Cross-Cultural Exchanges

1. The Silk Roads Cross-Cultural Exchanges

2. Long Distance Trade & the Silk Roads Network

3. Trade Networks of the Hellenistic Era • Road construction, bridges & establishment of imperial states improved conditions • Merchants could more easily travel • This increased volume and accessibility of exotic goods throughout the eastern hemisphere • Greek merchants & bankers were attracted east • Ptolemies in Egypt maintained routes into Africa • Learned monsoon rhythms to navigate Indian Ocean • Established links between Arabia, India, east Africa & Egypt • Huge economic by back despite the expense to maintain & protect

4. The Silk Roads - Structure • The overland trade routes known as the Silk Roads were anchored across Eurasia by • Han Dynasty: controlled China & central Asia • Parthian Empire: ruled Persia & Mesopotamia • Roman Empire: held the Mediterranean world • Kushan Empire: provided protection & stability in northern India • Silk Roads also included water routes & sea lanes that link the eastern hemisphere • Used a series of ports along the Asian & African coasts from the South China Sea to the Red Sea

5. The Silk Roads - Trade • Wide variety of manufactured & agricultural goods traveled the road • Silk from China • Chinese guarded the secret of production • Spices from China & central Asia • Served as condiments, as well as ingredients in medicines, perfumes & magical potions • Cotton textiles, pearls, coral & ivory went west • Glassware, jewelry, wool & linen went east • High quality jade from central Asian & horses were prized in both the east & west

6. The Silk Roads – Changes & Continuities • Merchants did not travel the entire length of the roads • Small merchant communities developed along the silk roads & coastlines • Trade occurred in stages • Governments guarded the movement of merchants within their empires • Wanted to ensure collection of taxes & tariffs on the goods crossing their territories

7. Cultural & Biological Exchangesalong the Silk Roads

8. The Spread of Buddhism:Religious Development • Buddhism was the most prominent faith of the silk roads merchants from 200 BCE- 700 CE • Promoted by Emperor Ashoka it was spread with merchants to Ceylon, Bactria, Iran, central Asia, southeast Asia & China

9. The Spread of Buddhism:Changes & Continuities • Did not take hold in China until monks used the 5th century Chinese unrest as a springboard • Quickly took hold in China, Japan & Korea

10. The Spread of Hindusim:Religious Development • Merchants took Hinduism along the sea lanes • Spread to Java, Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, parts of modern Vietnam and Cambodia

11. The Spread of Hinduism:Changes & Continuities • Many areas adopted the cults of Shiva and Vishnu • Sanskrit writing became the written means of communication in many of these areas

12. The Spread of Christianity:Religious Development • Early Roman persecution was the result of Christian refusal to follow state prescribed religious ceremonies • Christian missionaries were perceived as violent & disruptive • Missionaries capitalized on ease of travel & communication provided by the roads • By the end of the 3rd century Christian communities flourished along the Mediterranean, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, across northern Africa & into southwest Asia

13. The Spread of Christianity:Changes & Continuities • Christian practices were influenced by converts in Mesopotamia & Iran • Asceticism & withdrawal from secular socieity became a dominant aspect • Influenced the development of monasteries & separate communities in the western Mediterranean • Nestorian Christianity developed in the east • Greek theologian, Nestorius, stressed the human side of Jesus over the divine • Mediterranean Christians opposed this & the Nestorians moved eastward

14. Spread of Manichaeism:Religious Development The • The spread of Manichaeism relied on the trade routes of the classical world • Developed in the 3rd century by Mani • Based in Zoroastrianism with a dash of Christianity & a pinch of Buddhism • Mani believed that syncretism would meet the changing needs of the new cosmopolitan world • The faith promoted a strict ascetic • Turned away from the physical temptations of the classical world • Promised salvation & eternal association w/light & good

15. The Spread of Manichaeism:Changes & Continuities • Empires throughout the eastern hemisphere saw Manichaeism as a danger to public order • Wanted to exterminate the followers • Roman & Sasanid emperors were largely successful • Still survived in the plains of central Asia • Readily adopted by nomadic Turkish peoples who traded along the silk roads

16. The Spread of Epidemic Diseases:Demographics • Pathogens for disease traveled easily along the silk roads • Small pox, measles, and bubonic plague • Both the Roman & Han empires lost about 25% of their populations to disease carried along the silk roads

17. The Spread of Epidemic Diseases:Changes & Continuities • Demographic changes impacted the economy • Both empires moved away from international trade • Focused on regional exchange of goods • Demographic changes impacted society • Cities became less desirable places to live • Demise of both empires can be linked to the spread of disease along the silk roads

18. After the Han Dynasty China

19. Internal Decay of the Han State:Political Structures • Main problems for the last Han Emperors: • Land distribution • Conflicting factions in the Imperial household • Widespread unrest • Yellow Turban Rebellion was a secret peasant revolutionary group • Wiley generals stepped in to take control

20. Internal Decay of the Han State:Changes & Continuities • China was eventually divided in 3 sections • Wei • Wu • Shu • Northern nomads grabbed northern China • Controlled it for the next 300 years

21. Cultural Change in Post-Han China:Religious Development • After the fall of the Han China was filled with nomadic invasions and war • Population was decreased • People migrated from the cities • Nomadic tribes populated China • Eventually settled & intermarried with Chinese • In time the nomads became Chinese in character • This is sinicization: invaders are assimilated into Chinese culture

22. Cultural Change in Post-Han China:Change & Continuity • Religious change also resulted from the fall of the Han Dynasty • Confucianism, used to justify the Han, lost creditability as the chaos made it irrelevant • Daoism offered hope • Elixirs & potions for health became popular • Buddhism increased popularity • Had already been embraced by northern nomads • Laid foundation for new political unity

23. Fall of the Roman Empire

24. Internal Decay in the Roman Empire:Political Structure • Size of the Empire was a major problem • “Barracks Emperors” attempted to seize & hold power • Almost all died violently as another took over • Epidemics weakened the empire • Many areas moved from commercial economies to self-sufficient economies

25. Internal Decay in the Roman Empire:Change & Continuity • Diocletian attempted to restructure the empire by dividing it • Constantine moved the capital to the wealthier eastern part of the empire • Byzantium (renamed: Constantinople) was more strategically located & easier to defend • Finally only the western half of the empire fell

26. Germanic Invasions:Political Structure • Migratory Germanic people brought down the western half of the empire in the 5th c. • Eastern half remained until the 15th century • Pressure from the Huns of the steppes west of China pushed the Germans into the empire • Visigoths had lived on Rome’s border for centuries • Had adopted agriculture & Christianity - fought as mercenaries for Rome

27. Germanic Invasions:Change & Continuity • Visigoths had lived on Rome’s border for centuries • Had adopted agriculture & Christianity - fought as mercenaries for Rome • Attila the Hun pushed the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals & Franks into the Empire • At first settled in less densely populated areas • Eventually dominated Spain, France, Britain and north Africa • By 476 CE they controlled Rome

28. Cultural Change in the Late Roman Empire: Developments • Christianity & the Roman Empire changed • Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan • Gave legal protection to Christians • Emperor Theodosius made it the official religion of the empire • Augustine of Hippo reconciled Christianity with Greek & Roman philosophy • Made it more appealing to the educated, rather than the working-class, slaves & women

29. Cultural Change in the Late Roman Empire: Changes & Continuities • Growth of the church created a need for standardization of the faith & development of a structural hierarchy • Council of Nicaea & Council of Chalcedon • Proclaimed Jesus human & divine • Established hierarchy: Bishop of Rome (pope), Patriarchs of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria & Constantinople • After the fall of the western empire the importance of the Pope grew • Power of the patriarchs was subordinate to the emperor of the eastern empire