Kearra's World History Blog

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August 28, 2018

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Chapter 5: Society and Inequality in Eurasia/North Africa

In this chapter, Strayer discusses social arrangement and relationships regarding the people of Eurasia and North Africa. The relationships he discusses are between the rich and poor, powerful and powerless, slaves and free people, and men and women (192). He mentions that these very relationships shaped the daily lives of the people and provided the foundation for political authority. The first section is Society and the State in China: -An Elite of Officials: "Proximity to the capital and family connections to the imperial court also helped in gaining a position in this highest of Chinese elites" (193). The Landlord Class: -Most officials came from wealthy families -Wealth = possession of land -"Large landowning families, therefore, remained a central feature of Chinese society, although the fate of individual families rose and fell as the wheel of fortune raised them to great prominence or plunged them into poverty and disgrace" (195). Peasants: -The...

Chapter 2: First Civilizations

Strayer begins the chapter by stating that just as agriculture was a global phenomenon, so was the concept of civilization. The earliest civilization emerged around 3500 bce to 3000 bce in three places. One of the places was the "cradle" of Middle Eastern civilization. The others were the Egyptian civilization and the less known, Norte Chico. Strayer also mentions Norte Chico's cities were smaller than the ones of Mesopotamia and there was less specialization in economics. All of the civilizations had their roots in the Agricultural Revolution, which is the reason why they appeared later in the "human story" (68). Strayer mentions, "Ritual sacrifice, sometimes including people, accompanied the growth of civilization, and the new rulers normally served as high priests, their right to rule legitimated by association with the sacred" (69). It was interesting to read about how early civilizations developed in different ways. The chapter also includes an ex...

Chapter 1: First Peoples; First Farmers

In this part of the chapter, Strayer begins by introducing the "Neolithic Revolution" and "Agricultural Revolution," referring to "the deliberate cultivation of particular plants as well as the taming and breeding of particular animals" (26). He also mentions that the coming of agriculture represented a transformation of human life such as settled villages, animal-borne disease, literature, writing, and a lot more. I thought it was interesting to read about how agriculture changed the relationship between humankind and other living things. Strayer mentions the word "domestication," defining it as "the taming, and the changing, of nature for the benefit of humankind" (27). This domestication was reflected in farmers and herders being dependent on their plants and animals. I also thought it was interesting to read about how women were associated with collecting wild plants. Strayer mentioned, "They [Women] were likely innovators who ...

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