Professional Documents
Culture Documents
600CEto1450CE
3.1 The Silk Road and Beyond
KeyConcept:Thegrowthempires,alongwithincreasedculturaldiversity,requiredmore
sophisticatedmethodsofgovernance.Theyservedasmajorhubsoftransregionalnetworksoftrade,
andtheydiffusedculture,religion,technologies,anddisease.
- SilkRoad:anancientnetworkoftraderoutesthatforcenturieswerecentraltocultural
interactionthroughregionsoftheAsiancontinentconnectingtheEastandWestfromChina
totheMediterraneanSea.
- Governance:theactionofgoverning
- Bureaucracy:asystemofgovernmentinwhichmostoftheimportantdecisionsaremadeby
stateofficialsratherthanbyelectedrepresentatives.
- NetworksofTrade(AncientRoutes):involvesthetransferoftheownershipofgoodsor
services,fromonepersonorentitytoanother,inexchangeformoney,goodsorservices.
- Infrastructure(Ancientmethods):thebasicphysicalandorganizationalstructuresand
facilities(e.g.,buildings,roads,andpowersupplies)neededfortheoperationofasociety.
AsSilkRoadandIndianOceantradebroughtwealthtoGuptaIndia,emperorscommissionedthe
productionofcoinstoeasetransactionsandmakeiteasiertocomparethevalueofgoods.
Allclassicalgovernmentenactedpoliciestofacilitatecommercialactivities.
- Bureaucracy:asystemofgovernmentinwhichmostoftheimportantdecisionsaremadeby
stateofficialsratherthanbyelectedrepresentatives.
- SocialHierarchy:ishowindividualsandgroupsarearrangedinarelativelylinearladder.
Socialhierarchyisevidentinmanyspeciesofanimals,butitisthemostcomplexinhumans.
Socioeconomicstatusisoneoftheessentialfactorsthatcreatesthishierarchy.
- CorveeSystem:unpaidlabor(astowardconstructingroads)duefromafeudalvassaltohis
lord.
- CasteSystem:isaclassstructurethatisdeterminedbybirth.Loosely,itmeansthatinsome
societies,ifyourparentsarepoor,you'regoingtobepoor,too.Samegoesforbeingrich,if
you'reaglass-half-fullperson
- Patriarchy:asystemofsocietyorgovernmentinwhichthefatheroreldestmaleisheadof
thefamilyanddescentistracedthroughthemaleline.
Bureaucracy:
1. QinDynastycreatedabureaucracy
2. Bureaucratsareemployeesofthestatewhosepositioninsocietydoesnotrestonan
independentsourceofwealth.Theyreliedonthestategovernment.
3. Nobles(oraristocrats)areindependent
4. Generallyspeaking,thebureaucratshighstatusandwealthisbasedonhisobediencetohis
superior.
5. Landowningaristocrats,ontheotherhand,havelargeestatesandpersonalfortunes.They
alsoinfluencedthegovernmentintheirpersonalfavor.
6. Aristocratsalsotendtomakedecisionsbasedonwhatisbestfortheirlocation,thus
becomingadecentralizedforce.
7. Bureaucratsarecentralizing.
8. Byassigningbureaucratstoregions,theQinbypassedthepowerfularistocracyandgoverned
throughthosewhosepositiondependedonloyalobediencetothestate.
9. Inthismanner,thebureaucracybecameatoolofcentralizationforChinaandplacesthe
entireempireundertheleadershipoftheQinEmpire
Corvee System
AnothercommonformoflaborsponsoredbyempireswastheCorveeSystem.
Inthissystem,governmentsrequiredsubjects,usuallypeasants,toprovidelaborasapaymentof
tax.Aspecifiednumberoflabordayshadtobeofferedtothestateasanobligatorytaxation.
ManyLargeImperialProjectswerecompletedusingthecorveesystem.
Examples:TheQinbuilttheirdefensivewallusingthecorveelabor;theHanbuiltacanaltobetter
movegraintothecapitalcityusingit,theHebrewKingdomofIsraeluseditwithconquered
Canaanites,andthenontheirownpopulation
Woman
Despitechangesthatoccurredinclass,casteandlaborduringtheclassicalages,allempires
continuedpatriarchy.
Insomesocietiesitwasveryharsh;inothersocietieswomencouldadvanceandengageinbusiness.
Indeed,beliefsystemscertainlygaveshapetohowitwaspracticedinadatodaylifeinevery
society.
Butwithoutexception,political,socialandeconomiclifeinimperialcivilizationsremained
dominatedbymalesthroughoutthisperiod.
1. Political Corruption:theuseofpowersbygovernmentofficialsforillegitimateprivategain.
Anillegalactbyanofficeholderconstitutespoliticalcorruptiononlyiftheactisdirectly
relatedtotheirofficialduties,isdoneundercoloroflaworinvolvestradingininfluence.
2. Factions:small,organized,dissentinggroupwithalargeone,speciallyinpolitics
3. Bribery:thegivingorofferingofabribe.
4. Favoritism:thepracticeofgivingunfairpreferentialtreatmenttoonepersonorgroupatthe
expenseofanother.
5. Provinces : aprincipaladministrativedivisionofcertaincountriesorempires.
6. Decentralized :thedispersionordistributionoffunctionsandpowers;specifically,the
delegationofpowerfromacentralauthoritytoregionalandlocalauthorities.2the
redistributionofpopulationandindustryfromurbancenterstooutlyingareas.
7. The Huns:TheHunswereanomadicpeoplewholeftthesteppesofCentralAsia,traveledto
EuropeandthreatenedwhatwasleftofRome'sempire.
8. Droughts:aprolongedperiodofabnormallylowrainfall;ashortageofwaterresultingfrom
this.
9. Central Asia:Aplace
10. Frontiers :alineorborderseparatingtwocountries.
11. Raiding:anattack;conductaraidon.
12. Germanic People:TheGermanicpeoples(alsocalledTeutonic,Suebian,orGothicinolder
literature)areanethno-linguisticIndo-EuropeangroupofNorthernEuropeanorigin.Theyare
identifiedbytheiruseofGermaniclanguages,whichdiversifiedoutofProto-Germanicduring
thePre-RomanIronAge.
13. TheAwesomenessofMs.Nicoll:Cool
14. Over-Extension:Toexpandordispersebeyondasafeorreasonablelimit:
15. Imperial:Of,relatingto,orsuggestiveofanempireorasovereign,especiallyanemperoror
empress:imperial rule; the imperial palace.Rulingoverextensiveterritoriesorovercoloniesor
dependencies:
16. Epidemics:Spreadingrapidlyandextensivelybyinfectionandaffectingmanyindividualsin
anareaorapopulationatthesametime,asofadiseaseorillness.n.Anoutbreakor
unusuallyhighoccurrenceofadiseaseorillnessinapopulationorarea.
17. Demographics:thestatisticalcharacteristicsofhumanpopulations(asageorincome)used
especiallytoidentifymarkets.2:amarketorsegmentofthepopulationidentifiedby
demographics.
18. Habitats:aplacesomeone'slives
19. Migration:whencreaturestravel
20. Deforestation:clearanceorclearingistheremovalofaforestorstandoftreeswherethe
landisthereafterconvertedtoanon-forestuse
Classicalempirescollapse
Europerisesinpower
Between200and600C.Ealloftheclassicalcivilizationshadfallen(theHan(220),WesternRome
(476),Gupta(550)).Thereareseveralsimilaritiestothefallofthesecivilizations.
4ReasonsForTheFallOfCivilization
1. Political corruption and deterioration:Thepoliticalofallclassicalagesbecamecorruptand
givenovertofactionsanddivisions.Briberyandfavoritismwererife.Provincescameunder
thecontroloflocalleaderandempiresdecentralized.
TwoChangesinSocietiesAftertheFall:
1. Demographic and Environmental Changes:
Thenewtradepatternsgreatlyalteredhabitatsforplantsandanimalsandresultedinchangesin
humandietandactivitiesaswell.
MajormigrationsacrosstheAtlanticOcean(Pacific)alsoaltereddemographicpatternsprofoundly.
Changesinthelandfromdeforestationandhumanhabitat.
1. Renaissance- Thehumanisticrevivalof
classicalart,architecture,literature,and
learningthatoriginatedinItalyinthe
14thcenturyandlaterspreadthroughout
Europe
2. Reformation-a16th-centurymovementforthe
reformofabusesintheRomanCatholicChurch
endingintheestablishmentoftheReformed and
ProtestantChurches.
3. Enlightenment-aEuropeanintellectual
movementofthelate17thand18thcenturies
emphasizingreasonandindividualismrather
thantradition.Itwasheavilyinfluencedby
17th-centuryphilosopherssuchasDescartes,
Locke,andNewton,anditsprominent
exponentsincludeKant,Goethe,Voltaire,Rousseau,andAdamSmith.
4. Neo-Confucianism-amovementinreligiousphilosophyderived
fromConfucianisminChinaaroundAD1000inresponseto
theideasofTaoismandBuddhism
1stthrough8thCenturies
TherelativepowerandprosperityofEuropeincreaseddramatically
WhileEuropedidnotentirelyeclipsepowerfulempiresinSouthwestAsia,Africa,andEast
Asia,itdidpositionitselfstrategicallytotipthescales
-EarlyMiddleages(vs.DarkAges) wastheperiodofEuropeanhistorylastingfromtheroughlythe
6thcenturytothe10thcentury.
Darkagesoverlookedtheprogressempiresmadeandonlyfocusesonthebadthingsthathappened
-Labor&SlaverySystems(inthisera)
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-MaritimeTrade(inthisera)
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-Gunpowerempires(inthisera)
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EarlyModernEra-Peoplestartedcrossingoceans
1. Theglobalwasencompassed-Humanseverywhere,peoplestartedspreadingout
2. Hemisphereconstantlyconnectedthroughtrade-Contactingwithtrade
3. Broughttechnologyinnovations,strengthenedpoliticalorganization,andeconomicprosperity.
Improvementgunmaking,gunpowder,cannon,arrows,Shipmaking,searoutes,
BeforeIcouldn'ttravelbutnowIcan,thehemisphereisconnected.
Dontwanttoconquerothers,Iwannashakehandswithyoubecauseyoureuseful
Ineedthatmoney,protectourcargo,shakinghandwithothers
TheSea-shipswereusedtotravel-trading
Sea-basedtraderoseinproportiontoland-basedtrade
Broughtbytechnologyadvancementsandwillingnessofpoliticalleadertoinvestinit.
Oldland-basedempireslostrelativepowertothenewsea-basedpowers.
Insteadofconquering,IllhavepoliticalagreementswillingtoinvesttogetmetoBritain.Indiaand
China,youwantoursilkCH,SpicesIN,theyrelandbasedtrade
EuropeanKingdoms
EuropeanKingdomsemergedthatgainedworldpower.
TherelativepowerandprosperityofEuropeincreaseddramatically
EuropedidnotentirelyeclipsepowerfulempiresinSothwestAsia,Africa,andEastAsia.
PeoplewantedtotradewithEuropeanKingdomsinsteadofconqueringthem.
Nomads
Therelativepowerofnomadicgroupsdeclined.
1. B/CoftheSea,theyweretradingonlandbutitsnotasimportantastravelingthroughSea
2. BritishempiresandSpanishplayedmerchantstodoitforthem
Nomadscontinuedtoplayanimportantroleintradeandculturaldiffusion.
Theycontinuetothreatenthebordersofthelargelandbasedempires.
Theirpowerdwindledastravelandtradebywaterbecamemoreimportant.
Merchanttomakethetracks,
Workit!LaborSystems
LaborSystemsweretransformed.
Theacquisition(toget)ofcoloniesintheAmericasledtomajorchangesinlaborsystems.
SlavelaborbecameveryimportantallovertheAmericas,
Otherlaborsystems,suchasencomiendainSouthAmerica,wereadaptedfrompreviousnative
traditions
GunpowderEmpires
Gunpowderempiresemergedinthemiddleeastandasia.
Empiresinoldercivilizationareasgainednewstrength.
Stillfacedsameproblems:defenseofborders,communicationwithintheempireandmaintaina
largearmy
Bytheendoftheera,manywerelesspowerfulthanthenewseabasedkingdomsofEurope.
Trade&Interactions:ChangesinTrade,Technology,andGlobalInteractions
1. TheAtlanticOceanTradeeventuallyledtothecrossingofthePacificOcean
2. Newmaritimetechnologiesmadetheseinteractionspossible,andglobaltradepatterns
changeddramatically.
Astrolabe
TriangularSail
Power!
MajorEmpires:
MajorMaritimePowers:
- Portugal,Spain,France,England,etc
MajorGunpowderEmpires:
- Ottoman,MingandQingChina,Russia,Songhay(Songhai),someAfricanEmpires,etc
MaritimeEmpirescrossedtheAtlantictoconquertheAmericas;Spanish,English,French
Slavery
Slavesystemsandslavetrade:
Thiswasthebigeraforslavesystemsandslavetrade,withthenewEuropeancoloniesinthe
Americasrelyingonslaveryveryheavily.
TheslavetradewasanimportantlinkintheAtlanticOceanand(later)PacificOceantrade.
Empireskeptgrowing,notpaidworking,how?byowningslaves.Weimprovedseatechnologyto
tradeslavesaswell.
Movingawayfromempiresandnationsarebeingbuild
Rulinganationwithreligionallowed
Followreligionrulesoryoullbepunished/kickedout
IslamwasallaroundAfrica,Asia,Europe
InnovationorProbation?Innovation
1. Islam:Theexpansionofislamintroducedanewconcept-thecaliphate-toAfro-Eurasian
statecraft
2. Africa:InAfro-Eurasia,somestatesattempted,withdifferingdegreeofsuccess,topreserve
imperialstructures,whilesmaller,lesscentralizedstatescontinuedtodevelop
3. Eurasia:PastoralpeoplesinEurasiabuiltpowerfulempiresthatintegratedpeopleand
institutionsfromboththepastoralandagrarianworlds.
Conqueryou,bringyouin,forceyoutomarryandgiveachild,
Nowyouhaveachildinthattribesoitwillbedifficulttoleave
4. America:IntheAmericas,powerfulstatesdevelopedinbothMesoamericaandAndeanregion
Mocheareallgone,Incaarestillhereandetc.
Empirescollapsedandwererebuilt;insomeregionsnewstatesformsemerged.
Mostrebuiltgovernmentsthatcombinedtraditionalsourcesofpowerwithinnovations.
Thisallowedthemtobuiltstatesthatbettersuitedtotheirspecificlocalneeds.
Heterogeneoussociety(multi-culturalaffect,differentpeople,bcofthesilkroadoneachofthese
nations)andHomogeneous(sameculturalpeople)
BcoftheSilkroadHomogenoushadtochangetheirwaytoHeterogeneous
TraditionalvsInnovationalSourcesofPower
Traditional:
Patriarchy
Religion:tendstobeunitingnation/empire
Land-owningelites
Innovations:
Newmethodsoftaxations
Tributarysystems(expressyourloyalty,)
Adaptationofreligiousinstitutions
Newgovernment
Newformsofgovernanceemerged-includingthosedevelopedinvariousIslamicstates,Thisoccured
insomeplacesliketheMongolstates,city-states,anddecentralizedgovernments(feudalism)in
EuropeandJapan
Examples,Islamicstates:
Abbasids(MiddleEast)
MuslimIberia(thinktheAlchemist)
DelhiSultanates(India)
Examples,City-states:
Italianpeninsula
EastAfrica
SoutheastAsia(seemap)
TheAmericas(thinkhowsmallMayawas)