Chapters 2,3,4,&5 Economic

You need to consider the following Economics will not play as large a role in Classical Civilization as in others. Why? Do you think economics is going to look very different in the three different civilizations? What do you think economics means during this era?

Agricultural Society ▫Major gaps between upper-class and the masses  Land holding gentry 2% and peasants  Slavery is not part of their economic systems ▫North wheat growing ▫South rice growing ▫Mean people below peasants  Unskilled jobs

Government played an active role in the economy ▫Standardized currency ▫Maintained a surplus in order to control prices Trade was focused on luxury items ▫India ▫Silks, jewelry, leather, furniture High tax Merchants are not looked upon favorably ▫Confucius: Learning over money making

Agricultural based society  Grew Rice, Pepper, Wheat, Barley, Mustard, Sugar Cane, Medicinal Roots Increased trade by uniting India India traded silk, cotton, and spices to Mesopotamia, China, Egypt and Rome

Economy was good in Classical India Most of the manufacturing was done by artist guilds ▫Sold the goods from their shops Caste system assigned your occupation ▫Assigned your occupation ▫Merchants were high up

Agricultural Most people were farmers Commercial farming develops In order to get the crops they needed Grain trade Estate Agriculture Slavery was needed Usually made up of conquered people

Merchants and trading were considered to be important Better than China BUT not as good as India Large artisan population Made luxury goods

Trade Trade routes have been developing throughout the Classical Era: ▫Silk Road ▫Indian Ocean trade ▫Saharan Trade ▫Sub-Saharan Trade

Silk Road Eurasia Overland from China to the Mediterranean ▫Possible because of Camels ▫Not just one line of trade Who: Central Asian Nomads most important Trade West to East: Horses, Alfalfa, grapes, melons, walnuts East to West: Silk, Peaches, Apricots, Spices, Pottery, Paper Cultural Diffusion Chariots, Horse stirrups, Buddhism, Christianity

Indian Ocean Trade Ocean Trade: Canton, SE Asia, India Africa and Middle East Arabs very important Trade Pigments, pearls, spices, tropical fruits Cultural Diffusion Lateen Sail

Saharan Trade Overland from the West Africa to Mediterranean ▫Cairo very important Berbers very important TradeSalt from South and West Sahara Gold from West Africa Wheat and Olives from Italy Cultural Diffusion Camel Saddle

Sub-Saharan Trade Connected Africa South and East of the Sahara to other states Bantu people very important TradeAgricultural products, Iron weapons and later religion Cultural Diffusion Bantu Language

What is Sub-Saharan Africa Such as: ▫Kush: took over Egypt for awhile ▫Axum: Contact with Eastern Mediterranean ▫Ethiopia: Will become a Christian Civilization

Herding People As you can see herding people in Central Asia, Middle East and Africa are very important to the trading of stuff. ▫Technology, ideas, cultural diffusion This will continue to grow in importance as the eras change

Chinese advances China was the tops ▫Helped to improve agricultural output  Plow, collar, iron tools, water powered mill ▫Did not turn China away from agriculture  Most was done to make output better

Indian advances On par with China New canals and irrigation renovated major roads built towns for spinning & weaving uniform system of currency weights and measures

Greek and Roman Advances Farming Shipbuilding Navigation Roads