Chapter 12
Cross-cultural Exchanges on the Silk
Roads
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Long-Distance Travel in the Ancient
World
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Lack of police enforcement outside of
established settlements
Trade was a risky transaction in ancient times
Changed in classical period
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Rulers invested in improved infrastructure
Development of large empires that bordered one
another
Cost of long distance trade droped
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Hellenistic Trade Networks Develop
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Dramatic increase in trade due to Greek
colonization
Maintenance of roads, bridges
Discovery of Monsoon wind patterns
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Summer: Blow from Southwest
Winter: Blow from Northeast
Hellenistic rulers closely supervised foreign
trade and levied taxes on it---income from
trade
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Trade in the Hellenistic World
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Bactria/India
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Persia, Egypt
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Grain
Mediterranean
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Spices, pepper, cosmetics, gems, pearls
Wine, oil, jewelry, art
All traded slaves
Development of professional merchant class
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The Silk Roads
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As Classical empires expand so does trade
Named for principal commodity from China
Dependent on imperial stability
Overland trade routes from China to Roman
Empire
Sea Lanes and Maritime trade
Link South China Sea with the Red Sea and
the Persian Gulf
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The Silk Roads, 200 BCE-300 CE
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Trade Goods
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Know goods traded between regions and
regional specializations
Pages 292-293
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Organization of Long-Distance Trade
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Divided trade into small segments--did not go
from one end of Eurasia to the other
Tariffs and tolls finance local supervision
Tax income incentives to maintain safety,
maintenance of passage
Trade was also passed between several
groups
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Cultural Trade: Buddhism and Hinduism
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Merchants carry religious ideas along silk
routes, especially Buddhism
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 Hinduism, Buddhism and
Christianity, 200 BCE – 400 CE
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Buddhism in China
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Originally, Buddhism restricted to foreign
merchant populations (Indians, Parthians, &
central Asians)
Lived in separate Buddhist enclaves
Gradual spread to larger population
beginning 5th c. CE (China, Japan & Korea)
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Buddhism and Hinduism in SE Asia
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Spread to Southeast Asia
Sea lanes in Indian Ocean
1st c. CE clear Indian influence in SE Asia
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In SE Asia:
Rulers called “rajas” (kings)
Sanskrit used for written communication
Buddhism, Hinduism become increasingly popular
faiths
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Christianity in Mediterranean Basin
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In the face of persecution, Christians take
advantage of Roman roads and sea lanes
Gregory the Wonderworker, central Anatolia 3rd c.
CE (Influenced by Paul of Tarsus)
Christianity spreads through Middle East, North
Africa, Europe
Sizeable communities as far east as India
Judaism, Zoroastrianism also practiced
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Christianity in SW Asia
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Influence of ascetic practices from India
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Chastity, refusal of comforts, withdrew from family
& friends
Desert-dwelling hermits & monastic societies
After 5th c. CE, Christianity in SW Asia & the
Mediterranean went different ways
SW Asia: followed Nestorios
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Emphasized human nature of Jesus
Established communities in China, India & Central
Asia
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Spread of Manichaeism
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Missionary religions make use of the Silk
Roads
Mani a Zoroastrian prophet (216-272 CE)
Influenced by Christianity and Buddhism &
promoted blend of religions
Dualist--Cosmic struggle between
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good vs. evil
light vs. dark
spirit vs. matter
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Manichaean Society
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Devout Manichaeans: “the Elect”
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Ascetic lifestyle
Celibacy, vegetarianism
Life of prayer and fasting
Less pious: “the Hearers”
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Material supporters of “the Elect”
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Decline of Manichaeism
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Spread through silk routes to major cities in
Roman Empire
Zoroastrian opposition provokes Sassanid
persecution
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Mani arrested, dies in captivity
Romans, fearing Persian influence, also
persecute
Survives to an extent in Central Asia
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The Spread of Epidemic Disease
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Role of trade routes in spread of pathogens
Pathogens spread beyond their origins to
communities with no acquired immunity
Limited data, but trends in demographics reasonably
clear
Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague
Effect: Economic slowdown, move to regional selfsufficiency
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Epidemics in the Han and Roman
Empires
Chinese Population, 0600 CE
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
c. 0 c. c. c.
CE 200 400 600
CE CE CE
Millions
Roman Population, 0400 CE
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
c. 0 CE c. 200 c. 400
CE
Millions
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Internal Decay of the Han State
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Collapse is due largely to internal problems
Infighting & backstabbing at the imperial level
Formation of factions
Problem of land distribution
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Large landholders develop private armies
Able to shift tax burdens onto peasants
Epidemics
Peasant rebellions
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184 CE Yellow Turban Rebellion
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Collapse of the Han Dynasty
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Generals assume authority,
reduce Emperor to puppet
figure
Alliance with landowners
200 CE Han Dynasty
abolished, replaced by 3
kingdoms
Immigration of northern
nomads increases
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Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples
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“China-fication”
Nomadic adoption of sedentary lifestyle
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Agriculture
Adoption of Chinese names, dress,
intermarriage
Nomad peoples become sinicized
Distinctions between Chinese and Nomads
become less obvious
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Popularity of Buddhism and Daoism
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The Confucian tradition looses credibility
In a state of disorder Confucianism seems
irrelevant
Disintegration of political order casts doubt on
Confucian doctrines
Buddhism, Daoism gain popularity
Religions of salvation
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Fall of the Roman Empire: Internal
Factors
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Combination of internal & external pressures
The Barracks Emperors (internal pressures)
235-284 26 claimants to the throne, all but one killed
in power struggles
Sprawling empire poses challenge for central
governors (unmanageable)
Epidemics
Disintegration of imperial economy in favor of local
and regional self-sufficient economies
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Diocletan (r. 284-305 CE)
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Attempted to deal with the unmanageability
Divided empire into two administrative districts
Eastern District (Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, Greece)
Western District (Italy, Gaul, Spain, Britain, N Africa)
Co-Emperors, dual Lieutenants
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“Tetrarchs” The four that rule
Currency, budget reform
Relative stability disappears after Diocletans’s death, civil war
follows
Constantine emerges victorious and wants to be sole emperor
Constantinople becomes the capital of a united Roman
Empire
Faced same pre-Diocletan problems
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Fall of the Roman Empire: External
Factors
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Visigoths, influenced by Roman law, Christianity
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Settle on the buffer states of the Roman Empire
Attacked by Huns under Attila in 5th c. CE
Massive migration of Germanic peoples into Roman
Empire
Sacked Rome in 410 CE, established Germanic
emperor in 476 CE
Empire survives in the East AKA Byzantine Empire
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Germanic invasions and the fall of the western
Roman empire, 450-476 C.E.
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Cultural Change in the Roman Empire
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Christianity survives the collapse of western
empire
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Constantine’s Vision, 312 CE
Promulgates Edict of Milan, allows Christian
practice
Converts to Christianity
380 CE Emperor Theodosius proclaims
Christianity official religion of Roman Empire
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St. Augustine (354-430 CE)
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Hippo, North Africa
Experimented with Greek thought,
Manichaeism
387 converts to Christianity
Major theologian
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The Institutional Church
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Conflicts over doctrine and practice in early
Church
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Divinity of Jesus (is he mortal or divine)
Role of women
Church hierarchy established
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Patriarchs, Bishop of Rome primus inter pares
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