Great Empires

Several great empires rose. Examples:

• Western Eurasia: The Persian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine

• South Asia: Mauryan and Guapta

• east Asia: Qin and Han dynasties

• Mesoamerica: Mayan

These empires provided:

• political and economic security

• trade

  • goods and ideas flowed along the Silk Road and maritime routes in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean.

    • allowed Rome (Italy), Constantinople (Turkey), Damascus (Syria), Pataliputra (India), and Chang’an (China).

Buddhism and Development in South Asia

South Asians had intense spirituality and distinct social organization but not good political centralization, unified only twice during the classical era.

Buddhism was the most influential development of South Asia

Beginning of Buddhism

Siddartha Gautama was born into a wealthy Hindu family in ~530 B.C.E.

To understand suffering, he left his family to pursue poverty and meditation. According to Buddhist tradition, he meditated under a Bodhi tree for several days and finally understood how to end suffering.

Buddhism's core teachings, the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path, aim to end suffering by eliminating desire. The ultimate goal is to escape reincarnation and reach Nirvana (peace).

Spread of Buddhism

• Buddhism provided an alternative to Aryan’s Vedas beliefs, which was the basis for Hinduism.

• Buddhism rejected the caste system, making it popular with members of the lower caste.

• It spread quickly throughout India and across Asia via missionaries and merchants along the Silk Roads and around the Indian Ocean.

Mauryan Empire

First period of unity in South Asia (322 BCE-187 BCE).

It reached its peak during Ashoka’s rule. The Mauryan Empire fell after his rule due to political decentralization.

He promoted prosperity by:

• Building roads to connect to commercial centers

• Create efficient tax systems

• Wrote edicts (laws) on pillars throughout the empire to spread knowledge of laws.

Since Ashoka converted from Hinduism to Buddhism, he promoted Buddhism by helping spread his faith throughout India.

Gupta Empire

2nd period of unity in South Asia (c. 320 CE to c. 550 CE)

Referred to as the Golden Age of India under centralized government in Pataliputra, a city in northwestern India.

• Intellectual and cultural life flourished

• Advances in medicine, math, etc.

  • Numbering systems and inoculations to prevent disease, things still present today.

Gupta Empire was patriarchal.

Confucianism and Developments in East Asia

Central China was united under the Zhou Dynasty (1076 B.C.E.-256 B.C.E.). Over time, the dynasty became decentralized and unstable, causing a Warring States Period.

Qin Dynasty

221 BCE-207 BCE. Established centralized control.

Qin utilized legalism in their legal systems, a philosophy all about controlling the people. Keep in mind legalism was most likely due to the Warring States Period being active.

Legalism argued that people were inherently selfish, so they used harsh punishments and laws to control people. They utilized their selfishness by sending them to war.

Qin executed and burned books and people who detailed other philosophies or emperors.

Chinese people hated legalism but could not do anything about it.

Han Dynasty

206 BCE-220 CE

Built upon the Qin Dynasty’s accomplishments. Under the Han, China was more peaceful. Han utilized Confucianism.

Han has multiple advancements:

• Magnetic compass

• Paper

• Sternpost rudder

From Chang’an (the capital of the empire) to the Mediterranean Sea, they traded luxury items like spices, gems, precious metals, tea, and silk.

Mandate of Heaven

Also known as ‘Heaven’s Command’. Heaven justified emperors for him and his family to rule China. If, however, heaven deemed the ruler corrupt/ineffective, it’d show displeasure via natural disasters.

If a ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven, uprisings and protests from peasants would occur.

Confucianism

During the Warring States Period (~551 B.C.E.), Confucius taught how people should behave in everyday life and his teachings were written down in Analects.

Analects taught:

• Focus on education

• Obeying authority (especially emperors)

• Man over woman

  • Women always obey their fathers and husbands and grown-up sons.

Daoism

Focused on people living in harmony with nature, and accepting whatever comes their way, good or bad. Emphasized internal inflection more than external behavior. Still influential today.

Civilizations of Western Eurasia and Christianity

In Western Eurasia (600 BCE-600 CE), strong civilizations developed in Persia, Greece, and Rome. Trade, war, and ideas exchange connected these civilizations. Each of them utilized trade and military.

Persia

559 BCE. The Persian Empire (AKA Achaemenid Empire) was developed in Persia (modern-day Iran). Developed under Cyrus the Great. Included most islands from the Aegean Sea to the border of India.

• Had a strong centralized government

• Efficient bureaucracy

• Network of roads

Each of these things allowed the empire to prosper by promoting trade, stability, and security. Since the empire was religiously tolerant, the Persian Empire was ethnically and religiously diverse.

Greece

Unlike Persia, Greece was divided into ~1000 city-states due to its complicated mountainous terrain.

However, all Greeks shared one thing: religion. They believed in multiple deities, unlike monotheistic Hebrews.

Largest city-states:

Spartans: Organized society around a powerful military. Women, elders, and slaves worked so free men could train as soldiers.

Athens: Made impressive advances in architecture, literature, theater, and philosophy. Developed democracy and allowed free adult men to partake in politics.

Rome

753 BCE. Roman culture was borrowed heavily from the Greeks.

• Romans believed in Greek Gods

• Used slavery

• Made advances in government

• Wrote the Twelve Tables, spreading awareness of laws to prevent government abuse.

• Patriarchal

  • women had more rights compared to Greece. they could inherit property and initiate divorce

Expanded outward in all directions, turning the Mediterranean Sea into a “Roman Lake”. At its peak, it ruled territory from Scotland to Northern Africa to the Middle East.

Unlike Greece, Rome had a strong centralized government like Persia, both fostering trade and prosperity.

Despite Rome’s wealth and power, there were challenges like:

• Epidemics (smallpox, bubonic plague)

• Economic suffering

• Government corruption

• Invasions from Huns, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, and Vandals.

Eventually, Rome got so weak that by 476 CE, a non-Roman became emperor for the first time in more than a thousand years.

Development of Christianity

Rome had its most enduring legacy not in military and engineering achievements but in religion. Rome tolerated most faiths as long as people agreed to accept the emperor as divine. Monotheists (like Jews) had a hard time accepting this.

Jews underwent diaspora, the spreading of Jews throughout northern Africa and Europe to flee Roman persecution.

Jesus emerged from the Jewish community. He was executed by the Romans. His disciples continued to spread his teachings

Christianity was attractive to the poor because people could have a better life just by believing in Jesus.

Under Constantine’s rule in the 4th century, the Roman Empire finally made Christianity legal and even the official religion.

Byzantine

By the 4th century, the eastern half of the Roman Empire had become wealthy and politically powerful compared to the western half. In 330, Constantine moved the capital eastward, making it Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).

Constantinople

• Political and economic hub due to its proximity to rivers flowing into the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

• Being an entrepot (coastal trading center), the city prospered from trade with northern Europe, Egypt, etc.

Byzantine Empire

Extended throughout the eastern half of the Mediterranean world.

During Justinian the Great’s reign (526-565), there were accomplishments like:

• Justinian Code

  • Set Roman law in stone as the foundation of legal knowledge in Europe into the 19th century.

• Hagia Sophia (537)

Though always suffering from foreign incursion, the Byzantine Empire lived on for 900 more years.

Early American Civilizations

Afro-Eurasian civilizations developed separately from American civilizations during the classical era. Two of the most important were in Mesoamerica.

Teotihuacan:

• Located near modern-day Mexico City

• It has beautiful temples and streets dedicated to the Gods of sun and moon.

• Influenced the Aztecs

Mayans:

• The most influential classical civilization in the Americas

• Created advancements

  • Accurate calendar, grasped the concept of zero, understood the movement of Earth through space

• Developed a complex written language

Comparisons in the Classical Age

Empires between 600 BCE and 600 CE shared traits in economics and politics.

Empires developed and made lives safer, longer, and more comfortable through:

• Increased trade

• Technological innovation

• Centralized governments

  Early Trade Networks

  Technological developments made trade easier. Strong, stable governments provided wealth and security to foster trade. Examples of this include:

  • Eurasian exchange networks utilizing strength of Roman and Han innovations

    • Horses and networks of places to rest made long journeys easier

  • Sail design improvements and ship hulls helped ships maneuver

  • Silk Road and Mediterranean Sea Lanes fostered trade of goods and culture between Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, and people of North Africa

Decline of Classical Empires

By 600 CE, many classical empires fell. Reasons include:

• Challenges collecting taxes

• Declines in trade, reducing access to foreign markets/goods

• The spread of disease reduced urban populations

• Social divisions due to wealth

  • Troubles between rich and poor caused conflict

• Lack of broad support for leadership

• Foreign invasions and attacks forced empires to focus on defense

Even though governments failed, religion always unified society. For example, even after the Roman Empire, society was held together by Christianity.