Ch. 12 Cross Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads

Silk Roads

Started by largeEmpires (ex. Roman,Han, Kushan) WEST

Mediterranean area& Roman Empire

EXPORTED: glasswareJewels, art, decorative items

EAST

Asia, India, China

Exported spices, fruitssilks

Discussion Question

01. What kind of economic advantage did the silk roads create?

Religions on the Silk

Roads

Merchants, missionaries, & others took advantage of the roads to spread

their beliefs

Christianity

MediterraneanBasin

Missionaries

Paul ofTarsus

Gregory The Wonderworker

Buddhism

Merchants Iran, C & SEAsia, & China

Hinduism

SW Asia

Very Devout,Strict

Merchants& Mariners

SE Asia(Vietnam & Cambodia)

Effected culture(ex. Rajas)

Manichaeism

Started by Mani Dualism

Light Dark

SpiritualMaterialWorld

Provided rationalExplanation of Good vs. evil High ethical

standards

Discussion Questions

02. Based on your knowledge compare and contrast any 2 of the following religions: Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Manichaesim.

Epidemic Disease

Small pox, measles, bubonic plague

Han Dynasty Roman Empire

Population declineIn 400ce

Population decline in 2nd Century C.E.Economic

And Social Change

Trade declined &Became regional

Discussion Questions

03. In what ways did the network of trade routes called the silk roads make life during the classical era significantly different from life in the pre-classical era?

China after Han

Cultural Change Epidemic Disease Political Problems

Confucian Tradition Lost credibility

Nomads migratedInto China

Took Chinesenames

Married Chinese spouses

Took upAgriculture& settled

Left Confucianism towardBuddhism & Daoism

Attracted bymigrants already familiarw/it from India

Becomes morereligious than philosophical

Population declinedLost abilityTo maintainorder

Factionswithin ranks (marriagealliances)

Landholdings

Central gov’tdissolves

Generals ruledregions

The Fall of the Roman Empire

Internal Decay

BarracksEmperors

26 Generals

Died Violently

Diocletian

Divide RomeEast & West

Anatolia, SyriaEgypt & Greece

Gaul, SpainBritainN. Africa

Four Official Tetrarchs

Stabilize Economy

Constantine

Son of Co-ruler

New capitalConstantinople

Reunited Eastern& Western Rome

Still faced external threats

External ThreatsIntermittentHostilities w/Sasanids Visigoths

(Scandi-navia & Ru-ssia)

Adopted manyRoman cultures

army laws ChristianityAgriculture

Huns

Attila

Warrior king

PossbleCousinsOf Xiognu

Threatenedothers

Forced to Move intoRoman Boundaries

Moved around at will

Rome didn’t Entirely fall

Byzantine on the East

Discussion Questions

04. How did the nomadic peoples of Eurasia (Visigoths, Huns) impeded and/or contribute to the development of the silk roads?

Cultural Change in Roman EmpireChristianity

Prominentsurvivor ofRome

Becamelegitimatereligion

Constantine

Converted To Christianity

Edict of Milan

Allowed Christianity in Rome openly

Theodosius

Official Religion

St. Augustine

Bishop of Hippo in Africa

Converted toChristianity

Made Christianityintellectually respectable againstother philosophies& religions

Helped change a religion to a church

New Testament

Under Romanturmoil officialswanted to standardize teachings

After severaldebates

4th c.-27 shortwritings wererecognized asauthoritative

New Testament

Institutional Church

Hierarchy

Pope & Patriarchs

Bishops

Had more power

Claim to be the descendantof St. Peter

Became spiritual leader of Christiancommunity

Took careof diocese

Disputes Arise, de-cide officialdoctrine

Council of Nicea andChalcedon

Discuss Jesus’nature

Both human& divine Christianity survives

Imperial authority& will serve a cultural Unification from many lands

Discussion Questions

05. The textbook states “Christianity was perhaps the most prominent survivor of the Western Roman Empire.” What does this statement mean? How did Christianity manage to survive and thrive after the collapse of the empire?