Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Ancient Silk Roads: Trade, Religion, and Empire Dynamics

1. Chapter 12 Cross-cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads

2. Long-Distance Travel in the Ancient World • Lack of police enforcement outside of established settlements • Changed in classical period • Improvement of infrastructure • Development of empires

3. Trade Networks Develop • Dramatic increase in trade due to Greek colonization • Maintenance of roads, bridges • Discovery of Monsoon wind patterns • Increased tariff revenues used to maintain open routes

4. Trade in the Hellenistic World • Bactria/India • Spices, pepper, cosmetics, gems, pearls • Persia, Egypt • Grain • Mediterranean • Wine, oil, jewelry, art • Development of professional merchant class

5. The Silk Roads • Named for principal commodity from China • Dependent on imperial stability • Overland trade routes from China to Roman Empire • Sea Lanes and Maritime trade as well

6. The Silk Roads 200 BCE – 30 CE

7. Organization of Long-Distance Trade • Divided into small segments • Tariffs and tolls finance local supervision • Tax income incentives to maintain safety, maintenance of passage

8. Cultural Trade: Buddhism and Hinduism • Merchants carry religious ideas along silk routes • India through central Asia to east Asia • Cosmopolitan centers promote development of monasteries to shelter traveling merchants • Buddhism becomes dominant faith of silk roads, 200 BCE-700 CE

9. The spread of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, 200 BCE – 400 CE

10. Buddhism in China • Originally, Buddhism restricted to foreign merchant populations • Gradual spread to larger population beginning 5th c. CE

11. Buddhism and Hinduism in SE Asia • Sea lanes in Indian Ocean • 1st c. CE clear Indian influence in SE Asia • Rulers called “rajas” • Sanskrit used for written communication • Buddhism, Hinduism increasingly popular faiths

12. Christianity in Mediterranean Basin • Gregory the Wonderworker, central Anatolia 3rd c. CE • Christianity spreads through Middle East, North Africa, Europe • Sizeable communities as far east as India • Judaism, Zoroastrianism also practiced

13. Christianity in SW Asia • Influence of ascetic practices from India • Desert-dwelling hermits, monastic societies • After 5th c. CE, followed Nestorius • Emphasized human nature of Jesus

14. Spread of Manichaeism • Mani a devout Zoroastrian (216-272 CE) • Viewed himself a prophet for all humanity • Influenced by Christianity and Buddhism • Dualist • good vs. evil • light vs. dark • spirit vs. matter

15. Manichaean Society • Devout: “the Elect” • Ascetic lifestyle • Celibacy, vegetarianism • Life of prayer and fasting • Laity: “the Hearers” • Material supporters of “the Elect”

16. Decline of Manichaeism • Spread through silk routes to major cities in Roman Empire • Zoroastrian opposition provokes Sassanid persecution • Mani arrested, dies in captivity • Romans, fearing Persian influence, also persecute

17. The Spread of Epidemic Disease • Role of trade routes in spread of pathogens • Limited data, but trends in demographics reasonably clear • Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague • Effect: Economic slowdown, move to regional self-sufficiency

18. Epidemics in the Han and Roman Empires

19. Internal Decay of the Han State • Court intrigue • Formation of actions • Problem of land distribution • Large landholders develop private armies • Epidemics • Peasant rebellions • 184 CE Yellow Turban Rebellion

20. Collapse of the Han Dynasty China after the Han Dynasty, 220 CE • Generals assume authority, reduce Emperor to puppet figure • Alliance with landowners • 200 CE Han Dynasty abolished, replaced by 3 kingdoms • Immigration of northern nomads increases

21. Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples • Social and cultural changes to a Chinese way of life • Adapted to the Chinese environment • Agriculture • Adoption of Chinese names, dress, intermarriage

22. Popularity of Buddhism and Daoism • Disintegration of political order casts doubt on Confucian doctrines • Buddhism, Daoism gain popularity • Religions of salvation

23. Fall of the Roman Empire: Internal Factors • The Barracks Emperors • 235-284 26 claimants to the throne, all but one killed in power struggles • Epidemics • Disintegration of imperial economy in favor of local and regional self-sufficient economies

24. Diocletian (r. 284-305 CE) • Divided empire into two administrative districts • Co-Emperors, dual Lieutenants • “Tetrarchs” • Currency, budget reform • Relative stability disappears after Diocletian's death, civil war follows • Constantine emerges victorious

25. Fall of the Roman Empire: External Factors • Visigoths, influenced by Roman law, Christianity • Formerly buffer states for Roman Empire • Attacked by Huns under Attila in 5th c. CE • Massive migration of Germanic peoples into Roman Empire • Sacked Rome in 410 CE, established Germanic emperor in 476 CE

26. Germanic invasions and the fall of the western Roman Empire, 450-476 CE

27. Cultural Change in the Roman Empire • Growth of Christianity • Constantine’s Vision, 312 CE • Promulgates Edict of Milan, allows Christian practice • Converts to Christianity • 380 CE Emperor Theodosius proclaims Christianity official religion of Roman Empire

28. St. Augustine (354-430 CE) • Hippo, North Africa • Experimented with Greek thought, Manichaeism • 387 converts to Christianity • Major theologian

29. The Institutional Church • Conflicts over doctrine and practice in early Church • Divinity of Jesus • Role of women • Church hierarchy established • Patriarchs, Bishop of Rome primus inter pares