1. Formation of Classical Empires
Period 2: 600 B.C. E – 600 C.E.
Formation of Classical Empires
Ch. 7: Persia
Ch. 8: China
Ch. 9: India

2. Chapter 7 The Empires of Persia

3. Empires of Persia Contemporary Iran Four major dynasties
Achaemenids ( B.C.E.)
Seleucids ( B.C.E.)
Parthians (247 B.C.E.-224 C.E.)
Sasanids ( C.E.)

4. Empires of Persia Achaemenid Cyrus founded the dynasty
Peak under Darius
Capital Persepolis
Administration: Satrapies
Twenty-three administrative divisions
Staffed by local authorities with loyalty to central government
Declined after Persian Wars with Greece
(500 B.C.E. – 479 B.C.E)

5. Empires of Persia Technologies Social Structure
Qanat: underground canals
Roads
Persian Royal Road (1600 miles)
Courier service
Social Structure
Warriors, priests, peasants
Family/clan kinship very important
Creation of bureaucrat class with empire
Tax collectors
Record keepers
Translators

6. Empires of Persia
Alexander the Great conquers the Achaemenid empire ( B.C.E.)
Empire split into three areas, Persia given to Seleucus: Seleucid Empire 305 – 281 B.C.E.
Parthians revolt & take control 247 B.C.E. – 224 C.E.
Roman Empire puts pressure on Parthians, they weaken.
Sasanids take over and rule 224 – 651 C.E.

7. Empires of Persia Religion Zoroastrianism Zarathustra
“Good words, Good thoughts, Good deeds”
Priests of Zarathustra known as magi
Judiasm, Christianity and Islam came later

8. Chapter 8 Unification of China

9. Confucius 551 – 479 B.C.E. Became a teacher and editor of books.
Sayings compiled in the Analects.
Analects were the core text of Chinese education until 20th century.

10. Daoism Critics of Confucianism
Passivism, rejection of active attempts to change the course of events
Founder: Laozi, sixth century B.C.E.
The Daodejing (Classic of the Way and of Virtue)
Daoist's devote their energies to reflection and introspection: natural principles govern the world.

11. Legalism Emphasis on development of the state
Ruthless, end justifies the means
Role of law: Strict punishment for violators
Human nature is naturally selfish.
Intellectualism and literacy is discouraged.
Law is the supreme authority and replaces morality.
The ruler must rule with a strong, punishing hand.
War is the means of strengthening a ruler’s power.

12. Confucianism Legalism Daoism Moral order in society.
Rule by harsh law & order.
Daoism
Freedom for individuals and less government to avoid uniformity and conformity.

13. Unification of China Period of Warring States 403 – 221 B.C.E.
Legalist doctrines implemented in Qin state and they end up dominating neighbors.

14. Resistance to Qin Policies
Emperor orders execution of all critics
Orders burning of all ideological works
Some 460 scholars buried alive
Others exiled
Massive cultural losses

15. Tomb of the First Emperor

16. The Han Dynasty Civil disorder brings down Qin dynasty in 207 B.C.E.
Liu Bang forms new dynasty: the Han
(206 B.C.E.-220 C.E. one of longest)
Former Han (206 B.C.E.-9 C.E.)
Interruption 9-23 C.E.
Later Han ( C.E.)

17. Patriarchal Social Order
Classic of Filial Piety
Subordination to elder males
Lessons for Women
Ban Zhao ( C.E.)
Education should be available to all children

18. Other Technological Developments
Cultivation of silkworms
Breeding
Diet control
Other silk-producing lands relied on wild worms
Development of paper
Bamboo, fabric abandoned in favor of wood and textile-based paper
Crossbow trigger, horse collar, ship rudder

19. Later Han Dynasty
Han dynasty emperors manage, with difficulty, to reassert control
Yellow Turban uprising, land distribution problems
Internal court intrigue
Weakened Han dynasty collapses by 220 C.E.

20. Chapter 9 Classical India 321 B.C.E. – 550 C.E.

21. India before Mauryan Dynasty
520 B.C.E., Persian emperor Darius conquers northwest India
327 B.C.E., Alexander of Macedon destroys Persian empire in India

22. Chandragupta Maurya Took advantage of power vacuum left by Alexander
Expanded kingdom to create first unified Indian empire: Mauryan Empire
Ashoka Maurya (Grandson of Chandragupta)
Represents high point of Mauryan empire, r B.C.E.
Expanded empire to include all of Indian subcontinent except for south
Economic crisis follows death of Ashoka
High costs of bureaucracy, military not supported by tax revenue

23. Regional Kingdom: Bactria
Northwestern India
Ruled by Greek-speaking descendants of Alexander’s campaigns
Regional Kingdom: Kush
Northern India/central Asia
Ca C.E.
Maintained silk road trade network

24. The Gupta Dynasty Founded by Chandra Gupta ca. 320 C.E.
(no relation to Chandragupta Maurya)
Slightly smaller than Mauryan empire
Highly decentralized leadership
Foundations for studies in natural sciences and mathematics
Gupta dynasty disintegrates along regional fault lines
Smaller local kingdoms dominate until Mughal empire founded in sixteenth century

25. Economics Indian ocean trade
Seasonal sea trade expands with monsoon winds
Trade from Asia to Persian Gulf and Red Sea, Mediterranean

26. Social Order Strong patriarchal family system Caste system Guilds
Supervised prices, wages
and welfare of members
Guilds served as
subcasts: jati

27. Religion Janism Ahimsa: nonviolence to other living things
Jainism did not recognize social hierarchies based on varna or jati
Buddhism
Siddhartha Guatama
Desire is cause of sufferings; eliminate desire
4 Noble Truths, Noble Eightfold Path
Attain nirvana
Mahayana Buddhism
Spiritual-based Buddhism w/o giving up pleasures of this life: Bodhisattvas

28. Religion Hinduism Outgrowth of Vedic age
Mahabbarata, Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita texts
Polytheistic: Emphasis on god Vishnu and his incarnations
Gradually replaced Buddhism in India