When one looks at the pages of history, it is hard to do so outside the bias of one’s own time and cultural heritage. Due to the preponderance of Western society’s influence in the modern world, it is then unsurprising that the East’s dominance on the world’s stage for much of recorded history is overshadowed by the (relatively recent) European/Anglo dominance. Asia is a complex, rich, and multifaceted region to explore, and is especially enlightening to examine in the time leading up to the 1700’s when both sides of the Eurasia were beginning to meet. Asia’s economies, governmental structures, and later interactions with Europeans tell a story that shows both how similar people on opposite side of the globe can be, and how slightly different
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The monsoon rains, and their cycle of wet and dry seasons, made its mark on the Asiatic agricultural societies in a way the European’s (predictable) summer/winter cycles did not. Not only did varying times of feast and famine via the monsoon create cultures more conservative in respect to risk taking (read: exploration, investment, colonization), but also fostered the interconnectedness of a highly dense population needed for rice …show more content…
The success or failure of any political decision often depended on the monarch’s whims. While the king may be a master giving orders to fulfill his will, the emperors of the east were often seen more as a fatherly figure, whose job was to guide the people, or at least act as a reassuring figurehead. The most telling example of this theme is Japan’s “emperor”, who although believed to be almost divine, exerted little influence on the civil wars and conflicts engulfing his islands. Similarly, although conquerors and dynasties would sweep through China and eventually meet their downfall, the bureaucratic underpinning of the administration would largely plug along barely
The monsoon rains, and their cycle of wet and dry seasons, made its mark on the Asiatic agricultural societies in a way the European’s (predictable) summer/winter cycles did not. Not only did varying times of feast and famine via the monsoon create cultures more conservative in respect to risk taking (read: exploration, investment, colonization), but also fostered the interconnectedness of a highly dense population needed for rice …show more content…
The success or failure of any political decision often depended on the monarch’s whims. While the king may be a master giving orders to fulfill his will, the emperors of the east were often seen more as a fatherly figure, whose job was to guide the people, or at least act as a reassuring figurehead. The most telling example of this theme is Japan’s “emperor”, who although believed to be almost divine, exerted little influence on the civil wars and conflicts engulfing his islands. Similarly, although conquerors and dynasties would sweep through China and eventually meet their downfall, the bureaucratic underpinning of the administration would largely plug along barely