1. Time Period II
600 BCE – 600 CE

2. 600 BCE to 600 CE:
Why 600 BCE?
Rise of classical civilizations (Greece, Rome, Qin, Han, Maurya, Gupta)
development of major world religions/philosophies (aka: Axial Age circa 500 BCE-ish)
Why 600 CE?
Islam
Begins a new round of universalizing religion & conquest
Collapse of most Classical Period Empires

3. Big Picture Events:
Development of true empires (large, centralized land holdings containing diverse people groups) beginning with Persia in 500 BCE
Apex and fall of Classical empires
Development and spread of universal world religions and belief systems (mainly Buddhism & Christianity)
Major development and expansion of large trade networks

4. Rise and fall of Empires China Zhou dynasty collapses in 256 BCE
Longest lasting dynasty, develop the Mandate of Heaven
Warring States Period marked the ending several hundred years of their dynasty
3 Ways to harmony developed by 200 BCE  Legalism, Daoism, Confucianism

5. Qin dynasty (221 BCE-209 BCE) Really short period
Shi Huangdi- known as the first emperor of China
Unifies China after the warring states period
Uses legalism to straighten everyone up
People are evil by nature
Super strict
Government is there to keep people from chaos
Burned Confucius’ works

6. Builds tomb guarded by Terra Cotta warriors and starts the Great Wall
Modern wall you can walk on today is from Ming Dynasty
Walls’ goals over the years: keep out Cent. Asian nomadic pastoralists!
Standardizes weights, measurements, currencies, laws and written language

7. Legalism out, Confucianism back in Golden Age of China
Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 200 CE)
Legalism out, Confucianism back in
Golden Age of China
Golden Age anywhere = Peace, culture, art
Established the Silk Road
Han trade out silk and Romans give up precious metals esp. silver
Tons of diffusion on the Silk Roads
Buddhism spreads into China via silk road toward the end of the Han around 200 CE
From India to China

8. Civil Service Confucian Exam begins w/ Han
Based on teachings of Confucius
The Analects = his book
Government should be highly educated & strictly moral.
Ren & Xiao = basis of human interactions
Very hierarchical
Created a government bureaucracy skilled and stable
Based on merit
Possibility of social mobility through the test

9. Society is male dominated due to Confucianism
Husband-wife, older brother-younger brother etc…
Technology
Paper manufactured, sun dials, calendars, compass, rudder, seismograph, water power

10. India Mauryan Empire (322- 185 BCE)
First to unify much of South Asia (Indian subcontinent)
Ashoka
First super-violent, then converted to Buddhism
Patron of Buddhism  monasteries, etc.
Larger geographically than Gupta
Traded with outsiders
Centralized bureaucracy & military w/ spies, etc.
Hinduism doesn’t go away, but Buddhism is the state-sponsored religion

11. Hinduism reemerges as main power
Gupta Empire ( CE)
G=Golden
Hinduism reemerges as main power
Hinduism altered by interaction w/ Buddhism to be more about unity of soul w/ the Universal Soul (Upanishads & Bhagavad Gita = examples of this in holy writings)
Golden Age of India: 0-9 Number system developed (what we call Arabic numerals), concept of zero, concept of pi, Sanskrit writing flourishes, predicted eclipses, figured out inoculation against diseases, surgeries and bone setting
Maya also have zero w/o interaction
Therefore, it must have been aliens. Yeah. Aliens.

12. Sati a strong example of patriarchal society in India
Not as centralized, smaller than the Mauryan
Hinduism VERY reasserted
Major continuity throughout Indian history = Hinduism just keeps holding strong b/c it can just subsume new religious ideas so easily. Example = Buddha becomes another incarnation of a previous Hindu god
Sati a strong example of patriarchal society in India
High caste women throw themselves on funeral pyre of husband
Way of women to purify her soul & move up in the system in her next reincarnation

13. 600 BCE to 600 CE: Mediterranean Empires
Persian Empire by around 500 BCE
Cyrus the Great starts the Empire (modern Iran)
Zoroastrian religion
Known to take ppl over, but let them worship how they pleased
Leader known as “King of Kings”
Clever Qanat irrigation system of covered canals to avoid evaporation & salinization
Royal Road (1600 miles of roads comparable to eventual Roman roads)
Led to trade and ease of governing

14. Capital Persepolis (comparable to Chang’an, Athens, Rome, Teotihuacan)
Really rich city, lots of gold
Persian War = v. Greeks
Kicked out of Greek area by Delian League of Greeks in Persian War and finally defeated by Alexander the Great of Macedonia

15. Greece Adopted Phoenician alphabet Geography makes them unique
Mountains, crappy soil = turn to trade & cultural interactions w/ others
City-states
Athens- democracy (limited), science, arts, philosophy, architecture (Parthenon)
Sparta- militaristic
Join together in Delian League to fight in the Persian War

16. Culture- Olympics, mythology, epic poems of the Odyssey and Iliad (Homer), drama and comedy, development of philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Alexander) X taught Y
Aristotle model of Greek thought by use of logic
Reason, logic, truth is based on observations
Peloponnesian War
Delian League falls apart
Athens v. Sparta (Civil war)
Sparta wins
All of Greek city-state = Weakened; power vacuum
Taken over by Alexander

17. Alexander the Great
Conquered Greece, Egypt, Persia, all the way to Indus River and spread Greek culture (Hellenism)
Empire facilitated interaction and spread of culture (Greece, India, Persia, and Egypt)
Hellenistic Empire
Golden Age
Library of Alexandria in Egypt center of learning (good comparison to later Timbuktu, Mali)
Geometry, medicine, anatomy, circumference of the earth, Pythagorean theorem, geocentric thought of Ptolemy

18. Rome (Greatest achievements are law and engineering)
Roman Republic
Senate, Twelve Tables Law Code (comparable to Hammurabi’s law code)
Concrete & roads & aqueducts!
Patricians (rich) and Plebeians (poor)
Military domination and expansion with the Punic wars v. Carthage (N. Af.)

19. Empire stretches from England to Middle East Pax Romana (Roman peace)
First Emperor: Julius Caesar killed (44 BCE), Octavian Augustus becomes emperor in 31 BCE = EMPIRE PERIOD BEGINS
Empire stretches from England to Middle East
Pax Romana (Roman peace)
Golden Age
Comparable to Golden age of Athens, later Pax Mongolica
Law- innocent unless proven guilty by court
Engineering (Coliseum), aqueducts (for clean water)
Roads (comparable to Persian royal road and later Incan roads)

20. Roman culture influenced by Greek cultural diffusion
Roman/Greek gods the same; Hellenistic building style, young Roman men go to study in Athens at Plato’s Academy
Slavery- Both Greek and Roman society heavily dependent on slavery (comparison to Chinese dependency on the peasants)
China had peasants, not slaves
Slaves did all jobs, not just regular labor  less motivation to innovate new technology to save labor
Silk Road
Rome traded precious metals with the Han for silk

21. 600 BCE to 600 CE: The Americas Americas Maya (200s BCE – 900s CE)
Develop later than Mediterranean and Chinese classical civs b/c not in river valley & difficulty in domesticating maize
“3 Sisters” ag system of maize, beans, & squash
Warring city states under one ruler (Tikal, Chichen Itza)
Writing system-glyphs (comparable to Egyptian hieroglyphics)
Pictographs + syllabrary
Means “carving”

22. Developed zero as a placeholder like Gupta India
Super complex calendars able to predict solar eclipses, etc. Both ritual calendar & solar calendar.
Developed zero as a placeholder like Gupta India
Popol Vul = religious text  ball games are reenactments of sacred myths
Steppe pyramids of Tikal (Guatemala) and Chichen Itza (Yucatan, Mexico)
Compare with ziggurats in Mesopotamia and Egyptian pyramids

23. Teotihuacan
Huge City in valley of Mexico (later model for Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan)
Based on grid
Similar time as Mayas
Turquoise & quetzal feathers = trade goods throughout Americas
Perhaps 100,000 people

24. Comparisons
Maya and Gupta develop the concept of zero independently

25. Economically both used the silk road to exchange goods
Rome and Han
Politically centralized but Han had centralized bureaucracy based on merit rather than local elites
Economically both used the silk road to exchange goods
Religiously Rome was first polytheistic later adopted Christianity (380 CE) while the Han relied on Confucianism and later Buddhism filters in
Both adopted foreign religions
Social: Coerced labor in Rome = slaves, Han = peasants
Intellectual: Roman law and engineering/ Han civil service exam, export goods, & labor-saving tech
Artistic: state sponsored art

26. Greeks and Romans much more dependent on slavery than the Han
Maya were warring city states similar to that of Greece
Classical empire capitals
(Athens, Persepolis (Persia), Teotihuacan, Chang an, Rome)
Golden Ages(Rome Han Gupta)
Peace
Art/Science
Trade

27. Fall of Empires
Maya- possible exhaustion of fragile tropical rain forest environment; wars over limited resources desired by upper classes
Han China- (220 CE)
Internal - population increases, land problems, corruption, peasant rebellion called Yellow Turban (184 CE), disease
External- conflict with nomadic Xiongnu
People from Cent. Asia w/ good horses

28. Roman Empire (Western Rome falls in 476 CE, East survives as the Byzantine Empire)
Internal- tax revolts, poor leaders, division of empire, violent death of emperors, over expansion, decrease in trade, reliance on mercenaries, disease
External- Huns and Goths (Cent. Asian nomads)
Gupta- Invasion by the White Huns- cost weakened state and eventually overrun
Hinduism and caste system survived
China & India = cultural elements remain after centralized political authority falls

29. 600 BCE to 600 CE: Belief Systems, Part 1
Polytheism- most early civilizations were polytheistic (belief in many gods)
Animism- Africa, Americas – objects can have spirits (ANIMATE)
Shamanism- Americas, Central Asia (Shamans go between real and spirit world)

30. Hinduism
Began with Aryan invaders and is the oldest of the major religions
No founder & no cohesion  a set of hugely diverse practices we stick under one label
Caste system established and priests are at the top of the social hierarchy
Goal = reincarnation up the “ladder”

31. Follow dharma (rules of your caste) next life determined by karma
Karma – what you do this life (following your set caste dharma or duties) will determine your caste next life
Reincarnation- cycle of life and death
Moksha- release from the cycle of life and death

32. Hinduism keeps India together through different empires
Vedas and Upanishads sources of prayers that guide Hindus
Rig Veda = impersonal gods
Baghavad Gita = makes religion personal

33. Always serves as a continuity in South Asia & India
Patriarchal
Sati
Women could not achieve moksha
Always serves as a continuity in South Asia & India
Hinduism & Buddhism both diffuse to SE Asia
On sea roads ( )

34. Buddhism Symbols include the 8 spoked wheel & water lotus
Spawned out of Hinduism like Christianity out of Judaism
Reaction against Hinduism’s impersonal nature (rituals are run by top caste) & strict hierarchy
Can reach nirvana in this life (anyone can)
Not about castes
Personal effort counts a lot!
Appeals to the poor

35. Founder was Siddhartha Gautama (500s BCE during Axial Age)
Four Noble Truths-
life is suffering
Suffering is caused by attachment to stuff and ppl (desire)
There is a way to end suffering
It is the Eightfold Path

36. Follow the Eightfold path-right conduct/meditation (being good and nice)
Nirvana (peace/bliss through release of all desires)- comparable to Moksha in Hinduism
Appealed especially to the poor since nirvana could be achieved in one lifetime
Offers a monastic life for men and women (like Christianity)

37. Universalizing Religion (like Christianity and Islam)
Easily adapted to other cultures
Monastic (like Christianity) – monks and nuns
Escape society to worship

38. Split Theravada (monks in monasteries) (lesser vehicle) and Mahayana (new, all people, personal devotion to deities done outside a monastery) (greater vehicle)
Ashoka- Fosters Buddhism in India
Silk Road spread Buddhism to China and on to Korea and Japan

39. 600 BCE to 600 CE: Belief Systems, Part 2
China
Confucianism
Developed during the Warring State period
Need to bring order during this time
Emphasis on education, respect, reciprocity, virtue and order
Filial (family) piety (respect)
Respect for elders, respect a child should show for parents

40. Embraced by governments as ruler superior to ruled
Five Relationships: Mutual respect keeps both in harmony
Superior and inferior
Ruler to ruled, Father to Son, Husband to Wife, Elder brother to younger brother, friend to friend
Gov and dads love it
Embraced by governments as ruler superior to ruled
Civil Service Exam based on Confucian Analects
Government bureaucracy based on merit
Allowed for the possibility of social mobility

41. Patriarchal society develops as a husband superior to wife
Eventually see foot binding in Time Period III
Eventually combines with Buddhism to form Neo-Confucianism during the Tang dynasty

42. Daoism (Yin Yang) Founder Laozi
Harmony with nature (escape to the forest!)
Influence on Chinese culture with chemists, botanists and astronomers

43. Legalism Philosophy of Shi Huangdi and Qin dynasty (221BCE)
Terra cotta warriors and great wall

44. Axial Age – means “pivot” or “turning point”
Confucius, Buddha, Socrates and Laozi all around the same time
Jesus around 400 years after these thinkers
Mohammed around 1000 years after these thinkers

45. Judaism (Star of David) First great monotheistic faith
Middle East
Judaism (Star of David)
First great monotheistic faith
Influenced Christianity and Islam
Covenant with God
Contract says Jews are His special people
Founder Abraham
Follow the laws of Moses in the Torah
Deuteronomic Code to remain intentional unassimilated (so they can remain monotheistic among so many polytheists)
Not universal because it stays in the same area

46. Developed out of Judaism Jesus
Christianity
Developed out of Judaism
Jesus
Crucified under the Roman Empire
Religion was spread by his followers, especially Peter & Paul
Universalizing religion (like Buddhism and Islam)
Offers a monastic lifestyle (like Buddhism)

47. Most populous religion today Spread of Christianity
Paul, Roman roads, Roman dominance
Spread through Mediterranean & N. European world through trade, war, migration

48. Roman Empire embraces Christianity
Constantine issued the Edict of Milan (stopped persecution)
Made Official Roman Religion in 380 CE
Too late to save and unify Rome
Western Rome falls in 476 CE, Christianity will be a continuity in Europe (like Hinduism in India)
Christianity keeps Western Europe together through Dark Ages

49. 600 BCE to 600 CE: Trade Networks
Interactions of the Classical period (Silk Roads, Sea Roads and Sand Roads)
Silk Road
Three Golden Ages of the Silk Road
Started with the Rome and Han
Tang/Song in China with the Abbasid dynasty
Pax Mongolica
Silk a desired commodity throughout the silk road
Facilitates diffusion of disease, technology, beliefs and ideas
Buddhism from India to China

50. Indian Ocean (Sea Roads)
Route linked India, East Africa, Middle East, Southeast Asia and China in flourishing trade
Arab merchants and India early leaders of the trade
Knowledge of the monsoon winds vital
Lateen sail
Dhow & Junk Ships
Silk, salt, metals and spices (pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg) a trading continuity
Diffusion of beliefs
Hinduism and Buddhism & later Islam to Southeast Asia

51. Trans-Saharan (Sand Roads)
Camel (ship of the desert) in 100s BCE significant
Camel saddle in 300s CE greatly increases trade across the Saharan
Trade connects Sub-Saharan Africa with North Africa and Mediterranean

52. Mediterranean Sub-Saharan Americas
Carthage, Phoenicians, Greeks, Berbers, Romans and Egyptians all traded
Sub-Saharan
Bantus culture & language is a common link
Connect Sub-Saharan Africa with East Africa and the IOMS
Americas
Trade during this time is limited and is regional unlike Afro-Eurasian world
Continents are vertical unlike Afro-Eurasia (Horizontal)
Different crops
Crops can’t spread north to south as easily
Mountains, climate regions

53. Rise and fall of classical empires
Review
Rise and fall of classical empires
China- Qin/Han, India- Mauryan/Gupta, Mediterranean- Persian/Greek/Roman, Americas- Mayans
Compare Rome, Han and Maurya/Gupta
Development of world belief systems
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, Judaism and Christianity
Trade Routes
Silk Road, Indian Ocean, and Trans-Saharan