The Samurai

  

   During the Heian period, Japan's central government and real power held by the Fujiwara family was strong; but by about the 11th century their power began to slip. Landowners who lived away from the capital put up private armies, the countryside became dangerous and uncontrollable without law. Armed soldiers who rode on horse would prey on farmers and on travelers, and the pirates took control over the seas. Farmers and small landowners would have a  trade with strong warlords. The farmers and landowners would give part of their lands to warlords in exchange for protection. This is when the feudal system began and would now be called the Feudal Era. Since wars between rival lords were very common, lords would sorround themselves with loyal warroirs called Samurai (one who serves). The Samurai lived according to the demandind code of behavior, which was called Bushido (the way of the warrior). Samurais were expected to show mindless courage, reverence for the gods, fairness, and kindness toward those weaker than himself. For a Samurai dying an honorable death was judged more importantly than living a long life.

The Impact of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment

   The Renaissance era was full of new ideas defying the ideas of the Catholic Church. It was during the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment that these ideas raised. The new ideas bothered and confused the people, for they did not know if what the church said was right, or if what these scientists said was right. Some of those new ideas were: Geocentric vs. Heliocentric, the mind, thoughts, and rights, and the art and music.

   Geocentric, or geocentrism, was a theory that said that the Earth was the center of the Universe and that all other things such as the Sun, stars, and other planets revolved around it. The religious nobles had told the people that this idea was true because God had chosen to make Earth the center of the Universe. This idea was later on shattered when Copernicus had committed to investigate such idea and found that this theory was incorrect. He then proposed his own theory which was called Heliocentric. This new idea states that the Sun is the center of the Universe and that all other matter such as other stars and planets revolve around it. Yet Copernicus could not explain why the planets rotated around the Sun like they did. This idea went against the Catholic Church and Copernicus was asked firmly to drop this ridiculous idea, and he did for the sake of his life (even though he kept believing in these new ideas). It was not until 1979 that the church finally accepted that they may have been wrong in condemning Copernicus and that his theory was right after all (the heliocentric theory was already accepted by this time).

   The people started thinking “if the church was wrong about the center of the Earth, then what else might they be wrong about?” People started using logic and reason to answer their questions. They started using the scientific method, which stated “if it cannot be proven, then it does not exist”. People started thinking about how they could better their lives, so they started inventing. One of the things that were invented at that time was the microscope, which was used to help cure sicknesses and make medicine. People thought of equality, and about rights. They started giving people the same rights that they deserved. They started thinking of better ways to make this the most perfect world that they possibly could.

    While all of this change was going on, the arts started changing as well. The music became what we know as classical music. Beethoven and Mozart were some of the composers that helped with this change. Literature was in prose and fictional. The artwork was influenced by the Greco-Roman art and reflected order and reason. Art took a change just like the rest of the world did and has influenced the world at its present time.

    If it wasn’t for the change that happened in the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment then we wouldn’t have all the inventions we have today. We also wouldn’t have the evolution and different genres of music. Scientists, philosophers, composers, artists, etc. in the Renaissance era have been a great addition to the change of new ideas and views in the world.

Wu Zhao, for many years, Empress of China

        

 Wu Zhao, at the age of 13, became one of Tang Taizong's (Tang Dynasty Emperor) secondary wife. After Taizong's death, she became a favored wife of his son and succesor. Wu Zhao soon rose above rival wives. She became the emperor's chief wife, or empress. She "ruled" China while her husband was sick. He then died, and the throne was held by two of there sons. At the age of 65, around the year 690, she took the throne to herself. She was frustrated by the lack of ability of her sons. She claimed herself to be Empress and continued what Taizong begun, which was to build and expand China. She managed to do so and also to extend China's influence over other cuntries, such as Korea. She was the only woman to ever claim herself to be China's emperor, or empress in this case. Thanks to Wu Zhao taking over control, China was able to expand and the Tang Dynasty became a powerful empire, until 907.

 Information source: McDougal Littell World History Patterns of Interaction text book

My Opinion:

        I think that it is amazing how a woman at that time (when women where considered inferior to men) took control over the power of China and instead of overusing that power for herself she did something good for her empire. She even governed better than past emperors, which were men. Now i'm not saying that men do not know how to govern, they do, but women also know how to govern and should have been given at least a little more respect than they received at that time.