Segyo Oh

HIST 134.122936
June 27, 2015
Portfolio Reflection: Religion/ Morals & Traditions

In this history course this semester, there were many factors that influenced civilization.
However, I will focus on religion/morals and traditions. Religion helped leaders gain success in
their battles against other nations. Religion also helped a leader gain favour from the people.
However, sometimes it led leaders to make bad decisions. Leaders from two different
civilizations will be analyzed, explaining how they were influenced by religion, followed by a
philosophical concept from China and how it is related to religion. The following will be
explained: the civilization, era, how they acted responsibly, and contributed to society.
Muhammad depended on religion strongly. Even after Muhammad died, Islam kept
growing as a religion. Without Islam, it would have been hard for Muhammad to leave behind a
mark in history. People saw that Muhammad had well established this new faith and that he won
many conquests, and the number of converts grew. Not only did Islam grow in Arabia, but
beyond towards the Near East and Africa. The Muslims took advantage of the tired out nations of
Syria and Egypt, and the Arab armies took over Syria in 636. These conquests have a direct
connection with the Jihad.1
During the Roman Empire, Augustus used religion as a tool to protect his position and promote
his political agenda.2 He had achieved his power through a hard fought civil war. He knew that
he could lose his power pretty easily, and he was willing to use anything to secure his place as
emperor. Being the emperor meant he was already the most powerful man on earth, however,
1 "Islam, The Spread Of Islam." Islam, The Spread Of Islam. World History Project, 2002.
2 "Augustus." PBS. PBS, 2006.

Augustus wanted more. So Augustus joined the Roman gods and spirits. Augustus was lucky to
have Haileys comet strike through. And as the Romans were very superstitious, Augustus took
advantage of this. He said that the comet was the spirit of Julius Caesar entering heaven. If
Caesar was a god then as his heir, Augustus was the son of a god and he made sure that
everybody knew it.3
In China, the Mandate of Heaven was important during the Zhou dynasty (1046-256
BCE). It had strong connections to the Heavens, and they believed that the gods gave the
emperors the right and the blessings to be emperor. This idea reasoned if an emperor of China
was virtuous enough to rule. The emperor loses his place as emperor and the Mandate, if his
obligations arent followed through. The first principle of the Mandate is Heaven grants the
emperor the right to rule. The second one: Since there is only one Heaven, there can only be
one emperor at any given time. The third is that the emperors virtue determines his right to
rule. The last one is that no one dynasty has a permanent right to rule. Signs like peasant
uprisings, foreign troops, drought, famine, floods, and earthquakes showed that a rule had lost
the Mandate of Heaven.4
After learning about these three different examples, I find that religion is an important tool to
learn from history. It is important to learn from the constantly changing history. Its like
someones personal memory. As time passes, remembered personal experiences take on new
meanings. A biter disappointment may come to seem a blessing in disguise; a triumph may later
turn sour, while something trivial may subsequently loom large-all because of what happens later
on.5 There are many things that we can learn from history. History can be an authentic platform
for discussion. Topics can vary from intentions, movements, experiments, power and wealth,
3 "Augustus." PBS. PBS, 2006.
4 Szczepanski, Kallie. "What Is the Mandate of Heaven in China?"
5 McNeil,WilliamH."WhyStudyHistory?(1985)."WhyStudyHistory?(1985)

culture and many more.6 Studying history may seem irrelevant to todays society, but history
can help us predict the next pope, for example.7
It is also important to note the things that we have unlearnt from history. Back in the day
our ancestors used to know how to hunt and gather, but now those skills have been lost to
technology and the dependence of electricity. Now the desired skill is to have higher degrees.
Professor Ryan Masters from Schoolcraft College raised an interesting discussion on Facebook
about the Ice-Age. A photo of Michigan (January 6, 2014) has close relevance to the Ice Age. He
poses the question, Im wondering if there isnt a discussion for Ocelot Scholars based on a
comparative examination between our Ice Age ancestors and how we operate in a contemporary
society today. What do you thing? Ready to make some fire hardened spears and hunt some
Caribou?8 I think Professor Masters brings up a very interesting question. In my opinion, it
seems as though the contemporary technological advancement has helped us and I do agree that
it has to certain degrees. However, due to our complete trust to these technologies, we have
wasted much time and lost many lives. Back in the day, most people would not have travelled
through a heavy snowstorm. Today people travel behind the trails of snow clearers and salt
machines and this leads to many lives lost. And seeing that history has a connection with
personal lives, history can teach us something about our personal lives.
The story of Perpetua really made an impact on me. Stories of martyrs are really inspirational to
me. Perpetua said, "Now when the day of the games drew near, there came in my father to me,
spent with weariness, and began to pluck out his beard and throw it on the ground and to fall on
his face cursing his years and saying such words as might move all creation. I was grieved for his
6 Postma,Michael."WhatCanHistoryTeachUsToday."ASCDExpress6.22
7 Perry,DavidM."HowHistoryCanHelpUsPredicttheNextPope."TheAtlantic.Atlantic
MediaCompany
8 Masters,Ryan."OcelotScholars."IceAgeEducationDiscussion.OcelotScholars

unhappy old age.9 Even if her father was so grieved, she still believed in God. She knew that it
was a calling from God and God told her that her soul would be saved. And I awoke; and I
understood that I should fight, not with beasts but against the devil; but I knew that mine was the
victory.10 Although society may tell her otherwise, she kept to her faith. This was an important
factor of history and the impact of religion. The course has taught me to keep to my faith no
matter what society says. Sometimes it might be against what your parents say, because they
want the best for you. Religion has been an important factor for both leaders and civilizations in
history. I am able to contribute religion and keep it alive or the betterment of society.

Bibliography

9 Halsall, Paul. "Internet History Sourcebooks Project." Internet History Sourcebooks Project.
N.p.,
10 Halsall, Paul. "Internet History Sourcebooks Project." Internet History Sourcebooks Project.
N.p.,

"Augustus." PBS. PBS, 2006. Web. 24 June 2015.

<http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/augustus_religion.html>.
This article explains how Augustus used religion to gain power.

Halsall, Paul. "Internet History Sourcebooks Project." Internet History Sourcebooks

Project. N.p., Apr. 1996. Web. 03 June 2015.
<http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/source/perpetua.asp>.
This article explained the story of Perpetua.

"Islam, The Spread Of Islam." Islam, The Spread Of Islam. World History Project, 2002.
Web. 24 June 2015. <http://history-world.org/islam4.htm>.
This article explains how Islam spread and why.

Masters,Ryan."OcelotScholars."IceAgeEducationDiscussion.OcelotScholars,6Jan.
2014.Web.03June2015.<http://ocelotscholars.org/discussions/iceage.html>.
ThiswebsitebrieflytalkedaboutthediscussionofMichiganandtheIceAge.

McNeil,WilliamH."WhyStudyHistory?(1985)."WhyStudyHistory?(1985).N.p.,
1985.Web.03June2015.<http://www.historians.org/aboutahaandmembership/ahahistory
andarchives/archives/whystudyhistory%281985%29>.
Thisarticleexplainedwhyweneedtostudyhistoryandwhatwecouldgainfromit.

Perry,DavidM."HowHistoryCanHelpUsPredicttheNextPope."TheAtlantic.
AtlanticMediaCompany,12Mar.2013.Web.03June2015.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/03/howhistorycanhelpuspredictthe
nextpope/273945/>.
Thisarticleexplainshowthroughhistoryitcouldhelpustopredictthenextpope.

Postma,Michael."WhatCanHistoryTeachUsToday."ASCDExpress6.22.N.p.,2011.
Web.03June2015.<http://www.ascd.org/ascdexpress/vol6/622postma.aspx>.
Thisarticleexplainedwhathistorycouldteachustoday,althoughitissomethingthathas
happenedinthepast.

Szczepanski, Kallie. "What Is the Mandate of Heaven in China?" N.p., n.d. Web. 21 June
2015.
This article explained the Mandate of Heave and how it played out in China.