In chapter 11, Strayer explains the Mongol empire and why they were so important. The mongols didn't create elaborate cities but left an indelible mark on the historical development of the Afro-Eurasian Empire. Societies usually lived in small and scattered encampments of related kinfolk rather than in villages. The people organized themselves into clans, and lived solely on animals and manufactured goods. The Turkic language and culture spread rapidly all over Asia, and the Turks converted to Islam. They brought Islam and Turkic culture to Anatolia, and then created the Ottoman Empire. The Mongol Empire was enormous and destructive of the process and the networks of exchange and communication numbering 700,000 people. They left a cultural imprint, but didn't leave a new language, religion, or civilization. Their religion was centered around rituals invoking ancestors. The Mongols conquered, defeated, subordinate and exploited people. The Black Death reached Egypt in 1350, and the Middle East lost 1/3 of its population by the 15th century. China, Islam, and Europe also suffered a dramatic decline in population. Labor shortages provoked sharp conflict between scarce workers. Series of peasant revolts in the 14th century. Labor shortages also fostered greater interest on technological innovation. The Black Death also diminished trade networks.
After reading the Prologue, Intro to Part One, and the beginning of Chapter 1, I really learned a lot about the planet and the life of people. In the Prologue, I really liked how Strayer gives a brief history of the universe and shows what months it would be in on the cosmic calendar. Strayer doing that really helped me understand what parts of the yer everything was formed. I really like how he talks about the evolution of communication and how we as people can pass on what we learn to different countries or generations and further the discovery of technology. In the beginning of Chapter 1, I liked how Strayer goes into detail about the Paleolithic Era because I have never personally heard or read about his era. Even though this was the first era of Homo sapiens, I was always taught that the first people in the world were the Egyptians. I like how Strayer goes into great detail about their journey of migration and talks about the different weapons and cave paintings they made. They m...
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