Warring States
Time of disunity for China (403-221BCE); many independent states adopted Legalist philosophies as the basis for their rule.
Legalism helped the State of Qin to gain control and unify China.
Turmoil forced Chinese to become introspective in an attempt to b
Olmecs
Olmecs (means "rubber people" are named after trees from the region in which they flourished.
Centers of Olmec society: San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Tres Zapotes in Central America.
Adequate rainfall allowed for the construction of drainage; irrigation syst
Mayan Civilization
Society located in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador, classical Maya ruled from c. 300-900 CE.
Terrace farming was developed to capture rainwater and silt to increase soil fertility and hence agricultural production
Mayan Culture
Built up large ceremonial centers, which included pyramids, palaces, and temples; large centers included Palenque, Chichen Itza, and Tikal, the latter with a population of approximately 40,000 people and the Temple of the Jaguar.
Approximately 800CE peopl
Teotihuacan
City built in central Mexico because of the abundant supplies of fish; developed agriculture by 500BCE, rapid expansion after 200 BCE.
At height (approximately 400-600CE) 200,000 people.
Two most important monuments: colossal pyramids of the sun and the m
Achaemenid Empire
Includes the Medes and the Persians, both people of sizable military power and equestrian skills. (alfalfa)
Cyrus, an Achaemenid (reigned 558-530BCE), founded Persian imperial empire - at height, it spread from India to the borders of Egypt.
Darius (reign
Achaemenid Administration
Government relied on a balance between central administration and locally appointed governors.
Darius divided the empire into 23 satrapies - administrative and taxation districts governed by satraps - in which he regularized tax levies and standardized la
Persian Wars
Fought between Greeks and Achaemenids (500-479BCE) - led to demise of the empire; began when Ionian Greek cities revolted against their governors.
Greeks believed the Persians were uncivilized.
Herodotus (born 484BCE), the great source of knowledge of the
Society in Classical Persia
In the cities, free classes included priests, priestesses, artisans, craftsmen, merchants, and low-ranking civil servants.
Women worked in textile production and received rations of wine, beer, and sometimes meat for their labor.
Slaves were acquired thro
Government in Classical Persia
Sophisticated government led to the development of a new class of educated bureaucrats who played an important role in the daily affairs of the empire.
State-owned slaves provided labor for large-scale construction projects: roads, irrigation systems (qan
Economics of Classical Persia
Agriculture was the foundation of the Persian economy - surpluses were necessary to support military forces, government administrators, and residents in the cities.
Empire controlled fertile land in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Anatolia, and northern India.
Imperi
Zoroastrianism
A religion based on the teachings of Zarathustra, who left his family at the age of 20 in search of wisdom; after ten years he proclaimed that visions revealed to him the supreme god, who he called Ahura Mazda (wise lord); this supreme being had chose him
Confucius
Lived in China during the Warring States period and sought to restore order to China.
A strong-willed man, he often disagreed with the Chinese government.
Left province of Lu in search of a chance at promotion, traveled for ten years; returned fruitless a
Confucianism
One of the major philosophies that emerged from the Hundred Schools of Thought, it attempts to create social order through loyalty and respect.
Does NOT address philosophical or religious questions or the structure of the state. Just wanted to end the War
Daoism
Daoism came up with an alternative solution to end the Warring States period - contrary to Confucian beliefs, Daoists reflected on natural principles that govern the world to achieve harmony with nature.
Central concept: dao ("the way" or "the way of natu
Legalism
One of the major philosophies that emerged from the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Warring States period.
Based on the goal of expanding and strengthening the state at all costs - it is described as ruthless and efficient.
Strict laws with harsh pu
Qin Dynasty
Used Legalist philosophy to restore order and stability to China and end the Warring States period.
Gave peasants land rights to farm remote territories, a practice that weakened traditional social hierarchy.
Centralized bureaucracy ruled the state.
Qin e
Shi Huangdi
Self-proclaimed "first emperor" of China - reigned fourteen years; established centralized rule through large-scale political organization.
Central bureaucracy - run from capital at Xianyang - was divided into administrative provinces and districts, each
Early Han Dynasty
Claming the "madate of heaven," Liu Bang centralized ruled using persistence and methodical planning; started longest lasting Chinese dynasty - the Han (206BCE - 220CE).
Emperors ruled from Chang'an, with its imperial palace, busy markets, and parks.
Han
Emperor Wudi
Han emperor who had a problem recruiting qualified people for government posts because there was no uniform system of public education.
Established an imperial university to educate government officials in 124BCE
Although the government was based on Legal
Later Han Dynasty
Separated from the former Han, as a result of a temporary loss of power from 9 to 23CE, the later Han lasted from 25 to 220CE
Moved capital from Chang'an east to Luoyang.
Ignoring the problem of inequitable land distribution led to increased banditry and
Fall of Han Dynasty
Division within the ruling elite limited the effectiveness of the government, leading to its collapse.
Issues: land distribution, private armies, unrest, economic decline.
Rise in epidemics in late 2nd and early 3rd centuries led to the Yellow Turban Rebe
Mauryan Dynasty
A classical Indian dynasty that developed out of political void created by the failed invasion of Persian emperor Darius, it subsequently controlled by the kingdom of Magadha for two centuries.
Flourished during the late 320s BCE, when Chandragupta Maurya
Gupta Dynasty
Chandra Gupta laid foundations for empire by making alliances with powerful families in the Ganges; he conquered many, while others chose to form tributary alliances with the Guptas.
Government, both policy and administration, was left to the locals; Gupt
Jainism
Indian belief system popularized by Vardhamana Mahavira ("the great hero"). Disciples referred to Mahavira as Jina ("the conqueror") and called themselves Jains.
Practiced ahimsa - nonviolence to living things or their souls (belief later impacted Hinduis
Buddhism
About 537BCE Siddartha Gautama, a Hindu of the Kshatriyan caste, left his family to live as a holy man.
After meditating for 49 days under the bo tree, said he understood the problem of suffering and how to eliminate it; became the Buddha ("the enlightene
Hinduism
World's oldest organized religion, originated in India.
Spoke to needs and interests of average people.
Bhagavad Gita ("Song of the Lord"), a brief poem composed by many unidentified authors, outlines what Hinduism expects of individuals and the path to s
Mycenaeans
Language combined Greek and Minoan.
Built impressive stone fortresses and palaces. Palaces dominated Mycenaean cities, as was the case in Minoan Crete (Palace of Knossos); hovever, their design tended to be more centripetal and indvidualistic than those o
Polis
A Greek word meaning a city, city-state, and a body of citizens.
Attracted large populations because it offered safety; became center of trade. Levied taxes; took farming surplus from countryside to feed inhabitants.
Political models could include, but we
Sparta
A city-state in classical Greece - conquered neighbors and forced them into servitude.
Helots - bound to land; role - to provide food; outnumbered Spartans ten to one.
Spartans were characteristically simple, frugal, and austere.
Known for military talent
Athens
A city-state in classical Greece whose government was based on democratic principles. However, only free adult males could participate in government.
Debt forced many poor farmers into slavery; gap between rich and poor widened. Aristocrat Solon became a
Macedonian Empire
Supplied Greeks with grain, timber, and natural resources in exchange for olives, wine, and finished products.
Alexander led an army of approximately 37,000 to invade the Persian Empire.
By 331BCE, Alexander controlled Ionia, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, E
Hellenistic Empire
The period during the reign of Alexander the Great and the subsequent division into three large states is known as the Hellenistic age (after Greece, or Hellas).
Greek culture spread to areas from Greece to India and affected them politically, socially, a
Olympics
Most famous of Pan-Hellenistic festivals.
Trade between Greek poleis fostered a stronger sense of community and shared traditions (gods, langauge, and games).
Different areas, including Crete, claimed they were responsible for the inception of the games,
Greek Philosophy -
Socrates
Socrates developed a method of questioning aimed at exposing ethics and morality through a series of increasingly difficult questions; his student Plato recorded his thoughts in a series of writings called dialogues.
Socrates suggested that honor was more
Greek Philosophy -
Plato & Aristotle
Plato believed that everything was based on ideal forms or ideas. In reality, definitions were not absolute because virtue, honesty, courage, truth, and beauty all meant different things in different situations.
Had an impact on the development of the Rep
Hellenistic Philosophies (I)
Epicureans suggested that individual needs could not be met through reflection.
Epicureans said pleasure is greatest good; they defined pleasure as an inner peace that could protect them from the world's pressures.
Hellenistic Philosophies (II)
Skeptics doubted the existence of absolute certain knowledge and so did not espouse strong political, social, or moral beliefs. They taught that people should abandon their search for certain answers and find an inner peace.
Stoics believed human beings w
Roman Republic
Republic - a form of a government whose head of state is usually a president.
In 509BCE, an aristocratic republic replaced the Roman monarchy; bulit a Roman forum, a political and civic center housing temples and public buildings for government business.
Rome: From Republic to Empire
87BCE: invasion and subsequent occupation of Rome led by Marius until his death.
Sulla took over, labeling state enemies and encouraging slaughter; civil war and a reign of terror ensued, which lasted five years and resulted in over 10,000 deaths.
Sulla d
Julius Caesar
Named himself dictator of the Roman Empire (for life, not six months as was the past precedent).
Sought to build a sense of community in Rome after civil war; spent large sums of money of gladiators, huge armies, and large-scale building projects employin
Expansion of Roman Empire
During the republic, the empire included Italy, Greece, Syria, Gaul, most of the Iberian Peninsula, and outposts in North Africa and Anatolia; Augustus added most of SE Asia; at its height, the empire included Britain and all of the land surrounding the n
Roman Roads
Roman engineers developed an intricate process for building roads - they prepared a deep bed, edged roads with curbs, provided for drainage, and topped roads with large flat paving stones.
Main roads were 20 to 26 feet wide - allowing for two-way traffic;
Roman Law
Roman law was first recorded c. 450BCE The Twelve Tables were meant to provide a standardized system of law throughout the early empire.
Jurists worked together to standardize interpretations of the laws and develop a definition of justice.
Established ba
Trade in the Mediterranean
Grain from latifundia in North Africa, Egypt, and Sicily supported large cities in the empire and was also used for trade with Greece (for olives and vines) and with Syria and Palestine (for fruits, nuts, and wool fabrics); trade facilitated crop speciali
Jesus
Jewish prophet and teacher whose major teachings were proper worship of God and love for fellow man.
His message "The kingdom of God is at hand" challenged Roman civic life because it did not allow for worship of Roman gods.
After the Crucifixion, devotio
Early Christianity
Generally defined as the time between the Crucifixion of Jesus (c. 30CE) and the First Council of Nicaea (325CE).
Christians would not worship Roman gods.
Worshipped a single God.
Appealed to lower classes (urban dwellers and women).
Encouraged men and wo
Silk Road
Trade route that connected the Han and Roman Empires in classical times.
Facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and disease.
SE Asia, China, and India traded silk and spices west to consumers in central Asia, Iran, Arabia, and the Roman Empire.
Spices
Fall of the Roman Empire
Problems: internal opposition, power struggle (26 people claimed the throne in just 50 years), generals struggled for power and died violently; empire was simply too large, epidemics.
Diocletian divided the empire into two districts: eastern (Anatolia, Sy
Germanic Invasions
Ended imperial Roman power in western Europe by 476CE; power later shifts to Byzantium in the east.
Nomadic Germanic tribes - Visigoths, Huns (led by Attila), Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Franks - encountered little effective resistance.
Controlled the wester
Early Byzantine Empire
Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity in 313CE. He then relocated the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople in the east because the eastern Mediterranean was wealthier and the move allowed him to spy on enemies in the east.
With the fall of th
Justinian's Code
Justinian (reigned 527-565CE) was very important emperor during the early Byzantine Empire; his wife, Theodora, advised him on political, religious, and diplomatic issues.
Great public works built, including Hagia Sophia, a cathedral that became a mosque
Byzantine Economy and Society
Lower Danube region was the breadbasket of the empire.
Byzantine government prevented wealthy classes from seizing peasants' lands. The wealthy could buy exemptions from taxes.
Craftsmen were highly respected for their handiwork in the areas of glassware,
Legacy of Classical Greece
Greek replaced Latin as the official language of the Byzantine Empire.
Modeled after Greece's, the empire's government-organized school system offered basic reading, writing, and grammar, followed by classical Greek literature, philosophy, and science, pr
Fall of Byzantine Empire
Turks invaded from the east and conquered Constantinople (later renamed Istanbul) in 1453.
In 1071, the Byzantines lost most of Anatolia (their breadbasket), which led to their ultimate demise (they had no food source).
Byzantium and Russia
Russia created several trading centers, including Kiev along the Dnieper River.
In 989CE, Prince Vladimir of Kiev converted to Orthodox Christianity as a result of his exposure to Byzantium; his subjects followed.
Other Byzantine influences included the C
Long-distance Trade
Specialized labor and efficient means of transportation encouraged trade between groups such as the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians as early as 3500BCE.
Sumerians, who needed natural resources, traded regularly with the Harappan society by 2300BCE.
Sumeri
Spread of Epidemic Diseases
Smallpox and measles were the most pervasive; bubonic plague also broke out.
Problem: epidemics devastated communities because they had not immunities and no medicines to fight against them.
Smallpox devastated the Roman Empire - reduced population by app
Lateen Sail
A triangular-shaped sail that improved upon the traditional square sail.
By the 500s CE, the lateen sails had extensively replaced the square sail.
The sail was easily maneuverable due to its ability to "catch" wind on the sides, as well as from behind.
I
Sternpost Rudder
A rudder is used to steer a ship.
The Chinese mounted rudders on the sterns of their boats beginning in the 1st century CE.
The use of the sternpost rudder spread across the Indian Ocean.
Europeans began to use the sternpost rudder in the 1100s (CE).
This
Dhows
Sailing vessels with lateen sails.
Lateen sails were used on ships and were most often made of palm leaves or cotton.
Origin is hard to date, but records of their construction exist in the Roman Empire.
These boats were used extensively by Arab sailors in
Magnetic Compass
A navigational tool that determines direction; the magnetic compass does this by using the magnetic poles of Earth.
Its origin is hard to date, but it is certainly a Chinese invention that was in wide use during the time of the Song dynasty (960CE - 1279C