Kara Horstmann

HIST 134

Portfolio Reflection

Religion and morals are two essential things in today's society. To have a well-run

society, most everyone's morals need to be in check and on the same page. Although both of

these have changed drastically over the years, it all started a long time ago and has helped evolve

today's society. While some people clearly do not have good morals, it seems that most of the

world does and I believe that Ashoka, Cyrus, and Muhammad have all contributed to that.

The first person that I believed had a role in contributing to society's morals today is

Ashoka from the Mauryan Empire. After a bloody war, he renounced warfare, meaning that he

no longer wanted to fight and then converted to Buddhism (Time Maps). Once he converted to

Buddhism, he actively promoted it. Ashoka had good morals, which made him come across as

compassionate and tolerant as a ruler. He was also a firm ruler but would also seek out justice

and well-being for his people. This is very similar to the world today. The President of the

United States is a good example. Our President is always supposed to think about the well-being

of his people. He needs to be firm that way other leaders do not walk all over him or American

but he/she always shows compassion for his/her people. I feel that the way the President of the

United States and other countries lead their people goes back to when Ashoka was a leader, and

it relates to the leaders all having good morals.

Cyrus from the Persian Empire is the next leader that I am going to talk about

because I feel that he also had good morals. His kingdom was known to be kinder and more

gentle than others (US History). Cryus, unlike others, was known for his mercy rather than his

cruelty. Meaning, he showed compassion and forgiveness towards people, which relates to
having good morals. He actually let Hebrews be free instead of turning them into slaves, which

supports the fact that he had an excellent moral compass. Not only did he let them free, but he

also allowed them to chose who they would like to worship. Cyrus cooperated with other rulers

and also respected local tradition. On top of that, he even took on some of the different peoples

religious practices. I think that Cyrus had a lot of influence on today's society because people are

learning how to have compassion and forgive others from him. It was passed on for years and is

shown every day to this day.

The last person that I feel that helped shape today's societies morals is Muhammad that

was alive during the rise of Islam. During Muhammads time he was known as empathetic and

also an honest man. By being those things, he was able to earn the respect of many Meccans

(HIST 134). Since Muhammad was a profit, he had certain morals that he had to live up to. I feel

this represent many religions today. People today are supposed to live up to the morals of their

religion. One thing that Muhammad had was good manners. He lived his life with the highest

morals and manners that a person could exhibit (Quran Reading). Muhammad also treated all

kids with kindness and was one of the most generous people during his time. Muhammad passed

on these morals to all kinds of people, and that helped shaped the way society is today.

As Michael Postma states, history is a lesson: a lesson that builds integrity and character

within our children. If the morals of these three men, as well as other people from ancient times,

were not passed on to each generation, who knows how people would act these days. By each

generation explaining what happened and how each person acted, it showed us how we should

act and how we should treat others. History is what has helped me and everyone else accept other

peoples religions, to be a kind person, and to try my best to have good morals. Without being

taught history, no one would know how to act. "Knowing our roots helps us create a better
future; an without an understand of history, we are doomed to repeat out collective past" Postma

stated and I one hundred percent agree with that. If we didn't know our roots or mistakes, other

leaders made the world would be a lot worse off.

 Bibliography

“The Mauryan Empire of Ancient India.” TimeMaps, www.timemaps.com/civilizations/the-

mauryan-empire/.

“Persian Empire.” Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, www.ushistory.org/civ/4e.asp.

“History 134: Ancient World.” HIST 134: Ancient World,

bbaddins.schoolcraft.edu/addins/HIST134/etext/m13_islam.html.

“15 Things About The Character of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Every Muslim Must
Spread.” Islamic Articles, 9 May 2019, www.quranreading.com/blog/things-about-the-character-
of-prophet-muhammad-pbuh-every-muslim-must-spread/.

Ascd. “What Can History Teach Us Today?” ASCD Express 6.22 - What Can History Teach Us
Today?, www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/622-postma.aspx.