Cultural Syncretism Essay Sample
The bequests of cultural syncretism in Africa. and the Americas have been compared and contrasted with the opposition to cultural alteration Westerners brush in China and India. The cultural factors that caused these different results are discussed. This treatment is followed by the bequests that the differences in types of brushs and grades of cultural alteration that are left today. Next the differences in the Americas sing modern civilization had syncretism non occurred are listed. Finally the differences in China or India are mentioned if cultural syncretism had been successful.
Cultural Syncretism
Throughout history cultural syncretism occurred in some societies. but non in others. This happening or deficiency thereof changed the manner these societies were shaped. Looking back Western Europe was going a power house by trying to rule other states around them. This domination was successful in some countries of the Earth. but non the other. Many research expression to understand why. When the Westerners landed in Africa. the Americas. China. and India there were merely one of two results: syncretism and rejection.
Compare and Contrast the Legacies of Cultural Syncretism
Cultural syncretism came more easy within Africa and the Americas. than it did to China and India from the Westerners. In both Africa and the Americas there were many different folks present therefore doing a weakening of the people as opposed to China. India. and the Westerners who had created states ( Sayre. 2009 ) . For illustration even though the Aztec folk was big in Numberss they had created many enemies by engaging war on adjacent small towns. This was done to retain persons for their sacrificial rites. which of course their neighbours did non O.K. of. As a consequence when the Spanish launched an onslaught on the Aztecs the other folks were more than happy to assist the aliens out ( Sayre. 2009 ) . If these folks had been united as one. so they would hold been able to contend together to guard off the encroachers. Another component that led to the cultural syncretism of Africa and the Americas had to make with the fact that neither group held advanced arms. The Spanish for illustration had come with gunpowder. cannons. and muskets to catch the native peoples ( Sayre. 2009 ) .
The diseases that the Westerns carried accidentally wiped the indigens out. because they did non hold as advanced of an immune system. They were besides easy tricked by the encroachers who used their myths and fables against them to derive their trust. In the Americas. specifically the Aztecs were rather advanced in comparing to other indigens that adventurers had encountered. Another metropolis by the name of Teotihuacan was really comparable to Constantinople and was laid out in grid ( Sayre. 2009 ) . These metropoliss were easier converted into the Westerners’ beliefs. because they were so similar but besides so immature. It appears that the indigens may hold believed that the Westerners were more superior. because of their promotions over their civilizations. On the other manus China and India had resisted the invasions of the Westerners. Both states had believed that their civilization was superior over that of the Westerns’ . which made it hard to change over them to their ways ( Sayre. 2009 ) . China and India had much richer backgrounds and had advanced more quickly than civilizations in Africa and the Americas.
The civilizations of China and India had a deeper history whereas the civilizations in Africa and the Americas were merely get downing to asseverate themselves. China and India held other signifiers of opposition to the invading Westerners. They had big populations that allowed them to contend back instead than being overtaken. Not merely were the populations in these states big. but they were all united unlike in Africa and the Americas. This provided these states with the cultural mass to be able to force back instead than subject to the Westerners’ forces. These nation’s civilizations were strong possibly even stronger than that of the Westerns. because of their deep routed history and their integrity. In China in peculiar the state had merely taken back their state from the regulation of the Mongols. The Chinese despised foreign regulation and made every attempt possible in an effort to avoid the same state of affairs in the hereafter. The new swayer of China order that the Great Wall of China be built and created a big ground forces every bit good as a naval forces to guard off encroachers by land and sea ( Sayre. 2010 ) . This created a strong military that would hold besides been able to contend off the Western encroachers should they hold gotten excessively close or the Chinese felt threatened by them.
Cultural Factors
There are several factors sing cultural differences between West Africa. the Americas. China. and India that played a function in cultural syncretism. This is particularly true of the Americas and Africa. which was resisted by the population of Asia and India from the reaching of the Europeans ( Sayre. 2009 ) . All of these factors hold of import cultural beliefs that were inherited. The Chinese held their ain high quality of heritage while defying the influences of the Mongolians. and during this clip the Chinese would hold instead been isolated than prosecute any influences. Rituals that were performed in West Africa were the bosom of their civilization and this is why there is a difference between the Westerner and non-Westerners procedure of thought ( Sayre. 2009 ) . In the sixteenth century cultural differences started to paint a bigger image of the differences during the Age of Encounter.
Europe played a large function in the transmutations of the civilizations of West Africa. and the Americas. but non for China and India. Social unity and the individuality of civilization were threatened one time Europe started its ocean trips. Both the Americas and Africa were greatly affected by the brushs with Europe. The unthreatened was China and India who were able to continue their cultural traditions and remain unaffected by foreign brushs. Europeans longed for silks and spices and began a mission to put out for other trade paths. Europeans were really rational. which was a power possessed leting them to make dealingss with military tactics. They were besides sufficient with pull offing their fundss and trade markets. It became apparent with the happening of separation among civilisations because some were non able to maintain up with the market tendency ( Sayre. 2009 ) .
Bequests that the Different Encounters and Degrees of Cultural Change Left Today The different types of brushs every bit good as the changing grades of cultural alteration between the Americans and Africans. and the Chinese and Indians have left behind a figure of bequests. The most influential and possibly the worldliest known are the influences of faith and bondage. Christopher Columbus transformed the faith of the Tainos to Catholicism and so enslaved them go forthing less than 500 subsisters. which made it difficult for Bohemians to turn out their descent from the Tainos ( Sayre. 2009 ) .
From this bondage they adapted into the Catholic instructions. and finally left a bequest of blended Christian and African beliefs. The Portuguese were surprised to see the thriving civilizations in West Africa besides known as Sahel. Predominantly Islamic Christianity was pushed on the African people. Because of the testimony. life after decease and heaven it was received really good. Christianity began being taught amongst the instruction of Islam. The West Africans already had their war captives. and felons enslaved. Human development is something that the Portuguese besides partook in. When the chance arose to buy these slaves it became a ne’er stoping run on slave ships up the in-between transition to the Americas. The slaves were brought to work the sugar Fieldss in Brazil.
India had passion for the humanistic disciplines. and non the development of people. They encouraged humanistic disciplines and used pictures for trade. They had a spiritual acceptance put in topographic point by Akbar. He believed “a synthesis of the world’s surpassed the instructions of any one of them. ” ( Sayers. 2013 ) China remained a privy state. They had been at peace for 660 old ages after defying the Mongol forces. The Tang dynasty restored the Chinese trade path known as the Silk Road. Although they allowed merchandising they were peculiar of who came into their state. They were a really unafraid society.
When the Portuguese came to Africa the presence of power. battle. maltreatment of power. and bondage were already issues. When approached with doing net income off of there down falls the African people and the influencers benefited greatly. With India on the other manus there was more of an order and grasp for other things besides domination. and power. When the Portuguese saw that the China and India were non traveling to be influenced they turned their attending elsewhere.
If Cultural Syncretism had non occurred in The Americas and Africa As a consequence from early brushs of Natives and Africans. there are bequests that still hold true today. It was from these brushs that the Natives integrated African cultural traditions amongst themselves. In modern twenty-four hours puting the African linguistic communication can still be recognized. Properties of these bequests such as nutrient. music. and architecture are a consequence of such brushs. These bequests have been really influential amongst the African civilisation every bit good as the American civilisations. Even though early brushs with Natives and Africans were anything but pleasant. it was a different narrative for China. India. and the Westerners. Natives and Africans faced cultural alterations as a consequence of these brushs. while India and China resisted such influences ( AIU. 2012 ) . India and China stood strong for their cultures’ traditions and beliefs.
Early brushs of integrating amongst different civilizations that syncretized together hold led to integrating in modern twenty-four hours. For case the United States of America has several different civilizations that integrate together. while doing credence of one another’s ethnicity. Cultural syncretism is the fusion of cultural tradition ( Sayre. 2010 ) . If non for syncretism from a political position in the Americas the United States may non be what it is today. Bing a stable system of Torahs and ordinances that hold an equal value amongst all ethnicities and or faiths would likely non be today. Governments would be in separate divisions. such as the yearss of segregation. Different divisions would regulate a certain ethnicity. In the nineteenth century the Native Americans and Africans were refused from holding any influence on political issues of that clip. We would non be able to state. “America. land of the free” . if syncretism did non happen. If Cultural Syncretism had occurred in China and India
Western civilisation had enormous impact on other civilizations of the universe. This consequence is known as syncretism. Syncretism is the effort to intermix or unify contradictory beliefs or traditions. therefore making a integrity of regard and a comprehensive apprehension of other beliefs and patterns ( Webster’s Dictionary ) . This construct is punctilious and takes several old ages to truly encompass the different beliefs. Some civilizations and communities embrace syncretism. while others resist the alteration. In peculiar the Chinese and Indian civilizations were able to defy the influences of Western Europe. If China and India were to hold been influenced by the Western European and a syncretism occurred. so the development of the modern universe would hold been different. It is speculated that China and India would hold become universe power houses much as they are today. but they would hold become so much Oklahoman. Furthermore as concluded from the Rise of Western Dominance. other effects of syncretism between Western Europe. China. and India would hold been in the countries of faith. moral. amusement. economic system and political relations.
For illustration. in the early 1800s privet British company managed the government’s personal businesss and began building India’s societal order to reflect British values. They besides had depended on Indian princes to back up them. so they besides had to stay by Indian imposts and regulations ( Rise of Western Dominance ) . This was a little contemplation of syncretism. It is now clear that syncretism has occurred either because societies were basically excessively immature and new to contend back. They were vulnerable and most times did non see any foreigners as those that did non fall capable to syncretism did. Their newness of their civilizations led them to be weak and naive. The Chinese on the other manus were no alien to outside equivocations or onslaughts.
Mentions
AIU. ( 2012 ) . Social structue. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //mycampus. aiu-online. com/pages/ MainFrame. aspx? ContentFrame=/Home/Pages/Default. aspx
Boeree. G. ( n. d. ) Early Chinese and Indian History. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //webspace. ship. edu/ cgboer/chinaindiahistory. hypertext markup language
Rise of Western Dominance. ( n. d. ) . Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. historyhaven. com/APWH/ unit % 204/Rise % 20of % 20Western % 20Dominance. htm
Sayre. H. M. ( 2009 ) . Detecting the Humanities. Upper Saddle River. New jersey: Prentice Hall. Syncretism. ( n. d. ) . Webster’s Online Dictionary. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. websters-online-dictionary. org/definitions/syncretism? cx=partner-p
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