Chapter 12 Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads 1
Long-Distance Travel in the Ancient World n Lack of police enforcement outside of established settlements n Changed in classical period q Improvement of infrastructure q Development of empires 2
Trade Networks Develop n Dramatic increase in trade due to Greek colonization n Maintenance of roads, bridges n Discovery of monsoon wind patterns n Increased tariff revenues used to maintain open routes 3
Trade in the Hellenistic World n Bactria/India q Spices, pepper, cosmetics, gems, pearls n Persia, Egypt q Grain n Mediterranean q Wine, oil, jewelry, art n Development of professional merchant class 4
The Silk Roads n Named for principal commodity from China n Dependent on imperial stability n Overland trade routes from China to Roman empire n Sea lanes and maritime trade as well 5
The Silk Roads, 200 B.C.E.-300 C.E. 6
Organization of Long-Distance Trade n Divided into small segments q Trade done in stages n Sea trade q Malay and Indian mariners q Persian, Egyptian, Greek 7
Cultural Trade: Buddhism and Hinduism n Merchants carry religious ideas along silk routes n India through central Asia to east Asia n Cosmopolitan centers promote development of monasteries to shelter traveling merchants n Buddhism becomes dominant faith of silk roads, 200 B.C.E.-1000 C.E. 8
The Spread of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, 200 B.C.E.-400 C.E. 9
Buddhism in China n Originally, Buddhism restricted to foreign merchant populations n Gradual spread to larger population, beginning fifth century C.E. 10
Buddhism and Hinduism in SE Asia n Sea lanes in Indian Ocean n First century C.E., clear Indian influence in southeast Asia q Rulers called rajas q Sanskrit used for written communication q Buddhism, Hinduism increasingly popular faiths 11
Christianity in Mediterranean Basin n Gregory the Wonderworker, central Anatolia, third century C.E. n Christianity spreads through middle east, north Africa, Europe n Sizeable communities as far east as India n Judaism, Zoroastrianism also practiced 12
Christianity in Southwest Asia n Influence of ascetic practices from India n Desert-dwelling hermits, monastic societies n After fifth century C.E., followed Nestorius q Emphasized human nature of Jesus 13
Spread of Manichaeism n Mani a devout Zoroastrian (216-272 C.E.) n Viewed himself a prophet for all humanity n Influenced by Christianity and Buddhism n Dualist q Good vs. evil q Light vs. dark q Spirit vs. matter 14
Manichaean Society n Devout: the elect q Ascetic lifestyle q Celibacy, vegetarianism q Life of prayer and fasting n Laity: hearers q Material supporters of the elect 15
Decline of Manichaeism n Spread through silk routes to major cities in Roman empire n Zoroastrian opposition provokes Sasanid persecution q Mani arrested, dies in captivity n Romans, fearing Persian influence, also persecute 16
The Spread of Epidemic Disease n Role of trade routes in spread of pathogens n Limited data, but trends in demographics reasonably clear n Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague n Effect: economic slowdown, move to regional self-sufficiency 17
Epidemics in the Han and Roman Empires 18
Internal Decay of the Han State n Court intrigue n Problem of land distribution q Large landholders develop private armies n Epidemics n Peasant rebellions q 184 C.E., Yellow Turban uprising 19
Collapse of the Han Dynasty n Generals assume authority, reduce emperor to puppet figure n Alliance with landowners n 200 C.E., Han dynasty abolished, replaced by three kingdoms n Immigration of northern nomads increases 20
Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples n Social and cultural changes to a Chinese way of life n Adapted to the Chinese environment q Agriculture n Adoption of Chinese names, dress, intermarriage 21
Popularity of Buddhism and Daoism n Disintegration of political order casts doubt on Confucian doctrines n Buddhism, Daoism gain popularity n Religions of salvation 22
Fall of the Roman Empire: Internal Factors n The barracks emperors n 235-284 C.E., twenty-six claimants to the throne, all but one killed in power struggles n Epidemics n Disintegration of imperial economy in favor of local and regional self-sufficient economies 23
Diocletian (r. 284-305 C.E.) n Divided empire into two administrative districts n Co-emperors, dual lieutenants q Tetrarchs n Currency, budget reform n Relative stability disappears after Diocletian's death, civil war follows n Constantine emerges victorious 24
Fall of the Roman Empire: External Factors n Visigoths, influenced by Roman law, Christianity q Formerly buffer states for Roman empire n Attacked by Huns under Attila in fifth century C.E. n Massive migration of Germanic peoples into Roman empire n Sacked Rome in 410 C.E., established Germanic emperor in 476 C.E. 25
Germanic Invasions and the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, 450-476 C.E. 26
Cultural Change in the Roman Empire n Growth of Christianity q Constantine s vision, 312 C.E. q Promulgates Edict of Milan, allows Christian practice q Converts to Christianity n 380 C.E., Emperor Theodosius proclaims Christianity official religion of Roman empire 27
St. Augustine (354-430 C.E.) n Hippo, north Africa n Experimented with Greek thought, Manichaeism n 387 C.E., converts to Christianity n Major theologian 28
The Institutional Church n Conflicts over doctrine and practice in early Church q Divinity of Jesus q Role of women n Church hierarchy established q Patriarchs, bishop of Rome 29