Supplementary Reading for Chapter 5

INTRODUCTION

In modern times, we establish contact even without travelling very far. This is done either via phone, internet, fax or email. Moreover, the existence of planes makes travelling around the world easier. Hence contacts are easily established between people of different countries.

However, in the past, it was only through actual contact that people could carry out any form of interaction. This meant that people had to travel for months, even years just to get to their intended destination. Very often, they travelled through harsh terrains on foot.

Questions:

1) Is modern contact more deceptive as there is a tendency for less face to face interaction?

2) Contact in the past was a tedious process. Does it necessarily mean it was less exciting?

SECTION 1

Reasons for Contact (similar to reasons for venturing overseas)

Peaceful Contact

1) Curiosity - Ancient people ventured overseas to explore new places as they were curious. They wanted to find out more about these foreign lands as information were readily available through the traders or travellers. This new information prompted them to venture overseas to discover the places for themselves.

2) Trade - As a result of their curiosity, people who ventured overseas returned home with rare and exotic products which were not available in their own countries. This in turn resulted in more people going overseas in order to trade. Trading ties also helped the people to make money.

3) Religion - Traders who returned to their countries after trading usually brought with them information about the foreign lands. This prompted kings and rulers to send missionaries to these foreign lands in order to spread their faith. This would foster ties between the countries which would benefit trade.

In addition, rulers and kings would also be interested to find out about the faith and culture of the foreign lands. Hence, they would send out pilgrims to these foreign countries to learn their faith and bring back religious scriptures. Adapting foreign culture showed that the kings and rulers were opened to new ideas which bears testimony to an advanced civilisation.

4) Political ties - Readily available information brought back by traders, pilgrims, missionaries enabled the rulers and kings to establish ties with neighbouring countries. Very often, political ties were forged in order to avert war or to get protection against a hostile country. For example, Zhang Qian was sent by Han Wu Ti to establish ties with the Yuezhi tribe against the Xiongnus. This was due to the constant aggression of the Xiongnus against China.

Hostile Contact

A very good example would be the unification of China by Qin Shihuang. China was a divided country during the Warring States Period. When the Zhou Dynasty began to weaken around 500BC, a few independent states began to war among themselves over territory and influence (power). This period was extremely chaotic and it did not end until it was unified under the Qin Dynasty.

Qin Shihuang was extremely harsh and autocratic but he was a brilliant political theorists and reformer. Following the basic principles of Legalism, he believed that human beings were naturally selfish and they thus need strong laws to strictly control them. These laws were effective only if punishments were severe and certain, so the Qin Dynasty was often described as repressive.

Please read the following link http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHEMPIRE/CHIN.HTM

Please read the text for:

1) Advantages and disadvantages of INTERACTION Pg 122-124

2) Advantages and disadvantages of DIRECT TRADE Pg 125-126

3) Advantages and disadvantages of INDIRECT TRADE Pg 126-127

4) Advantages and disadvantages of POLITICAL CONTACTS Pg 129-130

Exercises for Structured Questions will be given during revision when term starts. If you have any questions pertaining to Chapter 5, do email me. However, do be patient regarding replies as MOE is doing some revamp to Edumail.

Enjoy the rest of the holidays.