Download Chapter 7 - Course Notes

Chapters 7 + 8 Timelines
Chapter 7
599 – 527
563 – 483
520
327
321 – 185
321 – 297
268 – 232
182 – 1
1 – 300
78 – 103
320 – 550
Life of Vardhamma Mahavira
Life of Siddhartha Gautuma, the Buddha
Invasion of India by Darius of Persia
Invasion of India by Alexander of Macedon
Mauryan Dynasty
Chandragupta Maurya
Ashoka Maurya
Bactrian Rule in Northern India
Kushan empire in northern India and central Asia
Kushan emperor Kanishka
Gupta Dynasty
Chapter 8
2200 – 1100
1600 – 1100
800 – 338
509
500 – 479
470 – 399
443 – 429
431 – 404
430 – 347
384 – 322
359 – 336
336 – 323
264 – 146
106 – 43
1st Cent. BC
46 – 44
31 – 14 CE
4 – Early 30s
1st Cent. CE
66 – 70
Minoan Society
Mycenaean Society
Era of the classical Greek polis
Establishment of the Roman Republic
Persian Wars
Life of Socrates
Pericles’ leadership in Athens
Peloponnesian War
Life of Plato
Life of Aristotle
Reign of Philip II of Macedon
Reign of Alexander of Macedon
Roman expansion in the Mediterranean basin
Life of Marcus Tullius Cicero
Civil War in Rome
Rule of Gaius Julius Caesar as dictator
Rule of Augustus
Life of Jesus of Nazareth
Life of Paul of Tarsus
Jewish War
Chapter 7
The Fortunes of Empire in Classical India
THE MAURYAN DYNASTY AND THE TEMPORARY UNIFICATION OF INDIA
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Alexander made a political vacuum in India when he came in for two years, destroyed the
existing states and then left (didn’t leave a deep impression)
Kingdom of Magadha: Poised to fill the vacuum ⟶ when Alexander left provided them with a
big opportunity to expand; central region of the Ganges Plain ⟶ gained control of Indian
Commerce passing through the Ganges Valley and that passing through the Bay of Bengal.
Chandragupta Maurya: Took this opportunity ⟶ laid foundation for the Mauryan empire;
centralized unified government; took control of small, remote regions then took the center;
Northern India from the Indus to the Ganges
Chandragupta’s Government: Advisor named Kautalya devised procedures ⟶ some of his
advice survives in the Arthashastra; Used spies (including prostitutes);
- Arthashastra outlined methods of administrating the empire, overseeing trade and
agriculture, collecting taxes, etc.=
Ashoka Maurya: Chand. abdicated throne, became a Jain monk, died from starvation; Son after
him, added most of S. India ⟶ Grandson Ashoka was best – Kalinga in bloody campaign;
governor more than conqueror ⟶ Tightly organized bureaucracy, central treasury, etc. ⟶
Integration of the country, roads (highway)
Decline of the Mauryan Empire: Didn’t survive his rule ⟶ declined immediately after his death;
Large army – large salaries, no revenue; disappeared 50 years after Ashoka’s die
THE EMERGENCE OF REGIONAL KINGDOMS AND THE REVIVAL OF EUROPE
Bacterian Rule in Northwest India: Regional kingdoms; conquered by the Greek-speaking
Bactrian’s in 3rd century BC
The Kushan Empire: Nomadic conquerors - central Asia; took out Bacteria; Kushians most
successful– Kanishka; commerce between India + northern lands; silk roads ⟶ safer; Ghandra
style – influential in Buddhist art; others tried to imitate Mauryas + conquer them
The Gupta Dynasty: Ganges region; based in Magadha; somewhat smaller than Mauryans and a
different organization – didn’t care about the day to day and even basic policy making to his
admins; Chandra Gupta – founder, successors (Samudra and Chandra II)
Gupta Decline: White Huns (Central Asian nomads); Repelled for 50 years as they tried to attack
over the Hindu Kush Mountains, but defense cost them too much + weakened the state. Huns
took over; Gupta’s name stayed the same but the rest changed (regional powers trumped imperial
ones, emperors names aren’t even listed)
Economic Development and Social Distinctions
TOWNS AND TRADE
Towns dotted the NW coast, marketplaces, roads
Long-Distance Trade: Volume of these trades grew; two ways to go: Over Hindu Kush or using
the silk roads to China
Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin: Merchants increasingly turned to the sea for trading; Spring
and summer – winds blew from SW; Winter and Fall from the NW; Tons of Roman coins
discovered
FAMILY LIFE AND THE CASTE SYSTEM
Gender Relations: Sought to have more order through patriarchal families - well-defined roles; 2
great Indian epics – The Mahabharata and the Ramayana (portrayed women as weak-willed and
emotional creatures); girls 8/9 were betrothed of to 20 year olds, married when they hit puberty
Social Order: Four main castes: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors and aristocrats),
vaishyas (peasants + merchants), and shudras (serfs)
Castes and Guilds: New classes appeared and they didn’t fit (merchants, artisans, etc.), formation
of guilds A.K.A. jati ⟶ had their own courts and resolved their own differences and such
Wealth and the Social Order: Tremendous wealth accrued ⟶ posed threat to the social order;
Brahmins and Kshatriyas bossed the lower classes around ⟶ lower classes started to get richer
and more influential than the higher ranks
Religions of Salvation in Classical India
JAINISM AND THE CHALLENGE TO THE ESTABLISHED CULTURAL ORDER
Vardhaman Mahavira: VM “the great hero” made Jainism popular; left home at age 30 to seek
salvation ⟶ gained enlightenment by wondering around for 12 years; disciples called him Jina –
“the conqueror”; inspired by Upanishads ⟶ everything possesses a soul
Jainist Ethics: Ahimsa – nonviolence to other souls; monks went to extremes to avoid harming
souls – swept ground (insects = other souls); Didn’t believe in castes – popular among the lower
castes
EARLY BUDDHISM
Siddhartha Gautama: Came from a Kshatriya family ⟶ left everything to find salvation; lived a
really sheltered life ⟶ saw old age and disease and a monk ⟶ decided to live a monk life
Gautama’s Search for Enlightenment: Wandered through the Ganges ⟶ meditation then
asceticism but nothing worked ⟶ sat below a large pipal (ficus religiosa) in Bodh Gaya and he
sat there for 49 days (until he understood the problem of suffering)
The Buddha and His Followers: Deer Park of Sarnath; Buddhist holy city of Banaras; “Turning
of the Wheel of the Law” ⟶ beginning of the Buddha’s quest for the law of righteousness ⟶
organized a treaty of monks (yellow robes and begging bowls)
Buddhist Doctrine: The Dharma: Four Noble Truths – all life involves suffering, desire is the
cause of suffering, end of desire = end of suffering, and a disciplined life conducted in
accordance with the Noble Eightfold Path brings the elimination of desire.
- Eight fold path: balanced and moderate lives, rejection of luxuries. Eightfold path and the
Four Noble Truths constitute the Buddhist dharma ⟶ leads to personal salvation ⟶
nirvana ⟶ no focus on castes ⟶ not as rigorous as Jainism
Appeal of Buddhism: Avoided Sanskrit – used common languages; holy sites = spots for
devotion ⟶ peasants flocked to tree; monastic orgs created positive vibe about the religion
Ashoka’s Support: Emperor started to adopt Buddhism after the war against Kalinga ⟶ tired of
the suffering or war ⟶ purely political move ⟶ built monasteries and gave Buddhists land
MAHAYANA BUDDHISM
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ATTRACTED MERCHANTS AND THE LOWER CLASSES ⟶ heavy demands
Development of Buddhism: 3 new laws ⟶ reduced the obligations of believers, more ways to
salvation, and huge boom in popularity of the religion; boddhisatva – an enlightened being who
delayed enlightment so they could help others
The Spread of Mahayana Buddhism: Called faith Mahayana – “greater vehicle” – could carry
more people to salvation; earlier religion known as Hinayana – “lesser vehicle”
Nalanda: when Monastaries were formed so were schools ⟶ Nalanda it was possible to study
the Vedas and Buddhism but also other shit
EMERGENCE OF POPULAR HINDUISM
The Bhagavad Gita: “song of the lord”; self-contained episode of the Mahabharata – Arjuna and
his charioteer Krishna a charioteer – incarnation of the god Vishnu – reluctant to fight but
Krishna tells him not to worry about killing his enemies (friends and relatives) because the soul
doesn’t die with the body
Hindu Ethics: In the Bhagavad Gita, Hindu teachings only promised salvation to those who met
their caste responsibilities and participated actively in the world. Four principals of human life:
dharma (obedience to religious and moral laws), artha (pursuit of economic well-being and
honest prosperity), kama (social, physical, + sexual pleasure), and moksha (salvation of the soul)
Popularity of Hinduism: Gradually displaced Buddhism; Guptas advanced it
Chapter 8
Early Development of Greek Society
MINOAN AND MYCENAEAN SOCIETIES
Knossos: Island of Crete – lavish palaces ⟶ most notable society at Knossos; Residences of
rulers, storehouses of taxes
Decline of Minoan Society: Series of earthquakes, tidal waves, and volcanic eruptions – after
them they rebuilt the cities with more luxury; this attracted invaders
Mycenaean Society: Indo-Europeans filtered into the Greek Peninsula – traded with Minoan
merchants; massive stone fortresses
Chaos in the Eastern Mediterranean: Mycenaeans expanded influence beyond Greece – overpowered Minoan society and took over Cretan palaces; fought with the city of Troy; The Iliad
THE WORLD OF THE POLIS
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polis = city-state; established when Greek societies kept failing
Sparta: Fertile region – forced neighbors into performing agricultural labor – helots – not slaves,
free to leave. By 6th century they outnumbered the Spartans ten to one ⟶ had to watch out for
uprisings ⟶ devoted most of their resources to maintain a large, powerful army
Spartan Society: Citizens were equal – austere lifestyle discouraged economic and social
distinctions; Spartan = simplicity, frugality, and austerity; physical training regime for everyone;
left at age 7 to train til age 20 then went to military; women trained to bear strong children
Athens: Tried to negotiate order through constituents’ interests – free adult males made up the
polis not foreigners, slaves, and women
Athenian Society: Gap between rich and poor grew as trade increased; poor wanted to fight rich
– Solon devised a solution
Solon and Athenian Democracy: Forged compromise between classes – aristocrats kept land –
cancelled debts, forbade slavery, liberated all enslaved due to debt; individual rights protected by
law regardless of class
Pericles: Democratic state – high point of this came under the leadership of the statesman
Pericles – hundreds of office holders from common classes; scientists, philosophers, etc.;
Pericles boasted that Athens was “the education of Greece”
Greece and the Larger World
- AS POLEIS GREW GREECE BECAME MORE INFLUENTIAL
GREEK COLONIZATION
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Political pressures arose  establish colonies in other parts of the Mediterranean and the
Black sea; Popular early sites – Neapolis – “New Polis” and Sicily
Greek Colonies: Arose in the Eastern Mediterranean  hundreds of islands in the Aegean sea 
700s and 600s Greeks ventured to the Black Sea and settled along the shore; did not build a
centralized imperial state but an ad hoc response of individual poleis
Effects of Greek Colonization: Sponsored more communication, interaction, and exchange;
colonization spread Greek language and traditions through the Mediterranean; as merchants
brought wealth  clan leaders built small states
CONFLICT WITH PERSIA
The Persian Wars: Darius repressed Ionian rebellion; 3 years later tried to punish the Athenians
for helping them; the Athenians were outnumbered but they managed to push out the Persian
army at Marathon and marched back to Athens in order to meet the Persian navy; no victory
The Delian League: Serious conflict among the Greek poleis themselves; Alliance with Greek
poleis – meant to discourage more wars with Persia
The Peloponnesian War: Athens v. Sparta; Athenian bullied smaller communities – Melos stood
up to them; then Athens conquered them killed the military-age men and sold women and
children
THE MACEDONIANS AND THE COMING OF EMPIRE
The Kingdom of Macedon: Frontier state til Phillip II  military machine ⟶ wanted to conquer
Persia and Greece ⟶ easily got Greece
Alexander of Macedon: Used conquest of Greece as launching point ⟶ assassin killed Phillip
II; soon invaded Persia
Alexander’s Conquests: Tried to conquer India, troops refused to proceed any farther; suddenly
fell ill and died  didn’t live long enough to establish an administration system
THE HELLENISTIC ERA
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AGE OF ALEXANDER OF HIS SUCCESSORS; THEIR INFLUENCE (HELLAS)
The Hellenistic Empires: Generals divided Alexander’s kingdom into three parts after he died.
Antigonus took Greece and Macedon (Antigonid), Ptolemy took Egypt (Ptolemaic dynasty),
Seleucus took the largest portion, Bactria to Anatolia,
The Antigonid Empire: smallest of the Hellenistic empires but benefited the most from the new
order; Poleis often struck bargains with the Antigonids and offered to recognize their rule in
exchange for tax cuts and local autonomy; Internal problems as well
The Ptolemaic Empire: Trade networks and efficient tax collection; perhaps the wealthiest;
Greek and Mecedonian overlords didn’t interfere in Egyptian society  irrigation networks
and monitored the cultivation of crops and the payment of taxes; monopolies over big
industries such as textiles, salt making, and the brewing of beer
The City of Alexandria: Much of Egypt’s wealth; admin hq  enormous ports, 1200 ships 
early megalopolis; cultural capital of Hellenistic world; Alexander library – over 700,000 works
The Seleucid Empire: Greek influence at its greatest extent – old Persian citites; assimilation in
to Greek culture
The Fruits of Trade: Greek Economy and Society
TRADE AND THE INTEGRATION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN
Trade: Olives and Grapes, little grain; Trade links = large sense of Greek community
The Olympic Games: 776 – Greek communities from all over the Mediterranean sent their best
athletes to compete; winners got olive wreaths
FAMILY AND SOCIETY
Patriarchal Society: With the establishment of Poleis the nature of the Greek family came into
focus; Males ruled – could decided whether they wanted to keep the babies they had, women
spent their lives in the home – only position of power was a priestess of a religious cult
Slavery: Mobilizing labor; different backgrounds – POWs or in debt; slave markets
The Cultural Life of Classical Greece
RATIONAL THOUGHT AND PHILOSOPHY
Socrates: Athenian – wanted to understand humans and their complexity. Didn’t write shit down
– Plato did it for him; honor was most important; need to reflect on purposes and goals of life;
condemned to death because he passed the bounds of propriety – Drank a hemlock potion
Plato: Series of dialouges – theory of Forms or Ideas; world we live in is not reality – a pale and
imperfect reflection of the world of Forms or Ideas; The Republic
Aristotle: Philosophers should rely on their sense to spread accurate knowledge – called “the
master of those who know”
POPULAR RELIGION AND GREEK DRAMA
Deities: Most Greeks didn’t have advanced education; formless void of chaos that the world
emerged out of
Religious Cults: Myths sought to explain the world
Tragic Drama: Poleis strengthened their grip – cults became more tame; tragedy plays –
Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides; comic dramatists - Aristophanes
Hellenistic Philosophy and Religion
The Hellenistic Philosophers: Epicrueans, the Skeptics, and the Stoics  personal tranquility and
serenity. Epicureans  pleasure; skeptics didn’t take strong moral positions on anything Stoics
where the best – duty to aid others and lead virtuous lives in harmony with reason and nature
Religions of Salvation: Trade routes- promised internal bliss; savior whose death and
resurrection would lead to way to salvation
Rome: From Kingdom to Republic
THE ETRUSCANS AND ROME
Romulus and Remus: Romulus – founder of Rome – with twin Remus; abandoned – adopted by
she-wolf; scholars say it was the Indo-Europeans
The Etruscans: Ran Italy between 5th + 8th centuries; thriving cities and a trading fleet
The Kingdom of Rome: Monarchy; influenced by the Etruscans; city walls, paved roads; Tiber
river to the Med Sea
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC AND ITS CONSTITUTION
Establishment of the Republic: Roman forum and constitution; ruled by noble classes; when they
had crisis they’d appoint a dictator with a 6-month term
Conflicts between Patricians and Plebeians: Tension between wealthy and poor; Plebians had
officials  tribunes
THE EXPANSION OF THE REPUBLIC
Expansion in the Mediterranean: Eastern Med Sea
The Punic Wars: Fights with Carthage  then with Antigonids and the Seleucids  five major
wars mainly in Macedon and Anatolia
From Republic to Empire
IMPERIAL EXPANSION AND DOMESTIC PROBLEMS
Civil War: Enormous plantations – “latifundia”; Classes fought  here Ceasar took control;
centralized imperial government
THE FOUNDATION OF EMPIRE
Augustus: 13 more years of civil war after the death of Caesar; Octavian, Caesar’s nephew,
ended the war at a naval battle in Greece  defeated Marc Antony; was dubbed Augustus by the
Senate
Augustus’ Administration: Monarchy disguised as a republic; got vast power for himself and
reorganized the military system
CONTINUING EXPANSION AND INTEGRATION OF THE EMPIRE
Roman Roads: pax Romana – “Roman Peace”
Sea-Lanes: Mediterranean – mare nostrum – “our sea”
Roman Law: Jurists  actual law
Economy and Society in the Romanian Mediterranean
TRADE AND URBANIZATION
Commercial Agriculture: Pottery, glassware, and bronze goods in Italy
Mediterranean Trade: Roman power kept seas largely free – Periplus maris erythraei – “Sailing
Itinerary of the Red Sea” – description of the ports by the Red Sea
The City of Rome: Trade flowed to Rome  Urban development
Roman Cities and Their Attractions: Wealth concentrated in urban areas
FAMILY AND SOCIETY IN ROMAN TIMES
The Paterfamilias: “father of the family” Woman supervised domestic affairs
Slavery: Spartacus slave revolt
The Cosmopolitan Mediterranean
GREEK PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIONS OF SALVATION
Greek Influence: Marcus Tullius Cicero openly adopted Stoic values
Religions of Salvation: From other socieites around the Med Sea – not Greece
Mithraism: Divine sanction for human life
Cult of Isis: Mithras didn’t admit women
JUDAISM AND EARLY CHRISTIANITY
The Jews and the Empire:
Jesus of Nazareth: “the kingdom of God is at hand”
Jesus’ Early Followers: Christ means “the anointed one”
Paul of Tarsus: Observe high moral standards and place faith ahead of family and shit
Early Christian Communities: Communities selected their own supervisors - bishops
The Growth of Early Christianity: