The Age of Discovery: The Rise and Fall
Noor Shamsarini Md Isa
Knowledge is power. Never been any civilization could prosper and dominate the world without technological, economic, cultural or political advancement. The advancement of the particular area marked the benchmark for domination throughout the history, while the stagnation of the knowledge and innovation prove to be the downfall of all civilization. This article explained the origin of the western civilization and its connection with the knowledge accumulation across the world.
The golden age of the Islamic civilization begins in the Abbasid caliphate (750 – 1258) with the prominent figures Khalifah Harun Ar-Rashid. The knowledge in economics, science, artistic and technological flourish during his reign where University of Cordoba was a sought after in early medieval Europe. But the arrival of Turkish Seljuqs posing a threat to Byzantium and its city Constantinople. The Turkish’s Seljuqs however played the main role of cultural and knowledge transfer to the uncivilized western world through the contact with the Muslim civilization especially the sophisticated eastern Turkish and Arab Muslim thus brings new dimension for the largely backwards Chistian population under the rule of uncivilized Western conquerors. (Thiam, I. D,2016: 38). The crusaders are the one who has a direct contact with the Muslim world, and they bring all the refinement and lifestyles of the Muslim civilization back to the western world. This is the most important part because the western world never mentions this particular part in their history while it is Muslim civilization who contributes to the advancement of the western civilization.
The western Europe then rose to become the economic nexus thanks to the contact among civilizations, now they have access to the eastern civilization which is more advance than them. Thirteen centuries (13th century) marked the important major changes when western civilization engages in “Age of Discovery” where many inventions gave rise to the civilization such as gunpowder and compass (which brought by Arabs from China) and it help them in war and navigation (Thiam, I. D,2016: 39). But the most noble contribution is the invention of printing technology by Gutenberg in 1455 because it boosts the access to the knowledge like never before.
Thirteen centuries (13th century) marked the important major changes when western civilization engages in “Age of Discovery” where many inventions gave rise to the civilization such as gunpowder and compass (which brought by Arabs from China) and it help them in war and navigation
The conquest of the Constantinople by the Turkish in 1453 impacted the western world where they have to find a new spice route and they need to avoid contact with Mediterranean at all cost. The Portugal began the expedition in hope to find route to India and their beliefs on the existence of the mystical Prester John (powerful Christian King in Africa) also one of the reasons of their expedition along the west coast of Africa. Vasco Da Gama (1498) finally set foot in India with the help of Arab navigator. Christopher Columbus in 1492 on the other hand left Spain and found America. The rise of Spanish empire wipeout the Aztecs, Incas and other indigenous settlements which already existed before the western imperialism. This development then resulted in the changes of the trade route from Mediterranean to Atlantic Ocean. White European aristocrats then establish colonial system because they need slave for the plantations and to operates in mines – driven by wealth and power. This resulted in economic shifts and giving rise to the capitalism, mechanization and industrial revolution (Thiam, I. D,2016: 40).
The result on the changes of the trade routes is the decline of Mediterranean economic role thus deal a decisive blow to the Islamic world, which once flourish especially the African continents. The trades gradually diverted to the coastal area and many Islamic civilization in Africa collapse. The arrival of the western power, slave trade and wars gave ways to imperialism of the whole Islamic African continent. The African then subjected to the brainwashing and identity erasing through religious, cultural and mental indoctrination during the western domination (Thiam, I. D, 2016: 44).
The technological advancement of the western power especially in the naval and maritime power has enable them to explore the eastern civilization and bring wealth back to their country. Their response on the economic situation in Mediterranean is a starting point on their conquest in the world. Muslim civilization on the other hand contributes greatly to the advancement of the western civilization by bringing the knowledge and technology; both from Arab world and eastern civilization like the China. There are many impressive inventions from China such as compass, gunpowder and paper that enable them become one of the great civilizations in the east so does from Arab world especially from the prominent figures such as Ibn Sina and Al Haytham.
References
Ali, A., Thiam, I. D., & Talib, Y. A. (2016). The Different aspects of Islamic culture: Islam in the World today; Retrospective of the evolution of Islam and the Muslim world. Unesco Publishing.
