1. Chapter Five: Decline of Classical Civilizations
Ms. Sheets
AP World History

2. Common Themes in Classical Civilizations
Territorial expansion
Efforts to integrate new territories (Rome, India, Han)
A) Create territorial and social cohesion
Unification
A) China (centralization; Confucianism)
B) India (religious values)
C) Greece (cultural achievements)
D) Rome (citizenship)
Decline

3. Classical Trade Indian Ocean Trade Silk Road Trade
A) East Africa to Southern China
B) Items traded: Chinese pottery, Indian spices, and Indian/African ivory
C) Depended on monsoons and currents
Silk Road Trade
A) Han China to Mediterranean
B) Exchange of Western/Eastern goods, religions, technology, disease
Trans-Saharan Trade (pre-Islamic)
A) Across the Sahara: camels
B) Items traded: salt, palm oil, olives, wheat, wild animals

4. Classical India Expansion
Mauryans expand to almost all of Indian subcontinent
Guptas used localized governments in new territories
Integration
Used Hinduism to expand (Buddhism unappealing)
Used the caste system to create social distinctions
Decline
Invasions by White Huns
Decentralization grows weak; independent kingdoms created
After 600, Islam enters India

5. Classical China Expansion A) West and south, rice-growing regions
Integration
One language (written and spoken)
Strong centralized government (Qin and Han)
Decline
100 CE – 220 CE
Heavy taxes; poor harvests; weak emperors
Nomadic invasions by Huns (Xiongnu) and other nomadic tribes
184 CE: Yellow Turban Rebellion
Three Kingdoms Era (disorder and political decentralization), then Sui dynasty by 589 CE

6. Classical greece Expansion
A) Expansion is cultural, rather than territorial
Integration
Use of common language
Persian War helped to integrate city-states, unite against common enemy
Decline
Ultimately default to city-state identity, geographic unity is challenging
Peloponnesian War weakens Athens
Macedonian invasion weakens all city-states
Greek culture (Hellenism) continues

7. Classical rome Expansion Massive expansion under Roman Republic
Integration
A) Cultural tolerance, common law, and citizenship (males) for conquered peoples
B) Allow regional diversity
Decline
Golden Age ends 180 CE
Decline is complex (economy, plague, leadership, latifundia, invasions)
Split of East and West (4th century)

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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