Classical Civilizations – Political Structures

The Dynasties and Empires

China QinHan

Persian Empire

India MauryanGupta

Greece/Alexander City-States of

Greece Alexander’s

Conquests

Roman Empire Republic & Empire

Greek City-States

Alexander’s Empire

Persian Empire

Han China

India

Some Similarities…

Centralized MonarchiesExceptions?

Bureaucracy (administrators, tax collectors, judges, governors, etc.)Most extensive?

TaxationReligion reinforced political

authorityExamples?

Other similarities . . .

Military conquest and

expansion of territory.

Central government sponsored public works projects

Relatively unified law code used throughout the empires.

Persia

Centralized Authority of an Absolute monarch… Emperor connected to the god Ahura Mazda &

extensive bureaucracy Ruled over 35 million people-respected diverse

cultural traditions of subject people Royal Road

Political Developments-Qin & Han

Strongest central authority

*Standardization Economic control -

iron, salt, and silk trade

Expansion of bureaucracy

Education and examination system created a scholar gentry class of government workers.

Mandate of Heaven Dynastic Cycle continued

Indian Political Developments

Central authority with “independent” regional rulers.

Caste structured society

Local trade unrestricted

Greece

Independent CITY-STATES Variety of governments including-

Monarchy & Democracy Little diversity in culture and religion Citizenship and SLAVERY

Greece

Why did Greece and Rome, that had forms of democracy, also have the most people held in slavery?

Alexander the Great expanded Greek Civilization for a short time.

Political Developments in the Roman Empire

1st a Republic, then a Empire w/ a monarch

Citizenship & Slavery

Strongest Law code

Political Developments in the Roman Empire Local rulers

maintained regional rule with Roman oversight

Diversity in religious beliefs and languages

Local trade relatively unrestricted – except for the trade of grains

The Collapse of Empire-Rome and Han China-The DifferencesRome No large scale,

centralized authority ever rules over W. Europe for any significant time…ever!

Han China After several hundred

years, a new dynasty emerges with a return to a single emperor, a bureaucracy selected by education and exams, and Confucian beliefs