Download WANG MANG

ROME<HAN<GUPTA
DECLINE
Remember Internal AND External
causes
• HAN GOLDEN AGE UNDER HAN WUDI WITH
ADOPTION OF CONFUCIANISM AND CONFUCIAN
EXAMINATION SYSTEM AND OPENING OF SILK
ROAD-DECLINE AFTER WUDI-CRISIS OF
CONFUCIAN OFFICIAL WANG MANG (HIS REFORMS
FAILED DUE TO NATURAL DISASTERS- WARLORDS
STARTED TO EXERT MORE AND MORE AUTONOMY
AND INDEPENDENCE-CONCUBINAGE BECAME A
HUGE PROBLEM WITH ROYAL WIVES AND ROYAL
CONCUBINES SEEKING TO HAVE THEIR IMPERIAL
SON ON THE THRONE-CIVIL WAR BREAKS OUTNOMADIC RAIDS FROM THE NORTH INCREASEWHILE THE HUNS DO OFTEN RAID THE FARTHEST
WESTERN REGIONS OF HAN CHINA THEY DO NOT
STRIKE AT THE CORE AND GENERALLY STAY IN
CHINESE TURKISTAN…ALSO, DAOISM (LIKE
BUDDHISM) WILL BE FOR A TIME A MAJOR
CHALLENGE TO CONFUCIANISM SINCE IT ADOPTS
THE FREE LAND FOR PEASANTS APPROACH
• AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE OF AUGUSTUS ROME
TOO SUFFERED A CRISIS OF SUCCESSION BUT
BECAUSE OF GOLD NOT CONCUBINAGE- IT
BECAME THE CUSTOM IN THE LATER ROMAN
EMPIRE TO PAY FOR THE LOYALTY OF YOUR
TROOPS AND GUARDS WITH GOLD-THIS TURNED
THE ONCE PATRIOTIC ROMAN LEGIONS INTO HIRE
MERCENARIES-ROME NEVER CREATED AND
WIDELY ACCEPTED WAY TO TRANSITION POWER
FROM ONE EMPEROR TO THE NEXT-SO IT BECAME
A CONSTANT PERIOD OF CIVIL WAR THAT WAS
OFTEN A BIDDING WAR-THIS COMBINED WITH A
FAILED ECONOMIC POLICY (LATIFUNDIA) AND
MIGRATIONS, INCURSIONS, AND OUTRIGHT
INVASIONS (HUNS AND IN THE END GERMANIC
TRIBES) FROM OUTSIDERS INCREASED TO
ROMAN DECLINE.
• GUPTA DECLINE WAS VERY MUCH LINKED TO
ONGOING INVASIONS FROM OUTSIDE BY THE
WESTERN HUNAS (WHITE HUNS). THE LAST GREAT
AND SUCCESSFUL GUPTA EMPEROR SKANDA
GUPTA IN THE MID 400s CE WAS ABLE TO REPELL
THESE INVASIONS AND KEEP HIS FEUDAL
KINGDOMS UNITED AND ALLIED UNDER THE GUPTA
FLAG-HIS SUCCESSORS WERE NOT ABLE TO DO
THIS. IT FELL TO THE STRONG MALWA PRINCES OF
NORTHWESTERN INDIA TO FIGHT OFF THE HUNS
AND WHEN THEY SUCCEEDED THEY BECAME
INDEPENDENT FROM THE GUPTA. BY 550 CE
NORTH EASTERN INDIA (LED BY BENGAL) HAD
BROKEN FREE OF GUPTA OVERLORDSHIPANOTHER FACTOR IN GUPTA DECLINE WAS THAT
THE WEALTH CREATED BY THE COTTON FABRIC
TRADE DRASTICALLY DECLINE WITH THE FALL OF
ROME IN THE WEST-DEMAND FOR INDIAN FABRIC
BY FOREIGN MARKETS IN BOTH THE ROMAN AND
CHINESE WORLD VIRTUALLY DISAPPEARED WITH
THEIR EARLIER DECLINES.