Between 200 B.C. and A.D. 800, three civilizations flourished on the extremities of the Eurasian landmass. At the western tip, the Roman Empire produced a vibrant and flexible culture that remains influential today. Chinese civilization continued to dominate in the East, with its strong links to the past yet remarkable innovations. In the southern subcontinent, Indian civilization continued to evolve along traditional lines. All three civilizations faced many of the same problems and promises. It is remarkable, from a broad perspective, how similar their approaches to these challenges were. Even more impressive is their ability to project their influence beyond their homelands. This era saw the emergence of extensive lines of communication and exchange across Eurasia. Thus, not only did these civilizations influence each other, but this exchange also helped produce new cultural patterns throughout the region. Complete the following activities to better understand these developments.

Helpful Hints:

• You may want to begin by printing this page. As you explore different sites, use the printout to refer back to the instructions and questions detailed in each activity.
  
  
• On many web sites you can increase the size of the images by clicking on them. Whenever possible, use the larger images to examine fine details in photographs.
  
  

Activity One:

• To familiarize yourself with the area covered in this chapter, click on Map 1 and Map 2. Both maps show the Eurasian landmass and its modern political boundaries. Historians have always disputed where Europe ends and Asia begins. Culturally, that is easier to determine than geographically. Realistically, Europe and Asia share a common landmass—Eurasia. Which civilizations that you have studied can you identify in this region? Be sure to include North Africa as well. You should be able to locate Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Rome, the Zhou Dynasty, the Mauryan Empire, the Hellenistic kingdoms, and the Roman Empire. If not, review the maps in Chapters 1–6 and reacquaint yourself with these cultures. It is crucial that you have this global perspective to complete the rest of these exercises.
  
  

Activity Two:

• Review Map 1. Try to figure out the way civilizations in the Mediterranean basin, the Near East, the Indian subcontinents and East Asia might have communicated and exchanged goods with one another. Consider mountain ranges, oceans, and deserts. Where would land–based travel most likely have taken place? Where would water transportation have been more logical?
  
  
• Look at Map 3, which shows the variety of trade routes that existed in the first century A.D. How close were you in your own projections? Did you include travel across the Indian Ocean? The monsoons in this part of the world made this seaborne trade possible. For further explanation of these weather patterns, see Map 4.
  
  
• What about travel across land? Remember, there were no cars, trains, and airplanes. What was the principal means of transportation across Central Asia? See Bactrian Camels to answer this question. After reviewing this site, make a list of all the ways that camels (be sure to consider the different varieties) facilitated long–distance trade during this era.
  
  

Activity Three:

• Camels and boats made long–distance exchanges possible, yet neither camels nor boats could carry very heavy items, nor could they transport perishable items fast enough to market them over a long distance. What goods did these civilizations exchange? Review Map 3 for clues. Also consult pages 185–188 in McKay, A History of World Societies (Fifth Edition). Why do you think these goods were in such high demand in global markets? Who do you believe were their primary consumers?
  
  

Activity Four:

Now that you understand the trade routes connecting the Mediterranean basin, China, and India, you need to review what was going on in each region at this time. We covered the Roman Empire in Chapter 6. For review, go to the web activities for that chapter. In China, this era began with the consolidation of power under the Han Dynasty. (Review pages 184–193 in McKay, A History of World Societies [Fifth Edition], before continuing.) The Han Dynasty flourished at roughly the same time as the Roman Empire. Despite the limited contact they had with each other, they were remarkably similar in some respects. Complete the following activities to identify some of these similarities. Pay attention to the scale and scope of each empire, how it promoted military security, and the role of emperors in government. Try to identify similar challenges the empires faced, then compare and contrast how they dealt with these issues.

• Go to Map of the Roman Empire and Map of the Han Empire. Compare and contrast the geographic scale and scope of these political entities. How much ethnic diversity was there in each empire?
  
  
• Go to Virtually a Tour of a Desert Fort and The Great Wall. Study the images of Hadrian's Wall and the Via Appia. How did the the Romans and Chinese promote military security? From whom?
  
  
• Go to The Mandate of Heaven and The Deeds of the Divine Augustus. Study the images of Emperor Augustus (Part III) and The First Emperor of China. How did the Romans and Chinese promote the authority of the emperor?
  
  
• Make a chart that lists the major similarities and differences between the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire. Feel free to include any other aspects not covered on these web sites.
  
  

Activity Five:

• Another major empire during this era was the Gupta Empire in India, which existed from A.D. 320 to 480. Review pages 207–212 in McKay, A History of World Societies (Fifth Edition). How was the Gupta Empire similar to and different from the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire? Add the Gupta Empire to your chart from the fourth activity. You might want to consult Map 5, The Later Guptas and Decline of the Gupta Empire, and the Age of the Guptas and After.
  
  

Activity Six:

• One major difference between the Han Dynasty, the Roman Empire, and the Gupta Empire, is that only in China did political unification re–emerge later along similar lines as in the Han Dynasty. What did the Sui and Tang Dynasties have in common with their predecessor? Review pages 196–200 in McKay, A History of World Societies (Fifth Edition). Then go to The Han Synthesis. Write a paragraph that answers this question.
  
  

Activity Seven:

• One major similarity between the Han Dynasty, the Roman Empire, and the Gupta Empire was that they all collapsed under the strain of invasions from Central Asia. The Huns, in particular, invaded all three empires and strained their military resources Go to Map 6 to see where the Huns originated. Now click on Huns, The Huns, and Hyperhistory: The Huns. Who were the Huns? Were they a sophisticated civilization marked by urbanization and a strong central government like the Roman Empire, the Han Dynasty, and the Gupta Empire? What motivated them to attack these civilizations? Why were they unable to sustain a strong presence in the areas they conquered?
  
  

Activity Eight:

In the past, historians have tended to assign a negative role to Central Asian nomadic groups such as the Huns. These nomads have been blamed for destroying the classical civilizations of China, the Mediterranean basin, and the Indian subcontinent between the third and fifth centuries. Other historians argue that these nomadic groups played a much more positive role in this era. They note that Central Asian nomads helped disseminate culture, religion, and technology.

• For an illustration of this argument, click on The Kushans and Kanishkas (AD 50 – 300). Go to Map 7.1 on page 187 of McKay, A History of World Societies (Fifth Edition) and locate where the Kushan Empire flourished. What civilizations did it border? How did it disseminate culture, religion, and technology among them? What do you think this group's greatest impact on world history was?
  
  
• For another example of this argument, go to Buddhism and Its Spread Along the Silk Road. Write a paragraph summarizing your conclusions about Central Asian influence.
  
  

Activity Nine:

• Central Asian nomads often became the organizers of caravans across the deserts, steppe, and mountains of Central Asia. They often settled down and established cities or even kingdoms (such as the Kushans) to facilitate commerce. As they became more civilized, they adapted the writing, religions, and technology of cultures with which they came into contact. This in turn facilitated the spread of information. To illustrate this development, click on Silk-road.com. Spend some time at this fabulous site. Keep a list of religions, technology, and other things transported along the Silk Road.