Foundations: 8000 B.C.E.- 600 C.E.

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Foundations 8000 B.C.E.- 600 C.E.

• AP World History

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The Bookends 8000 BCE 600 BCE

• 8,000 BCE marks the development of Agriculture
  and its spread to the four River Valley
  Civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley,
  Huang He valley)
• 600 BCE marks the end of the Complex
  Civilizations and the beginning of the Classical
  Empires

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Themes

• Interaction and Exchange
• Urbanization
• Nomadic Peoples

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The Big Thematic picture

• Technological and Environmental Transformations
• Big Geography and Peopling of the Earth
• The Neolithic Revolutions (Agricultural
  Transformation) and Early Agricultural Societies
• The Development and Interactions of Early
  Agricultural, Pastoral, and Urban Societies

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Big Geography and Peopling of the Earth

• Archeological evidence indicates during the
  Paleolithic Era, hunting-foraging bands of humans
  gradually migrated from East Africa to other
  areas adapting their technology and cultures to
  new climates and regions.
• Used Fire in new ways
• Developed a wider range of tools
• Economics focused on small kinship groups that
  could make what they needed but also exchanged
  people, ideas and goods.

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Some Things to Remember

• The discovery/use of agriculture and surpluses
  of food quickened the pace of life, and organized
  areas into sedentary civilizations
• As sedentary civilizations developed, social
  structures and gender roles cemented.
• Civilizations became more complex and structured
  as time moved on.

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Neolithic Revolution

• Early modern humans seemed to have developed
  farming over time, dropping seeds one year and
  then harvesting the crops the next. This led
  to settled, formal farming
• Domestication and breeding of Animals was also an
  important invention
• Some humans decided to settle in villages and
  soon were able to create a surplus of food. This
  lead to diversification of labor, the creation of
  governmental structures, and the payment of
  taxes!
• Other humans chose to become pastoral nomads and
  move with their animal herds

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Rise of Agriculture

• Spontaneous separate development why, where and
  when?
• Diffusion of specific plants and techniques

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Birth of New Technologies

• Fire
• Bronze
• Iron

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Technology

• Metallurgy- First copper, then bronze, then Iron.
  These increasingly harder metals aided
  agriculture tremendously. They also provided
  increasingly sophisticated weapons.
• Wheel- first used by the Sumerians proved helpful
  in agriculture, trade, and warfare
• Hydrological technology- waterwheels, windmills,
  aqueducts proved instrumental in meeting the
  water needs of large populations as well as the
  irrigation required in drier areas.

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Demography

• Worlds population increased rapidly with the
  advent of farming and domesticated animals.
• Waves of diseases plagues increase in frequency
  with increased population density

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What is a Civilization?

• Origins of term-
• Standard criteria
• Use of term?

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Civilizations?
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Social and Gender Structures

• Ownership of land signified power
• Kings were usually divine and had absolute power
• Religions emerge (Vedic, Hebrew, Zoroastrianism)
• Gender roles emerged as farming expanded. Men
  worked in the fields while women stayed in the
  house.
• Whos Your Daddy phenomenon. Women lost power.
• Religion cements and justifies social and gender
  structures

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Cultural and Intellectual Expressions

• Monumental architecture- Kings show off their
  power by building big buildings for either
  themselves or the states religion

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Cultural and Intellectual Expressions

• Writing -as record-keeping becomes paramount,
  writing develops

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Cultural and Intellectual Expressions

• Literature as an expression of culture and values.

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Cultural and Intellectual Expressions

• Art and Artisanship

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Structure and Function of State

• First- relatively small states. City-states
• Then- large Coercive tribute empires.
• Taxes paid by the farmers/ peasants for the
  enjoyment of the elite. Agricultural surplus
  allows for large armies.

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Trade- Cant live without it!

• Trade, especially over land, is important.
• Begins as relatively informal networks.
• Expands from local, to regional, to
  transregional.
• Nomadic pastoralists instrumental in development
  of long-distance trade.

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Movement of people

• Bantu Migration across Africa
• Polynesian migration across Pacific Ocean

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Population

• Demography-
• What factors influence population growth and
  decline?

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Role of Climate and Geography in Early Societies

• Imagine how were early societies may have been
  affected.
• How do you think early peoples responded?
• What difference would geography make in the long
  term development of a society?

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Environmental Impact

• Use of water resources
• Clearing of land
• Use of building materials
• Roads
• Use of fuel materials
• Animals, disease
• Mining

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Early Societies

• Mesopotamia
• Egypt
• Indus
• Shang
• Mesoamerica and Andean South America

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River Valley Civilizations

• Mesopotamia
• Tigris, Euphrates Fertile Crescent
• Sumer, Babylon, Persia
• Unpredictable flooding

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Sumer The first

• Successful agriculture, river management
• Writing, cuneiforms
• Use of wheel
• 12 month calendar, base 60, geometry
• Polytheistic
• Ziggurats
• Ur, Erech, Kish 3000 BCE
• Overthrown by Akkadians 1700 BCE

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Sumer to Babylon to Nineveh to Babylon

• Overthrew Akkadians 1700 BCE
• Hammurabi, Code of Law
• Fell to Kassites, then Hittites 1500 BCE
• Hittites-iron, then fell to
• Assyrians-organized, cruel, Nineveh, exiles,
  cultural diffusion
• Conquered by Medes, Chaldeans, rebuilt Babylon

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Persian Immersion
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• By 500 BCE Nile to Turkey/Greece to Afghanistan
• Great Royal Road, 1600 miles
• Transportation, Communication
• Multi-cultural Empire, Tolerance
• Smaller Civilizations co-existed
• Lydians-coined money
• Phoenicians-22-letter alphabet, naval power
• Hebrews-Judaism, monotheism

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Walk Like an Egyptian

• Rich soil, gentle flooding
• 3 Kingdoms
• water management, pyramids, astronomy,
  hieroglyphs, calendar, gold, spices
• Polytheistic
• Women rulers, buy, sell property, inherit, will
  property, dissolve marriages, still subservient
  to men
• Hierarchy pharaoh, priest, nobles, merchants,
  artisans, peasants, slaves
• Conquered by (1100 BCE) Assyrians, Persians,
  Greeks, Romans, Islam, Ottomans, Euros

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Comparison of Egypt and Mesopotamia

• Egypt
• Predictable flood

• Mesopotamia
• Irregular flooding

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Indus Valley 2500-1500 BCE

• Outside contact more limited
• Kyber Pass connection to outside
• Harrappa, Mohenjo-Daro 100,000 each
• Master-planned, water system, strong central
  govt, polytheistic, written language
• Pottery, cotton, cloth
• Cities abandoned, reason unknown
• Aryans arrive 1500 BCE

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Aryans

• From Caucasus Mtns. Black/Caspian Sea
• Nomads who settled
• Vedas, Upanashads basis for Hinduism
• Caste system
• warriors, priests, peasants
• later re-ordered Brahmins (priests), warriors,
  landowners-merchants, peasants, untouchables (out
  castes)

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China Shang on the Hwang
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Shang 1600-1100 BCE

• Stable agri-surplus, trade-centered
• N. China, walled cities, strong army, chariots
• The Middle Kingdom World View
• Trade with Mesopotamia
• Bronze, pottery, silk, decimal system, calendar
• Patriarchal, ancestors as advocates w/the gods

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Its Zhou Time

• Replaced Shang around 1100 BCE
• Ruled 900 years, kept customs, traditions
• Mandate of Heaven
• Feudal system, nobles gained, bureaucracies, war
  amongst feudal kingdoms, collapse 256 BCE

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Exceptions to the Rule

• Olmecs (Mexico), Chavin (Andes) developed
  similarly to others urban, polytheistic,
  irrigation, writing, calendar, monumental
  building
• The point Similar pattern of development in
  different part of earth, no contact
• The difference Not River Valley Civs. No major
  river to use as transportation or generator of
  agri-production

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Nomadic Peoples

• Hunting-gathering lifestyle (!Kung people)
• Labor/ leisure
• Population growth
• Gender relations

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Early Societies

• Mesopotamia
• Egypt
• Indus
• Shang
• Mesoamerica and Andean South America

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Shared Features
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Unique characteristics
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Urbanization

• Comparisons between urban, pastoral and nomadic
  life

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The Bookends 600 BCE 600 CE

• 600 BCE marks the end of the Complex
  Civilizations and the beginning of the Classical
  Empires
• 600 CE marks the end of the last of the Classical
  Empires

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Themes

• Axial Age
• Empires
• Spread of Religion

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The Classics India-China

• 4 key empires 300 BCE-500 CE
• India
• Maurya
• Gupta
• China
• Qin
• Han

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Empire Building

• What does an empire require?
• What do its subjects expect?
• Symbols of legitimacy

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Classical Societies

• Axial age-
• Why then?
• Results
• Religion
• Politics
• Social Structure
• Gender relations

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Axial Age

• time between approximately 900 - 200 BCE when
  The spiritual foundations of humanity were laid
  simultaneously and independently and these are
  the foundations upon which humanity still
  subsists today.
• It was a pivotal time in early human history when
  human beings began to reflect for the first time
  about individual existence, and the meaning of
  life and death.

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• Increasing urban civilization initially brought
  about under the leadership of a priestly ruling
  class, encouraged trade and brought different
  societies closer together. But, as urban life
  accelerated and expanded, it disrupted the old
  sense of order. In addition, this new way of
  living generated unprecedented social and
  political conflict and an increase in violence
  and aggression.
• Old customs could no longer be taken for granted.
  People began to question their own beliefs once
  they came into contact with others whose beliefs
  were different. They were challenged to look at
  themselves in different ways and entertain new
  ideas or cling steadfastly to their old ones.

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• Plus the increase in population and the mixing of
  cultures exposed more people to the realities of
  life, such as, sickness, greed, suffering,
  inhumanity and social injustice. As a result of
  all this, people began to experience themselves
  as separate from others for the very first time.
• The idea of the self brought with it the problem
  of what happens to the self after death. In
  answer to this, people began searching for more
  comprehensive religious and ethical concepts, and
  to formulate a more enlightened morality where
  each person was responsible for his own destiny.
  So, between approximately 900 and 200 BCE, a new
  mode of thinking developed almost simultaneously
  in four distinct areas of the world.

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Axial Age Thinkers
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The Development and Codification of Religious and
Cultural Traditions

• Codification and development of existing
  religions and traditions provided a bond among
  people and a code to live by.
• Development of monotheism.
• Jewish Diaspora
• Core beliefs outlined in religious
  textsVedics/Hinduism.

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New Belief Systems and Cultural traditions
emerged and spread often asserting universal
truths

• Emergence of salvation religions
• Christianity and Buddhism
• Emergence of Confucianism promotes social harmony
• Daoism promotes balance between humans and
  nature. Also influence Chinese culturemedicine,
  poetry, architecture.
• Core ideas in Greco-Roman philosophy and science
  emphasize logic, nature of political power.

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Other religions and cultural traditions continued
parallel to the codified, written beliefs in core
civilizations

• Shamanism and animism continue to shape lives
  outside the core civilizations.
• Ancestor veneration persist in many regions
• Africa
• East Asia
• Andean Areas

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Diffusion of Belief Systems
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Belief Systems through 600 CE

• Polytheism
• Confucianism
• Daoism
• Legalism
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Judaism
• Christianity

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Commonalities

• Schisms-Divisions resulting in subgroups, sects
• Consider social, political, cultural, military
  impacts as well as theological and philosophical
• Where did it start? Where did he spread? How?

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Origins of World Belief Systems

• Polytheism

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Polytheism

• Majority of ancient civs
• Through 600 CE all Med and Mesop Civs were poly.
  Exceptions were Hebrews and Christians
• In the East, all were poly Aryans, Hindus,
  traditional Chinese, Daoists, some Buddhists,
  Americas, Africa

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The Deity Details

• Multiple gods, may be good or bad
• Deities impact daily life
• Human attributes (Grk-Rom)
• Egypt Benevolent and kind
• Sumer, Aztec Feared, to be appeased

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The Big Deal?

• major impact on civ development
• Art architecture
• Ritual based
• Rise of priestly class
• Rigid social structures
• Gods for culture as whole, city-state as well
  rise and fall seen as battle of gods as well as
  city-states

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Origins of World Belief Systems

• Hinduism

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Hinduism

• Aryans, and empires of Indian subcontinent
• Brahma-supreme force
• Gods are manifestations of Brahma
• Vishnu-preserver
• Shiva-destroyer
• Reincarnation
• Dharma rules and obligations
• Karma fate based on how dharma was met
• Moshka highest state of being, release of soul

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The Big Deal?

• Religion as well as social system
• Caste system, accept lot in life, next one will
  be better (if dharma met)
• Close relationship w/Indian culture, caste system
  have limited its spread
• Treatment of animals
• Hinduism spawns Buddhism

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Origins of World Belief Systems

• Judaism

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Judaism

• The Hebrews
• Chosen by God, special status
• Personal relationship with God
• Afterlife, tradition, doctrines, philosophy,
  personal salvation
• To honor, serve God, promote prophets, maintain
  cultural identity
• A religion culture
• The First Monotheistic Belief System
• Christianity
• Islam

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Compare Confucianism, Hinduism, Judaism

• Seem very different
• Confucianism, not a religion
• Hinduism, polytheistic
• Judaism, monotheistic
• All tied to the culture where the came from, not
  evangelical, converting others

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Origins of World Belief Systems

• Confucianism

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Confucianism

• Specifically Chinese (Kong Fu Tse) 400 BCE onward
• Political-social philosophy, not religion
• Moral, ethical, also practical
• How to restore political-social order?
• 5 key relationships political, parental,
  spousal, sibling, friends

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Confucianism

• Right relationships right society
• Put aside personal ambition for good of state
• Ren-humanity, benevolence, kindness
• Li-propriety, courtesy, respect, deference
• Xiao-filial piety, family obligation, extended
• Lead by good example
• Women, 2nd status, honored by kids

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The Big Deal?

• As a ethical, social, political belief system it
  was compatible with other religions, could
  practice Buddhism and Confucianism simultaneously
• Flexible
• Embraced by leaders as well, ordered society,
  tight families
• Exclusively Chinese, only in context of Chinese
  culture

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Origins of World Belief Systems

• Daoism

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Daoism-Taoism

• China 500 BCE onward
• The Way (of nature/cosmos)
• Lao-tzu, philosopher
• Eternal principles, passive, yielding
• Like water, yet strong, shaping
• Opening of a pot, nothing, yet not a pot without
  it
• Wu wei- non-doing, harmony with nature

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The Big Deal?

• Self-sufficient communities
• Counter to Confucian activism
• Emphasis on harmony w/ nature leads gains
  astronomy, botany, chemistry
• Co-existed w/Confucianism, Buddhism, Legalism
• Added to complexity of Chinese culture

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Contrast Confucianism-Daoism

• Shared belief in spirits of the dead
• Confucianism
• creating orderly society
• active relationships, active govt
• To guide relationships
• Daoism
• harmony with nature, internal peace
• Simple, passive life
• Little govt interference
• To guide individual in meditation

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Legalsim

• The Qin Dynasty
• Peace order through centralized, tightly
  controlled state
• Mistrust of human nature reliance on tough laws
• Focus on things the practical and sustainers of
  society
• 2 most worthy jobs farmer, soldier

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The Big Deal?

• Accomplished swift reunification of China
• Completion of projects like the Great Wall
• Caused widespread resentment among common people,
  led to wider acceptance of Confucianism-Daoism

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Contrast Confucianism-Legalism

• Social belief systems, not religions
• Intended to create orderly society
• Confucianism-fundamental goodness
• responsibilities
• Legalism-fundamental evil
• punishments

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Origins of World Belief Systems

• Buddhism

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Buddhism

• India, China, SE Asia
• Hindu prince, Siddartha Gautama
• Nepal 563-483 BCE
• Search for meaning of human suffering
• Buddha enlightened one
• No supreme being

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Buddhism 4 Noble Truths

• Four noble truths
• All Life is suffering
• Suffering caused by desire
• One can be freed of desire
• Freed by following Eightfold path

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Buddhism Eightfold Path

• Eightfold Path
• Right views
• Right aspirations
• Right speech
• Right conduct
• Right livelihood
• Right endeavor
• Right mindfulness
• Right meditation

• Following the path
• Leads to nirvana
• State of perfect peace harmony
• May take several lifetimes
• 2 forms
• Theraveda meditation, harmony, Buddha not a god
  (Lesser Vehicle)
• Mahayana more complex, greater ritual, reliance
  on priests. Buddha a diety, bodhisattvas, nirvana
  helpers

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The Big Deal?

• Did not recognize castes
• Appealed to lower classes (duh!)
• Not attached to social structure, spread rapidly
  to other cultures
• Ashoka adopted, thrived
• Eventually reabsorbed into Hinduism
• Thrived in China, Japan, SE Asia
• Force of cultural diffusion via trade,
  missionaries

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Origins of World Belief Systems

• Christianity

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Christianity

• Splinter group of Jews, quickly spread throughout
  Roman Empire
• Jesus, son of God, Messiah of Jewish prophecy
• Devotion to God, love of fellow man
• Jesus sent to redeem man from sin
• Salvation by faith in divinity, death, and
  resurrection of Jesus.
• Crucified by Jewish leaders and Roman govt 30
  CE

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The Big Deal

• Emphasis on compassion, grace through faith,
  salvation, eternal life after death appealed to
  lower classes, women
• By 300 CE, most influential in Med. Region
• Spread north and west throughout Europe
• Combo of religion empire huge impact on
  political, social development of Europe

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Origins of World Belief Systems

• Islam

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Mauryan Empire 321-180 BCE
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Mauryan Empire

• Founded by Chandragupta Maurya
• Unified smaller Aryan kingdoms
• Greatest extent under Ashoka
• Big time traders silk, cotton, elephants (much
  more) to the west
• Strong military, Ashoka converts to Buddhism
  non-violence, moderation
• Rock Pillar edicts, Buddhism spread

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Gupta Dynasty 320-467 CE
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Rise of Gupta

• Ashoka dies 232 BCE, Mauryans rapidly decline
  econ problems, attacks from NE
• 375-415 CE, revival under Chandra Gupta
• Smaller, more decentralized Golden Age, peace,
  Arts Sciences pi, zero, 0-9, skilled iron
  workers
• Hinduism resurgent
• Women lost rights own property, study religion,
  child marriages common
• (6-7 years-old)
• Collapsed 550 CE (White Huns)

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Qin Empire
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Qin Ups in China 221-209 BCE

• Same same strong agri-econ, strong army, iron,
  expansiononly lasted 10 years. Significance?
• GREAT WALLso what?
• Strong centralized, brutal govt
• Qin Shihuangdi emperor
• Unified kingdom, standardized weights, measures,
  laws, written lang., zero dissent policy,
  patriarchal society
• Legalism
• Peasant rebellion brings down 209 BCE

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A big hand for the Han!
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Han Dynasty 200 BCE-200 CE

• Resisted the Huns
• Expanded into Central Asia
• Silk Road to the Mediterranean
• Buddhism spread, culture spread
• Civil Service system, bureaucracies, resulting in
  stable govt.
• paper money, sundials, calendars, metallurgy

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Classical Civs in the Med
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Greece and Rome Roots of Western Civilization

• Simply they put it all together
• Representative govt
• Art
• Architecture
• Literature
• Science
• Philosophy

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Its Greek to me!

• Impact of geography
• Trade, not agri.
• Est. colonies, strong military
• Communications
• Transportation
• Governance

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The Polis

• City-states
• Common identity, culture in each
• Athens
• Political, commercial, cultural center
• Sparta
• Agricultural, militaristic, equality w/o
  individuality

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Hierarchy

• Citizens-adult males, business-commerce
• Free people w/ no political rights
• Non-citizens (included slaves 1/3 of the Athenian
  pop!)
• All citizens expected to participate in public
  life
• Monarchy to aristocracy to democracy
• Solon/Draco aristocrats who worked to ensure
  fair, , open participation

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Religion

• Polytheistic
• Had human failings got drunk, cheated on
  spouses, jealous, angry, took sides, etc.
• Greek mythology remains a large part of Western
  heritage and language

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War with Persia

• Persia invades Greece twice. Despite great odds,
  Greece survives. Key battles Marathon 490 BCE
  (land), Salamis 480 BCE (sea)
• Greece controls Aegean
• Period of peace and prosperity

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Golden Age of Pericles

• Athenian culture excels
• Democracy for all adult males (citizens)
• Delian League-city-state alliance
• Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
• Truth through rational thought and observation
• Math, Science, Architecture, Literature

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Super-power, super mistake

• Athens dominated the Delian League
• Peloponnesian War with Sparta (431 BCE)
• Weakened, Macedonian conquest
• Philip encouraged Greek culture
• Followed by son, Alexander, unified Greece,
  invaded Persia

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Alexander the Great?
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Live fast, die young

• Alexander conquered Persia
• Pushed to Egypt
• Stopped at India
• Empire divided into three
• Antigonid (Greece/Macedonia)
• Ptolemaic (Egypt),
• Seleucid (Bactria/Anatolia)

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Hellenistic Era

• Greek Culture and ideas flourished and spread
• Alexandria (Egypt) became wealthy, center for
  learning
• After death (323 BCE), empire crumbled
• Macedonian focus on the east and Egypt left the
  door open for

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The Romans 509 BCE-476 CE
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Rome

• Good Geographic position
• Protected by mtns in north
• Peninsula
• Cross-roads in the Mediterranean
• Polytheistic, borrowed many Greek gods, mythology
  still evident in West

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Social-Political Structure

• Patricians
• Senate, Assembly
• Plebians
• Assembly
• Consuls
• Representative (as opposed to Direct in Greece)
• 12 Tables (innocent until proven guilty)
• Patriarchal/Paterfamilias
• Women influential in family, own property, still
  considered inferior
• Slaves (up to 1/3) city better than country

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Military Domination

• All Directions, all the time
• Punic Wars 264-146 BCE
• Gained control of W. Med
• Defeated Macedonians
• Gaul
• Spain
• Road net, navy, aqueducts
• Cultural diffusion

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Republic, no-Imperialism, yes

• Increased slavery, displaced plebians, inflation
  social unrest
• Senate weakened, Triumvirate, Caesar, Pompey,
  Crassus, Civil War
• Caesar assassinated 44 BCE
• 2nd Triumvirate, civil war
• Imperial Rome
• Pax Romana

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Pax Romana
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Peace and Prosperity

• Rome, capital of western world
• Military expansion
• Rule of law, common coinage. Civil service,
  secure travel for merchants
• 200 years of stability
• Uniform laws, but traditional cultures in
  territories survived ie Egyptians, Hebrews
• Growth of arts and sciences

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A New Religion

• Christianity competes with paganism
• Christians persecuted
• Conversion of Constantine ended persecution 312
  CE
• Edict of Milan-Christianity official religion of
  Rome

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COMPARE

• Golden Ages of Rome, Greece, Gupta, Others
• Expansion of Territory, flourishing of art and
  science
• Wealth flows in due to military expansion,
  confidence

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Symbols of Legitimacy
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Artistic Expressions including literature and
drama, architecture and sculpture, show
distinctive cultural development
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Technology
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Achievements

• Greek science and philosophy
• Roman law and architecture
• Political organization in Han China
• Spiritual and artistic developments in Gupta India

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Details- Cultural and Intellectual Expressions

• Emergence of religions- The emergence of the
  Classical age or Axial Age (Emergence of core
  belief or philosophical structures of a society.
  )
• Mathematics- number systems develop. India
  creates the Arabic numbers and algebra.
• Engineering

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Development of States and Empire

• Number and size of states and empires grows
  dramatically by

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Structure and Function of State

• large Coercive tribute empires.
• Centralized governments
• Use of military to control conquered areas
• Elaborate Legal systems and Bureaucracies
• Pax Romana
• Empires follow Conrad-Demarest model- grow large
  and wealthy, then too large, corrupted and
  fragment. Often from outside pressureHuns in
  Rome.
• Large empires cause environmental problems
• Silted rivers, Deforestation, Desertification,
  soil erosion.

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Urbanization and Gender

• How might gender roles be affected as peoples
  settled?

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Social and Gender Structures

• Class/Caste structures divide societies.
• Use of slave/coercive labor
• Extremely Patriarchal societies
• Enforced through religion/philosophies
• Women's rights become less pronounced
• Child marriage
• Role in Confucian society
• Role as Mother (in warrior cultures)

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Emergence of Transregional Networks of
Communication and Exchange

• Ideas, diseases, religions, goods travel
• Silk Roads, Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean,
  Trans-Saharan Caravan Routes
• Silk, Spices,Cotton travel east to west
• Glassware, Wool and Linen, Olive Oil travel west
  to east
• Domesticated Pack Animals to transport longer
  distances
• Horses, Oxen, Llamas, Camel (saddle)

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Collapse of Empires

• Why do Empires fall?
• Conrad-Demarest Model

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What goes up

• Empires fall
• Late Classical Period 200-600 CE
• Steppe People on the move, dominoes fall
• Han, Gupta, Roman Empires fall

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Collapse of the Han

• Wang Mang 9-23 CE, Socialist Emperor
• Economic
• Military drained budget
• Confiscate land, raise taxes
• Actions discouraged manufacture and trade

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Collapse of the Han

• Social
• Rising tensions between rich and poor
• Poorly conceived land reform program
• Famine
• Revolt, murder of Wang Mang
• Han Dynasty briefly restored, full recovery
  impossible, collapse in 220 CE
• 400 years of regional kingdoms

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Collapse of the Gupta

• Huns 24/7
• Gupta able to hold off for a while, at great cost
• Hun kingdoms emerged in western northern India
• Culture survived, Hinduism, caste system, Gupta
  Empire did not

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Western Rome, you are the weakest link, good-bye

• 284 CE, Diocletian splits W-E Empire

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Why?

• Attempt to re-gain control of
• Military under imperial control
• Co-emperors
• Economy
• Govt budget
• Price caps to control inflation
• Strengthen currency

140
Collapse

• No singular reason
• Rome sacked 410 CE, 476 CE
• Internal decay
• Weak or bad leaders
• Expense of empire
• Epidemics
• External pressures
• Huns, Visigoths
• Sheer size

141
CONTRAST Fall of Han, Gupta, Rome

• Two major causes threaten all empires
• Internal economic depression, natural
  catastrophes, social unrest
• External Invading Armies
• Internal Han
• External Gupta
• Combo Meal Rome

142
Movement of people

• Bantu continue movement to Southern Africa
• Swahili
• Farming
• Iron Working
• Autroneasian across the Pacific
• Movement along trade routes

143
Early Migrations

144
Interregional Networks of People by 600 C.E.

• Silk Roads
• Mediterranean trade
• Indian Ocean trade
• Meso and Andean American trading

145
Silk Routes
146
Mediterranean Trade Routes
147
Indian Ocean Trade
148
Cultural Diffusion via the Silk Road
149
Ideas, Culture, Invention

• Trade routes brought various peoples in contact
• Pastoralists provided protection, services,
  supplies
• Disease and armies also traveled the routes,
  plague, small pox, Mongols
• Religion-Buddhism to China, SE Asia
• Christianity through Med, Europe, Britain
• Peoples Anglo-Saxons to Britain, Huns to India,
  Germanic Tribes to Italy

150
Conclusions

• How do we know what we know?
• How does change happen?
• What results stem from interaction through
  migration, trade or pilgrimage?
• Why do world historians need to pose questions
  differently than regional specialists?