CHAPTER 1 OUTLINE

I.

Opening Vignette
A. The Hazda of Tanzania are one of the last gathering and hunting societies onearth.
1. likely to disappear soon
2. will mark the end of what was universal human existence until 10,00012,000 years ago
B. For 95 percent of human history, the means of life was gathering and hunting.
1. food collection, not food production
2. has been labeled Paleolithic (old stone age) era
C. Its wrong to ignore the first 200,000 years of human experience.
1.
2.
3.
4.

archaeology reveals a great deal about these peoples

they settled the planet
they created the earliest human societies
they were the first to reflect on issues of life and death

II. Out of Africa to the Ends of the Earth: First Migrations

A. Homo sapiens emerged in eastern and southern Africa 250,000 years ago.
1. stayed there exclusively for about 150,000 years
2. Africa was home to the human revolution, in which culture became more important than
biology in shaping human behavior
3. humans began to inhabit environments not touched by earlier hominids
4. technological innovation: use of stone and bone tools
5. hunting and fishing, not just scavenging
a. settlements planned around movement of game and fish
6. patterns of exchange
7. use of ornaments, perhaps planned burials
8. around 100,000 years ago: beginning of migrations out of Africa
a. adapted to nearly every environment on earth
b. much took place in the difficulties of the last Ice Age
i. ice lowered sea levels, created land bridges
B. Into Eurasia
1. humans started migrating into the Middle East around 40,000 years ago
2. the best evidence of early European settlement comes from southern France and northern Spain
a. settlers in northern Europe were pushed southward into warmer areas around 20,000 years ago
b. developed new hunting habits, new hunting technologies
3. the earliest Europeans left hundreds of cave paintings: depictions of animals and humans and
abstract designs (maybe early form of writing)
a. scholars debate the meaning of cave images
i. perhaps examples of totemic thinkingthe belief that particular people are associated with or
descended from particular animals
ii. perhaps hunting magic to enhance success
iii. perhaps part of religious practice or rites of passage
iv. perhaps showed division of male and female realms
4. development of new technologies in Ukraine and Russia
a. needles, multilayered clothing, weaving, nets, baskets, pottery,etc.
b. partially underground dwellings made from mammoth remains
c. suggests semipermanent settlement

d. creation of female figurines (Venus figurines)

i. have been found all across Europe
C. Into Australia
1. humans reached Australia about 60,000 years ago from Indonesia
a. first known use of boats
2. very sparse settlement; estimated 300,000 people in 1788
3. development of some 250 languages
4. still completely a gathering and hunting economy when Europeans arrived in 1785. complex
worldview: the Dreamtime
a. stories, ceremonies, and art tell of ancestral beings
b. everything in the natural order is an echo of ancient happenings
c. current people are intimately related to places and events in past
6. major communication and exchange networks
a. included stones, pigments, wood, pituri (psychoactive drug)
b. also included songs, dances, stories, and rituals
D. Into the Americas
1. when settlement of the Americas began is still argued over (somewhere between 30,000 and
15,000 years ago)
a. mode of migration (Bering Strait or by sea down west coast of North America) also still argued
about
b. how many migrations and how long they took also argued over
c. evidence of humans in southern Chile by 12,500 years ago
2. Clovis: the first clearly defined and widespread culture of the Americas
a. name comes from the Clovis point, a kind of projectile point
b. flourished 12,00011,000 years ago
c. hunted large mammals (mammoths, bison)
d. disappeared about 10,900 years ago, at the same time as the extinction of a number of large
mammals
3. next stage: much greater cultural diversity, as people adapted to the end of the Ice Age in
different ways
E. Into the Pacific
1. the last phase of the great human migration, started ca. 3,500 years ago
2. migration by water from the Bismarck and Solomon islands and the Philippines
3. very quick migration over very long distances
4. migrants spoke Austronesian languages (can be traced to southern China)
5. settled every habitable area of the Pacific basin within 2,500 years
a. also settled the island of Madagascar
b. made Austronesian the most widespread language family
c. completed initial human settlement of the world ca. 900 c.e. with occupation of Aotearoa (New
Zealand)
6. Pacific settlers
a. took agriculture with them, unlike other migrations
b. apparently followed a deliberate colonization plan
c. created highly stratified societies or chiefdoms (e.g., Hawaii)
d. massive environmental impact on previous uninhabited lands
i. many animals became extinct
ii. deforestation of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in fifteenth to seventeenth centuries nearly destroyed
society there
III. The Ways We Were
A. The First Human Societies
1. societies were small, bands of 2550 people
a. relationships defined by kinship
2. very low population density (because of available technology)
a. very slow population growth
b. perhaps 10,000 people in world 100,000 years ago

c. grew to 500,000 by 30,000 years ago

d. reached 6 million 10,000 years ago
3. Paleolithic bands were seasonally mobile or nomadic
a. moved in regular patterns to exploit wild plants and animals
b. since they moved around, they couldnt accumulate goods
4. societies were highly egalitarian
a. perhaps the most free people in human existence
i. no formal chiefs, kings, bureaucrats, soldiers, priests
b. did not have specialists, so most people had the same skills
i. male and female tasks often differed sharply
c. relationships between women and men were far more equal than in later societies
i. women as gatherers provided the bulk of family food,perhaps 70 percent of diet
5. James Cook described the gathering and hunting peoples of Australia as tranquil and socially
equal
a. but European settlers found physical competition among Australian males, wife beating
6. Paleolithic societies had clearly defined rules
a. men hunted, women gathered
b. clear rules about distribution of meat from a kill
c. rules about incest and adultery
B. Economy and the Environment
1. gathering and hunting peoples used to be regarded as primitive and impoverished
a. modern studies point out that they worked fewer hours
b. wanted or needed little
c. but life expectancy was low (35 years on average)
2. alteration of natural environments
a. deliberately set fires to encourage growth of certain plants
b. extinction of many large animals shortly after humans arrived
c. gradual extinction of other hominids, like the Neanderthals (Europe) and Flores man (Indonesia)
C. The Realm of the Spirit
1. it is difficult to decipher the spiritual world of Paleolithic peoples
a. lack of written sources
b. art is subject to interpretation
c. contemporary gathering and hunting peoples may not reflect ancient experience
2. Paleolithic peoples had a rich ceremonial life
a. led by part-time shamans (people especially skilled at dealing with the spirit world)
b. frequent use of psychoactive drugs to contact spirits
3. apparent variety of beliefs
a. some societies were seemingly monotheistic
b. others saw several levels of supernatural beings
c. still others believed in an impersonal force running throughout the natural order
i. could be accessed by shamans in a trance dance
d. Venus figurines make some scholars think that Paleolithic religion was strongly feminine, with a
Great Goddess
e. many peoples probably had a cyclical view of time
D. Settling Down: The Great Transition
1. gradual change as populations grew, climates changed, and peoples interacted
2. collection of wild grains started in northeastern Africa around 16,000 years ago
3. last Ice Age ended 16,00010,000 years ago
a. followed by a global warming period
b. richer and more diverse environment for human societies
c. population rise
d. beginnings of settlement
4. settlement led to societal change
a. larger and more complex societies
b. storage and accumulation of goods led to inequality

5. settling-down process occurred in many areas 12,0004,000 years ago

a. Jomon culture in Japan
b. Scandinavia, Southeast Asia, North America, Middle East
c. bows and arrows were invented independently in Europe, Africa, and Middle East
6. the process of settlement was a major turn in human history
a. placed greater demand on the environment, led to agriculture
IV. Comparing Paleolithic Societies
A. Both the San and the Chumash preserved their ancient way of life into modern times.
B. The San of Southern Africa
1. northern fringe of the Kalahari Desert (present-day Angola, Namibia, Botswana)
2. 50,00080,000 San still live in the region
3. part of the Khoisan language family, inhabited southern Africa at least 5,000 years
a. gathering and hunting way of life, with stone tools
b. remarkable rock art, going back 26,000 years
i. tradition persisted into the nineteenth century
ii. perhaps reflected the religious experience of trance healers
c. most of the Khoisan peoples were absorbed or displaced by Bantu-speaking peoples
4. The San (Ju/hoansi) still practiced their ancient life with few borrowings when anthropologists
started studying them in the 1950s and 1960s
a. use some twenty-eight tools, including digging stick, leather garment for carrying things, knife,
spear, bow and poisoned arrows, ropes, and nets
b. men hunt, women do most of gathering
c. adequate diet
d. short workweek, with even labor division between men and women
e. uncertain and anxious life, dependent on nature
5. San society characterized by mobility, sharing, and equality
a. basic unit is band of 1030 people, connected to other bands
b. many people claimed membership in more than one band
c. frequent movement to new territory
d. no formal leaders, priests, or craft specialists
e. very complex social relations
f. high value given to modesty, cooperation, equality
i. e.g., insulting the meat: a hunter is expected to disparage his accomplishment
g. complex system of unequal gift exchange
6. relative equality between the sexes
a. free sex play between teenagers
b. most marriages are monogamous
c. frequent divorce among young couples
7. frequent conflict over distribution of meat; rivalries over women
8. belief system:
a. Creator God, Gao Na, is capricious
b. lesser god Gauwa is destructive but sometimes assists humans
c. gauwasi (spirits of dead ancestors) are most serious threat to human welfare
d. evil influences can be counteracted with n/um, a spiritual potency that can be activated in
curing dances
e. state of warfare with the divine
C. The Chumash of Southern California
1. show a later Paleolithic stage than the San, with permanent villages
2. Chumash lived near present-day Santa Barbara, California
a. richer environment than the San
b. perhaps 20,000 when the Spaniards arrived in the sixteenth century
c. Chumash created new society after 1150 c.e. in response to violence and food shortages
3. central technological innovation: the planked canoe (tomol)
a. ability to make and own tomol led to social inequality
b. stimulated trade between the coast and islands
c. made deep-sea fishing possible
4. living conditions were more elaborate than the San
a. round, permanent, substantial houses (for up to 70 people)
b. a market economy, despite being gathering and hunting peoples
i. use of money (stringed beads)
ii. regulation of the money supply to prevent inflation

iii. specialized production

iv. payment for services of dancers, healers, and buriers
v. some private ownership
c. beginning of class distinctions (e.g., bearskin capes, burials)
d. emergence of a permanent, hereditary political elite
i. chiefs (some were women) led in war and rituals, regulated trade
ii. periodic feasts for the poor
5. Chumash largely solved the problems of violence in the regionV. Reflections: The Uses of the
Paleolithic
A. The study of history is about those who tell it today, not just about the past.
1. views of the past reflect our own smugness or disillusionment
2. Paleolithic era is sometimes regarded as a golden age
a. admired by feminists, environmentalists, antimaterialists
3. scholars have looked to the Paleolithic era in questioning explosive population and economic
growth of recent past
4. gathering and hunting peoples of today have looked to Paleolithic era in an effort to maintain or
recover their identities
B. A basic question: What have we lost in the mad rush to modernity?
C. Nobody can be completely detached when studying the past.
1. but passionate involvement is a good thing

CHAPTER 2 OUTLINE
I. Opening Vignette
A. In the past two centuries, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of farmers worldwide.
1. the United States is an extreme case: only around 5 percent of Americans, many of them over 65 years old,
were still on farms in 2000
2. great increase in the productivity of modern agriculture
B. The modern retreat from the farm is a reversal of humanitys first turn to agriculture.
II. The Agricultural Revolution in World History
A. Agriculture is the second great human process after settlement of the globe.
1. started about 12,000 years ago
2. often called the Neolithic or Agricultural Revolution
3. deliberate cultivation of plants and domestication of animals
4. transformed human life across the planet
B. Agriculture is the basis for almost all human developments since.
C. Agriculture brought about a new relationship between humans and other living things.
1. actively changing what they found in nature rather than just using it
2. shaping the landscape
3. selective breeding of animals
D. Domestication of nature created new mutual dependence.
1. many domesticated plants and animals came to rely on humans
2. humans lost gathering and hunting skills
a. population increase: too many humans to live by gathering and hunting
E. Intensification of living: getting more food and resources from much less land.
1. more food led to more people
2. more people led to greater need for intensive exploitation
III. Comparing Agricultural Beginnings
A. The Agricultural Revolution happened independently in several world regions.
1. Fertile Crescent of Southwest Asia
2. several areas in sub-Saharan Africa
3. China
4. New Guinea
5. Mesoamerica
6. the Andes
7. eastern North America
8. all happened at about the same time, 12,0004000 years ago
9. scholars have struggled with the question of why agriculture developed so late in human history

B. Common Patterns
1. Agricultural Revolution coincided with the end of the last Ice Age
a. global warming cycle started around 16,000 years ago
b. Ice Age was over by about 11,000 years ago
c. end of Ice Age coincided with human migration across earth
d. extinction of some large mammals: climate change and hunting
e. warmer, wetter weather allowed more wild plants to flourish
2. gathering and hunting peoples had already learned some ways to manage the natural world
a. broad spectrum diet
b. development of sickles, baskets, and other tools to make use of wild grain in the Middle East
c. Amazon: peoples had learned to cut back some plants to encourage growth of the ones they wanted
d. Australians had elaborate eel traps
3. women were probably the agricultural innovators
a. men perhaps led in domesticating animals
4. gathering and hunting peoples started to establish more permanent villages
a. especially in resource-rich areas
b. population growth perhaps led to a food crisis
i. motivation to increase the food supply
5. agriculture developed in a number of regions, but with variation
a. depended on the plants and animals that were available
b. only a few hundred plant species have been domesticated
i. five (wheat, corn, rice, barley, sorghum) supply over half the calories that sustain humans
c. only 14 large mammal species were domesticated
C. Variations
1. the Fertile Crescent was the first to have a full Agricultural Revolution
a. presence of large variety of plants and animals to be domesticated
b. transition to agriculture triggered by a cold and dry spell between 11,000 and 9500 b.c.e.
c. transition apparently only took about 500 years
i. much larger settlements
d. much more societal sophistication (mud bricks, monuments and shrines, more elaborate burials, more
sophisticated tools)
2. at about the same time, domestication started in the eastern Sahara (present-day Sudan)
a. the region was much more hospitable 10,0005,000 years ago
b. domestication of cattle there about 1,000 years before Middle East and India
i. the donkey was domesticated nearer the Red Sea
c. in Africa, animals were domesticated first; elsewhere, plants were domesticated first
d. emergence of several widely scattered farming practices
i. sorghum in eastern Sahara region
ii. teff and enset in Ethiopian highlands
iii. yams, oil palm trees, okra, and the kola nut in West Africa
e. African agriculture was less productive than agriculture in the Fertile Crescent
3. separate development of agriculture at several places in the Americas
a. absence of animals available for domestication
i. only one of the 14 domesticated large mammals existed in the Americas: the llama/alpaca
ii. so Americans lacked protein, manure, and power of large animals
iii. Americans continued to rely on hunting for meat
b. only cereal grain available was maize or corn
i. required thousands of years of selective adaptation to reach a size sufficient for productive agriculture
ii. nutritionally poorer than cereals of the Fertile Crescent
c. result: replacement of gathering and hunting with agriculture took 3,500 years in Mesoamerica
d. Americas are oriented north/south, so agricultural practices had to adapt to distinct climate zones to
spread
i. east/west axis of Eurasia helped the spread of innovation
ii. domesticated plants and animals took much longer to spread in the Americas
IV. The Globalization of Agriculture
A. Agriculture spread in two ways:
1. diffusion: gradual spread of techniques and perhaps plants and animals,but without much movement of
human population
2. colonization or migration of agricultural peoples
a. conquest, absorption, or displacement of gatherers and hunters

3. often both processes were involved

B. Triumph and Resistance
1. language and culture spread with agriculture
a. Indo-European languages probably started in Turkey, are spoken today from Europe to India
b. similar process with Chinese farming
c. spread of Bantu language in southern Africa
i. Bantu speakers originated in southern Nigeria or Cameroon ca. 3000 b.c.e.
ii. moved south and east over several millennia, taking agriculture with them
d. similar spread of Austronesian-speaking peoples to Philippines and Indonesian islands, then to Pacific
islands
2. the globalization of agriculture took about 10,000 years
a. did not spread beyond its core region in New Guinea
b. did not spread in a number of other regions
c. was resisted where the land was unsuitable for farming or where there was great natural abundance
i. some peoples apparently just didnt want agriculture
3. by the beginning of the Common Era, gathering and hunting peoples were a small minority of humankind
a. expansion of agriculture destroyed gathering and hunting societies
i. process was sometimes peaceful, sometimes violent
C. The Culture of Agriculture
1. agriculture led to much greater populations
a. e.g., early settlement near Jericho had about 2,000 people
2. changes in world population
a. 10,000 years ago: around 6 million people
b. 5,000 years ago: around 50 million people
c. beginning of Common Era: around 250 million people
3. farming did not necessarily improve life for ordinary people
a. meant much more hard work
b. health deteriorated in early agricultural societies
c. new diseases from interaction with animals
d. the first epidemics, thanks to larger communities
e. new vulnerability to famine, because of dependence on a small number of plants or animals
4. new constraints on human communities
a. all agricultural people settled in permanent villages
b. the case of BanPo in China (settled ca. 7,000 years ago)
5. explosion of technological innovation
a. pots
b. textiles
i. textile work, like horticultural farming, was especially suitable for women with children
c. metallurgy
6. secondary products revolution started ca. 4000 b.c.e.: a new set of technological changes
a. new uses for domesticated animals, including milking, riding, hitching them to plows and carts
b. only available in the Eastern Hemisphere
7. deliberate alteration of the natural ecosystem
a. removal of ground cover, irrigation, grazing
b. evidence of soil erosion and deforestation in the Middle East within 1,000 years after beginning of
agriculture
V. Social Variation in the Age of Agriculture
A. Pastoral Societies
1. some regions relied much more heavily on animals, because farming was difficult or impossible there
2. pastoral nomads emerged in central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Sahara desert, parts of eastern and
southern Africa
3. relied on different animals in different regions
a. horses were domesticated by 4000 b.c.e.; encouraged the spread of pastoral peoples on Central Asian
steppes
b. domesticated camels allowed human life in the inner Asian, Arabian, and Saharan deserts
4. no pastoral societies emerged in the Americas
B. Agricultural Village Societies
1. most characteristic form of early agricultural societies, like Banpoor Jericho
2. maintenance of equality and freedom (no kings, chiefs, bureaucrats, aristocrats)
3. the case of atalhyk, in southern Turkey
a. population: several thousand

b. dead buried under their houses

c. no streets; people moved around on rooftops
d. many specialized crafts, but little sign of inherited social inequality
e. no indication of male or female dominance
i. men hunted; women were involved in agriculture
4. village-based agricultural societies were usually organized by kinship, group, or lineage
a. performed the functions of government
b. the Tiv of central Nigeria organized nearly a million people this way in the late nineteenth century
5. sometimes modest social/economic inequality developed
a. elders could win privileges
b. control of female reproductive powers
C. Chiefdoms
1. chiefs, unlike kings, usually rely on generosity, ritual status, or charisma to govern, not force
2. chiefdoms emerged in Mesopotamia sometime after 6000 b.c.e.
3. anthropologists have studied recent chiefdoms in the Pacific islands
4. chiefdoms such as Cahokia emerged in North America
5. distinction between elite and commoner was first established
a. based on birth, not age or achievement
VI. Reflections: The Legacies of Agriculture
A. Agriculture is a recent development in world history.
1. was an adaptation to the unique conditions of the latest interglacial period
2. has radically transformed human life and life on the planet more generally
B. One species, Homo sapiens, was given growing power over other animals and plants.
C. Agriculture also gave some people the power to dominate others.

Chapter 3: First Civilizations

Cities, States, and Unequal Societies (3500B.C.E-500B.C.E)
I.

II.

Opening Vignette
a. The contrast between artificial life as civilized life city dweller and spacious freedom and
imagined simplicity of earlier times that resemble today
b. Civilizations as a relatively recent phenomenon in human history made possible by the
surpluses produced by the Cultural Rev.
i. Cities with monumental architecture and populations of 10s of 1,000s
ii. Powerful states that could compel obedience and wage large scale warfare
iii. Much greater inequality in economic function, wealth, and social status
Something New: The Emergence of Civilizations
a. Like agriculture, civilization was a growing phenomenon
i. Showed up independently in 6 major locations around the world during several millennia
after 3500 B.C.E
ii. Showed up in a number of other smaller expressions as well
1. Breakthroughs to a new way of life were small islands of innovation in a sea of
people living much older ways
b. Introducing the First Civilizations
i. The earliest civilizations emerged around 3500 B.C.E to 3000 B.C.E in 3 places
1. One was the cradle of Middle Eastern civilization, expressed in many and
competing city states of Sumer in Southern Mesopotamia
2. Sumerian civilization gave rise to language which was initially founded to record
goods received by various temples
3. Simultaneously, the Nile River Valley in northeastern Africa witnessed the
emergence of Egyptian civilization, famous for its pharaohs and pyramids
4. As well as a separate civilization known as Nubia, farther south along the Nile
ii. Norte Chico (central coastal Peru), emerged between 3000 and 1800 B.C.E
1. 25 urban centers
a. Larges of which was Caral, in the Supe River Valley
b. Norte Chico differed in several ways from Egypt and Mesopotamia
i. Cities were smaller

ii. Less evidence of economical specialization

1. Based to unusual degree on an extremely rich fishing
industry in anchovies and sardines along coast
iii. Items exchanged for cotton, essential for fishing nets, as well as
food crops (squash, beans, guava, etc.) all of which were grown
inland by people in the river valleys using irrigation agriculture
c. Peruvian civilization didn't rest upon grain-based farming: the people of
Norte Chico did not develop pottery or writing, and few sculptures,
carvings, or drawings have been uncovered so far
d. Unusually self contained civilization
i. Whereas Egypt and Mesopotamia have communicated with each
other for trade, Norte Chico would only import maize from
Mesoamerica
iii. Indus Valley Civilization in Indus and Saraswati river valleys of present-day Pakistan
arose between 3000 and 2000 B.C.E
1. Elaborately planned cities and standardized weights, measures, architectural
styles and brick sizes
2. Written script that remains thus far undeciphered
3. Unlike other civilizations, it generated no palaces, temples, graves, kings, or
warrior classes
4. Scholars remain uncertain as to how society was organized
a. Theories include a series of small republics, rule by priests, or an early for
of the caste system
5. Environmental degradation led to collapse of this civilization by about 1700
B.C.E., but several aspects of its culture shaped later Indian societies
iv. Around 2200 B.C.E., a First Civilization took shape in China
1. From the Start, China was defined by the ideal of a centralized state
2. The Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties enlarged the Chinese state
3. Ruler was the Son of Heaven, an intermediary between Heaven and Earth
4. Early written language with oracle bones as early documents
5. China has maintained impressive cultural continuity into modern times
v. The Olmec produced a First Civilization much later (around 1200 B.C.E.) on coast of Gulf
of Mexico, near present-day Veracruz
1. Cities arose form competing chiefdoms and produced elaborate ceremonial
centers
2. Created the first written language in Americas by about 900 B.C.E
3. Cultural influenced later civilizations in Mesoamerica, including the Maya and
Teotihuacan
vi. Smaller civilizations also flourished
1. Nubian civilization of south of Egypt was distinctive and independent
2. City of Sanxingdui in China arose separately from the better-known Shang
Dynasty.
c. The Question of Origin
i. First Civilizations had their roots in the Agricultural Revolution
ii. First Civilizations tended to develop from earlier, competing chiefdoms that already had
some social rank and economic specialization
iii. Process was gradual an evolutionary
iv. Some chiefdoms developed into civilizations and others didnt
1. One argument was that the need to organize large scale irrigation projects was
evident (Archeologists have found that these projects appeared long after
civilizations began)
2. Another argument was the need of elite groups, warfare, and trade all played
roles
3. Robert Carneiros argument was that population density quickly created
competition, especially when agricultural land was limited
v. The creation of the First Civilizations was quick by world history standards but slow for
those involved, it was a gradual change.
vi. All First Civilizations relied on highly productive agriculture
d. Urban Revolution
i. Cities were one of the most distinctive features of the First Civilizations

III.

ii. The scale, layout, and specialized industries of cities would impress visitors from other
villages
iii. Cities lay at the heart of all First Civilizations
1. Political and administrative capitals
2. Centers of cultural productionart, architecture, literature, ritual, and ceremony
3. Places of local and long distance exchange
4. Centers of manufacturing activity
5. Cities produced new societies with greater specialization and inequality
The Erosion of Inequality
a. Professional and craft specialization marked early urban life
b. Hierarchies of Class
i. First Civilizations had vast inequalities in wealth, status, and power
ii. Civilizations multiplied and magnified inequalities that already existed in complex
gathering and hunting societies and agricultural chiefdoms
iii. New levels of inequality represent one of the major turning points in social history of
human kind
iv. Upper classes
1. Enjoyed great wealth
2. Avoided physical labor
3. Had the finest in everything
4. Occupied top positions in political, military, and religious life
5. Frequently distinguished by their clothing, houses, manner of burial, treatment
under the law
v. Free commoners formed the vast majority of the population and included artisans of all
kinds, lower-level officials, soldiers and police, servants, and farmers
1. Their surplus production was appropriated to support the upper classes
2. Some members of these classes recognized and resented their situation
vi. Slaves were at the bottom of social hierarchies everywhere
1. Slavery and civilization seem to have emerged together
2. First-generation slaves were prisoners of war, criminals, and debtors
3. Worked in fields, mines, homes, and shops
4. Rarely, they were sacrificed
5. Slavery varied from place to place (geographical region)
6. Most ancient slavery different from American slavery
c. Hierarchies of Gender
i. Civilizations everywhere undermined the earlier and more equal relationship between
man and woman
ii. Women in horticultural societies remained relatively equal to men
iii. Patriarchy gradually emerged in First Civilizations
1. More intensive agriculture with animal-drawn plows and large dairy herds favored
male labor over female
2. Patriarchy also developed in civilizations without plow agriculture, such as
Mesoamerica and the Andes
3. David Christian: the declining position of women was a product of grown social
complexity
4. The association of women with nature because of role in reproduction may have
also been a part of the whole
5. Warfare contributed to patriarchy
6. Private property and commerce
d. Patriarchy in Practice
i. Gerda Lerner: emergence of patriarchy in Mesopotamia
1. Written law of codes codified patriarchal family life
2. Regulation of female sexuality was central
3. Women in Mesopotamia were sometimes divided into two sharply distinguished
categories, depending on protection of one man
4. Powerful goddesses of Mesopotamia were gradually replaced by male deities
ii. Egyptian patriarchy gave women greater opportunities than in most First Civilizations
1. Own property and slaves
2. Administer and sell land
3. Make their own wills
4. Sign their own marriage contracts

IV.

V.

5. Initiate divorce
iii. Royal women occasionally wielded political power as regents for their sons or more
rarely, as queens in their own right
iv. Egyptian statues and love poetry suggest affection between sexes
The Rise of the State
a. States were central to the organization and stability of First Civilizations
b. Coercion and Consent
i. The state fulfilled a variety of roles in coordinating and regulating First Civilizations
1. Organizing irrigation systems
2. Adjudicating conflicts
3. Defense
ii. The state served the needs of the upper classes
1. Protecting the privileges of the elite class
2. Requiring farmers to give up a portion of the product to support city people
3. Demanding labor on large public projects
4. The state will frequently used force to secure its will
5. Force was not always necessary because the state often claimed that its
authority was normal, natural, and ordained by the gods
a. Ruled by divine right
b. Deference to religion restrained or even undermined the right to rule as in
the rule of the Chinese emperors by the Mandate of Heaven
c. Writing and Accounting
i. Writing provided support for the state and emerged in all of the First Civilizations except
the Andes (though some scholars regard the knotted string, or quipus for accounting, as
a kind of writing)
ii. Writing sustained the First Civilizations
1. Defining elite status and conveying prestige on those who wrote
2. Allowing some commoners to join the elite through literacy
3. Providing a means for propaganda
4. Providing a means to keep accurate accounts and complex calendars
5. Giving weight to regulations and laws
iii. Writing served as a function beyond the state
1. Fostered literature, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, history
2. Sometimes threatened rulers
d. The Grandeur of Kings
i. Source of state authority
ii. Monumental residences and temples
iii. Luxurious dress
iv. Elaborate burials
Comparing Mesopotamia and Egypt
a. Environment and Culture
i. Both depended on rivers, but were very different
1. Erratic and destructive flooding in Mesopotamia
2. Nile flooded more predictably and less destructively
ii. Mesopotamia was less geographically isolated than that of Egypt
1. It was more vulnerable to attacks from external forces
2. Egypt was more protected from external attack
iii. Relationship between physical setting and culture
1. More negative Mesopotamian worldview seems to reflect its precarious and
violent environment
2. Egyptian worldview reflected a more stable, predictable and beneficial
environment in which it started to take shape
b. Cities and states
i. The political system of Mesopotamia and Egypt differed sharply
ii. Mesopotamia for its first thousand years was organized into a dozen or more separate
city-states
1. Each city-state was rule by a king
2. 80% of the population lived in city-states
a. Protection
3. Environmental devastation and endemic warfare ultimately led to conquest by
outside forces after about 2350 B.C.E

4. These outside powers built large territorial states or bureaucratic empires

encompassing all or most of Mesopotamia.
iii. Egypt
1. Around 3100 B.C.E. several earlier states and chiefdoms merged into a unified
territory that stretched some 1,000 miles along the Nile
2. For 3,000 years, Egypt maintained unity and independence
3. The pharaoh was the focus of Egyptian state
a. God in human form
4. From 2200 B.C.E. to 2000 B.C.E there was anarchy
a. When state was restored, pharaohs never regained their power
iv. Interaction and Exchange
1. Egypt and Mesopotamia frequently interacted
2. Egypts agriculture benefitted from interaction
3. Mesopotamian models may have influenced Egypts step pyramids and language
(writing)
4. Civilization derives from its implication of soliditythe idea that civilizations
represent distinct and widely shared identities with clear boundaries that mark
them off from others.
a. Unlikely however, that people of Mesopotamia, Norte Chico, or China felt
part of a shared culture
b. Local identities were defined by clan affiliation, occupation, village, city,
or region

CHAPTER 4 OUTLINE
I. Opening Vignette
A. The 2007 book Are We Rome? asked if the United States has become the newRoman Empire.
1. collapse of the Soviet Union
2. overextension of the United States
3. sense of unique, global mission
4. commitment to military dominance
5. reminder of continuing relevance of a long-dead empire
B. Modern fascination with empires
1. earliest empires developed in era of First Civilizations
a. Akkadian Empire
b. Babylonian Empire
c. Assyrian Empire
2. empires have been central to world history for 4,000 years
C. What is an empire?
1. simple answer: empires are political systems with coercive power
2. more typical: larger, more aggressive states
a. conquer other states
b. use their resources
c. usually include multiple peoples and cultures under a single political system
3. no clear line between empires and small multiethnic states
a. can have a common culture without a unified political system
D. Eurasian empires of the classical era include:
1. Persian Empire
2. Greek empire of Alexander the Great
3. Roman Empire
4. Chinese empire (Qin and Han dynasties)
5. India (Mauryan and Gupta empires)
E. Common problems of classical empires:
1. Would they try to impose their culture on varied subjects?
2. Would they rule conquered peoples directly or through local elites?
3. How should they extract wealth while maintaining order?
4. all eventually collapsed

F. Why have empires always been so fascinating?

1. size was imposing
2. blood and violence of conquest
3. satisfaction in witnessing the fall of the mighty when they collapse
4. contrast to nonimperial civilizations
5. empires were important
a. majority of humans before twentieth century lived in empires
b. stimulated exchange of ideas, cultures, and values
i. e.g., Roman Empire as vehicle for spread of Christianity
d. peace and security encouraged development, commerce, and cultural mixing
II. Empires and Civilizations in Collision: The Persians and the Greeks
A. The Eurasian classical era saw a flowering of second-wave civilizations.
1. civilizations did not usually encounter each other directly
2. Mediterranean world and Middle East were the important exceptions
a. Persians and Greeks were neighbors
b. very important cultural encounter
B. The Persian Empire
1. in 500 b.c.e., it was the largest and most impressive empire
a. Persians were Indo-Europeans, homeland on the Iranian plateau
b. imperial system drew on Mesopotamian prototypes
c. much larger and more splendid
d. Cyrus (r. 557530 b.c.e.) and Darius (r. 522486 b.c.e.) expanded empire from Egypt to India
e. diverse empire with population of around 35 million people
2. elaborate cult of kingship
a. rule by will of the god Ahura Mazda
b. absolute monarchy
3. holding the empire together
a. violent punishments by king
b. effective administrative system
i. satraps governed the empires 23 provinces
ii. lower-level officials were local
iii. system of imperial spies (eyes and ears of the King)
c. respect for non-Persian cultural traditions
i. Cyrus allowed Jews to return from Babylonian exile and rebuild Jerusalem temple
ii. Herodotus: Persians adopt foreign customs readily
d. standardized coinage, predictable taxes
e. encouragement of communication and commerce
i. canal dug between Nile and Red Sea
ii. royal road 1,700 miles long across empire
iii. imperial courier service
4. immense wealth and power
a. elaborate imperial centers (especially Susa, Persepolis)
C. The Greeks
1. Indo-Europeans
2. classical Greece emerged ca. 750 b.c.e., flourished for about 400 years
3. distinctiveness of Hellenistic civilization
a. population of Greece and the Aegean basin was 2 million to 3 million people
b. geography of mountains, valleys encouraged development of hundreds of city-states and small
settlements
i. most had 5005,000 male citizens
ii. fierce independence, frequent conflict with neighbors
c. shared common language and common gods
i. common participation in Olympic Games (founded 776 b.c.e.)
4. between 750 and 500 b.c.e., colonization around Mediterranean basin and Black Sea
5. most distinctive feature: popular participation in political life of city- states

a. equality of all citizens before the law

b. extent of citizenship varied depending on time and city
i. early Greek history: only wealthy and well-born were citizens
ii. gradually expanded to middle- and lower-class men
iii. an important element was ability to afford armor and weapons to fight as hoplites for the citystate
c. tyrants (dictators) emerged in many areas, supported by the poorer classes against the rich
d. Sparta gave most political authority to Council of Elders
e. Athens: most distinctive expression of political participation
i. period of intense class conflict
ii. Solons reforms began in 594 b.c.e.
iii. extension of citizens rights by Cleisthenes and Pericles
iv. by 450 b.c.e., holders of public office chosen by lot, paid
v. the Assembly was open for participation by all citizens, was center of political life
f. differences between Athenian and modern democracy
i. direct, not representative
ii. women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded
D. Collision: The Greco-Persian Wars
1. point of collision was Ionia (Greek settlements on Anatolian seacoast)
a. in 499 b.c.e., some Ionian Greeks revolted against Persia
b. were supported by Athens
2. Persia responded with expeditions against Greeks in 490 and 480 b.c.e.
a. Greeks astonishingly defeated Persians on land and sea
b. Greeks believed they won Battle of Marathon (490 b.c.e.) because they were motivated by Greek
freedoms
3. notion of East/West divide as dominant theme in European thought
a. Greece = Europe, freedom
b. Persia = Asia, despotism
4. victory radicalized Athenian democracy: poor rowers received full citizenship
a. fifty-year Golden Age of Greek culture after Persian Wars
i. construction of Parthenon
ii. birth of Greek theatre (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides)
iii. early career of philosopher Socrates
b. beginnings of imperialism
i. Athenian naval power led to dominance over allies
c. Peloponnesian War (431404 b.c.e.)
i. Sparta led resistance to Athenian imperialism
ii. Athens defeated
iii. Greek states were exhausted, distrusted each other
iv. opened the way to takeover by Macedonia (frontier region on northern edge of Greece)
E. Collision: Alexander and the Hellenistic Era
1. Philip II of Macedon completed conquest of Greece by 338 b.c.e.
a. political unification of Greece by force
b. plan for great Greek expedition against Persia
2. Alexanders expedition against Persia (333323 b.c.e.)
a. created a massive Greek empire that reached from Egypt and Anatolia to Afghanistan and India
b. defeat of Persian Empire, destruction of Persepolis
c. Alexander anointed as pharaoh of Egypt, declared to be son of the gods
3. Alexander died in 323 b.c.e.; empire divided into three kingdoms, ruled by Macedonian generals
4. Alexanders conquests were most important in world history terms for creation of the Hellenistic
era (32330 b.c.e.)
a. dissemination of Greek culture through much of Asia and Egypt
b. role of cities in spread of Greek culture
i. Alexander and successors established many cities
ii. many thousands of Greek settlers

iii. Greek public centers and government

iv. Alexandria (Egypt) as great cosmopolitan center
a. library of 700,000 volumes
b. the Museum: sponsorship of scholars
5. A simplified form of Greek was widely spoken from Mediterranean to India
a. Indian monarch Ashoka published some of his decrees in Greek
b. many Jews were attracted to Greek culture; Pharisees developed their own school system to
counter the influence
6. Hellenistic cities were much more culturally diverse than original Greek city-states
a. were not independent, but part of conquest states
b. Macedonians and Greeks formed the elite
i. efforts to remain separate from the natives
ii. periodic rebellions against Greek exploitation
c. cultural interaction and blending were still possible
i. Alexander encouraged intermarriage
ii. Greek rulers supported native cults
iii. many natives became Greek citizens by adopting Greek education and culture
iv. in India, Greeks became part of Ksatriya (warrior) caste
v. some Bactrian Greeks converted to Buddhism, including King Menander
vi. depiction of the Buddha in human form, Greek style
7. Roman rule replaced that of Greeks in western part of Hellenistic world
a. continued to spread Greek culture and ideas
III. Comparing Empires: Roman and Chinese
A. The Roman and Chinese empires had little direct contact but interesting similarities.
1. both flourished ca. 200 b.c.e.200 c.e.
2. were of similar size (about 1.5 million square miles)
3. both had 50 million to 60 million people
4. between them, they controlled nearly half the worlds population
5. interesting variations on imperial theme
B. Rome: From City-State to Empire
1. started as small, unimportant city-state in central Italy in eighth century b.c.e.
2. overthrew monarchy and established a republic ca. 509 b.c.e.
a. dominance of wealthy patricians
b. rule by two consuls, with advice from Senate
3. conflict with plebeians (poorer classes)
a. developed into political role for the plebeians
b. tribunes represented plebeians, could veto legislation
4. pride in republican values: rule of law, citizens rights, lack of pretension, moralitythe way of
the ancestors
5. creation of the empire
a. began in 490s b.c.e. with wars to control Italian peninsula
b. 264146 b.c.e.: Punic Wars with Carthage
i. gave Rome control over western Mediterranean
ii. made Rome a naval power
c. conquest of Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and present-day Spain, France, and Britain
d. reached greatest geographical extent in early second century c.e.
e. gradual, unplanned pursuit of opportunities
f. skill and brutality of Roman army
g. usually generous treatment of conquered peoples
6. political crisis of first century b.c.e.
a. rise of military leaders (Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Julius Caesar)
b. decline of republican values
c. Caesar Augustus (r. 27 b.c.e.14 c.e.) was first emperor
i. maintenance of republican forms
ii. reality: emperor as sole authority

7. establishment of pax Romana (Roman peace)

a. security
b. relative prosperity
C. China: From Warring States to Empire
1. creation of empire regarded as a restoration
a. Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties had created a Chinese state
b. system fell apart by 500 b.c.e.
c. age of warring states: seven competing kingdoms
d. multiple states were regarded as unnatural
2. unification by Shihuangdi, ruler of Qin (r. 221210 b.c.e.)
a. adopted Legalism as political philosophy: clear rules and harsh punishments to enforce state
authority
b. Shihuangdi means first emperor
3. expansion of empire into northern Vietnam and Korea and into steppes to northwest
4. creation of empire was brutal
a. military force
b. executionof scholars, book burning
c. hundreds of thousands of laborers built Great Wall
d. Shihuangdis monumental tomb, with about 7,500 life-size ceramic statues
e. standardized weights, measures, currency, written Chinese, and even axle lengths for carts
5. Qin dynasty collapsed in 206 b.c.e.; followed by Han dynasty (206 b.c.e.220 c.e.)
a. kept Qin centralization
b. less harsh
D. Consolidating the Roman and Chinese Empires
1. both empires defined themselves in universal terms
2. both invested heavily in public works
3. both claimed supernatural sanctions
a. deceased Roman emperors as gods
i. persecution of Christians for nonparticipation in cult
b. Chinese emperor as Son of Heaven
i. rule by Mandate of Heaven
ii. dependent on just rule
iii. heavy ritual duties to maintain relationship between earth and heaven
iv. moral government spelled out by writings of Confucius and his followers
4. both absorbed a foreign religious tradition
a. development of Christianity in Roman Empire
i. eventually became dominant religion of Europe
b. introduction of Buddhism into China by traders
i. not very popular until collapse of Han dynasty
ii. temporary state support under Sui dynasty
iii. never dominated in China
5. relationships with societies they governed
a. Romans were always a minority in empire
i. gradual expansion of Roman citizenship; was granted to nearly all free people of empire in 212
c.e.
ii. did not imply cultural assimilation
iii. some Roman culture was attractive to western Europeans
iv. Greek culture continued to dominate eastern empire
b. ethnic Chinese had much larger cultural heartland
i. active assimilation of barbarians
6. role of language differed in the two empires
a. Latin (alphabetic language) gave rise to Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Romanian
b. Chinese characters (represented words or ideas) could not be transferred easily to other
languages
i. but all literate people could understand written Chinese

ii. more important than Latin in assimilating the elites

7. Roman Empires peoples maintained separate cultural identities far more than in China
8. Bureaucracy was much more elaborate in China than in Roman Empire
a. Chinese emperor Wudi (r. 14187 b.c.e.) established an academy to train officials based on works
of Confucius
i. developed into civil service system
ii. lasted until twentieth century
b. Roman administration relied on regional elites and army
i. unlike China, developed major body of law that was applicable equally to all people of the realm
E. The Collapse of Empires
1. Why do they fall?
a. Han dynasty ended in 220 c.e
b. traditional date for fall of western Roman Empire is 476 c.e.; eastern half survived as Byzantine
Empire
2. common factors
a. excessive size, overextension, too expensive for available resources
b. no great technological breakthrough to enlarge resources
c. tax evasion by large landowning families
d. tax burden fell heavily onto the poor
i. provoked Yellow Turban Rebellion, peasant revolt in China in 184 c.e.
e. rivalry between elite factions created instability
f. epidemic disease
g. threat from nomadic or semi-agricultural peoples on frontier
i. China had dealt with Xiongnu for centuries
a) as state weakened, nomadic peoples breached frontier defenses
b) establishment of barbarian states in north
c) gradual adoption of Chinese culture
ii. Rome: Germanic-speaking peoples
a) began to enter empire in fourth century c.e.
b) establishment of independent kingdoms
c) only partially adopted Roman culture
d) creation of Latin/Germanic hybrid culture
3. effects of imperial collapse
a. decline of urban life
b. population decline
c. reduction of international trade
d. vast insecurity
4. most important difference between collapse of Han and Roman Empires: what happened next
a. China: about 350 years of disorder, then creation of a similar imperial state (Sui, Tang, and Song
dynasties)
b. Europe: no large-scale imperial system has ever been successfully established in western Europe
since Romans
i. division into large number of states with weak rulers
c. Why was China more successful in restoration?
i. greater cultural homogeneity
ii. stronger bureaucratic tradition
iii. Confucianism valued state; Christianity often at odds with the state
iv. China had more advanced agriculture and metallurgy
IV. Intermittent Empire: The Case of India
A. The idea of empire was much less prominent in India than in Persia, the Mediterranean, or China.
1. fall of Indus Valley civilization by 1500 b.c.e.
2. creation of new civilization along Ganges River
a. debate continues over role of Aryan invaders

3. establishment in northern India of classic civilization of South Asia by 600 b.c.e.

a. enormous political, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity
b. Indian civilization as a whole shaped by political fragmentation and cultural diversity
c. identity provided by distinctive religious tradition and social organization
i. Hinduism
ii. caste system
B. Mauryan Empire (326184 b.c.e.)
1. stimulated by Persian and Greek penetration of northwest
2. ruled all but southern tip of India
3. population of around 50 million
4. large military and civilian bureaucracy
5. state-operated industries
6. Ashoka (r. 268232 b.c.e.) is best-known emperor, thanks to edicts
a. conversion to Buddhism
b. effort to rule empire peacefully
c. effort to develop a moral code for whole empire
7. Mauryan Empire broke apart after Ashokas death
C. Gupta Empire (320550 c.e.) and other short-lived empires followed
D. Why couldnt India maintain an empire?
1.
2.
3.
4.

states failed to command loyalty

great cultural diversity
frequent invasions from Central Asia
caste system encouraged local loyalties

E. Indian trade flourished despite the lack of unity.

1. merchants and artisans patronized public buildings and festivals
2. Hinduism and Buddhism spread through much of Asia
3. Indian mathematics and astronomy flourished
V. Reflections: Classical Empires and the Twentieth Century
A. Classical empires continue to be used as models and inspirations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Mao Zedong compared himself to Shihuangdi

Modern Indians pride themselves on Ashokas nonviolence and tolerance
Great Britain celebrated its empire as a modern Roman Empire
Mussolini regarded Italian expansion as the creation of a new Roman Empire
recent question: are Americans the new Romans?

B. There is a danger of misusing historical analogies, but history is vital to understanding the
complexities of contemporary life.

CHAPTER 5 OUTLINE
Chapter Outline
I. Opening Vignette
A. In 2004, China celebrated the 2,555th birthday of Confucius, despite Communism.
1. Buddhism and Christianity also growing rapidly in China
2. part of enduring legacy of the classical world
B. In the period around 500 b.c.e., there was a great emergence of durable cultural traditions that
have shaped the world ever since.
1. China: Kong Fuzi (Confucius) and Laozi

2. India: Upanishads defined Hinduism

a. Siddhartha Gautama founded Buddhism
3. Middle East: development of monotheism
a. Persia: Zoroastrianism (prophet Zarathustra)
b. Israel: Judaism (prophets such as Isaiah)
4. Greece: rational humanism (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, et al.)
5. all sought an alternative to polytheism, placating of gods through ritual and sacrifice
a. quest for source of order and meaning in the universe
b. guide humans to personal moral or spiritual transformation (especially development of
compassion)
c. the questions they pose still trouble and inspire humankind
d. they defined their distinctive cultures
C. Why did all these traditions emerge at about the same time?
1. some historians point to major social changes
a. iron-age technology led to higher productivity and deadlier war
b. growing cities, increasing commerce
c. emergence of new states and empires
d. new contacts between civilizations
2. its a mystery why particular societies developed particular answers
II. China and the Search for Order
A. China had a state-building tradition that went back to around 2000 b.c.e.
1. idea of Mandate of Heaven was established by 1122 b.c.e.(foundation of the Zhou dynasty)
2. breakdown into the chaos of the age of warring states (403221 b.c.e.)
a. chaos made the quest for order urgent
A. The Legalist Answer
1. Han Feizi was a leading Legalist philosopher
2. principle: strict rules, clearly defined and strictly enforced, are the answer to disorder
3. pessimistic view of human nature; only the state can act in peoples long-term interest
4. promotion of farmers and soldiers, who performed the only essential functions in society
5. Legalism inspired the Qin dynasty reunification of China
a. the philosophy was discredited by Qin brutality
B. The Confucian Answer
1. Confucius (551479 b.c.e.) was an educated, ambitious aristocrat
a. spent much of life looking for a political position to put his ideas into practice
b. Confuciuss ideas had enormous impact on China and the rest of East Asia
c. his teachings were collected by students as the Analects
d. elaboration and commentary on his ideas by later scholars,creating Confucianism as a body of
thought
2. principle: the moral example of superiors is the answer to disorder
a. society consists of unequal relationships
b. duty of the superior member to be sincere and benevolent
c. will inspire deference and obedience from the inferior member
3. humans have capacity for improvement: education is the key
a. advocated a broad liberal arts education
b. application of liberal arts education to government problems
c. need for ritual and ceremonies

4. after Legalism was discredited, Confucianism became the official ideology of the Chinese state
a. Confucianism became central part of education system in the Han dynasty
5. the family as a model for political life, with focus on filial piety
a. defined role of women as being humble, serving husbands
b. woman writer Ban Zhao (45116 c.e.): Lessons for Women
6. emphasized the great importance of history
a. ideal good society was a past golden age
b. superior men had outstanding moral character and intellect; not just aristocrats
i. added a democratic element: poor boys could rise through talent and education
ii. modest social mobility
c. created expectations for government: emperors to keep taxes low, give justice, and provide for
material needs
7. Confucianism was nonreligious in character
a. emphasis was practical, focused on this world
b. did not deny existence of gods and spirits, but the educated elite had little to do with them
C. The Daoist Answer
1. associated with the legendary Laozi (sixth century b.c.e.), author of the Daodejing (The Way and
Its Power)
a. Daoist ideas later spelled out more clearly by Zhuangzi (369286 b.c.e.)
2. Daoism was in many ways the opposite of Confucianism
a. education and striving for improvement was artificial and useless
b. urged withdrawal into the world of nature
3. central concept: dao: the way of nature, the underlying principle that governs all natural
phenomena
a. encouraged simple living, disengagement from public life
4. elite Chinese often regarded Daoism as a complement to Confucianism
a. helped by the concept of yin and yang (the unity of opposites)
5. Daoism entered popular religion
a. sought to tap the power of the dao for practical purposes (magic, the quest for immortality)
b. provided the ideology for peasant rebellions (e.g., Yellow Turbans)
III. Cultural Traditions of Classical India
A. Indian cultural development was different
1. elite culture was enthusiastic about the divine and about spiritual matters
2. Hinduism (the Indian religious tradition) had no historical founder
a. developed along with Indian civilization
b. spread into Southeast Asia, but remained associated with India and the Indians above all
c. was never a single tradition; Hinduism is a term invented by outsiders
B. South Asian Religion: From Ritual Sacrifice to Philosophical Speculation
1. widely recognized sacred texts provided some common ground within the diversity of Indian
culture and religion
2. the Vedas (poems, hymns, prayers, rituals
a. compiled by Brahmins (priests), transmitted orally
b. were not written down (in Sanskrit) until around 600 b.c.e.
c. provide a glimpse of Indian civilization in 1500600 b.c.e.
d. role of Brahmins in practicing elaborate ritual sacrifices gave them power and wealth
i. Brahmin power generated growing criticism

3. the Upanishads (mystical, philosophical works) developed in response to dissatisfaction with

Brahmins
a. composed between 800 and 400 b.c.e.
b. probe inner meaning of Vedic sacrificesintrospection
c. central idea: Brahman (the World Soul) as ultimate reality
i. individual human soul (atman) as part of Brahman
ii. final goal of humans is union with Brahman (moksha or liberation)
iii. achieving moksha takes many lifetimes
iv. centrality of rebirth (samsara) to Hindu thinking
v. law of karma: reincarnation depends on ones actions
vi. caste system as a register of spiritual progress
d. Brahmin priests and especially wandering ascetics spread ideas
C. The Buddhist Challenge
1. developed side by side with philosophical Hinduism
2. Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 566ca. 486 b.c.e.)
a. spiritual journey led to enlightenment (insight) at age 35
b. his followers saw him as the Buddha, the Enlightened One
3. central Buddhist teaching: life is suffering
a. sorrows cause is craving for individual fulfillment, attachment to self
b. cure it with modest and moral life, meditation
c. goal is achievement of enlightenment or nirvana (extinguishing of individual identity)
i. serenity
ii. immense compassion for all beings
4. large elements of Hinduism are present in Buddhist teaching
a. life as an illusion
b. karma and rebirth
c. overcoming demands of the ego
d. practice of meditation
e. hope for release from the cycle of rebirth
5. much of Buddhism challenged Hinduism
a. rejection of Brahmins religious authority
b. lack of interest in abstract speculation
c. need for individuals to take responsibility for their own spiritual development
d. strong influence of Indian patriarchy
i. but thousands of women became Buddhist nuns
ii. position was inferior, but offered more independence than did Hindus
6. appealed especially to lower castes and women in India
a. teaching was in local language, not classical Sanskrit
b. linked to local traditions with establishment of monasteries and stupas (shrines with relics of the
Buddha)
c. state support from Ashoka (268232 b.c.e.)
7. the split within Buddhism
a. early Buddhism (Theravada, the Teaching of the Elders)
i. the Buddha was a great teacher, but not divine
ii. set of practices rather than set of beliefs
iii. the gods are relatively unimportant

b. by early in the Common Era, development of Mahayana (Great Vehicle)

i. bodhisattvas provide help on journey to enlightenment
ii. the Buddha developed divine qualities; earlier and future Buddhas could offer help in spiritual
path
iii. Buddhism became a popular religion of salvation
iv. winning religious merit through acts of piety
D. Hinduism as a Religion of Duty and Devotion
1. Buddhism was gradually reincorporated into Hinduism in India
2. Mahayana Buddhism in particular spread elsewhere in Asia
3. first millennium c.e.: development of a more popular Hinduism
a. expressed in epic poems, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana
b. action in the world and performance of caste duties provide a path to liberation
c. bhakti (worship) movement began in south India
i. intense devotion to a particular deity
ii. Vishnu and Shiva were the most popular
iii. proliferation of gods and goddesses
IV. Moving toward Monotheism: The Search for God in the Middle East
A. The radical notion of a single supreme Deity developed in Zoroastrianism and Judaism and
became the basis for both Christianity and Islam.
B. Zoroastrianism
1. Persian prophet Zarathustra traditionally dated to sixth or seventh century b.c.e.
2. some state support during Achaemenid dynasty (558330 b.c.e.)
3. single god Ahura Mazda is source of truth, light, goodness
a. cosmic struggle with Angra Mainyu (force of evil)
b. Ahura Mazda will eventually win, aided by a final savior
c. judgment day: restoration of world to purity and peace
i. followers of Ahura Mazda will have eternal life in Paradise
ii. followers of the Lie will have everlasting punishment
d. need for the individual to choose good or evil
4. Zoroastrianism did not spread widely beyond Persia
a. Alexander and the Seleucid dynasty were disastrous for it
b. flourished in Parthian (247 b.c.e.224 c.e.) and Sassanid (224651 c.e.) empires
c. final decline caused by arrival of Islam; some Zoroastriansfled to India, became known as Parsis
(Persians)
5. Jews in the Persian Empire were influenced by Zoroastrian ideas
a. idea of God vs. Satan
b. idea of a last judgment and bodily resurrection
c. belief in the final defeat of evil, with help of a savior (Messiah)
d. remaking of the world at the end of time
C. Judaism
1. developed among the Hebrews, recorded in the Old Testament
a. early tradition of migration to Palestine, led by Abraham
b. early tradition of enslavement in Egypt and escape
c. establishment of state of Israel ca. 1000 b.c.e.

i. soon divided into Israel (north) and Judah (south)

ii. precarious existence thanks to great empires
iii. Assyrian conquest of Israel in 722 b.c.e.
iv. Babylonian conquest of Judah in 586 b.c.e.
2. Judean exiles in Babylon retained their cultural identity, returned to homeland
a. centerpiece of their identity was their unique religious ideas
3. distinctive conception of God
a. Yahweh demanded exclusive loyalty
b. relationship with Yahweh as a covenant (contract)
i. role as chosen people in return for sole devotion
c. lofty, transcendent deitybut communication was possible
i. divine action in the historical process
ii. transformed into a god of social justice and compassion
4. foundation for both Christianity and Islam
V. The Cultural Tradition of Classical Greece: The Search for a Rational Order
A. Classical Greece did not create an enduring religious tradition.
1. system of polytheism, fertility cults, etc., remained
2. Greek intellectuals abandoned mythological framework
a. world is a physical reality governed by natural laws
b. humans can understand those laws
c. human reason can work out a system for ethical life
3. perhaps was caused by diversity and incoherence of mythology
a. intellectual stimulation of great civilizations
b. possible influence of growing role of law in Athenian political life
B. The Greek Way of Knowing
1. flourished 600300 b.c.e. (same time as city-states flourished)
2. key element: the way questions were asked (argument, logic, questioning of received wisdom)
3. best example: Socrates (469399 b.c.e.) of Athens
a. constant questioning of assumptions
b. conflict with city authorities over Athenian democracy
c. accused of corrupting the youth, executed
4. earliest classical Greek thinkers
a. applied rational questioning to nature
i. Thaleswater as basic stuff of universe
ii. Democritusworld made up of atoms
iii. Pythagorasmathematical order beneath all
b. application to medicine
i. Hippocratestheory of humors that are balanced in a healthy body
5. application of Greek rationalism to understand human behavior
a. Herodotus: why did Greeks and Persians fight each other?
b. Plato (429348 b.c.e.) outlined design for a good society (Republic) led by a philosopher-king

c. Aristotle (384322 b.c.e.)

i. student of Plato, teacher of Alexander the Great
ii. most complete expression of Greek way of knowing
iii. emphasis on empirical observation
C. The Greek Legacy
1. many people continued traditional religious beliefs and practices
2. Greek rationalism spread widely
a. helped by Roman Empire
b. Christian theology was expressed in Greek philosophical terms
c. classical Greek texts preserved in Byzantine Empire
d. Western Europe: neglect of classical scholarship after fall of Roman Empire
i. rediscovery beginning in twelfth century
ii. Greek legacy as central to Western civilization
e. part of Islamic culture
i. rediscovery in West was largely through Arabic translations
VI. Comparing Jesus and the Buddha
A. The Lives of the Founders
1. Gautama was royal, Jesus was from a lower-class family
2. both became spiritual seekers
a. both were mystics: claimed personal experience of another level of reality
b. based lifes work on their religious experience
3. both were wisdom teachers
a. challenged conventional values
b. urged renunciation of wealth
c. stressed love or compassion as the basis of morality
d. called for personal transformation of their followers
4. important differences
a. Jesus had Jewish tradition of single personal deity
i. Gautama largely ignored the supernatural
b. Jesus teaching was more social and political than Gautamas
c. Jesus was active for about three years; Gautama for over forty
d. Jesus was executed as a criminal; Gautama died of old age
B. Establishing New Religions
1. probably neither intended to create a new religion, but both did
2. followers transformed both into gods
3. how Christianity became a world religion
a. process began with Paul (1065 c.e.)
i. missionary journeys
ii. inclusion of non-Jews
b. women had more opportunities (but early still reflected patriarchy of time)
c. early converts were typically urban lower class and women
d. attraction of miracle stories
e. attraction of Christian care for each other

4. Roman persecution of Christians as atheists for their antagonism to all divine powers except
their one god
a. ended with conversion of Emperor Constantine in early fourth century c.e.
b. later Roman emperors tried to use Christianity as social glue
c. Theodosius ordered closure of all polytheistic temples
d. spread of Christianity throughout Europe, parts of Africa,Middle East, Asia
5. Buddhism: Ashokas support helped, but Buddhism was never promoted as Indias sole religion
C. Creating Institutions
1. Christianity developed a male hierarchical organization to replace early house churches
a. women were excluded from priesthood
b. concern for uniform doctrine and practice
c. emergence of bishop of Rome (pope) as dominant leader in Western Europe
i. eventual split between Catholic and Orthodox branches of Christendom
d. doctrinal controversies
i. nature of Jesus
ii. nature of the Trinity
iii. series of church councils to define correct views
2. Buddhism clashed over interpretation of the Buddhas teachings
a. series of councils did not prevent divisions
b. less sense of right and wrong than with Christian conflicts
3. Buddhism did not develop an overall church hierarchy
a. did develop carefully regulated monastic communities
VII. Reflections: Religion and Historians
A. Religion is a sensitive subject for historians, too.
1. for believers, religion goes beyond earthly evidence
B. There are important points of tension between believers and historians.
1. change: religions present selves as timeless, but historians see development over time, as a
human phenomenon
2. experience of a divine reality: historians have trouble dealing withbelievers experiential claims
a. need for historians to take spiritual claims seriously
3. which group within a religion is authentic: historians usually refuse to take sides
C. It can be difficult to reconcile personal religious belief with historical scholarship.
D. Classical religious traditions are enormously important in world history.

CHAPTER 6 OUTLINE
I.

OpeningVignette
A.CastecontinuestobecentraltopresentdayIndia.
B.Theperiod1750presenthaschallengedmanysocialstructuresoncethoughttobeimmutable.
1.seriesofrevolutionsdestroyedmonarchiesandclasshierarchies
2.abolitionofslavery

3.womensmovement
4.Gandhisefforttoraisestatusofuntouchables
C.Patternsofinequalitygeneratedsocialtensionsduringthesecondwavecivilizations,too.
1.werejustifiedandchallengedbyreligiousandculturaltraditions
D.Classicalcivilizationswerehierarchicalandpatriarchal,buttheyvariedinhowtheyorganizedtheirsocieties.
II.SocietyandtheStateinClassicalChina
A.Chinesesocietywasmoreshapedbystateactionsthanwereothersocieties.
1.immensesocialprestigeandpoliticalpowerofstateofficials
2.officialsasculturalandsocialelite
B.AnEliteofOfficials
1.worldsfirstprofessionalcivilservice
2.124b.c.e.:Wudiestablishedanimperialacademyforofficials
a.around30,000studentsbyendofHandynasty
b.writtenexaminationsusedtoselectofficials
c.systemlasteduntilearlytwentiethcentury
3.favoredthewealthy,whocouldeducatesons
a.closenesstothecapital,familyconnectionsimportant
b.itwaspossibleforcommonerstoriseviaeducation
4.systemdevelopedfurtherinlaterdynasties
a.exampleofPoChuI(772846c.e.)passinghisexam
5.bureaucratshadgreatprestigeandprivileges
C.TheLandlordClass
1.byfirstcenturyb.c.e.,smallscalepeasantfarmershadbeendisplacedbylargelandownersandtenantfarmers
2.stateopposedcreationoflargeestatesthroughoutChinesehistory,withoutmuchsuccess
a.largelandownerscouldoftenevadetaxes
b.largelandownerssometimeskeptindependentmilitaryforcesthatcouldchallengeimperialauthority
c.reformsbyusurperWangMang(r.823c.e.)
i.nationalizedprivateestatesanddistributedthemtothelandless
ii.limitedamountoflandafamilycouldown
iii.endedprivateslavery
iv.reformscollapsed,WangMangwasassassinated

3.landownerprestigewasbasedonbothwealthandprestigeofmembershipinthebureaucracy(scholar
gentry)
a.livesofluxury
D.Peasants
1.inChinesehistory,mostofpopulationhavebeenpeasants
a.somerelativelyprosperous,somebarelysurviving
i.naturaldisasters
ii.taxes,statelabor,andmilitaryservice
b.tenantfarmersinHandynastyowedasmuchastwothirdsofcroptolandowners
i.someweredriventobeggingorbanditry
2.periodicpeasantrebellions
a.YellowTurbanRebellionin184c.e.provokedbyfloodingandepidemics
i.unifiedbypopularDaoism
ii.efforttocreateagoldenageofequality(theGreatPeace)
b.peasantrevoltsdevastatedtheeconomyandcontributedtooverthrowofHandynasty
c.Chinesepeasantmovementswereoftenexpressedinreligiousterms
E.Merchants
1.Chineseculturalelitedislikedmerchants
a.stereotypedasgreedyandprofitingfromworkofothers
b.seenasasocialthreatthatimpoverishedothers
2.periodiceffortstocontrolmerchants
a.sumptuarylaws
b.forbiddentoholdpublicoffice
c.statemonopoliesonimportantindustries(salt,iron,alcohol)
d.forcedtomakeloanstothestate
3.merchantsoftenprosperedanyway
a.wontheirwaytorespectabilitybypurchasingestatesoreducatingtheirsons
b.manyofficialsandlandlordswerewillingtoworkwiththem
III.ClassandCasteinIndia
A.CasteasVarna

1.thewordcastecomesfromPortuguesewordmeaningraceorpurityofblood
2.castemayhaveevolvedfromencounterbetweenAryans(lightskinned)andnatives(darkskinned)
a.certainlygrewfrominteractionofculturallydiversepeoples
b.developmentofeconomicandsocialdifferencesbetweenthem
c.economicspecializationandcultureapparentlymoreimportantthannotionsofrace
3.ca.500b.c.e.,therewasclearbeliefthatsocietywasdividedintofourgreatclasses(varna),withposition
determinedbybirth
a.threesegmentsofpureAryans(thetwiceborn)
i.Brahmins:priests
ii.Ksatriyas:warriorsandrulers
iii.Vaisyas:originallypeasants
b.Sudras:nativepeoples,inverysubordinatepositions
i.couldnottakepartinAryanrituals
ii.verylowvalue
4.varnatheory:thefourgroupswereformedfromthebodyofthegodPurusha;immutable
a.reality:considerablesocialchangeinancientIndia
b.frequentconflictbetweenBrahminandKsatriyagroups
c.absorptionoftribalpeopleswithinAryangroups
d.Vaisyavarnaevolvedintobusinessclass
e.Sudravarnabecamepeasantfarmers
f.creationofuntouchablesbelowSudras
a.peoplewhodidmostunclean,pollutingwork
B.CasteasJati
1.socialdistinctionsbasedonspecificoccupations,organizedasguilds(jatis)
a.blendedwithvarnasystemtocreatefullcastesystem
b.thousandsofjatisasprimarycellofsociallife
c.eachoffourgreatclassesdividedintomanyjatis(subcastes)
2.clearlydefinedsocialposition
a.marriageandeatingtogetheronlypermittedwithinindividualsjati
b.eachjatihasparticularduties,rules,obligations

3.ideasofritualpurityandpollutionappliedtocastegroups
4.inherentinequalitysupportedbyideaofkarma,dharma,andrebirth
a.birthintoacastedeterminedbygoodorbaddeeds(karma)ofapreviouslife
b.rebirthinahighercasteisdeterminedbyperformanceofpresentcasteduties(dharma)
5.threatofsocialostracismforviolatingrulesofthejati
6.individualscouldntraisesocialstatus,butwholejatiscouldimprovesocialstanding
C.TheFunctionsofCaste
1.castewasverylocal,soitfocusedloyaltiesonarestrictedterritory
a.madeempirebuildingverydifficult
b.casteasasubstituteforthestate
2.casteprovidedsomesocialsecurityandsupport(careforwidows,orphans,thedestitute)
3.castewasameanstoaccommodatemigrantsandinvaders
4.madeiteasierforthewealthyandpowerfultoexploitthepoor
a.multitudeofcastesmadeorganizedresistancenearlyimpossible
IV.SlaveryintheClassicalEra:TheCaseoftheRomanEmpire
A.WhydidslaveryemergeintheFirstCivilizations?Therearevarioustheories:
1.domesticationofanimalsprovidedamodelforhumanslavery
2.war,patriarchy,andprivatepropertyideasencouragedslavery
3.womencapturedinwarwereprobablythefirstslaves
4.patriarchalownershipofwomenmayhaveencouragedslavery
B.SlaveryandCivilization
1.slaveryassocialdeath:lackofrightsorindependentpersonalidentity
2.slaverywaslongestablishedtraditionbythetimeofHammurabi(around1750b.c.e.)
3.almostallcivilizationshadsomeformofslavery
a.variedconsiderablyoverplaceandtime
b.classicalGreeceandRome:slaveemancipationwascommon
c.AztecEmpire:childrenofslaveswereconsideredtobefree
d.laborofslavesvariedwidely
4.minorinChina(maybe1percentofpopulation)
a.convictsandtheirfamilieswereearliestslaves
b.poorpeasantssometimessoldtheirchildrenintoslavery
5.India:criminals,debtors,warcaptiveswereslaves

a.largelydomestic
b.religionandlawgavesomeprotections
c.societywasnteconomicallydependentonslavery
C.TheMakingofaSlaveSociety:TheCaseofRome
1.Mediterranean/Westerncivilization:slaveryplayedimmenserole
a.GrecoRomanworldwasaslavesociety
b.onethirdofpopulationofclassicalAthenswasenslaved
c.Aristotle:somepeopleareslavesbynature
2.atbeginningofCommonEra,Italyspopulationwas33to40percentslaves
a.wealthyRomansownedhundredsorthousandsofslaves
b.peopleofmodestmeansoftenownedtwoorthreeslaves
3.howpeoplebecameslaves:
a.massiveenslavementofwarprisoners
b.piracy
c.longdistancetradeforBlackSea,EastAfrican,andnorthwestEuropeanslaves
d.naturalreproduction
e.abandoned/exposedchildren
4.notassociatedwithaparticularethnicgroup
5.littleserioussocialcritiqueofslavery,evenwithinChristianity
6.slaverywasdeeplyentrenchedinRomansociety
a.slavesdidallsortsofworkexceptmilitaryservice
b.bothhighlyprestigiousanddegradedtasks
7.slaveshadnolegalrights
a.couldnotmarrylegally
b.ifaslavemurderedhismaster,allofthevictimsslaveswerekilled
c.manumissionwascommon;Romanfreedmenbecamecitizens
D.ResistanceandRebellion
1.casesofmasssuicideofwarprisonerstoavoidslavery

2.weaponsoftheweak:theft,sabotage,poorwork,curses
3.flight
4.occasionalmurderofowners
5.rebellion
a.mostfamouswasledbySpartacusin73b.c.e.
i.attractedperhaps120,000rebelliousslaves
ii.eventualmilitarydefeat,crucifixionof6,000rebels
b.nothingonsimilarscaleoccurredintheWestuntilHaitiinthe1790s
c.Romanslaverebellionsdidnotattempttoendslavery;participantsjustwantedfreedomforthemselves
V.ComparingPatriarchiesoftheClassicalEra
A.Everyhumancommunityhascreatedagendersystem.
1.atleastsincetheFirstCivilizations,theresulthasbeenpatriarchy
2.menregardedassuperiortowomen
3.menhadgreaterlegalandpropertyrights
4.publiclifeasmaledomain
5.polygamywascommon,withsexualcontroloffemalesoffamily
6.notionthatwomenneedmaleprotectionandcontrol
7.patriarchyvariedindifferentcivilizations
a.urbanizationandempiresrestrictedwomenmore
8.interactionofpatriarchyandclass:greatestrestrictionsonupperclasswomen
B.AChangingPatriarchy:TheCaseofChina
1.intheHandynasty,eliteideasbecamemorepatriarchalandlinkedtoConfucianism
a.thinkingaboutpairsofoppositesappliedinunequalterms
i.yang:masculine,relatedtoHeaven,strength,rationality
ii.yin:feminine,relatedtoEarth,weakness,emotion
b.menssphereispublic;womenssphereisdomestic
c.threeobediences:womanissubordinatedtofather,thenhusband,thenson
2.womanwriterBanZhao(45116c.e.):femaleinferiorityreinforcedbybirthrituals
3.subordinationwasntthewholestory
a.afewwomenhadconsiderablepoliticalauthority
i.provokedantifemalehostilityfromofficials
b.somewriterspraisedvirtuouswomenaswisecounselors
c.honorgiventothemothersofsons
i.significantauthorityasmotherinlaw
d.dowrywasregardedaswomansownproperty
e.valueofwomenastextileproducers

f.awifehadmuchhigherstatusthanaconcubine
4.changesfollowingthecollapseoftheHandynasty
a.culturalinfluenceofnomadicpeoples/lessrestriction
b.byTangdynasty(618907),elitewomenregardedascapableofhandlinglegalandbusinessaffairs,evenof
ridinghorses
i.rightofamarrieddaughtertoinheritfamilyproperty
c.majorsignofweakeningpatriarchy:reignofEmpressWu(r.690705c.e.)
i.onlywomanevertoruleChinaasemperor
ii.workedtoimprovepositionofwomen
iii.bitterlycriticizedbyConfucians
d.growingpopularityofDaoismopenednewwomensroles
i.Daoismencouragedfemininevirtuesofpassivity
ii.oftenhadfemalepriests,nuns,recluses
iii.establishmentofavarietyofgoddesses
iv.womenalsobecameBuddhistnuns
C.ContrastingPatriarchiesinAthensandSparta
1.AthensandSpartaweresubstantiallydifferentinviewsaboutwomen
2.Athens:increasinglimitationsonwomen700400b.c.e.
a.completelyexcludedfrompubliclife
b.representedbyaguardianinlaw;notevennamedincourtproceedings
c.Aristotle:positionjustifiedintermsofwomensnaturalinadequacycomparedtomales
d.restrictedtothehome
i.withinhome,livedseparatelyfrommen
e.marriedinmidteenstomen1015yearsolder
f.roleinlife:domesticmanagementandbearingsons
g.landnormallypassedthroughmaleheirs
h.womencouldonlynegotiatesmallcontracts
i.mostnotableexception:Aspasia(ca.470400b.c.e.)
i.mistressofPericles
ii.notedforlearningandwit
3.Sparta:militaristicregimeverydifferentfromAthens
a.needtocounterpermanentthreatofhelotrebellion
b.Spartanmaleaswarrioraboveall
c.situationgavewomengreaterfreedom

d.centralfemaletaskwasreproduction
i.womenencouragedtostrengthentheirbodies
ii.werenotsecludedlikeAthenianwomen
iii.marriedmenabouttheirownage(about18)
e.menwereoftenpreparingfororwagingwar,sowomenhadlargerroleinhousehold
4.Sparta,unlikeAthens,discouragedhomosexuality
a.otherGreekstatesapprovedhomoeroticrelationships
b.Greekattitudetowardsexualchoicewasquitecasual
VI.Reflections:ArguingwithSolomonandtheBuddha
A.WhatismoreimpressiveaboutclassicalEurasiancivilizations:changeorenduringpatterns?
1.Ecclesiastesbasicchangelessnessandfutilityofhumanlife
2.Buddhismbasicimpermanenceofhumanlife
B.Clearly,somethingschanged.
1.GreekconquestofthePersianEmpire
2.unificationoftheMediterraneanworldbytheRomanEmpire
3.emergenceofBuddhismandChristianityasuniversalreligions
4.collapseofdynasties,empires,andcivilizations
C.Butthecreationsoftheclassicalerahavebeenhighlydurable.
1.Chinasscholargentryclass
2.Indiascastesystem
3.slaverylargelyunquestioneduntilnineteenthcentury
4.patriarchyhasbeenmostfundamental,durable,andtakenforgrantedfeatureofallcivilizations
a.noteffectivelychallengeduntiltwentiethcentury
b.stillshapeslivesandthinkingofvastmajorityofpeople
5.religiousandculturaltraditionsstartedintheclassicalagestillpracticedorhonoredbyhundredsofmillionsof
people

CHAPTER7OUTLINE
I. Opening Vignette
A. Maya language and folkways still survive among about 6 million people.

1. recent Maya revival

a. 1994 uprising
B. Classical-era civilizations arent just Eurasian.
1. the Americas: Maya and Moche
2. Africa: Mero, Axum, Niger River valley
C. There are basic similarities in the development of human cultures everywhere.
1. part of great process of human migration
2. Agricultural Revolutions took place independently in Eurasia, Africa, and the Americas
3. resultant development of civilizations
D. The worlds population at the beginning of the Common Era was about 250 million people.
1. more than 80 percent were in Eurasia
E. There were important differences between civilizations in different regions.
1. the Americas lacked nearly all animals suitable for domestication
2. Africa imported previously domesticated sheep, goats, chickens, horses, camels
3. metallurgy was less developed in the Americas
4. writing
a. limited in the Americas to Mesoamerica; most highly developed among the Maya
b. in Africa, was confined to north and northeast
5. fewer and smaller classical civilizations in the Americas and Africa
II. The African Northeast
A. Africa had no common cultural identity in the classical era.
1. great environmental variation within the continent
2. enormous size of the continent
3. most distinctive: Africa is the most tropical of worlds supercontinents
a. climate means poorer soils and less productive agriculture
b. more disease-carrying insects and parasites

4. Africa also shaped by interaction with nearby Eurasia and Arabia

a. North Africa as part of the Roman Empire
b. Arabia as source of the domesticated camel
B. Mero: Continuing a Nile Valley Civilization
1. Nubian civilization was almost as old as Egyptian civilization
a. constant interaction
b. remained a distinct civilization
2. with decline of Egypt, Nubian civilization came to focus on Mero
a. civilization there flourished 300 b.c.e.100 c.e.
3. ruled by an all-powerful sacred monarch (usually female)
a. buried with human sacrifices
4. city of Mero had craft specialization
a. ironworking was especially important
5. rural areas had combination of herding and farming
a. paid tribute to the ruler
b. farming was based on rainfall, not irrigation
c. so population was less concentrated on the Nile, less directly controlled by the capital
6. major long-distance trade was the source of much of wealth and military power
a. had contact with the Mediterranean
b. also traded to east and west by means of camel caravans
c. less Egyptian influence than earlier times
i. new prominence of local lion god Apedemek
ii. Egyptian writing was replaced by a new Meroitic script
7. decline of Mero after 100 c.e.
a. deforestation (too much wood used in iron industry)
b. conquest in 340s c.e. by Axum
c. penetration of Coptic Christianity; Christian dominance for 1,000 years

d. penetration of Islam after about 1300

C. Axum: The Making of a Christian Kingdom
1. Axum was located in present-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia
2. kingdoms economic foundation was highly productive agriculture
a. plow-based farming (not reliant on hoe or digging stick like most of Africa)
b. high production of wheat, barley, millet, teff
3. substantial state emerged by about 50 c.e.
a. stimulated by Red Sea and Indian Ocean trade (port of Adulis)
b. commerce taxes were major source of state revenue
4. capital city Axum (in the interior) was center of monumental building
a. huge stone obelisks (probably mark royal graves)
i. some over 100 feet tall
b. town language was Geez, written in South Arabianderived script
c. most of rural populace spoke Agaw
d. capital exerted loose control, mostly collection of tribute
5. Christianity arrived in fourth century c.e.
a. King Ezana adopted Christianity about the time of Constantine
b. Coptic Christianity is still the religion of half the region
6. fourth to sixth centuries c.e.: imperial expansion into Mero and Yemen
a. reached gates of Mecca by 571
b. decline followed
i. soil exhaustion, erosion, deforestation
ii. rise of Islam altered trade routes
c. revival of state several centuries later, but further south
7. both Mero and Axum paralleled Eurasian developments and had
direct contact with Mediterranean civilizations

III. Along the Niger River: Cities without States

A. There was major urbanization along the middle stretches of the Niger River between 300 b.c.e.
and 900 c.e.
1. migration of peoples from the southern Sahara during long dry period
2. but no evidence of a state structure, either imperial or city-state
3. archeologists have not found evidence of despotic power, widespread war, or deep social
inequality (like Indus Valley civilization)
B. Cities like Jenne-jeno were clusters of economically specialized settlements.
1. iron smithing was earliest and most prestigious occupation
2. villages of cotton weavers, potters, praise-singers (griots) grew up around central towns
a. artisan communities became occupational castes
b. rural populace also specialized (fishing, rice cultivation, etc.)
C. The middle Niger cities were stimulated by a network of West African commerce.
D. Large-scale states emerged in West Africa in the second millennium c.e.
1. stimulated by trans-Saharan commerce
IV. South of the Equator: The World of Bantu Africa
A. Movement of Bantu-speaking peoples into Africa south of equator
1. over time, 400 distinct Bantu languages developed
2. by the first century c.e., Bantu agriculturalists occupied forest regions of equatorial Africa; some
had probably reached East African coast
3. spread to most of eastern and southern Africa
4. the movement wasnt a conquest or self-conscious migration
B. Cultural Encounters
1. Bantu-speaking peoples interacted with established societies
2. most significant interaction: agricultural Bantu and gathering and hunting peoples
3. Bantu advantages
a. numbers: agriculture supports more people
b. disease: Bantu brought new diseases to people with little immunity

c. iron
d. gathering and hunting peoples were largely displaced, absorbed, eliminated
4. survival of a few gathering and hunting peoples like the San to modern times
a. Bantu peoples have preserved some of language and ways of people they displaced
b. the Batwa (Pygmy) people became forest specialists and interacted with the Bantu
5. Bantu culture changed because of encounter with different peoples
a. in East Africa, shifted from yam-based agriculture to grains
i. also adopted Southeast Asian crops
6. Bantu peoples spread their skills and culture through eastern and southern Africa
C. Society and Religion
1. creation of many distinct societies and cultures in 5001500 c.e.
a. Kenya: decision making by kinship and age structures
b. Zimbabwe and Lake Victoria region: larger kingdoms
c. East African coast after 1000 c.e.: rival city-states
d. development depended on large number of factors
2. religion placed less emphasis on a remote High God and more on
ancestral or nature spirits
a. sacrifices (especially cattle) to access power of dead ancestors
b. power of charms was activated by proper rituals
c. widespread belief in witches
d. diviners could access world of the supernatural
e. based on the notion of continuous revelation: new messages still come from the world beyond
f. no missionary impulse
V. Civilizations of Mesoamerica
A. There was a lack of interaction with other major cultures, including with other cultures in the
Americas.
1. development without large domesticated animals or ironworking

2. important civilizations developed in Mesoamerica and the Andes long before Aztec and Inca
empires
3. extraordinary diversity of Mesoamerican civilizations
a. shared an intensive agricultural technology
b. shared economies based on market exchange
c. similar religions
d. frequent interaction
B. The Maya: Writing and Warfare
1. Maya ceremonial centers developed as early as 2000 b.c.e. in present-day Guatemala and
Yucatan
2. classical phase of Maya civilization: 250900 c.e.
a. development of advanced mathematical system
b. elaborate calendars
c. creation of most elaborate writing system in the Americas
d. large amount of monumental architecture (temples, pyramids, palaces, public plazas)
3. Maya economy
a. agriculture had large-scale human engineering (swamp drainage, terracing, water management
system)
b. supported a substantial elite and artisan class
4. political system of city-states and regional kingdoms was highly
fragmented
a. frequent warfare; capture and sacrifice of prisoners
b. densely populated urban and ceremonial centers
i. ruled by state shamans who could mediate with divine
ii. Tikals population was around 50,000 people, with 50,000 more in hinterland
c. no city-state ever succeeded in creating a unified empire
5. rapid collapse in the century after a long-term drought began in 840
a. population dropped by at least 85 percent

b. elements of Maya culture survived, but not the great cities

c. reasons posited for the collapse:
i. extremely rapid population growth after 600 c.e. outstripped resources
ii. political disunity and rivalry prevented a coordinated response to climatic catastrophe
iii. warfare became more frequent
C. Teotihuacn: Americas Greatest City
1. city was begun ca. 150 b.c.e.
2. by 550 c.e., population was 100,000200,000
3. much about Teotihuacn is unknown
4. city was centrally planned on a gridlike pattern
5. specialized artisans
6. little evidence of rulers or of tradition of public inscriptions
a. may have been ruled by an oligarchy
7. deep influence on Mesoamerica, especially in 300600 c.e.
a. directly administered perhaps 10,000 square miles
b. influence of Teotihuacn armies spread further
c. apparently also had diplomatic connections with other areas
d. trade
e. copying of Teotihuacn art and architecture
8. mysterious collapse ca. 650 c.e.
9. Aztecs named the place Teotihuacn: city of the gods
VI. Civilizations of the Andes
A. The rich marine environment possessed an endless supply of seabirds and fish.
1. most well-known civilization of the region was the Incas
2. central Peruvian coast was home to one of the First Civilizations: Norte Chico
3. classical era of Andean civilization is 1000 b.c.e.1000 c.e.
B. Chavn: A Pan-Andean Religious Movement

1. numerous ceremonial centers uncovered, dating to 20001000 b.c.e.

2. ca. 900 b.c.e., Chavn de Huntar became focus of a religious movement
a. Chavn de Huntar was in good location along trade routes
b. elaborate temple complex
c. beliefs apparently drew on both desert region and rain forests
d. probably used hallucinogenic San Pedro cactus
3. widespread imitation across Peru and beyond
a. Chavn became a pilgrimage center
4. did not become an empire
5. faded by 200 b.c.e.
C. Moche: A Regional Andean Civilization
1. flourished between about 100 and 800 c.e. along 250 miles of Perus north coast
2. agriculture based on complex irrigation system
3. rule by warrior-priests
a. some lived on top of huge pyramids
i. Pyramid of the Sun was made of 143 million bricks
b. rituals mediated between humans and gods
c. use of hallucinogenic drugs
d. human sacrifice
e. rulers had elaborate burials
4. superb craftsmanship of elite objects
5. ecological disruption in sixth century c.e. undermined the civilization
6. many other civilizations grew up in the Andes (Nazca, Huari, Chimu)
VII. North America in the Classical Era: From Chaco to Cahokia
A. Semi-sedentary peoples were established in the eastern woodlands of North America, Central
America, the Caribbean islands, and the Amazon basin.
1. gathering and hunting peoples still populated much of Americas

B. Pit Houses and Great Houses: The Ancestral Pueblo

1. southwestern North America began maize cultivation in second millennium b.c.e.
a. only became the basis of settled agriculture ca. 600800 c.e.
b. gradual adaptation of maize to desert environment
2. establishment of permanent villages
a. pit houses in small settlements
b. by 900 c.e., many villages also had larger ceremonial structures (kivas)
3. local trading networks, some long-distance exchange
4. development of larger settlements (pueblos) a. most spectacular was in Chaco canyon
i. five major pueblos emerged between 860 and 1130 c.e.
ii. about 70 outlying settlements linked to main centers
b. largest great house or town (Pueblo Bonito) was five stories high with over 600 rooms
c. hundreds of roads radiated out from Chaco (maybe were a sacred landscape)
5. Chaco was a center for turquoise production
6. warfare increased with extended drought after 1130
7. great houses abandoned by 1200
C. The Mound Builders of the Eastern Woodlands
1. Mississippi River valley: Agricultural Revolution by 2000 b.c.e.
a. agriculture as a supplement to gathering and hunting diet
2. creation of societies marked by large earthen mounds
a. earliest built ca. 2000 b.c.e.
b. most elaborate of mound-building cultures (Hopewell culture) was established between 200
b.c.e. and 400 c.e.
3. Hopewell: large burial mounds and geometric earthworks
a. many artifacts found in themevidence of extensive trade
b. careful astronomical orientation
4. Cahokia (near present-day St. Louis, MO) flourished between 900 and 1250 c.e.

a. introduction of maize agriculture allowed larger population

b. central mound: terraced pyramid of four levels
i. occupied 15 acres
ii. was over 100 feet high
c. community of about 10,000 people
d. widespread trade network
e. apparently had stratified class system
5. sixteenth-century Europeans encountered similar chiefdom among the Natchez in southwestern
Mississippi
a. paramount chiefs (Great Suns) lived in luxury
b. clear social elite
c. but upper-class people were required to marry commoners
d. significant military capacity
VIII. Reflections: Deciding Whats Important: Balance in World History
A. Teachers and writers of world history have to decide what to include.
B. Several possible standards can be used in decision making:
1. durability (which would make the Paleolithic section enormous)
2. change
3. population (Eurasia, with 80 percent of population, gets more space)
4. influence (impact of Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam)
5. the historians location and audience
a. Whats wrong with being Eurocentric with a Western audience?
C. Historians do not agree on the proper balance when teaching world civ.