IMPORTANT EMPIRES I

Unit 5

Important Empires I

1. Map2. Timeline3. Gupta Empire4. Tang Dynasty5. Byzantine Empire6. Muslim Empire

Map

Timeline

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

Gupta Empire

Tang Dynasty

Byzantine Empire

Muslim Empire

Two Important Terms

1. Empire: A civilization that takes over other territories and unites them under one ruler

2. Golden Age: A time of peace and prosperity

Gupta Empire

India’s Golden Age:

-Came during the Gupta Empire

-Chandra Gupta started the empire

-Golden Age: A time in a culture’s history where there is peace and prosperity, there are many great cultural contributions

Gupta Contributions to Our Society

1. Decimal System

2. Arabic Numerals {1,2,3,4,5,……………………..}

3. Concept of Zero -

Tang Dynasty

1. Influence on Japan and Korea:- Much of Japanese and Korean culture was borrowed from the Chinese during the Tang Dynasty

- Buddhism- Writing System- Confucianism: “5 Relationships”- Respect for

nature

The Silk Road

Helped the Dynasty extend WestwardConnected China with western cultures (Muslim

and Byzantine Empires)

Tang Contributions to Our Society

1. Gunpowder

2. Porcelain

3. Compass

4. Spinning Wheel

5. Mechanical Clock

6. Block Printing

Byzantine EmpireCreated: It was the Eastern Half of the Old Roman Empire

How the Byzantine Empire Compared with the Roman Empire

Capital Religion Language

Other Information

HolyRomanEmpire

RomeRomanCatholic(Christian)

Latin

-The Western Half of the old Roman Empire

-Fell into the “Dark Ages”

Byzantine

ConstantinopleEastern(Greek)Orthodox(Christian)

Greek

-The Eastern Half of the Old Roman Empire

-Grew strong and lasted 1,000 years

Impact on Russia

Religion: Eastern Orthodox spread to Russia (known as Russian Orthodox)

Trade: Many Byzantine ideas were introduced into Russia

1. Cyrillic Alphabet

2. Religion

3. Art Work (Mosaic)

4. Architecture

Contributions to Our Society

Justinian’s Code:- The laws of the Byzantine Empire based on the “Twelve

Tables” of Roman law, became a basis for laws in many European nations

- Thousands of laws- More modern law code

Art and Architecture:- Usually supported the Christian Church

Preservers of Greek and Roman culture:- The Byzantine Empire saved the knowledge, art, and ideas of the old Roman and Greek cultures- “Classical” culture

Reasons why the Empire lasted so long

1. Organized Government

2. Did not get to be too big

3. Minded their own business

How it Spread:

Origin: Out of Mecca, east to India, west across North Africa and on into Spain

Growth: to spread Islam to other people1. Military conquest – took about 100 years to expand the empire

- They were great fighters, if they died in battle, they believed they would go directly to heaven (Jihad)

- They treated conquered people fairly – better than previous rulers

Battle of Tours: (732 CE)1. In Southern France2. The French Christians, under Charles Martel, defeated the Muslims and stopped their advance in Europe

Golden Age: (700-900 CE)1. A time of great learning and cultural diffusion

Muslim Empire

Mathematics Astronomy

Spread Gupta math ideas Created Algebra and

Trigonometry

Contributions to Our Society

-Learned from Greek ideas-Study of the stars; created astronomical tables

Medicine Islamic Law

Created Hospitals Wrote medical textbooks Doctors required to pass

exams to practice medicine

Based on Islamic religious laws in the Qu’ran

Became the basis for political laws in the empire

Contributions continued…..

Architecture Banking

Influenced by Byzantine and Indian styles

Used Money Allowed credit (money

borrowing) to be used

Contributions continued…

Preservers of the Greek and Roman culture

Preserved the Roman and Greek ideas that they got from their contacts with the Byzantine Empire

Preserved them

They improved upon them (i.e. translated Roman writings, etc…)

Essential Questions

1. What would be the most influential contributions from these Empires?A.) Technology: mechanical clock, gunpowder, block printing, compassB.) Learning: mathematics, science, medicine, preservation of Greek and Roman culture by the Muslim and Byzantine EmpiresC.) Laws: Justinian’s Code

2. Why did the Muslim Empire become the most influential on European culture?- Their geographic nearness to Europe (they were centrally located among these empires and the Muslims shared the ideas they obtained from other cultures with Europeans)- Great traders with Europe- The Crusades