The Classical Era [600 BCE - 600 CE]

Buddhism

Buddhism

-Developed by Siddhartha Gautama, born in 530 BCE to a wealthy Hindu family & led a life of poverty to seek the cause of human suffering

-Became enlightened while meditating underneath a Bodhi Tree

-Four Noble Truths: follows Eightfold Path to reach nirvana & end reincarnation by refraining from earthly pleasures

-rejects Hinduism’s caste

Mauryan Empire

-Unity in South Asia under Buddhism 322 BCE - 187 BCE

-Ruler Ashoka (Hinduist to Buddhist) made efficient tax system (connected commercial centers) & spread legal knowledge

Gupta Empire

-Unity in South Asia under Hinduism 320 CE - 550 CE

-Based in Pataliputra (centralized & patriarchal city)

-advances in med tech & modern numeric system

Zhou Dynasty

-stability in China 1076 BCE - 256 BCE

-Mandate of Heaven: Heaven justified empires & corrupt leaders = natural disasters

Confucianism

-Instability after Zhou Dynasty led to new philosophies (included Daoism = harmony w/ nature)

-Analects: harmony b/w ppl thru education, patriarchy, filial piety, NOT deities

Qin Dynasty

-221 BCE - 207 BCE stability, standardized Chinese script, est. Measurement systems, canals, roads

Han Dynasty

-206 BCE - 220 CE stability

-pop growth, better tech, luxury trade

-Civil Service Exam: allowed social stability in gov

Persian Empire

-559 BCE - 330 BCE under Cyrus the Great

-efficient gov & trade

-religious & ethnic diversity

Greek Empire

-550 BCE - 336 BCE polytheistic, decentralized gov b/c of islands & mountains

-300s Alexander the Great spread greek culture to Hellenistic world

-Sparta: powerful military

-Athens: adv. in art, philosophy (late 400s BCE) & democracy

Roman Empire

-509 BCE - 476 CE

-Poly, slavery, adv. in gov (judiciary & 12 Tables), less patriarchal

-overextended, corrupt military = epidemics, econ & urban pop decline, invasions

Christianity

-Roman Empire est. the divinity of emperor = persecution & diaspora of Jewish ppl

-Devotion to Jesus = better afterlife, led to his execution by Romans

-Universalized throughout Roman Empire by 100 CE & made official religion by Constantine in 400 CE

Byzantine Empire

-330 CE - 1453 CE

-East Rome became more powerful & divided Roman Empire into West (capital Rome) & East (capital Constantinople in 330 CE)

-Entrepot b/c Mediterranean & Black seas

-made Hagia Sophia (537 CE) & Justinian Code (used into 19th century

Teotihuacan

-modern day Mexico-City

-“City of the Gods” abandoned by 650

The Mayans

-250 CE - 900 CE decentralized civilization

-created accurate calendar & understood the importance of 0

Rise

Tech adv. fostered trade & wealth: horse stirrups, resting places along trade networks, better sail design, knowledge of monsoon winds, camel saddle

Fall: By 600, most Classical empires faced challenges in:

tax collections, trade, disease, support for leadership, & invasions

-Even as gov weakened, religion held societies together (Rome & Christianity, China & Confucianism, SA & Hinduism)