The Middle Ages

Objectives

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- To learn about the empires of China during the reign of Tang, Sung and Yuan dynasties - To understand the evolution of Japanese society under the Fujiwara Family and Kamakura Shogunate - To trace the background of the birth of Islam - To acquire knowledge of Arab and Ottoman Empires and their contribution to the spread of Islamic culture - To analyse the characteristics of Feudalism in the Middle Ages - To understand the relationship between the State and the Church in the Middle Ages

Recap

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- China which rivalled Rome during the Christian era, after experiencing political instability, accomplished unity and was ruled by the Sung dynasty for about three centuries. - Sung dynasty was overthrown by the Mongols who established Yuan dynasty in China. - Japan, which remained in isolation, joined the mainstream in the sixth century AD (CE) with Mikado becoming its emperor. Japan followed China in all walks of life. - The emperors slowly lost their control and the government was taken over by the military general, who founded the Kamakura Shogunate. - Kamakura Shogunate was replaced by Ashikaga Shogunate. - Islam, established by Prophet Mohammad, began to spread. - Arabs who took to Islam early succeeded in establishing Islamic kingdom first in Spain and later in other parts of Europe. - Umayyads ruled from Damascus, while the Abbasids from Baghdad. - The fight for the leadership of Arabia after the death of Prophet Mohammad led to division in Islam as Sunni and Shia. - The architecture developed by Arabs is known as Saracenic. - The takeover of the holy city of Jerusalem by Seljuq Turks resulted in the Crusades. - The weakening of Seljuq Turks led to the rise of Ottoman Turks. - The capture of Constantinople by Ottoman Turks ended the Middle Ages.