FADERON, Zarah Isibelle V. CMS – 1B
West Asia or Southwest Asia is composed of countries like Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It is sometimes also called the Middle East because of its geographical location based on the Europeans perception. West Asia was where the early earliest civilizations had begun.
The group that reported on West Asia was about the Islamic Empires. These empires were considered caliphates, an Islamic state which is led by a supreme religious as well as a political leader known as a caliph. A caliph is a successor to the prophet Muhammad. Abu Bakr was the first successor of Muhammad.
Under the Umayyads (661-750), the caliphates grew rapidly in territory. They established the largest Arab Muslim state. But their caliphate was overthrown by the Abbasid and their rule had ended. The period of the Abbasid (750-1258) is known as the Golden Age of Islam because of their advance knowledge with sciences, literature, medicine and philosophy. They fell when Mongols had captured Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.
The Suljuk Turks (1060 – 1307) were a tribe of Tartars from Central Asia who established a powerful empire in Persia in the 11th century. They played a major role in the middle ages in defending the Islamic world against the Crusaders, and conquering large parts of the Byzantine empire. With the death of Malik Shah, began the decline of the empire.
The Safavid dynasty (1501 – 1722) was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. It was founded by Shah Ismail. They were Sunni believers but were forced to change their religion to Shi-ism. They covered all of Iran, parts of Turkey and Georgia. Because of their geographical location, they were the centre of trade routes. The Safavids were held together by conquering territory but once they became complacent and corrupt, their neighbour, the Ottoman Empire threat caused their downfall.
The Ottoman Empire (1301 – 1922) was no doubt one of the greatest empires as they had lasted for more than 700 years. It was one of the largest and longest ruling empire in history. The Ottoman Empire reached its height under Suleiman the Magnificent, when they conquered the Balkans and Hungary, and eventually reached the gates of Vienna. They began to decline when they were defeated at the battle of Lepano and lost almost its entire navy. It declined further the following centuries and ended by the First World War.
I was one of the reporters for this topic. The other reporters did fine, although there were 1 or 2 who had incomplete slides. They didn’t do enough research and were literally reading off their power point, without further explaining on their topic. Also, sometimes the reports were rushed and so taking down notes were quite difficult. I picked up a few things, but admittedly, it was a broad topic and trying to study for the quizzes in relation to this was brain wrecking. The history of West Asia alone is so long, considering most of the reports were already summarized; What more with the rest of the Asian continent.
The reports on South Asia were about the religions in India and their philosophies. To understand the history and cultures of South Asia, it is essential to consider the development of Hinduism and Buddhism. These two religions encompassed far more than spirituality. They became the lifeblood of the people and the backbone of social, political, and economic structures. These religions concern all aspects of life and shaped the evolution of the region.
Hinduism is the fourth largest religion in the world. The correct name of this ancient religion is Sanatana Dharma, which means “eternal law” in Sanskrit. Also known as, the Hindu Dharma, Hinduism is one of the oldest organized religions in the world. Hinduism’s philosophical core is rooted for the most part in the three fundamental Hindu scriptures: the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagvad Gita. The pursuit and practice of the Hindu dharma is governed by a belief in karma. Karma is determined by a universal law in which good actions produce good results and bad actions produce bad results. Many Hindus believe that pain and suffering, both physical and mental, are the result of bad karma caused by past actions in their past life.
Buddhism is an ancient Indian religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. Gautama was a Hindu Prince of Kapilavatsu. His father was King Suddhodana, and his mother, Queen Maya, died shortly after he was born. A man foretold that the Prince would one day be either a great military conqueror or a great spiritual leader. The King wanted the former, and so prepared his son by raising him with luxury and deprived him of knowledge of religion and human suffering.
One day, Prince Siddhartha wandered outside the palace with a charioteer. On his journey, he caught sight of an aged man, an ill man and a corpse. Since it was his first time to see such sight, this sickened him. Finally, he saw a wondering ascetic. His charioteer explained that the ascetic was one who had renounced the world and sought release from fear of death and suffering.
When he went back to the palace, he was not at ease. He realized that he could no longer be content living life with the luxury. That very night, he left the palace, and began his quest for enlightenment.
The Four Noble Truths contain the essence of Buddha’s teachings. It was these four principles that he came to understand during his meditation under the Bodhi tree. It is the foundation of Buddhism. 1.
The truth of suffering (dukkha)
2.
The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya)
3.
The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha)
4.
The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga)
Buddhism adheres to non-violence and advocates for giving up worldly desire in order to attain nirvana or salvation. As Buddhism is derived from Hinduism, many of the Hindu tenets like karma, ahimsa and the concept of rebirth are followed in Buddhism.
To be frank, I don’t remember most of the report of the group that presented about South Asia. Only 2 or 3 presented with a clear voice and a thorough understanding of the topic that was given to them. The rest either relied on the power point or their other group mates. There were a lot of information they had missed out on and Miss had to take over for them.
