for Eng.Kelvin history report

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Record of a Non-Western Civilization

I. Overview of the project:

One of your tasks in this class will be to keep track of a non-Western civilization of your

choice (pick one from the list below!) in terms of its major features (location, resources,

economic activities, cultural and religious makeup) and developments within and without its

boundaries. Each time when readings will be assigned that pertain to that civilization, or when

the civilization is mentioned in lectures, it will be your responsibility to enter the appropriate

data in your record.

NOTE 1: This assignment does not require you to do any extra research. The information that

you will be recording should come from the textbook, lecture presentations and primary sources.

Make sure you give the page number (in case of the textbook) and the title (in case of a primary

source).

NOTE 2: This assignment is part of your portfolio. It must be typed to receive credit for it.

II. List of civilizations:

- China - Japan - India - Russia - Persia (modern Iran) - Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey)

III. Topics to consider in your report:

A. Influence of Geography

1. Location and environment

- Has geography isolated the civilization, or, on the contrary, has it facilitated its contacts with the larger world (via wars, trade, missionaries, diplomatic relations etc.)? Does the

civilization have access to the ocean or is it landlocked, and how has this affected its

history? Is the civilization located by a body of water (river, sea), in a flat region, or in a

mountainous area? Is it in the proximity of other powerful civilizations?

- Is the environment agriculture-friendly (are there fertile lands)? What is/are the main crop(s) cultivated there? Have they been enough to sustain the population?

- If agriculture is not possible (e.g. desert area, swamps), what other economic activities have allowed the civilization to survive (herding, fishing, sea trade, etc.)? How have

these activities influence progress and technological advancement?

2. Main natural resources

- What are the local “riches” (gold/silver mines, coal, oil, iron, timber, fertile lands, grasslands, waters teeming with fish, silk, cotton, tea, coffee etc.?), and has their

exploitation assist the civilization in gaining regional predominance?

On to the next page

Natalie Sherwan – HST 103

Instructions on the NWC report

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B. Influence of Religion

1. Religious beliefs, practices and values

NOTE: Religion is by default the most significant factor that gives a civilization its identity, its

core notions of “good” and “evil,” its set of moral standards, customs and ideals, its major

writings, art and architecture. Pay close attention to the role played by religion in shaping the

civilization you are studying.

- What is/are the religion(s) defining your civilization? What are its main tenets? - What type of society has it created (i.e. stratified/ egalitarian? open/closed to outsiders?

with rigid boundaries between men and women/ believers and unbelievers/ the rich and

the poor? etc.)

- Did it create a specific art, architecture, body of literature? - Did the religion originate in that civilization? Was it brought by outsiders (missionaries,

merchants, armies)? Did it have a difficult time being accepted by the authorities/ by the

people?

- Was the religion state-supported? Has state support ceased in the modern era?

C. Major Historical Developments

1. List here the events (political, social, economic, cultural) that you consider crucial in the

development and expansion of the civilization you have selected.

2. All civilizations listed as part of this project created empires at some point in their history.

What type of empire had the civilization you have picked, and how did its rulers justify their

expansion? How did they treat the people included by force in their state? When and why did

they give up their empire?

3. What is the current form of government? What are some of the pressing issues that your

civilization faces?

D. Major Encounters with the West

1. Pre-19 th

c. contacts

- What were their goals? Who initiated them? - Were these initial contacts peaceful/hostile/successful? Did they change overtime? Why? - Was there anything gained/lost through these exchanges?

2. Contacts in the 1800s, 1900s, 2000s

- How has the rising of the West to global dominance impacted your civilization?