Chapter 4 - The Rest of Ancient World and

the “Falls” of the Ancients

Corresponds to Chapter 5 in Book

Africa - Bantu Migrations - spreading of people from N to S and SE Africa beginning 1000BCE

! Bantu are agricultural based people who create cities and towns along these areas.

! With new iron tools they will cut down forests/jungles and carve out new civilizations.

! Impact - Bring ag-based civs that will develop into city-states, then empires. Some common culture & language

Japan - isolation

– Shintoism - “the way of the gods, the rulers”

– Worship of God-like Emperors and closeness with nature

– closeness to China, some similar culture

1. Beyond the Classical Civs History

Northern Europe - Germans, Celtics, Slavs

-Pg 110 - most backward areas of world! - Ouch!

– Political - City-States then Roman Empire, then City-States after fall of Rome

– Emerging North as seafarers….ahhh raiders! - Vikings!!

– Religion - Christianity comes in 100s and expands. Will become dominant cultural bond to European peoples…soon to be political bond too!

Decline in China2. Han Collapse in late 100s -

1. Constant Raids from North - Constant raiding of farms. Pay off, still raid $$ decline

2. Halving Farms - custom to divide farms among sons, more sons, smaller and smaller farms. As taxes stay the same per farm, small farmers can’t pay, Decline and revolts.

3. In comes the Water! Massive flooding from Deforestation = decline in food stores

4. Need a doctor! Disease - comes along Silk Roads = 25-50% die. Tax bases decline.

5. At the top troubles - Han in fighting and struggle for power

Decline in India3. Gupta India - Least drastic decline than China or Rome

–White Huns!! - Invaders who will destroy Guptas…bringing back city-state structure.

– Huns Integrate into India Civ - Superior horsemen & warrior class

– Rajputs - regional Hindu princes who will control

! No evidence of widespread plague

– Hinduism binds all of Indian culture with favorite blends of throughout areas - favorite gods, rituals.

– Like coffee…It’s all coffee - India, but there are 1000s of blends of its culture from religion to languages!

4. Decline and Fall in Rome

Raiders! Nomadic groups plague the Roman Army - Attila and others!

Over expansion! Rome has costly wars, army is spread thin, barbarian mercenaries needed - corrupt!

Missing good leadership - For each good leader there are 3 bad ones…corrupt, cruel, constantly spending $$$

Epidemics - disease will bring down the tax base.

Decline and Fall in Rome

– Constantine (312-337) - Fingering the Decline Dike

! 1. Moves capital, Constantinople - Present day Turkey

! Shift of power to the Eastern Roman Empire

! 2. Acceptance of Christianity unites and strengthens Rome in SHORT term.

! 3. Building of elaborate, complex bureaucracy centered around the emperor and church - Byzantine!

– Final stages of Collapse of WESTERN Empire by 476CE - Rome in ruins!!

– Barbarians - those not apart of the classical civilizations, more pastoralists. Roman nickname sticks….

– Fall of West - Continuation of East!!!

– Split eased by different cultures and customs - East more Greek, West more Italian with Latin

PROBLEMS IN WEST - Western Roman Empire

! Roman State structure shattered

! Regional - city-states - Kingdoms form

! Becomes more rural like before Romans

! Broken from State Building perspective, but cultural connections of the Roman Church continue to unite most of these people.

! Church will grow from cultural tie….to State Building force over time!

RISE OF EASTERN EMPIRE

East becomes Byzantine Empire

– Justinian - 1st “Great” Byzantine - 500s - Rome on come back?

! -Attempts glory to reunite Western Empire - FAIL!

! Hindered by plagues and costs….just too many people to conquer

! ***Caesaropapism - Emperor in Byzantine Empire over the leader of the Church….Opposite in the West….Pope most powerful in the West…..

A split in this Church is coming!

Byzantine Empire

Rise of Religion

The New Religious Map

Buddhism

– Buddhism alters as it spreads into China and East Asia

! Focus on ethics and meditation

– See pgs 120-121 for more religious comparisons

Christianity

– Jesus - The Christ =“God’s anointed”

! Message of salvation - God desires a PERSONAL relationship.

! Spreading message like Paul of Tarsus - Thru Rome

! Benedict -Establishes Christian Monasteries (Like Buddhism)

! Appeals to ALL - especially poor, women, and slaves

! As appeal and followers grow….so does power of the leaders of this Church

The New Religious Map

Islam - Many common links, Christianity

– 600 - Mohammed of Saudi Arabia………….will have own Chapter

World Around 500

Falling…..Fragmented East and WestSmall City-State-like KingdomsChina and West Europe

Rising….of New Central Empires-Middle East & Byzantine-Becomes heart of learning!

Changing….Religion becoming cultural “glue”Christian- EuropeHinduism- IndiaBuddhism/Confucianism-China