WHAP Unit 2 Chapter 3 Reading Guide KEY
Read Chapter 3 and Identify the following:
1.Achaemenid dynasty:
First dynasty of Persian empire
2.Cyrus:
Created Achaemenid dynasty of
Persian Empire (557-530 BCE),
nicknamed the Shepherd
3.Darius:
Expanded Persian empire (522486 BCE) great administration
4.Ahura Mazda:
Supreme god of Zoroastrianism
5.Satraps:
Persian government was split into
several provinces/satrapies ruled
by a governor/satrap, collected
taxes and responsible for military
6.Royal Road:
1700 miles in length, facilitated
communication and commerce in
Persian empire from Susa to
Sardis
7.Persepolis:
Capital city of Persian Empire built
8.Hellenes:
Greeks, their name for themselves
9.Citizens:
Free citizens who run the affairs of
the state
10.Helots:
servants, not chattel slaves but
not free, could not leave land
11.Solon:
Reforming leader of Athens who
abolished debt slavery and made
government jobs salaried, all male
citizens could partake in assembly
12.Pericles:
Athens’ greatest statesman,
golden age, beautified Athens
13.Greco-Persian Wars:
Two major Persian invasions of
Greece, in 490 BCE and 480 BCE,
in which the Persians were
defeated on both land and sea
19.Sparta:
Greek city-state known for its
military, had Council of Elders,
won Peloponnesian War, simple,
austere
20.Alexander the Great:
Alexander III of Macedon, 356-323
BCE, conqueror of the Persian
Empire and part of northwest
India
21.Greek Empire:
Land of Greece united by Phillip of
Macedon and later expanded by
Alexander the Great
22.Alexandria:
Port city at mouth of Nile,
founded by Alexander, contains
museum and library
23.Ptolemaic Empire:
Part of Alexander’s empire that
was inherited by Ptolemy at
Alexander’s death, area including
and around Egypt, wealthiest part
of Greek empire
24.Seleucid Empire:
largest part of Greek empire,
Anatolia to Bactria, inherited by
Seleucus after Alexander’s death,
later taken over by Parthians
25.Hellenism:
Greek culture spread widely in
Eurasia and North Africa in the
kingdoms ruled by Alexander’s
political successors, blended with
Persian culture
26.Patricians:
Roman aristocrats and wealthy
classes.
27.Plebeians:
Roman commoners, poorer
classes
28.Senate
Patrician assembly that advised
the consuls
29.Twelve Tables:
37.Qin dynasty:
Dynasty that came to power out
of the Period of Warring States
using Legalism, 221-207 B.C.E
38.Qin Shihuangdi:
“first emperor of the Qin”, forcibly
reunited China and established a
strong and repressive state
39.Legalism:
Chinese philosophy of strict laws and
cruel punishments, collective
responsibility used by Qin dynasty
after Period of Warring States
40.Great Wall of China
Connection of multiple defensive
earthen walls created by the
Chinese under Qin Shihuangdi,
forced labor
41.Han dynasty:
Ruled China from 206 BCE to 220
CE, creating a durable state based
on Shihuangdi’s state-building
achievement.
42.Sui dynasty:
Chinese imperial state similar to
the Han, 589-618 CE
43.Han Wudi:
martial emperor, 141-87 B.C.E. strong
central gov’t, university based on
teachings of Confucius
44.Yellow Turban Rebellion:
revolt against the Han over land
distribution and gap between rich
and poor
45.Tang dynasty:
Chinese imperial state 618-907 CE
46.Song dynasty:
Chinese imperial state 960-1279
CE
47.Aryans:
Indo-Europeans who migrated
into the Indus River Valley
bringing their culture with them
48.Mauryan Empire:
Major empire that encompassed
most of India (322-185 BCE)
14.Battle of Marathon:
Greek victory against Persians,
idea of marathon, 490 BCE
15.Democracy:
In Athens, much of the free male
population had the franchise and
officeholders were chosen by lot
16.Parthenon:
Built under Pericles during Golden
Age, temple to Athena on
acropolis in Athens, perfect ratio
17.Golden Age:
Fifty years after Persian wars,
great time of growth and
creativity for Greece, monumental
building, theatre, philosophy
18.Athens:
Greek city-state known for its
direct democracy, naval power,
intellect and creativity,
beautification, head of Delian
League, lost Peloponnesian War
Roman law code, many principles
used in US today, 450 BCE
30.Punic Wars:
fight for supremacy in
Mediterranean between Rome
and Carthage over grain supplies
31.Carthage:
Northern African kingdom, main
rival to early Roman expansion,
that was defeated by Rome in the
Punic Wars
32.Roman Empire:
Created after the end of the
republic, built on military
expansion, from England in north,
Spain in West, Egypt in south and
much of SW Asia, fell in 476 CE
33.Julius Caesar:
grew popular through the army,
became first dictator of Rome,
was assassinated in 44 B.C.E
34.Augustus:
Great-nephew and adopted son of
Julius Caesar who emerged as sole
ruler of the Roman state at the
end of an extended period of civil
war (31 BCE-14 CE)
35.Pax Romana:
“Roman Peace”, term typically
used to denote the stablility and
prosperity of the early Roman
Empire, especially in the first and
second centuries CE
36.Period of Warring States:
time of chaos after fall of Zhou
dynasty in which centralized rule
had broken down
49.Arthrashastra:
Treatise, the Science of Worldly
Wealth, how a ruler should act to
maintain power and common
good even brutal measures
50.Ashoka:
Most famous ruler of the Mauryan
empire (268-232 BCE) who
converted to Buddhism and tried
to rule peacefully and with
tolerance
51.Rock and Pillar Edicts:
Series of edicts by Ashoka carved
on rocks and pillars throughout
the Mauryan dynasty
52.Gupta Empire:
320-550 CE, imperial control in
India, peaceful and tolerant
53. Bureaucracy: system of
government were decisions are
made by state officials rather that
elected officials
54. Constantinople: capital city of
the Eastern Roman empire,
named after the first Christian
emperor Constantine.
Key Concept 2.2
Development of States and Empires
I. Key states and empires
What are they and where are they located?
Persian: SW Asia, From Turkey in West to India in East, into Egypt
Greek: Greek city-states centered on Aegean Sea in Mediterranean, and then
included the Persian Empire
Roman: begins on Italian peninsula in central Mediterranean, expands as far north as
England, south into Northern coast of Africa including Egypt, into SW Asia, West to
Spain
China (Qin and Han dynasties): East Asia
India (Mauryan and Gupta): South Asia
II. New techniques of imperial administration
A. Rulers created
In what ways did they set up their administrations? How were they organized?
administrative institutions in
Persian: satraps (governors) governed satrapies (23 provinces), tolerance, spies,
many regions
lower level officials drawn from locals
Greek: hundreds of independent city-states, each one had its own type of
government
Roman: kingdom, then republic, then dictatorship, Law=Twelve Tables
China: Legalism used by Qin, centralized government based on teachings of
Confucius used by Han, highly bureaucratic, edicts of the emperor not written law
code, scholar bureaucrats, mandate of heaven
India: highly centralized government not easy to construct with such cultural
diversity, also frequently invaded, spies, Ashoka had Buddhist/moralist approach to
rule, tolerance under Gupta
Taxation or tributes in all
B. Imperial governments
projected military power over
larger areas using a variety of
techniques
Examples of techniques:
Persia: conquered much land but used tolerance and respect for conquered peoples,
satraps were required to provide military/soldiers from satrapies
Greek: land power like Spartans and naval power like Athens, phalanx
Roman: conquered land and defeated competition with army, Roman legion,
defensive walls (Roman limes), mercenaries, army “well-fed, well-trained, wellrewarded”, brutal in war, would raze cities
China: Great Wall
India: large infantry including 9000 elephants
C. Much of the success of the
empires rested on their
promotion of trade and
economic integration of
building and maintaining
roads and issuing currencies
Examples of this:
Persia: standardized coins/gold Darics, Royal Road
Greek: colonization around Mediterranean and Black Seas
Roman: Roads throughout empire “All Roads Lead to Rome”, curbs, drainage,
concrete
China: Qin Shihuangdhi standardized weights and measures, Great Wall
India: Indian ocean trade, pepper
III. Unique social and economic dimensions developed in imperial societies in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas
Centers of trade, public performance of religious rituals, and political administration
A. Cities (List them and
describe their functions)
for states and empires
Persepolis, Susa, Ctesiphon
Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Thebes
Alexandria
Rome, Carthage, Constantinople
Chang’an
Pataliputra
C. Imperial societies relied on As Roman empire grew wealthy aristocrats were rewarded with land on which they
a range of methods to
created large latifundia, gained public acclaim and high political office, and earned
maintain the production of
promotions
food and provide rewards for Slavery- Helots
the loyalty of elites.
Taxation: you had to pay taxes so you must produce something to sell
Legalism in China: force subjects to produce agriculture/taxation
D. Patriarchy
Persia: women were to obey men
Greece: Athenian women kept in, Sparta women had more freedom, women did not
have citizenship
Rome: pater familias, men had absolute control over wife, children, and slaves; over
time elite women experience less restriction, women found protection of the law in
areas of marriage and property rights
IV. The Roman, Han, Persian, Mauryan, and Gupta empires created political, cultural, and administrative
difficulties that they could not manage, which eventually led to their decline, collapse or transformation into
successor states.
A. Environmental damage
caused by empires
Roman Empire experienced extensive deforestation and unprecedented levels of
lead in the air
China had substantial urban air pollution and soil erosion in the countryside.
Excessive mobilization of resources caused environmental damage
Smelting metals required wood, leading to deforestation and soil erosion
B. External problems along
frontiers/threats of invasion
Persia: overtaken by the Greeks, conquered by Alexander
Romans: Germanic Tribes---Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Goths, Anglo-Saxons,
etc. pushed in by the Huns. Sacked Rome
China: Han vs. Xiongnu, barbarian states in North China
India: under constant threat from Central Asia, Gupta vs. Huns
Chapter 3 - Big Questions (Short Answer Responses required)
1. What common features can you identify in the empires described in this chapter? In what ways do they
differ from one another? What accounts for those differences?
- All empires controlled large areas and populations
- All empires brought together by conquest and were funded by extracting wealth from
conquered people
- All empires caused diffusion, stimulated exchange of ideas, cultures, and values
- All had imperial identity that was regarded above the local identities
- All eventually collapse or were absorbed into another
- Some ruled with centralized power while others had local elites managing (satraps in
Persian for example)
- Some empires assimilated conquered people customs and culture quickly, others slowly
2. How do these empires of the second-wave of civilizations differ from the political systems of the First Early
River Valley Civilizations?
- Empires drove the long distance communication and trade networks
- They brought some peace and stability to large populations by providing protection
and building of infrastructure
- They fostered economic, artistic, techonological, advancemetns
- They had a negative impact on environments through frequent conquering and
warfare
- They allowed slavery and patriarchy to thrive causing oppression of women and lower
classes
3. How did centralized governments, elaborate legal systems and bureaucracies help to organize their
subjects in these emerging ‘states’ and ‘empires’? Using diplomacy? Building fortifications, defensive walls,
and roads? Drawing new groups of military officers and soldiers from the local populations or conquered
people?
- Empires used all of these methods
- Legal systems such as the 12 tables and the Republic of Rome, democracy in Athens
- Romans build major road system for military transportation and trade
- Roman allowed mercenaries and conquered people into military
- China built a wall to protect from invasions
- Chinese emperors used legalism and a system of bureaucracies
- All empires used a patriarchial system
4. Hierarchies existed in these societies… put the following groups of people in order from low to high…
a. Artisans, merchants, laborers, cultivators, elites, slaves
Slaves, laborers, cultivators, merchants, artisans, elites
5. What were some of the causes for the decline, collapse, and transformation into successor empires or states
for the following empires? Roman, Persian, Han, Mauryan and Gupta?
- Outside invasions
- Abuse of power by ruler
- Civil wars within empire for power
- Death of rulers
- Epidemics/diseases or outbreaks
- Lose of mandate of heaven/divine rule due to harsh behabior
- Empire too large to manage
Mapping Exercise: Locate, Outline, and Label the following key states or empires. (Use both maps provided)
7.
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4.
3.
Persian Empires
Qin and Han Empires
Maurya and Gupta Empires
Phoenicia and its colonies
Greek city-states
Hellenistic and Roman Empires
Teotihuacan
Maya city-states
Moche