The Conrad Demarest Model

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The Conrad Demarest Model

• Using a representative model to teach comparative
  empires.

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Background

• Geoffrey Conrad
• Arthur Demarest
• Latin-Americanists inspired by the Inca and Aztec
  empires
• Model Can be applied to all empires and used to
  compare and contrast empires or to trace changes
  and continuity over time.
• Gives a scaffold for kids

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The Model

• Preconditions which MUST exist but do not
  necessarily lead to empire building.
• Adequate resources
• Environmental mosaic
• Some form of government which coalesces power
• Power vacuum
• Large military potential

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The Model, Cont

• Many places, including the Greek Poleis met the
  pre-conditions mentioned, what causes an empire
  to start?
• Ideology! Religious, philosophical, anything
  that will help coalesce the masses behind the
  idea of expansion.
• Ideology must endorse and justify warfare and
  expansion.

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Its all about the Booty

• Ideology is great, but what does empirical
  expansion get you?
• Wealth from plunder, from trade, from
  availability and control of new resources, and
  from coercive tribute.
• Most often enjoyed by the wealthy, but also
  distributed to the masses. This trickle-down
  economic benefit serves to cement social
  hierarchies.

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Booty Cont

• Expansion also allows you to increase population
• More food and land available
• Less disease initially as the population density
  goes down, and food availability goes up.
• State-sponsored population increase.
• More populated areas tend to be more powerful
  than less-populated ones.
• Native population supported by outlying areas

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Size leads to trouble

• The bigger the empire, the more costly the
  expansion
• Empires that stop expanding and do not change
  their ideology tend to begin collapsing
• Collapse tends to begin at the edges and creep
  towards the center.
• Empires are inherently unstable!

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A demonstration

• The Mongol Empire rose from the Steppes of Asia
• Preconditions present
• Land, no dominant state, competing tribal and
  clan identities, military might in the
  horsemanship of the nomads
• United by Chengis Khan after a Tribal
  Confederation meeting.

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Applying the Model

• Assyrian, Helenic,Romans, Han, Gupta
• Islamic Caliphates
• Transatlantic European Empires
• Ottoman, Mughal, Safavids
• Global empire (British empire)
• Russian expansion eastward US expansion westward
• Aztec and Inca

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Applying the Model- an example

• Qin China had all the necessary preconditions-
  good agriculture, environmental mosaic, power
  vacuum that resulted from warring states period,
• Ideology? Legalism
• Booty- ever-normal granary system, public works
  projects, gifts, etc.
• Empire grew under Han times to huge size

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Survival of the Han Empire

• Ideological change! Confucianism
• Ritual
• Hierarchy
• Filial Piety
• Mandate of Heaven
• Public works projects

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Eventual Fall

• Gap between rich and poor increases
• Taxation and famine forces increasing s of
  peasants off the land
• Disease sets in (plague)
• From Peasant point of view, hierarchy no longer
  meeting their needs
• Exam system ends- always a bad sign!
• Invasion of the nomads and peasant rebellion.

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Now, how about another one?

• Compare the Spanish Empire in 1450-1800 to the
  Ottoman or Russian empires of the same time
  period.

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Questions?

• Barbara.Ozuna_at_fwisd.org
• 817-922-6617