Chapter 12

1. Chapter 12 Cross-cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads

2. Long-Distance Travel in the Ancient World • Lack of police enforcement outside of established settlements • Trade was a risky transaction in ancient times • Changed in classical period • Rulers invested in improved infrastructure • Development of large empires that bordered one another • Cost of long distance trade droped

3. Hellenistic Trade Networks Develop • Dramatic increase in trade due to Greek colonization • Maintenance of roads, bridges • Discovery of Monsoon wind patterns • Summer: Blow from Southwest • Winter: Blow from Northeast • Hellenistic rulers closely supervised foreign trade and levied taxes on it---income from trade

4. Trade in the Hellenistic World • Bactria/India • Spices, pepper, cosmetics, gems, pearls • Persia, Egypt • Grain • Mediterranean • Wine, oil, jewelry, art • All traded slaves • Development of professional merchant class

5. The Silk Roads • As Classical empires expand so does trade • Named for principal commodity from China • Dependent on imperial stability • Overland trade routes from China to Roman Empire • Sea Lanes and Maritime trade • Link South China Sea with the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf

6. The Silk Roads, 200 BCE-300 CE

7. Trade Goods • Know goods traded between regions and regional specializations • Pages 292-293

8. Organization of Long-Distance Trade • Divided trade into small segments--did not go from one end of Eurasia to the other • Tariffs and tolls finance local supervision • Tax income incentives to maintain safety, maintenance of passage • Trade was also passed between several groups

9. Cultural Trade: Buddhism and Hinduism • Merchants carry religious ideas along silk routes, especially Buddhism • India through central Asia to east Asia • Cosmopolitan centers promote development of monasteries to shelter traveling merchants • Buddhism becomes dominant faith of silk roads, 200 BCE-700 CE

10. The Spread of Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity, 200 BCE – 400 CE

11. Buddhism in China • Originally, Buddhism restricted to foreign merchant populations (Indians, Parthians, & central Asians) • Lived in separate Buddhist enclaves • Gradual spread to larger population beginning 5th c. CE (China, Japan & Korea)

12. Buddhism and Hinduism in SE Asia • Spread to Southeast Asia • Sea lanes in Indian Ocean • 1st c. CE clear Indian influence in SE Asia • In SE Asia: • Rulers called “rajas” (kings) • Sanskrit used for written communication • Buddhism, Hinduism become increasingly popular faiths

13. Christianity in Mediterranean Basin • In the face of persecution, Christians take advantage of Roman roads and sea lanes • Gregory the Wonderworker, central Anatolia 3rd c. CE (Influenced by Paul of Tarsus) • Christianity spreads through Middle East, North Africa, Europe • Sizeable communities as far east as India • Judaism, Zoroastrianism also practiced

14. Christianity in SW Asia • Influence of ascetic practices from India • Chastity, refusal of comforts, withdrew from family & friends • Desert-dwelling hermits & monastic societies • After 5th c. CE, Christianity in SW Asia & the Mediterranean went different ways • SW Asia: followed Nestorios • Emphasized human nature of Jesus • Established communities in China, India & Central Asia

15. Spread of Manichaeism • Missionary religions make use of the Silk Roads • Mani a Zoroastrian prophet (216-272 CE) • Influenced by Christianity and Buddhism & promoted blend of religions • Dualist--Cosmic struggle between • good vs. evil • light vs. dark • spirit vs. matter

16. Manichaean Society • Devout Manichaeans: “the Elect” • Ascetic lifestyle • Celibacy, vegetarianism • Life of prayer and fasting • Less pious: “the Hearers” • Material supporters of “the Elect”

17. Decline of Manichaeism • Spread through silk routes to major cities in Roman Empire • Zoroastrian opposition provokes Sassanid persecution • Mani arrested, dies in captivity • Romans, fearing Persian influence, also persecute • Survives to an extent in Central Asia

18. The Spread of Epidemic Disease • Role of trade routes in spread of pathogens • Pathogens spread beyond their origins to communities with no acquired immunity • Limited data, but trends in demographics reasonably clear • Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague • Effect: Economic slowdown, move to regional self-sufficiency

19. Epidemics in the Han and Roman Empires

20. Internal Decay of the Han State • Collapse is due largely to internal problems • Infighting & backstabbing at the imperial level • Formation of factions • Problem of land distribution • Large landholders develop private armies • Able to shift tax burdens onto peasants • Epidemics • Peasant rebellions • 184 CE Yellow Turban Rebellion

21. Collapse of the Han Dynasty • Generals assume authority, reduce Emperor to puppet figure • Alliance with landowners • 200 CE Han Dynasty abolished, replaced by 3 kingdoms • Immigration of northern nomads increases

22. Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples • “China-fication” • Nomadic adoption of sedentary lifestyle • Agriculture • Adoption of Chinese names, dress, intermarriage • Nomad peoples become sinicized • Distinctions between Chinese and Nomads become less obvious

23. Popularity of Buddhism and Daoism • The Confucian tradition looses credibility • In a state of disorder Confucianism seems irrelevant • Disintegration of political order casts doubt on Confucian doctrines • Buddhism, Daoism gain popularity • Religions of salvation

24. Fall of the Roman Empire: Internal Factors • Combination of internal & external pressures • The Barracks Emperors (internal pressures) • 235-284 26 claimants to the throne, all but one killed in power struggles • Sprawling empire poses challenge for central governors (unmanageable) • Epidemics • Disintegration of imperial economy in favor of local and regional self-sufficient economies

25. Diocletan (r. 284-305 CE) • Attempted to deal with the unmanageability • Divided empire into two administrative districts • Eastern District (Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, Greece) • Western District (Italy, Gaul, Spain, Britain, N Africa) • Co-Emperors, dual Lieutenants • “Tetrarchs” The four that rule • Currency, budget reform • Relative stability disappears after Diocletans’s death, civil war follows • Constantine emerges victorious and wants to be sole emperor • Constantinople becomes the capital of a united Roman Empire • Faced same pre-Diocletan problems

27. Fall of the Roman Empire: External Factors • Visigoths, influenced by Roman law, Christianity • Settle on the buffer states of the Roman Empire • Attacked by Huns under Attila in 5th c. CE • Massive migration of Germanic peoples into Roman Empire • Sacked Rome in 410 CE, established Germanic emperor in 476 CE • Empire survives in the East AKA Byzantine Empire

28. Germanic invasions and the fall of the western Roman empire, 450-476 C.E.

29. Cultural Change in the Roman Empire • Christianity survives the collapse of western empire • Constantine’s Vision, 312 CE • Promulgates Edict of Milan, allows Christian practice • Converts to Christianity • 380 CE Emperor Theodosius proclaims Christianity official religion of Roman Empire

30. St. Augustine (354-430 CE) • Hippo, North Africa • Experimented with Greek thought, Manichaeism • 387 converts to Christianity • Major theologian

31. The Institutional Church • Conflicts over doctrine and practice in early Church • Divinity of Jesus (is he mortal or divine) • Role of women • Church hierarchy established • Patriarchs, Bishop of Rome primus inter pares