World History: The Earth and its Peoples
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Transcript of World History: The Earth and its Peoples
World History:The Earth and its Peoples
Chapter 5An Age of Empires:
Rome and Han China753 B.C.E. - 330 C.E.
Objectives
• Explain how the Roman and Han Empires came into being.
• Be able to describe the sources of their stability or instability.
• Discuss the benefits and liabilities that these empires bring to the rulers and their subjects
Rome and Han China
Common Characteristics
• largest empires world had seen• greater central control than earlier empires• greater cultural impact• remarkable stability
Rome’s Mediterranean Empire
Crossroads• Italian peninsula• Europe and Africa
Natural Resources• ample, arable land
– volcanic soil• timber and minerals• navigable riversSupport of a large population
A Republic of Farmers
Inhabitation by 1000 BCE– Romulus 753 BCE
• Seven Hills– original Latins– Etruscans immigrants 700 BCE
• Economy– agriculture and land
• Politics– “Council of Elders”– seven kings of Rome
• 753 - 507 BCE
A Republic of Farmers
• Roman Republic - 507-31 BCE– ruled by assemblies of wealthy
male citizens• Roman Senate
– real center of power; made laws– served for life– consuls
Society• multi-generational family
– paterfamilias• oldest-living male
• hierarchical– patron/client relationship– mutual benefits and obligations
A Republic of Farmers
Women• child in eyes of the law• more freedom than Greeks• influence over husbands / son
Religion• polytheistic
– numina - invisible shapeless forces controlling nature
– pax deorum• peace with the gods
– diffusion with Greek gods
Roman Expansion
Early Roman Republic - 500 BC• Rome as ‘city-state’
– aggression or self-defense?• friction
– pastoral tribes / agriculturalists– Romans serves as ‘protectors’
• Roman loyalty - 290 BCE– privileges of citizenship to
conquered– military service
• Carthage Wars - 264-202 BC– control of western
Mediterranean Sea
Punic Wars: Rome - Carthage
Roman Expansion
Eastern Mediterranean• Hellenistic (200-30 BCE)
– Egypt and Greece
Interior• Gaul (59-51 BCE)
– Celts– Gaius Julius Caesar
Administration• considerable autonomy to
cooperative local elites– provincial governor from Senate
• inadequate and corrupt
Caesar
Caesar’s Empire
The Failure of the Republic
Forces• military service for farmers
– decline of independent farms• unemployment
– decline in soldiers• mercenaries
• war wealth of upper classes– rise in latifundia; cash crops
• slave labor– loss of food supply
• Civil War - 88 BCE - 31 BCE– allegiance to generals, not state
The Failure of the Republic
Octavian - 63 - 14 BCE– ends civil wars by 31 BCE– military dictator
• offensive to defensive– Augustus
• Roman Principate– “first among equals”
• equites– wealthy merchants / landowners– civil service
• Good Emperors– line of succession
An Urban Empire
Pax Romana– “Roman peace”– safety and stability
Importance of trade– support for emperor & govt– rich interior provinces
• Gaul and Egypt
Romanization– spread of Latin language /
Roman ways• citizenship
– Before 212 CE: military service– After 212 CE: all free males
Rome: 14 - 117 C.E.
The Rise of Christianity
Judea– Jewish homeland– Roman control by 6 CE
• Jesus– personal faith and spirituality
• Paul - (45 - 58 C.E.)– Jesus as Messiah (“anointed
one”– benefits of citizenship to preach
Disloyalty to Rome– refusal to worship emperor
Spread of Christianity
Roman Technology
Aqueducts– road system– water conduits using gravity– arches– domes
• concrete
“Third-century crisis”– 235 - 284 C.E.– frequent change of rulers
• coin devaluation– permeable frontiers
• loss of trade revenues– exodus from city to country
Aqueducts
Roman Transformation
Diocletian (284 - 305 C.E.)– government regulation
• prices and vocations
Constantine (306 - 337 C.E)– reunites entire empire– conversion to Christianity– Rome to Byzantium
• Constantinople
Diocletian’s Empire
Origins of Imperial China, 221 BCE - 220 CE
Warring-States Period• 1st empire under Qin
– Shi Huangdi (221-206 BCE)• Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 CE)
Resources• agriculture
– free peasant taxes• human labor
– public works projects– military service
Hierarchy, Obedience, & Belief
Family– all generations; ancestors
• Values– Confucianism– obedience and proper conduct
• Women– three submissions
• parents, husband, son– live with husband’s family
• Nature– nature spirits– feng shui
Qin Dynasty
Qin - 221 - 206 B.C.E.– Imperial Age
• Shi Huangdi– “First Emperor”– totalitarianism
• primogeniture– outlawed sole land inheritance– abolished slavery
• standardization– coins, law code, writing– roads, canals, walls– unification of civilization
The Long Reign of the Han
Han - 206 BCE - 220 CE– replaces Qin
• Legalism reform– Confucianism social order– Mandate of Heaven
• Chang’an– capital of Early Han
• model of urban planning• alignment with gentry
– class below aristocrats• efficient and responsive
– Confucian guide to government• civil service
• Daoism– popular among commoners
Han Dynasty
Technology and Trade
Metallurgy– poured versus pounded
• Military– crossbow and cavalry
• watermill– grindstone
• horse collarTrade
– silk as leading exportFall of Han
– reform failure; corruption– nomad attacks; hungry peasants