AP World History
Chapter 5
The Classical Period:
Directions, Diversities, and Declines by 500 C.E.
Independent developments 600
C.E.
• Sub-Saharan Africa
– Upper Nile Region
• Kush
– Kush and Upper Nile Region Unified by
1000 B.C.
• Axum
– conquers Kush by 300 B.C.E.
• Ethiopia
– conquest of Axum
– Trade with Mediterranean
– some converts to Judaism
– Christianity by 300 C.E.
• West Africa
– Southern fringe of Sahara civilization
– Regional kingdoms
– Ghana
Independent developments 600 C.E.
• Japan
– Agriculture well-established by 200 C.E.
– Regional states, c. 300 C.E.
– Writing introduced 400 C.E.
Shintoism (Religion)
– Organized by 700 C.E.
– State formation by 600 C.E.
• Northern Europe
– Germanic, Celtic, Slavic
peoples
– loose kingdoms
–
–
–
–
oral culture
simple agriculture
Sailing
Animistic
• Central America
• Olmec, c. 800–400 B.C.E.
–
–
–
–
–
–
No writing
Pyramids
Agriculture
Especially corn
Potatoes in Andes
Domestication of
animals
– Turkeys, dogs
– Calendars
• Successor Cultures
• Teotihuacan
• Maya
– from 400 C.E.
Polynesia
Isolation
– Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga by 1000 B.C.E.
– Hawaii by 400 C.E.
China Decline
• Han Dynasty
– decline ca. 100 C.E.
– Daoist revival
– Yellow Turbans
– Epidemics
• Sui Dynasty
• Tang
– from 618 C.E.
– Continuity
India Decline
• Invasions from 600 C.E.
– Gupta empire destroyed
• Fragmentation
– Rajput
• Buddhism declines
• Hinduism
– worship of Devi popular
• Islam
– from 7th century
– control of Indian Ocean
Decline and Fall in Rome
• Leadership
•
weak emperors
Plagues
•
Change from republican values
hedonism
•
Diocletian (284–305 C.E.)
emperor worship
•
Constantine (312–337 C.E.)
Constantinople
Two Empires
Eastern
• Population
– Greek
•
•
•
•
•
Constantinople
Continuity, vigor
Byzantine Empire
Justinian (527–565 C.E.)
Justinian Code
Western
• Population
– Latin, Germanic
• Rome
• decline, vulnerable
Western Europe
Contributing to Fall of Rome
• Middle East
– Parthian Empire
• Sassanids
– from 227 C.E.
– Zoroastrianism
– D. North Africa
• Augustine
– bishop of Hippo
– Coptic church
The New Religious Map
• Common Features
–
–
–
–
Piety
spiritual focus
Afterlife
emerge in period of political instability
• Hinduism, Buddhism, and Daoism
• Buddhism
– changes as it spreads
– Bodhisattvas
– nirvana
• Mahayana
– China, Korea, Japan
– minority religion
Christianity
• Institutional church
– Roman influence
– Papacy
– bishops
• Jesus of Nazareth
– Salvation
– Spread
– Paul
• Doctrine
– trinity
• Monasticism
– Benedict of Nursia
Rule
• Women
– spiritual equals of
men
• Islam
– Later, 7th century
• D. The Spread of Major Religions
– Animism declines
• E. The World Around 500 C.E.