Copyright © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Chapter 9 Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads 1

Copyright © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Copyright © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 9

Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads

1


The Classical Era witnessed the growth and consolidation of vast empires, such as

Rome China and Parthia


Chinese Soldier

Roman Soldiers

Parthian Soldier


The relative political stability, economic prosperity, and close proximity of their borders encouraged an unprecedented growth in long-distance trade.

Regular land and sea trading routes, collectively known as the Silk Roads, became established thoroughfares for the spread of goods from the coast of China to Western Europe. This extensive trading network had several consequences, both intended and unintended.

**Regions began to specialize in certain products that were particularly valuable as trade goods.

**Merchants, traders, mariners, and bankers became much more wealthy and influential than they had ever been before.

**Merchants, travelers, and missionaries carried popular religious beliefs to distant lands via the silk roads. Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Mithraism in particular became much more widespread.

**Disease pathogens were carried to populations that had no immunities to them, causing widespread epidemics throughout Eurasia. Inadvertently, these epidemics contributed to the downfall of the Han and Roman Empires.


The Bezeklik Grottoes along the Silk Road


The western end of the Great Wall of China


Long-Distance Travel in the Ancient World

Lack of police enforcement outside of established settlements

Changed in classical period Improvement of infrastructure Development of empires

7


Along the ancient Silk Road



Traders on the Silk Road


Trade Networks Develop Dramatic increase in trade due to Greek

colonization

Maintenance of roads and bridges

Discovery of monsoon wind patterns

Increased tariff revenues used to maintain open routes

11


Trade in the Hellenistic World Bactria/India

Spices, pepper, cosmetics, gems, pearls

Persia and Egypt Grain

Mediterranean Wine, oil, jewelry, art

Development of professional merchant class

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The Silk Roads

Named for principal commodity from China

Dependent on imperial stability

Overland trade routes from China to Roman empire

Sea lanes and maritime trade as well

13


The Silk Roads, 200 BCE – 300 CE

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Organization of Long-Distance Trade

Divided into small segments

Tariffs and tolls finance local supervision

Tax income incentives to maintain safety, maintenance of passage

15


Cultural Trade: Buddhism and Hinduism Merchants carry religious ideas along silk routes

India through central Asia to east Asia

Cosmopolitan centers promote development of monasteries to shelter traveling merchants

Buddhism becomes dominant faith of silk roads, 200 BCE – 700 CE

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The Spread of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, 200 BCE – 400 CE

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Buddhism in China

Originally, Buddhism restricted to foreign merchant populations

Gradual spread to larger population, beginning 5th century CE

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Buddhism and Hinduism in Southeast Asia

Sea lanes in Indian Ocean

1st century CE, clear Indian influence in southeast Asia

Sanskrit used for written communication Buddhism and Hinduism increasingly popular faiths

20


Christianity in Mediterranean Basin Gregory the Wonderworker, central Anatolia,

3rd century CE

Christianity spreads through Middle East, North Africa, Europe

Sizeable communities as far east as India

Judaism and Zoroastrianism also practiced

21


Ancient frescoe portraying Jesus as the good shepherd


Ancient frescoe of Christ and Apostles


Jesus entering Jerusalem


Christianity in Southwest Asia

Influence of ascetic practices from India

Desert-dwelling hermits, monastic societies

After 5th century CE, followed Nestorius Emphasized human nature of Jesus

25


Spread of Manichaeism Mani, Zoroastrian prophet (216–272 CE)

Influenced by Christianity and Buddhism

Dualist Good vs. evil Light vs. dark Spirit vs. matter

26


Mani


Manichaean Society

Devout: “the elect” Ascetic lifestyle Celibacy, vegetarianism Life of prayer and fasting

Laity: “the hearers” Material supporters of “the elect”

28


Decline of Manichaeism Spread through silk routes to major cities in

Roman empire

Zoroastrian opposition provokes Sassanid persecution

Mani arrested, dies in captivity

Romans, fearing Persian influence, also persecute

29


The Spread of Epidemic Disease Role of trade routes in spread of pathogens

Limited data, but trends in demographics reasonably clear

Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague

Effect: economic slowdown, move to regional self-sufficiency

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Epidemics in the Han and Roman Empires

0102030405060

ca. 0CE

ca.200CE

ca.400CE

ca.600CE

Chinese Population, 0-600 CE

Millions

0102030405060

ca. 0 CE ca. 200CE

ca. 400

Roman Population, 0-400 CE

Millions

31


Internal Decay of the Han State

Court intrigue

Problem of land distribution Large landholders develop private armies

Epidemics

Peasant rebellions 184 CE Yellow Turban rebellion

32


Collapse of the Han Dynasty Generals assume authority, reduce emperor to

puppet figure

Alliance with landowners

200 CE, Han dynasty abolished, replaced by three kingdoms

Immigration of northern nomads increases

33


China After the Han Dynasty, 200 CE

34


Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples

“China-fication”

Adoption of sedentary lifestyle

35


Popularity of Buddhism and Daoism

Disintegration of political order casts doubt on Confucian doctrines

Buddhism and Daoism gain popularity

Religions of salvation

36


Fall of the Roman Empire: Internal Factors The “barracks emperors”

235–284 CE, twenty-six claimants to the throne; all but one killed in power struggles

Epidemics

Disintegration of imperial economy in favor of local and regional self-sufficient economies

37


Diocletian (r. 284–305 CE) Divided empire into two administrative districts

Co-emperors, dual lieutenants: “Tetrarchs”

Currency, budget reform

Relative stability disappears after Diocletian’s death; civil war follows

Constantine emerges victorious

38


Fall of the Roman Empire: External Factors Germanic peoples, especially the Visigoths (originally from Scandinavia

and Russia), influenced by Roman law and Christianity, settled in western half of Roman Empire – Italy, Gaul, Spain, Britain, and North Africa

These formerly were buffer states for Roman empire

Roman Empire attacked by Huns under Attila in 5th century CE

Massive migration of Germanic peoples into Roman empire

Under Alaric, the Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 CE, later established

Germanic emperor Odovacer in 476 CE

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Germanic Invasions and the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, 450–476 CE

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Cultural Change in the Roman Empire

Growth of Christianity Constantine’s vision, 312 CE Promulgates Edict of Milan, allowing Christian practice Converts to Christianity

380 CE, Emperor Theodosius proclaims Christianity official religion of Roman empire

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St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine


St. Augustine (354–430 CE) City of Hippo, north Africa

Experimented with Greek thought, Manichaeism

387 CE, St. Augustine converts to Christianity

Major theologian

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Augustine arrives in Rome 4th Century A.D.

Augustine teaching in Rome


The Institutional Church Conflicts over doctrine and practice in early

Church The divinity of Jesus Role of women

Church hierarchy established

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Copyright © 2010 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Chapter 9 Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads 1