As Islam spread between 1200 and 1600, it affected gender relations in which of the following ways? Women were no longer allowed to be small-scale traders.
Polygamy became widespread. **polygamy: having more than one wife
Women became fully equal to men in terms of the right to divorce.
Existing local customs regarding marriage and the role of women blended with
Islamic models

Changes in Technology

Navigational Changes

Sternpost rudder – improved steering - Invented in China – Han Dynasty

Lateen sails – sail in any direction regardless of wind

Astrolabe – measured distance of sun/stars above horizon – latitude

Magnetic Compass – Chinese – direction without sight of land

Three-Masted Caravels – larger sails, large cargo rooms w/ more provisions

Global Interactions

European colonization of Americas

Why successful?

Disease

Indigenous people had no resistance – developed independently

Neighboring states hated Aztecs, more than happy to help

Fear of unknown – metal, horseback – seen as God

Motivation – acquire gold and spices

Superior weapons

Individual assistance

Malince (Dona Marina) acted as interpreter – Spanish>Aztec

Early colonization

Cortes – 1519 – Aztecs

Tenochititlan – Mexico City – New Spain

Conquistadors controlled Western USA – California, Arizona, etc…

Pizarro – 1531 – Incas

Goals

Boost home countries’ power and wealth

Exploitation and exploration of raw materials

Spread of Roman Catholicism

Labor system

Attempted to use natives, but failed

Resorted to importing labor from Africa

Differences in empire expansion from earlier empires

Existing populations wiped out not allowed to remain intact

Huge numbers of people moved in

Even Mongols didn’t totally replace population

Previous empires merged with, converted, or were converted by existing population

Americas – Europeans created new continent in own image – two Europes essenentially

Labor/Economic System

Hierarchical system

Peninsulares – Spanish officials

Creoles – born in colonies to Spanish parents

Educated, wealthy

Looked down upon by Spanish aristocracy

Became leaders of resistance movements later

Mestizos – European and Native American ancestry

Mulattos – European and African ancestry

Native Americans – little to no freedom

Worked on estates, in mines

Encomienda System – American Feudalism

Peninsulares get land and # of slaves/native laborers

In exchange, must protect them and convert them

Attempts at reform

Treatment horrific – Christian missionaries appealed for reform

Reduced strain on natives by bringing in Africans

Replaced one oppressed group with another

Both Africans and Natives ended up at bottom of social hierarchy

Difference methods of Colonization

Spanish/Portuguese

Resource extraction #1 priority

Treatment of Native Americans harsh

Until recently known as cruelest of colonizers

Indians first as slaves, then exploited for cheap labor

Kept near bottom of Latin American social scale

Importation of African slaves massive

More brought to Latin America/Caribbean than United States

Primarily brought over males

#s only kept up through importation, not reproduction

Missionaries/priests – conversion to Catholicism a priority

Settled presence of Spanish/Portuguese (large cities) created permanent colonies

French

Focused on economic exploitation

Focused on fur trade

Made little effort to create long-term settlements

servitude