were able to carry large amounts of cargo; people who had never experienced exotic spices now were exposed to cultural dynamics that had never experienced prior.  The sea roads became a game changer for the spread of Islam, Muhammad was a trader and Islam believed in the connection of politics, commerce, and religion.  The emergence of Muslim traders increased trade flow.

Sand Roads also opened up another avenue of change; opportunities for West Africa. It is remarkable that the desert (with the aid of camels and donkeys) could become a route traders could take to sell their goods. With new opportunities comes increase in inequality; unfortunately we see an increase in the slave industry.

Before the voyage of Columbus, the eastern and western parts of the globe were isolated from one another. But once explorers realized the opportunities of travel, it was a matter of time before they set out to sail in search for the West. It is remarkable to me the intelligence and adventurous attitude of the people to attempt such unknown territory. It started by studying the winds of the monsoons to bring continents together. We may have more technology today, but the eagle eye and spirit of those before us seems to be so much more.