1. The Decline and Fall of the Han, the Gupta, and the Romans
Dr. Afxendiou
AP World History 9
Sachem North High School

2. Fall of Classical Civs
Between 200 and 600 CE all three classical civilizations collapsed
Han China, Roman Empire Gupta suffered from severe internal weaknesses well before the invasions
By 100 CE Han China is in serious decline
Han and Rome share many characteristics of decline

3. Similarities China and Rome
Political ineffectiveness
Inability to push back invaders
Revolution/Civil War
Peasant unrest
Epidemics

4. Decline in India and China
What factors led to the decline of Classical Civilization in India and China?

5. Decline in India and China
What factors led to the decline of Classical Civilization in India and China?
Nomadic invasions
HUNS invaded both China and India, the Han and Gupta saw their territory picked apart from NW to south
Internal bureaucratic corruption or internal shrinking
Han rulers get greedy, Confucian bureaucrats become lazy, they taxed the peasants even more, allowing landowners/warlords to regain dominance
Indian princes reduced to protecting their own states rather than building a large empire once more
Religious fervor
Daoism – Yellow Turbans and their divine magic!
Buddhism became one of the few outside influences to impact China, though it was altered by Chinese influences
Islam brought greater promises to the poor in India

6. Gupta
India was always a REGIONAL kingdom, where the Emperor shared power with local princes
This control was declining by the mid-5th century
Invasions
Regional Princes, the Rajput, controlled the small states of India
Indian Culture continues to evolve
Affected by Muslim armies after 600 CE

7. China, post-classical
China does revive itself towards the end of the 6th century
Sui Dynasty
Tang Dynasty (618 CE)

8. Decline in Rome
What factors led to decline in the Roman Empire?

9. Decline in Rome - What factors led to decline in the Roman Empire?
After 180 CE, Rome began to decline
IT GOT TOO BIG
Plagues
Population decline of native Romans
Disrupt international trade
Economic Decline
Brutal rulers in autonomous areas, weak emperors in Rome
Disputes over succession to the throne
Intervention of the army
Tax collection becomes difficult
Corruption

10. Decline in Rome - What factors led to decline in the Roman Empire?
Defense of the empire became too expensive - mercenaries
Class divisions – hedonistic wealthy and suffering poor…basically, a decline in morality of the ruling class
DECLINE OF THE UPPER CLASS
Influence
Creativity
Deadening effect of authoritarian rule
Sole interest in luxury
Religion – Christianity

11. Even more decline…
As conditions worsened, economic life became more precarious
Farmers clustered under the protection of large landowners
Offer food, work, shelter, and SAFETY
Local Stability, but weakened the power of the Emperor
Cities SHRINK in size

12. Attempts to save the empire
Emperor Diocletian ( CE)
Improve administration
Improve tax collection
Worship Emperor as a GOD
Persecute Christians
Emperor Constantine ( CE)
Set up second Capital City in the EAST to regulate that side of the Empire more effectively: Constantinople (the city of Byzantium)
Adopts Christianity to help unify the empire

13. End of the empire.
Decline was exacerbated by the Germanic Invasions (which only totaled about 5% of the Population)
BUT…Rome was so weak…they were successful
The final Roman Emperor was displaced in 476 CE

14. Post-Classical Mediterranean
Eastern portion of Empire: Centered on Constantinople
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
Justinian ( CE) tries to recapture heritage of Rome
Justinian’s Code: Codified Law
Middle East: Parthian and Sassanid empires serve as a bridge between Mediterranean World and the East