Blog on chapt 14 and 15

It is amazing to me that through all these chapters, we constantly see empire after empire take over one another.  What is even more amazing is the impact religions can have when it is brought with an empire.  We look at Islam when it is brought by the Ottoman Empire.  The Ottoman empire defeated Constantinople which took an enormous toll on Christianity.  Although the Ottomans allowed had tolerance for other religions.  Many of the Christians actually welcomed the change to Islam because the taxes were less than that of the Christians and oppression was less.  The Christians were allowed to move up in Ottoman society.  One way they could move up was through a process called devshirme.  This is when the family was required to hand over a quota of young boys who were required to learn Turkish and converted to Islam.  They were then trained for civil administration or military service in elite units.  Although families would suffer emotionally, they would move up socially.  I can only imagine the rule under the Roman Empire was so awful that the people welcomed a new ruling empire and embraced a new religion.  Many people converted.  I believe this is a very significant event as Islam is the second most popular religion in the world.  It has spread as each empire as taken over.  Empires take over land.  What makes the religion follow?  I wonder if it was the tolerance of other religions the Empires allow that makes people want to join.  Or does the phrase "if you can't beat them, join them" come to mind.  Throughout time, people seem to be manipulated by the empires that rule.  They have no choice but to join or suffer the consequence. 
In reading Chapt 15, it was sad to read about the slave trade and how it started.  I would not have thought it would have all started with sugar.  The Europeans needed people for labor and after the Ottoman Turks took over Constantinople, they no longer had access to Slavic slaves so they went to Africa.  The Europeans demand for slaves was a major problem in slave labor.  Over 80 percent ended up in Brazil or the Carribean and the trip was so horrific that the mortality rate was 15 percent.  As much as I have complained about the treatment of women, this is far worse.  I could not imagine what would give anyone the right to own anyone.  It was a sad chapter to read, although it is history and it is the truth.