Learnings
Chapter 3
- Early Eurasian Empires: Chinese (Qin and Han Dynasties), South Asian (Mauryan and Gupta Empires), Middle Eastern (Persian Empire), Mediterranean (Greek city-states).
- Persian Empire
- Largest and most culturally diverse empire spanning from modern Egypt to India.
- Monotheistic Zoroastrian religion permeates the culture.
- Government reflected a monarchy with absolute authority through the will of the Persian god. This style of god granted monarchy bears resemblance to the early middle-ages King Arthur mythos.
- Acceptance, respect, and incorporation of conquered civilization allowed the Persian empire to remain cohesive, and accounted for the racial and religious diversity.
- Greek city-states
- Fractured Greek city-states encompassed: Athens, Sparta, Troy, and many others. Polytheistic worship of many gods was a common thread amount all Greek city-states.
- Government reflected a proto-democracy which varied between the fractured Greek city-states.
- Both empires exploited their lands forest and mineral deposits, leaving the regions around their capitols desolate. This was done to create the weapons and tools necessary to defend or conquer their neighbors.
- The two empires came to a head during the Greco-Persian Wars in which the expanding Persian empire met resistance from a Greek city-state (Ionian). Greece unified under an Athenian leadership to repel the Persians, aiding in the establishment of the Greek democracy which became the basis for may western cultures to come.
- Macedonia conquering Greece began campaign which would lead Alexander the Great to conquer much of the known world, including Persia.
- The Chinese warring states period between the seven existing kingdoms prevented a unified Chinese empire until unification was achieved by Qin Shihuangdi.
- Qin Dynasty
- Monarchy with the mandate of heaven to rule.
- Political system of Legalism which enforced state authority through clear rules and repercussions.
- Mauryan Empire
- Class based ruling system led by Ashoka.
- Religious adoption of Buddhism.
- Moralistic government style; a reflection of the Buddhist teaching adopted.
- An interesting observation about many of the empires emerging is that many started fractured, and began a bloody path towards unification, which ultimately led to future expansion to feed the growing nation until an authoritative implosion.
Chapter 4
- Cultural Philosophies
- China - Societal and environmental philosophical understanding
- Confucianism (Society) - Concept of social harmony through moral guidance. A superior exalting virtuous qualities would lead to an inferior adoption of said qualities.
- Daoism (Nature) - Withdrawal into nature to contemplate existence.
- Middle Eastern - Monotheistic religious and philosophical understanding.
- Zoroastrianism - Supreme being, and a constant conflict between good and evil.
- Christianity - Supreme being, and the relationship between an individual and said being.
- Judaism - Supreme being with a chosen people, focused on social justice.
- Mediterranean
- Greek Rationalism - Questioning of life, and a search for understanding in nature.
- Indian - Polytheistic religious and philosophical understanding.
- Jainism - All creatures are equal and contain spiritual souls.
- Buddhism - The understanding and end of suffering through meditation and detachment from desire.
- Hinduism - Single deity composed of many personas, and the constant striving towards (moksha).
Chapter 5
- China Societal Strata
- Elite Officials - The bureaucratic middle-management of society who enforced the emperors edicts. Trained as scholars in all areas, with a focus on Confucian teachings, and ultimately selected for service based on examination.
- Landlords - Large landowning families which established wealth and status within the empire through exploitation of the land and those who worked it.
- Peasants - Reflected the majority of the population. This group was leveraged public works initiatives, drafted for military service, and excessively taxed to fund the state coffers, though equally revered for their service to the nation.
- Merchants - Lowest social tier of society; considered unproductive and greedy.
- Indian Society
- Caste (Varna) System - Caste determines standing in society, and a fixed position in which one lives and socializes within.
- Brahmin - Spiritual leaders and teachers who sit at the top of the caste system.
- Kshatriya - Warriors and rulers.
- Vaisya - Farmers, merchants, and artisans
- Sudra - Laborers.
- Untouchables - Laborers, but considered unclean and not to be associated with.
- Life Stages - These reflect stages of life for those within the enlightened groups (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya)
- Student - As the name suggests, in this state a child (boy) is placed with a teacher and taught religion (Vedas, Sanskrit, rituals, etc.)
- Householder - A young male adult is expected to marry, have a family, and practice a caste-based career. A young female is expected to marry, produce offspring, maintain the household and perform rituals.
- Retirement - Both male and female withdraw from society and focus on spiritual practices.
- Wandering Ascetic - The male wanders as a hermit attempting to achieve moksha, while the woman returns to household life.
- Roman Empirical Infrastructure
- Citizens - While this was the minority within the Roman empire, citizenship allowed for ownership of land and incorporation into the democratic process
- Slavery - Represented a way of life in Rome for the vast majority of humans. One became a slave by being of a nation conquered by the Roman empire, purchased through slave traders, and inherited by birth in some cases. An individual could buy their freedom, be emancipated by their owners; however the could not become citizens, and essentially reflected a third strata of free-slaves.
- Africa vs. Americas
- During the Second-Wave Era, the worlds population primarily existing within Eurasia and Northern Africa, with only small populations existing in Africa, the Americas, and Australia.
- The lack of large animals for domestication in the Americas prevented the development of pastoral societies. While these also did not exist in Africa, proximity to their Eurasian counterparts made them accessible.
- Writing was limited to Mesoamerica in the Americas, and the lack of wide understanding limited cultural sharing, teaching, and accounting.
- Civilizations of Africa
- Meroe (Nubian Civilization)
- Borrowed heavily from Egyptian culture.
- Governed by a sacred monarch (male or female).
- Rainfall based agriculture system, making them less dependent on irrigation, and therefore not requiring close proximity to the Nile river.
- Specialized in iron tools and weapons.
- Decline due to deforestation and reduced Nile trade.
- Axum
- Economy based on plow-based farming system.
- Prosperity attributed to increase Red Sea and Indian Ocean trade
- Governed by monarchy.
- Adopted Christianity culturally.
- Decline due to deforestation, soil exhaustion, and erosion due to over farming.
- Civilizations of Mesoamerica
- The Maya
- Prominent in modern Guatemala region.
- Creation of a mathematical system which included the concept of zero and place notation.
- Developed early astronomy to calculate the length of a solar year, position of the planets, and predict eclipses.
- Language consisted of an elaborate pictogram system.
- Completely terraformed the surrounding landscape to drain swamps, flatten ridgetops, create complex water management system, and create massive temples.
- Civilization governed by divine rulers
- Decline due to famine, epidemic, and constant warfare with neighbors.
- Teotihuacan
- Prominent in modern Mexico.
- Massive city complex spanning eight square miles, and containing many modern elements; large avenues, plazas, temples, apartments, etc.
- Massive art projects depict deities and prominent individuals in painted murals and carvings.
- Collapse unknown.
- Andes Civilizations
- Chavin
- Prominent in modern costal Peru.
- Responsible for a religious movement in the region focused on animalistic deities.
- Explored the supernatural word aided by hallucinogenic.
- Moche
- Economy based on complex irrigation and farming.
- Society was governed by warrior-priests.
- Shaman-rulers conducted rituals under the influence of hallucinogens, and performed human sacrifices.
- Superior craftspeople in metalworking, pottery, and textiles.
- Decline attributed to environmental conditions such as droughts, earthquakes, and torrential rains.
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