Unit 2: Emergence of Classical Empires

India, China, Greece, and Rome

Ancient India & China

The Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE)

• Founded by in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya

• Filling the void left by Alexander the Great

• Largest empire ever on the subcontinent

• Extensive trade routes to the Middle East

The Emperor Asoka

Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya

Originally a great military leader

Conversion to Buddhism

Asoka's roads and “rest stops”

BEST KNOWN FOR religious tolerance

The Gupta Empire, The “Golden Age” (320-550 CE)

• Founded by Chandra Gupta

• Peace and prosperity • Golden Age• Last Hindu rule until

1947

GUPTA GOLDEN AGE

Civilization in Southeast China

Early Chinese Dynasty

Yellow River

near the frontier

Shang Dynasty - traditional date: 1500 B.C.

invaders

FIRST DYNASTY

What is a dynasty?

Culture eventually absorbed by Zhou Dynasty

Determine what these indicate about a dynasty?

Brings peace

Floods, Earthquakes, etc.

Taxes people too much

Stops protecting people

(re)builds infrastructure

Peasant revolt

Lets Infrastructure decay

Treats people unfairly

Bandits raid countryside

Protects people

Invaders attack empire

Gives land to peasants

The Mandate of Heaven

The Dynastic Cycle

Regional

Longest Chinese dynasty

Non centralized power-control through feudalism

Decline of power into the Warring States Period

Zhou Dynasty-1027 to 256 BC

The Warring States Period

Confucianism-relationships The Analects (collection of the

teachings of Confucius) The patriarchal family

Daoism – Natural “way” Laozi – Chinese thinker in 6th

century focused on nature The “way”-universal force that

governs everything

Legalism- laws with punishments and rewards Li Si and Hanfeizi (founders)

China’s Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE)

The Qin unite China and end the Warring States Period

Legalism becomes the dynasty’s law

The construction of the “Great Wall” to discourage attacks by northern invaders

Han Dynasty

Confucianism-provided a basis for behavior in society

The Examination System for civil service jobs based upon knowledge of Confucianism

Anyone can take reality few peasants can

afford to educate sons

Read Confucianism, the Road to Success p. 203

Which dynasty is connected with which philosophy?

Dynasty Philosophical Beliefs

Shang N/A

Zhou N/A

Qin Legalism

Han Confucianism

N/A Daoism

Development of Hinduism

Mixture of Aryan and Dravidian influence

Polytheistic Karma-a person’s good and

bad deeds Reincarnation to ultimate

nirvana The Vedas (sacred literature)

and the Upanishads (written interpretations and explanations of the Vedic hymns

The most important Gods Brahma- creator Shiva- destroyer Vishnu- protector

Development of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama Wealthy prince

Journey (enlightenment) The Four Noble Truths

Eliminate desire and suffering Follow the Eightfold Path to

Enlightenment

Nirvana An attempt to improve

Hinduism Because of strong presence of

Hinduism in South Asia, Buddhism was not a major force there, but it became a major force in China.

Trade and Barriers to Trade

India – protected to the north by the Himalayas

Silk Roads – utilized throughout central asia.

For example, it connected the HAN Dynasty to Rome

Indian Ocean Trade

Eventually utilized once Arab merchants improve their ships to be ocean going.

Ancient Greece

Geography of Greece and the Development of Naval Powers

THE ORIGINS AND STRUCTURE OF THE GREEK POLIS

The Greek polis the focal point of a City-State

Modern words police and politics come from polis

City-States were usually easy to control, but had many rivals to contend with

Agora- central meeting place for Greek City States

City-States varied in form of government

Forms of Government

Monarchy

State ruled by a king

Rule is hereditary

Some rulers claim divine right

Form practiced in Mycenae (2000 BCE)

Aristocracy

State ruled by nobility

Rule is hereditary and based on family wealth

Social status and wealth support rulers’ authority

Form practiced in Athens (Prior to 594 BCE)

Forms of Government

Oligarchy

State ruled by a small group of citizens

Rule is based on wealth or ability

Ruling group controls the military

Form practiced in Sparta (by 500 BCE)

Tyranny

Rule by a Tyrant

Has all of the power

Rules for the people

Forms of Government

Direct Democracy

State ruled by citizens

Rule is based on citizenship

Majority rule decides vote

Form practiced in Athens (by 500 BCE)

Sparta and Athens

Sparta- Oligarchy

Emphasis on military and athletics

Boys left the home at 7 to train for the military

Men retired at 60

Athens- Democracy

The Parthenon was built during Pericles reign

Athena was thought of as the goddess protector

The Persian Wars (499-449 BCE)

Series of conflicts between the Persian Empire and Greek City States

Led to unity and prosperity among Greek City-States

Greek “Victory” – worked together and necessity to defend their home

The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

Athenian Empire vs. Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta)

The Plague of Athens

Athens was eventually defeated by Sparta

Sparta becomes the dominant Greek City State

Herodotus (484-425 BCE)

Widely referred to as the “father of modern history”

First historian to gather sources and date and arrange work into a historical narrative

Attempted to find “fact from fiction”

Ancient Greek Philosophers

Socrates (496 BC)

The first great Greek philosopher

Wanted people to think about their values and actions

WHY? WHY? WHY?

Plato was one of his students

Was sentenced to death for corrupting his students with his ideas

Plato (429 BC)

A Greek student of Socrates Wrote of a perfectly governed

society: Only the elite would vote for what was best for all of the people

Started The Academy philosophy school in Athens

WHO WANTS A SOCIETY GOVERNED IN THAT FASHION?

Aristotle (384)

A student of Plato at the Academy

Developed “rules” of logic (scientific method)

Classified governments: monarchies, democracies, republics

Taught Alexander

Alexander the Great (356 BC)

Student of Aristotle: Prince of Macedon(upper Greece)

Conquered Egypt and Persia

Promoted religious and cultural freedom in the lands he conquered

Hellenistic Culture –Blend of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and Indian cultures

Died at the age of 33

Alexander’s Empire and the birth of Hellenistic Culture

Euclid (323-283)

From Alexandria, Egypt

Founder of modern Geometry

Lived under Alexandrian rule

Example of Hellenisticcultural diffusion

The Ancient Roman World

Greek and Roman Religion

The Greeks and Romans practiced polytheism

numerous gods and goddesses whose origins were established through traditional stories of mythology.

Greek and Roman Religion

The Greeks and Romans shared many of the same religious concepts

Roman culture was influenced by Hellenistic diffusion

The Roman Republic

Roman Republic developed concepts of government by laws

Government – Major Positions Consuls (2)

Head of government, act as commanders-in-chief. Become senators at the end of term.

Senate (300)

Supervise government matters, especially military and foreign affairs. Serve for life.

Tribunes (10)

Guard rights of plebeians can veto senators and other officials. Serve for one year.

Social Classes of the Roman Republic

Patricians: wealthy landowners

Plebeians: common farmers, artisans, and merchants (majority)

Barred by law from holding important government positions.

Eventually form tribunes: protected the rights of the plebeians from unfair acts of patrician officials

Punic Was: Rome vs. Carthage

Three wars stretching from 246 to 146 BCE

Carthage originated as a Phoenician colony.

Rome emerges as the Mediterranean power.

SALT

The Roman Republic Crumbles

After Punic Wars; republic becomes unstable

Economic Turmoil

Rich live on big estates (with lots of slaves)

Small farmers had difficulty competing

Civil War: Tribunes tried for reforms but made enemies with senators

Generals start to gain power (recruiting soldiers turned farmers—promising them land) and take over by force

Julius Caesar Takes Power

• Caesar appointed lifelong dictator in 44 BCE

• Reforms:• Extends Roman citizenship to

provinces;• Expanded the senate• Built new public buildings

Caesar Killed by Senators March 15th 44 BCE

The Early Empire

More civil war

Roman Republic destroyed

Eventually…

Octavian rules; becomes Augustus Caesar

Pax Romana (207 years)

– After Augustus death, empire remained stable

The Empire’s Territory

Christianity in the Roman World

Originally Christians are persecuted by the empire

Christianity threatened the Roman social structure

Christianity gradually came to be accepted, then spread throughout the Roman world

Christianity becomes Rome’s religion

Peter spread Christianity on Roman roads and served as the FIRST BISHOP.

The Emperor Constantine ended persecution of Christians.

The emperor Theodosius made Christianity the empire’s religion.

The Empire Splits

The Western Roman Empire Collapses

Factors for collapse

Economic Weakness Inflation

Disruption of trade

Military Overextension Too many places to protect and lack of loyalty

Invasions Germanic Tribes (Goths, Ostrogoths, and Visigoths)

Huns

The Eastern Empire thrives, and becomes the Byzantine Empire.

Reasons for the Collapse

Economic Decline (inflation)

Overextension (empire divided by Diocletian)

Invasion by Germanic peoples

As the Huns (not Germanic) pushed further into the empire, it forced the Germanic people to move toward the city of Rome