1. Example of a great thesis
In the fourteenth through seventeenth century, the Renaissance period brought light to Europe and started a new era separate from the Dark Ages through their advancements in humanism, literature, and art.

2. Example of outside info
The Middle (also known as dark or medieval) ages were true to their name – a dark, backward time when most people’s quality of life was at an all-time low. Feudalism ensure that a small group of wealthy landowners remained in power, while the vast majority of people were condemned to a life of poverty and hard manual labor. In document 2, Jacob Burchhardt suggests, “In the Middle Ages both sides of human consciousness lay dreaming or half awake beneath a common veil.” In other words, few people were true intellectuals, and education and knowledge were not common elements of society.

3. Warm-up Define migration
Provide two examples of migration from Global Studies so far

4. Ibn Battuta
Famous Muslim traveler from northern Africa (modern day Morocco)
Went on the hajj, kept travelling – 65,000 miles!
Returned home, encouraged trade with rest of Muslim world
Also wrote down observations about entire area he travelled

5. Chinese Empires – Tang, Song, Ming

6. Review – What is an empire?
Empire – type of government where one person (an emperor) controls multiple different countries or groups of people
What are some characteristics of empires?
They look to expand
Need to work to unite people
What are some ways that they do this?

7. Examples of Empires we have studied
Rome
Byzantine Empire
Babylon
Han
Gupta
Maurya
Islamic
Hellenistic

8. What are some reasons that these previous empires have fallen?
Tough to defend large borders
High taxes
Foreign invaders
Government corruption
Bad emperors

9. China Han Empire falls in 220 CE
Empire controlled large chunk of China, ruled for a long time (what does their fall create?)
For 350 years, no one group is able to take charge

10. Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty ( ) – first major dynasty after Han falls
Took back many of the lands lost after Han
Also expands to Korea

11. Civil Service
Tang Dynasty brings back civil service exams (review: what are these?)
What Chinese philosophy favored civil service exams?
What effect would these exams have on a government?
No more unqualified people in positions of power
Becoming a government official became VERY competitive

12. Song Dynasty 907 CE – Tang Dynasty overtaxes people, rebels take over
CE – Song Dynasty takes over
Decide a smaller kingdom is the best way to go – why?
Focused heavily on trade and culture

13. Other accomplishments of Tang and Song
Control and protect Silk Road – trade grows greatly during this time
Great inventions
Gunpowder
Paper
Wood block printing
The compass
Ideas diffuse to Japan

14. Grand Canal

16. This many inventions, sounds like a…
Golden Age! Song Dynasty very innovative, successful, and rich
Why would it end?
Invaders – the Mongols (we will talk about them tomorrow)