Transcript Chapter Five The Classical Period: Directions, Diversities

CHAPTER FIVE:
DECLINE OF
CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS
Ms. Sheets
AP World History
COMMON THEMES IN CLASSICAL
CIVILIZATIONS
1) Territorial expansion
2) Efforts to integrate new territories
(Rome, India, Han)
A) Create territorial and social
cohesion
3) Unification
A) China (centralization;
Confucianism)
B) India (religious values)
C) Greece (cultural achievements)
D) Rome (citizenship)
4) Decline
CLASSICAL TRADE
1) Indian Ocean Trade
A) East Africa to Southern China
B) Items traded: Chinese pottery,
Indian spices, and Indian/African ivory
C) Depended on monsoons and
currents
2) Silk Road Trade
A) Han China to Mediterranean
B) Exchange of Western/Eastern
goods, religions, technology, disease
3) Trans-Saharan Trade (pre-Islamic)
A) Across the Sahara: camels
B) Items traded: salt, palm oil, olives,
wheat, wild animals
CLASSICAL INDIA
1) Expansion
A) Mauryans expand to almost all of Indian
subcontinent
B) Guptas used localized governments in
new territories
2) Integration
A) Used Hinduism to expand (Buddhism
unappealing)
B) Used the caste system to create social
distinctions
3) Decline
1) Invasions by White Huns
2) Decentralization grows weak;
independent kingdoms created
3) After 600, Islam enters India
CLASSICAL CHINA
1)
Expansion
A) West and south, rice-growing regions
2) Integration
A) One language (written and spoken)
B) Strong centralized government (Qin
and Han)
3) Decline
A) 100 CE – 220 CE
B) Heavy taxes; poor harvests; weak
emperors
C) Nomadic invasions by Huns
(Xiongnu) and other nomadic tribes
D) 184 CE: Yellow Turban Rebellion
E) Three Kingdoms Era (disorder and
political decentralization), then Sui
dynasty by 589 CE
CLASSICAL GREECE
1) Expansion
A) Expansion is cultural, rather than
territorial
2) Integration
A) Use of common language
B) Persian War helped to integrate citystates, unite against common enemy
3) Decline
A) Ultimately default to city-state identity,
geographic unity is challenging
B) Peloponnesian War weakens Athens
C) Macedonian invasion weakens all citystates
D) Greek culture (Hellenism) continues
CLASSICAL ROME
1) Expansion
1) Massive expansion under Roman
Republic
2) Integration
A) Cultural tolerance, common law,
and citizenship (males) for
conquered peoples
B) Allow regional diversity
3) Decline
A) Golden Age ends 180 CE
B) Decline is complex (economy,
plague, leadership, latifundia,
invasions)
C) Split of East and West (4th
century)
RELIGION DURING
THE CLASSICAL DECLINE
• All major religions see an increase in participants
– Why? Chaos of classical decline causes people to gravitate towards a
religion that focuses upon afterlife, leaving chaos of current world behind,
and salvation
• Buddhism
– Rejected by Gupta India
– Rapid expansion into Southeast and East Asia
• Christianity
– Rapid emergence and expansion into Mediterranean and Europe
– 313 CE: Constantine issues Edict of Milan to permit Christianity in Rome
• Islam
– 610 CE: Created by Muhammad
– Religion spreads rapidly through conversions
– Empire spreads through conquering
• Hinduism
– Supported by Gupta India
– Supported by caste system
OTHER CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS
• Kush (1070 BCE – 350 CE)
– 750 BCE, Kushites conquered Egypt
– Adopted Egyptian culture
• Japan
– Agricultural; excellent iron-work
– Shintoism developed: “way of the gods,”
animistic religion (spirits are imbedded within
nature)
• Polynesia
– 1000 BCE: Migration to islands (Fiji, Samoa)
– Continue to move to Hawaii by 400 CE using
giant canoes
– Isolated development
– Highly stratified class system under powerful
kings
– Agricultural
MESOAMERICAN CIVILIZATIONS
• Olmecs (1500 BCE – 400 BCE)
– First major civilization in Mexico;
“mother civilization”
– 800 BCE: Settled in Central Mexican
river valley
– Agriculture (corn, potatoes)
– Domesticated animals
– Religious statues (Olmec heads)
– Disappeared in 400 BCE
• Maya (2000 BCE – 900 CE)
–
–
–
–
–
On Mexican peninsula by 400 CE
Most advanced culture in region
Pyramid shaped temples
Only writing system of Meso-America
Religion was very complex