CHAPTER 12 Cross-cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads

Long-Distance Travel in the Ancient World

!  Lack of police enforcement outsied of established settlements

!  Changed in classical period !  Improvement of infrastructure ! Development of empires

Trade Networks Develop

!  Dramatic increase in trade due to Greek colonization

!  Maintenance of roads, bridges !  Discovery of Monsoon wind patterns !  Increased tariff revenues used to maintain open

routes

Trade in the Hellenistic World

!  Bactria/India ! Spices, pepper, cosmetics, gems, pearls

!  Persia, Egypt ! Grain

!  Mediterranean ! Wine, oil, jewelry, art

!  Development of professional merchant class

The Silk Roads

!  Named for principal commodity from China !  Dependent on imperial stability !  Overland trade routes from China to Roman Empire !  Sea Lanes and Maritime trade as well

The Silk Roads, 200 BCE-300 CE

Organization of Long-Distance Trade

!  Divided into small segments !  Tariffs and tolls finance local supervision !  Tax income incentives to maintain safety,

maintenance of passage

Cultural Trade: Buddhism and Hinduism

!  Merchants carry religious ideas along silk routes !  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

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

Buddhism in China

!  Originally, Buddhism restricted to foreign merchant populations

!  Gradual spread to larger population beginning 5th c. CE

Buddhism and Hinduism in SE Asia

!  Sea lanes in Indian Ocean !  1st c. CE clear Indian influence in SE Asia

! Rulers called “rajas” ! Sanskrit used for written communication ! Buddhism, Hinduism increasingly popular faiths

Christianity in Mediterranean Basin

!  Gregory the Wonderworker, central Anatolia 3rd c. CE !  Christianity spreads through Middle East, North Africa,

Europe

!  Sizeable communities as far east as India !  Judaism, Zoroastrianism also practiced

Christianity in SW Asia

!  Influence of ascetic practices from India !  Desert-dwelling hermits, monastic societies !  After 5th c. CE, followed Nestorios

! Emphasized human nature of Jesus

Spread of Manichaeism

!  Mani Zoroastrian prophet (216-272 CE) !  Influenced by Christianity and Buddhism !  Dualist

! good vs. evil !  light vs. dark !  spirit vs. matter

Manichaean Society

!  Devout: “the Elect” ! Ascetic lifestyle ! Celibacy, vegetarianism ! Life of prayer and fasting

!  Laity: “the Hearers” ! Material supporters of “the Elect”

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

The Spread of Epidemic Disease

!  Role of trade routes in spread of pathogens !  Limited data, but trends in demographics reasonably

clear

!  Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague !  Effect: Economic slowdown, move to regional self-

sufficiency

Epidemics in the Han and Roman Empires

Internal Decay of the Han State

!  Court intrigue !  Formation of actions !  Problem of land distribution

! Large landholders develop private armies !  Epidemics !  Peasant rebellions

! 184 CE Yellow Turban Rebellion

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

Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples

!  “China-fication” !  Adoption of sedentary lifestyle

! Agriculture

!  Adoption of Chinese names, dress, intermarriage

Popularity of Buddhism and Daoism

!  Disintegration of political order casts doubt on Confucian doctrines

!  Buddhism, Daoism gain popularity !  Religions of salvation

Fall of the Roman Empire: Internal Factors

!  The Barracks Emperors !  235-284 26 claimants to the throne, all but one killed in

power struggles

!  Epidemics !  Disintegration of imperial economy in favor of local and

regional self-sufficient economies

Diocletan (r. 284-305 CE)

!  Divided empire into two administrative districts !  Co-Emperors, dual Lieutenants

!  “Tetrarchs”

!  Currency, budget reform !  Relative stability disappears after Diocletans’s death, civil

war follows !  Constantine emerges victorious

Fall of the Roman Empire: External Factors

!  Visigoths, influenced by Roman law, Christianity !  Formerly buffer states for 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

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

Cultural Change in the Roman Empire

!  Growth of Christianity ! 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

St. Augustine (354-430 CE)

!  Hippo, North Africa !  Experimented with Greek thought, Manichaeism !  387 converts to Christianity !  Major theologian

The Institutional Church

!  Conflicts over doctrine and practice in early Church ! Divinity of Jesus ! Role of women

!  Church hierarchy established ! Patriarchs, Bishop of Rome primus inter pares