5.+The+Decline+Of+Classical+Civilizations

=**5.1** Notes On The Decline of China, Rome and India.=

Decline Of China & India
India's decline wasn't as harsh as the Han dynasty.
 * politically there was really no more control/power in the centralized government. the bureaucrats became corrupt, and the local landlords became basically the magistrate in their area. the lower social class i.e. free peasants were being subjected to more taxes on top of the other taxes.
 * by 184 c.e. Daoism became to become increasingly popular. there leaders **Yellow Turbans.** they spoke of the "golden age" and proceeded to attack the weaknesses of the emperor.
 * by the 6th century the the **Sui dynasty** ruled for a short period of time.
 * in 618 C.E. the Sui dynasty was followed by **Tang** Dynasty . The Tang dynasty was able to somewhat reverse the decline.
 * "Confucianism and the bureaucratic system were revived."
 * by the 5th century the Gupta emperors started to lose control of the local princes.
 * by 500 c.e. the nomadic people invaded deep India, destroying the Gupta Empire. after this they proceeded to assimilate to living in the warrior caste of India, thus forming this new group of regional princes called **Rajput.** they controlled small states and "emphasized military prowess"
 * Buddhism declined & Hindu increased. that was soon threatened though when a new religion **Islam** clashed with the beliefs of Hinduism. Soon the Arabs won.

Decline and Fall in Rome
After about 180 C.E things began to shift in the areas of political and economic life.
 * the emperor position changed many times to weak people which also led to disputes .Soon the army stepped in but that only complicated matters
 * " a series of plagues swept over the empire" decreasing the population from 1 million to 250,000. the economy paid the price
 * it became increasing difficult to recruit troops so German soldiers were hired which cut into the state's budget,
 * in contrast the cultural life declined . no new knowledge was being generated
 * the upperclass no longer produced any offspring. upperclass was only interested in pleasure-seeking.
 * soon a emperor came into power from 284 - 305 c.e**. Diocletian.**
 * he ruled with a somewhat of a iron fist. he improved tax collection and directed political loyalties at himself.
 * **Constantine** who replaced Diocletian ruled from 312- 337 c.e set up another capital city called **Constantinople** unite the eastern ad western empire. He used Christianity to unite the empire spiritually.
 * The Germans invaded by the 400s due to further decline of the army and were esatblished in the empire bu 425 c.e.
 * "it split the unity of the Mediterranean lands."
 * Soon the empire was split into three parts: the eastern empire, **Byzantine Empire** under the rule of Justinian, the **Parthian empire** which was centered around the Tigris-Euphrates, and the **Sassanid empire** which replaced that.

=5.2 Notes on Christianity and Islam=
 * As Christianity moved west into the Middle East and Buddhism moved east into India.
 * Christianity stressed the importance of "church organization and structure" as well as missionary activity, and the intolerance of competing beliefs.
 * Christianity was created from the lack of the Jewish faith being unadaptable. They believed in Jesus of Nazareth and his whole idea of redeeming human sins.
 * it spread like wildfire through the Middle East, Europe, and Ethiopia.
 * Through the help of **Paul**, an original discipline Christianity began to stand on its own two feet rather than a Jewish reform movement.
 * Soon a "centralized church organized under the leadership of the bishop of Rome, called **pope** gave the Western church unusual strength and independence."

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