The Rise of Islamism and the Period Before European Hegemony - Report Example

This paper is in response to the readings about the rise of Islamism and the period before European Hegemony. In particular, the paper refers to the writings of Abu-Lughod to describe the vast and monumental changes that happened in the middle ages. The middle ages are the period covering the 13th and 14th century AD where the Islamic civilizations flowered before the later centuries that witnessed the rise of European Hegemony. The author describes how the cities of Genoa and Venice were at the forefront of socio-cultural and economic change and how they kept the barbarians in check before and did not let them conquer their lands as was evident during the dark ages. The readings describe crusades in detail and how they provoked a “clash of civilizations” between the Christian kingdoms of Europe and the Islamic kingdoms of Turkey and Asia Minor. The crusades were fought on religious grounds and suffused the fighters with a sense of religious fanaticism that proved deadly and dangerous to their opponents on the battlefield. As happens in any time of war, the crusades led to the development of newer technologies as well as newer forms of communication and control. The fact remains that as in contemporary times, the crusades were an important way to stimulate the economies of the European and Islamic countries. However, this should not detract us from the fact that the crusades were barbaric in nature. As the reading indicates, “the crusades stimulated a remarkable increase in naval power of the mariner states. The heightened demand for ships – to carry crusaders and pilgrims to the holy land- led to a virtual frenzy in ship building” (Abu-Lughod, 111). The pope had a major role to play in the conduct of the crusades and was responsible for papal injunctions against or for certain practices and the way the war was conducted. The readings make an important point about the roles of Genoa and Venice and the way in which these cities contributed to the conduct of the war. The readings make it clear that both Genoa and Venice experienced rapid surges in population thanks to the crusades and the generally heightened economic activity that accompanied this period. The readings make a case for the European subsystems and their access to different structures of power and commerce. The readings highlight the fact that the evolution of the modern forms of commerce and trading can be directly related to the developments in commerce and trade during the time that has been covered in the readings. The readings make the point that Europe became integrated with the world system after the crusades and this was a unification of sorts after Europe had detached itself from the northwestern parts of Europe after the fall of Rome. In my opinion, the period covered in the readings is important from the point of view of understanding why Europe rose to prominence after the middle ages and what were the contributing features to the rise of Europe in the latter part of the millennium. Further, the fact that Islamic civilization flowered during these times is an important indicator of the way things were in the world system during the middle ages. The fact remains that there is always an ebb and flow of the civilization’s characteristic and the point that though the crusades had failed, Europe rose to pre-eminence mostly as a consequence of learning the lessons from the debacle and the fact that there were renewed bursts of activity in the period immediately following the Middle Ages. The European renaissance began mostly as a result of the rise in cities following the crusades. In this part of the paper, I look at the development of cities and the role that they played in this tumultuous chapter of world history. To quote from the readings, “The thirteenth century was remarkable for the way in which so many cultures across the old world and the new world came together” (Abu-Lughod, 4) This quote underscores the fact that this was time when the leading powers of the world engaged with each other culturally and economically to produce a fusion of sorts in the scientific advances that were a hallmark of the world system. According to Abu-Lughod, the development of capitalist systems of thought and practice began during this period as well. The readings note that the dating of the capitalist system is something that has eluded many people including Marx. However, Abu-Lughod makes a strong pitch for the theory that the early beginnings of the capitalist system began in the time period corresponding to the middle ages. The readings make it clear the exchanges in commerce and trade that characterized this time and the resultant rise in mercantilist tendencies that accompanied the exchange can be thought of as the beginnings of capitalist systems. The middle ages were the first time in world history where established cities began to play a dominant role in the affairs of the regions and the countries. The fact that Cairo revived itself after the Black Death meant that the cities of the countries covered in the readings had their own forms of rejuvenation and revitalization that laid the foundations for their subsequent recovery. This is an important lesson for students of history concerned with the rise and fall of civilizations. The readings focus on the rise of the city states that came about in this period. The implication is that these city states were predominantly the result of mercantilist tendencies among these regions and contributed to the rise of the city state as a concept. As I noted in the paragraph above, the revival of Cairo is an indication of the rise of the city states and their ability to bounce back after suffering defeats. However, the fact that Genoa and Venice declined in the 14th century makes the point that prophesying about these trends a bit difficult. The fairs of Champagne were the precursors to the modern concept of trade shows and they provide an opportunity for the seafarers and the tradesmen to display their wares and trade with each other. The fairs are a testament to the fact that commercial exchanges can result in a cultural change in the way people of different countries perceive each other. History is replete with examples of this intermingling of cultures and peoples of different religions. The readings talk at length about the other side of this exchange, namely the crusades. So far, we have concentrated on the mercantilist aspects and the development of city states as well as their decline in later parts of the 14th century. To turn our attention to the slave trade and the slave kings. A Mamluk is a soldier of slave origin who has converted to Islam. The mamluks became a force to reckon with and their development from the 9th century to the 19th century indicates a period where they established slave kingdoms and went on to convert the population to their way of life. The distinguishing feature of their government was the dedication to the cause of god and the role that they played in the crusades has been documented well by many historians including Abu-Lughod. The slave trade was important to them for many reasons that ranged from access to labour to the fact that the slave trade was an important form trade between the old world and the new world in the Middle Ages. The readings have certainly been interesting and noteworthy for me in many ways. Before the European hegemony started, there was a time when the Islamic civilizations were flourishing and this gave rise to a number of social, economic and cultural trends. The period following the middle Ages is what is now known as the Enlightenment or the renaissance. In conclusion, Abu-Lughod certainly deserves credit for the way in which she has provided an interpretation of this crucial period in history. Read More