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MalesHIST410Week4LectureChapter81.pptx
Week 4 Lecture Chapter 8
HIST410
Dr. Males
Spring 2022
SSU
Learning Objectives
Chapter 8:
Why did Teotihuacan rise and decline as an imperial power?
Why did the Roman Empire collapse in the west but survive in the east?
Why was China better adapted for long-term survival than Rome or India?
What were the bases for Ethiopian prosperity?
Why were the Arabs able to conquer a vast empire so quickly?
How did the Muslims treat conquered peoples?
How did the states arise in Tibet, Korea, and Japan?
Why did Teotihuacan rise and decline as an imperial power?
Teotihuacan’s rise and decline as imperial power
The Maya empire had grown is size and strength
They had a successful line of 18 rulers that would end with Chak Tok Ich’aak
This ruler's death was inscribed on the exact date that Siyaj K’ak a Teotihuacanos arrived in the city
With this arrival it a revolution took place and would end the line of the rulers previously and install the Teotihuacanos as the leaders of the empire
Siyaj K’ak installed new rulers to rule over Tikal and other, smaller cities throughout the region
New cities would be built and found colonies fueled by the ever-increasing population
With little few resources to export except obsidian this empire soon became a military state
Very little is known about this time as there was no art depicting kings or depictions of royal activities
Around the mid-eighth century a large fire wrecked the city center and much of the population fled
From this point on no more pursuits were seen for imperial power
Why did the Roman Empire collapse in the west but survive in the east?
Marcus Aurelis (161 to 180) yielding power at it’s height, but the empire had problems:
Sprawling size
Long, vulnerable land frontiers
Politicized soldiery
Uneasy, hostile relations with Persia
Two dangers loomed:
For most of the elite Christianity seemed subversive
Germanic peoples beyond the empires border in Europe coveted Roman wealth
Why did the Roman Empire collapse in the west but survive in the east? Cont.
Marcus Aurelius anticipated ways empire could cope
Sensed need to divide government
Made adoptive brother co-emperor and made him in charge of the Eastern frontier
In combination with threats from Persia and issues with Roman politics, Germanic invaders in the 3rd century almost wiped the empire
5th century was a struggle for the empire to keep immigrants out
The immigrants usually traveled in small, mobile war parties with loyalty to a warlord
FEAR of the Huns always loomed
Changes within the Roman Empire
Center of power in the dwindling empire shifted eastward into mostly Greek speaking zone
In 323, Emperor Constantine elevated Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople
Why did the Roman Empire collapse in the west but survive in the east? Cont..
During the 4th and 5th centuries the Roman empire were able to keep invaders out of most of the eastern province and limited migration to manageable numbers
The west was not the same – supplies were difficult to reach this area due to terrain and the difficult Rhine River and parts of the Mediterranean
Impeded by war, exchange of personnel and commerce became impractical in the west
After 476, there was no longer a co-emperor in the west
Why was China better adapted for long-term survival than Rome or India?
Due to the empire’s roughly round shape, Chinese armies could get quickly to any point on its frontier
No invaders threatened the long-coast line
The people of the empire tended to embrace their identity
Size, productivity and technical inventiness made China self-sufficient
The internal market was hug
More internal trade meant more wealth
What were the bases for Ethiopian prosperity?
The right balance between accessibility and isolation was the key to Ethiopia’s success
High altitude made the state defensible
Created a temperate climate in the tropical latitude
The capital Axum was around 7,200 feet up
Axum was also seen as a trading state
However, Axum was a farming community and trade was a sideline
Inscriptions from the early 4th century recorded what people at the time believed were key events of politics:
Number of captives
Food granted and relocation of these captives
Plunder of livestock
Oath of Submission
Why were the Arabs able to conquer a vast empire so quickly?
In the 7th century, they were transformed from a regional nuisance into a dynamic force
Demographically robust
Militarily effective
Artistically creative
However, Arabia was politically divided and riven by internal wars among tribes
Tribes had also come to depend on war
Raiding the Byzantine, Persian and Arab cities around the edge of the region and milking their trade
As trade banditry concentrated wealth, new styles of leadership dislocated the traditional and kinship-based structures of society and created opportunity for a single leader
Why were the Arabs able to conquer a vast empire so quickly? Cont.
A charismatic leader would emerge
Muhammed – “The Prophet”
His impact changed every aspect of life it touched
Islam was a way of life and a blueprint for society
How did the Muslims treat conquered peoples?
Christians and Jews were vulnerable to periodic persecution
They would be compelled to pay extra taxes
However, they were allowed to worship in their own way
Some shrines were considered to pagan to allow to remain
Many of the traditional shrines and pilgrimages were resanctified as suitable for Muslim devotion
How did the states arise in Tibet, Korea, and Japan?
Tibet
Beginnings of the first Tibetan state in the 6th century
A little understood agricultural transformation in the 5th century which brought barley to these areas as a staple crop
The cold climate for storage of food created a large surplus
Became a growing areas for armies that could march on far campaigns
Before the 7th century, divine monarchs ruled
In the 6th century, Kings who ruled until they died a natural death would replace the divine monarch ruling
Long reigns and stability were now possible
How did the states arise in Tibet, Korea, and Japan? Cont.
Korea and Japan
Chinese culture began to arrive in Japan from Korea when a Buddhist monk became a tutor at a Japanese court around 400.
The Korean kingdom, Paekche would send scholars and Buddhist scriptures
The leading state in Japan was Yamato which was a maritime kingdom
Around 475, the king of Yamato applied to China for the rank of general and minister
He was advised the way to govern is to maintain harmony and peach
One of the Korean advisers suggested to try and make farmers prosperous for 3 years
The result would be plentiful amounts of food and soldiers
Questions?
Reference: Fernandez-Armesto, F. (2011). The World: A History. Prentice Hall.
