Historiographical Review of World Civilizations Sources, Images, and Interpretations
When one thinks of China or Japan today, many people think of the politics of China and the technology based economy of Japan. It is easy to forget that China and Japan were not always interconnected to many countries and ideologies around the world. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Asia was independent of European influence. World Civilizations: Sources, Images, and Interpretations is an ideal source to analyze Asia from the NCSS standard on individuals, groups, and institutions.
NCSS standard 5, Individuals, Groups and Institutions seeks to understand how economic, political, and social institutions play an integral part in the lives of people. The standard states that institutions are representations of social cores and values in a society. By understanding how these institutions form ins an integral part in understanding history. The primary source Confessions of Taiping Rebels: The Chinese People Rebel shows how the Chinese initially reacted to the European economic and social institutions. When the Europeans first encountered the Chinese they resisted foreigners. One of the groups that resisted the Europeans was the Taipings, a group of rebels. The initial contact between the Europeans and Chinese changed the core beliefs and ideals of the Chinese because before Europeans they had been simple towns people who did not have militias and were living in a time of economic prosperity. European institutions were used to change the lives of Chinese by creating a culture of rebels and militias and by doing so, the Europeans helped to create a resistance movement.
The primary source Manifesto of the United League shows how institutions are created by people and how those institutions seek to influence people’s lives. The Ch’ing dynasty fell in China in 1911 as a result of their corruption and inadequacies and a rebel intellectual, Sun Yat-Sen described his ideal government for the people of China. Sun Yat-Sen sought for the establishment of a government that would carry out his four edicts of driving out the Tartars, restoring China, establishing a republic and equalizing land ownership. The only way for his edicts to be enacted was through institutions such as military and a constitutional Chinese government.
The primary source Japan, Reject the Westerners shows how different the Japanese response to the Europeans was than that of the Chinese. After seeing the struggle and internal riots of China, Japan decided to take a more diplomatic response to the Europeans by cooperating with them. The calmness of the Japanese-European interactions was not acceptable to all Japanese and many resented the foreigners. Tokugawa Nariaki was a Japanese citizen who rejected the Europeans. Nariaki’s response to the foreigners shows how institutions help solidify existing institutions when faced with another one. Nariaki did not want Japan to change and adopt the new European ways resulting in a sense of nationalism and unity that was unique to the colonial situation.
The Japanese Constitution is a primary source that embodies what the Individuals, Groups, and Institutions standard means by understanding that conflicting goals of two or more groups. The old ways of life in Japan were markedly changed after contact with new institutions. The Japanese Meiji restoration was clearing of old institutions and allowing for new ones to emerge.
The conflict that arises from two or more groups of people with different institutions is evident in Proclamations of the Young Turks. As the existing Ottoman Empire was in decline, the ideals and practices of the west were infused into Turkish minds, which resulted in a massive mutiny against the Sultan by the young Turks. After the Turks took control, they completely changed the eastern institution of government to the western style parliamentary rule as opposed to the old monarchical style.
The painting Foreigners at Yokohama portrays the interaction of western visitors in Asia. The painting shows the intrigue and fascination that the Westerners feel toward a new society. Social values of Western families is shown as well as Western attitudes towards Asian culture by making Europeans hold exotic objects in their hand like telescopes to show their fascination and excitement with the new culture.
Reuneah, A Village in the Punjab is a very remarkable visual representation of the institution of village life in Asia. The painting is a historical snapshot of how one group of people interact with one another. A great use of this painting would be to compare and contrast this scene with a Western village scene.
The secondary source Being Chinese examines why the Chinese became to feel superior to other cultures. One reason for their belief in cultural superiority is the foundations of their society on Confucianism and a unified writing system. The similarities that all Chinese shared created a collective consciousness that created nationalism and unity which led to a feeling of national pride. The source explains that the Chinese’ external actions and behaviors were a result of their internal values and beliefs. The source shows how internal institutions can be analyzed through the study of groups of people an how and why they develop certain cultural institutions. External culture itself becomes like an institution in Chinese culture and people become unified, the way a governmental policy would affect all subjects of government.
Minorities in the Ottoman Empire is a secondary source that shows how the interaction of two groups of people can influence change in a second group of people or culture. Before the emergence of Western influences in Asia many land ownership issues and representation for minorities was not even considered relevant to the whole society. After the contact wit the West, certain ideals changed the traditional order of society. The contact with a new group for the Chinese led not only to a change to existing institutions, groups, and people; in interaction led to the emergence of new institutions in Asia. Many Asian people sought equal land ownership, autonomy for minorities and self rule. Asian people now wanted autonomy, thereby creating a new system of governance that was unseen before Western contact.
The last secondary source of the chapter, Stifling the Voice of Protest in India shows the impact of change of values and institutions on the part of the Europeans as a result of the interaction between them and Asia. The other sources only deal with how Europeans influenced Asian peoples and institutions but author Bose shows the interaction from a different point of view. The institution of a free government with a free press were some of the hallmarks of the Western culture but when the Asian people started to exhibit characteristics of the Westerners, the Europeans got nervous. The European institutions of courts and government were transplanted to India and Indians were able to report crimes committed by Europeans in India without fear of breaking the law or punishment from the Westerners. The Indians took the institutions of the colonizers and used it to their advantage and thereby incorporating them into their own culture and making the European institutions Indian. A great symbiotic interaction took place in India between the Indian and their European counter parts. The source shows how well groups of people can adopt new institutions and incorporate said institutions into their values and philosophies. The establishment of free courts became a route for a more freeing way of life without the risk of punishment by their colonizers.
NCSS’s individuals, groups, and institutions is thoroughly represented by the primary, visual, and secondary sources of Chapter 21: Asia, 1700-1914. Confessions of Taiping Rebels: The Chinese People Rebel demonstrates the initial reaction of the Chinese to the European institutions that would change them. Manifesto of the United League shows how new institutions were initiated because of a new group of people. Japan, Reject the Westerners, The Japanese Constitution, and Proclamations of the Young Turks show the new institutions that arise when two groups of people interact for the first time. Being Chinese, Minorities in the Ottoman Empire, and Stifling the Voice of Protest in India shows how new groups of people not only react to new institution; rather, it shows how new people adapt and change institutions to fit their way of life.
