for Eng.Kelvin History assignment

Portfolio I

Due Friday 3/09

The portfolio that you will be turning in at the end of week 8 should contain the documents listed below. These can be either typed or handwritten, with the exception of the non-Western Civilization report which must be typed.

1. In-class assignment: definition & characteristics of the West

2. The Mongols: - “Letter-exchange between Pope Innocent IV and Guyuk-khan” – outline or summary - “Pegolotti_The Practice of Commerce” – list the things needed when traveling to

China and the info that you can infer from the text regarding China, its trade with

foreigners, commercial relations East-West etc.

3. Crises of the 14 th

century:

- Boccaccio, Decameron – outline or summary (w/ a focus on the onset of, and people’s reaction to, the plague)

4. Medieval Islam: - “Relations to non-Muslims” (two documents) – summaries of rights & restrictions

placed on non-Muslim population in the early Islamic caliphates

5. Medieval India: - “The Deeds of Sultan Firuz Shah”- make a list of Firuz’ accomplishments. Then

briefly address the following questions: How does he treat the Sunni Muslims; the

Shi’a; the non-Muslims? What does this tell about him as a leader?

6. Medieval China: - ‘Buddhism in China’ - read all three accounts: by the private person, by an official,

and by the emperor. Write a paragraph on the reasons for which these people wanted

Buddhism banned from China (i.e. why did they perceive it as a threat to traditional

Chinese culture?).

7. Renaissance: - Dante Alighieri, De monarchia (On the Monarchy) – outline (focus on the reasons for

why universal empires was the best type of government).

- Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince – outline (what makes a monarch successful?). What are some of the major differences/ similarities between the two visions on the

ideal form of government?

On to the next page

Natalie Sherwan – HST 103

Portfolio materials

8. Non-western Empires: write one or more paragraphs in response to one of the options below

- Option 1 Islamic Leadership - Read the three documents in the “Muslim Rulers” file [Busbecq’s Turkish Letters, Jahangir’s Memoirs, Selim’s Letter to Shah Ismail]

and Janissaries. Based on these accounts, how would you characterize leadership in

the Islamic states? What were some of the customs, institutions or traditions on which

the sultans relied to maintain and enhance authority? What differences do you see in

leadership style between Selim I (14), Suleiman I (12) and Jahangir (13)?

OR

- Option 2 China, Japan and the West - Read Emperor Qianlong’s Letter to King George and the documents grouped under the title Reunification of Japan under

Hideyoshi and Tokugawa [in Japan file]. Why do the Chinese emperor and the

Japanese shoguns consider European merchants and Christian missionaries a threat to

their countries? How do they deal with this perceived threat? What are some of the

reasons brought up by Qianlong to refuse commercial, diplomatic and religious

cooperation with the English? How do the shoguns justify the closing of Japan to

foreigners?

9. Report on a non-Western Civilization - At this stage, your report should include information on the following:

o Location *

o Environment *

o Resources *

o Religious beliefs, practices, values o Religious art and architecture o Social impact of religion (social classes, gender issues, relationships w/

outsiders)

o Key events in the development of the civilization o Justification for creating an empire

**

o Pre-19 th

century contacts w/ the West

- Remember that in order to collect the necessary data you will have to use the textbook, PPTs, and relevant primary sources.

* This data is not yet available for the Ottoman Empire/Turkey.

** Not pertinent in the case of pre-19 th

c. Japan.