Empires – An Introduction to the Modern World What is an Empire? • A large ______________________ under the control of

_____________________________ that _____________________ different peoples & cultures

Empires – An Introduction to the Modern World• From the time period of approximately 500 B.C. (B.C.E.) to around

1500 A.D. (C.E.), mankind experienced a tremendous period of progress

• This era in human history is marked by ______________________ advancement and ____________________________________________________.

• Though this time was often very violent the clock of progress ticked steadily forward

Empires • Common to mankind’s progress across the globe was that

diverse peoples were being grouped into large singularly ruled territories called _________________________.

• It is this unity and diversity that allowed for such a dizzying array of accomplishments to be made

• In these Empires the roots to modern civilization can be found

Characteristics of Empires• While there is no standard mold for what an empire was or is, there are some basic defining

characteristics to consider

• All empires has strong __________________________________________________________ that enforce their will, as well as large amounts of control over the economy

• Empires also share in the fact that they usually, either _____________________________________________, bring unity to diverse groups of people

• And, all Empires go through the cycles of great achievements and periods of decline

Governments and Military• All empires have strong governments that rule over and regulate the lives of their people

• Typically they are ruled by an ___________________________________ who is responsible for the major decisions and direction of the empire

• __________________________________________ to ensure peace and stability throughout their territories are often in place

• They are usually built by expanding into new territories and ______________________ different peoples – to do this a strong military is a must

• These militaries are also responsible for protecting the boundaries from invaders and maintaining peace with in the empire

Economy• All empires operate with a measure of control over the economic activities

that take place within their borders

• ____________________________________________________, build society, and protect it are collected either in the form of monies, labor, or crops

• _______________________________________ are sought out and secured

• A ______________________________________ is often used, usually in the form of coins

Unity and Diversity• As empires are built on expansion, various groups of peoples are unified under one system of rule

• Their cultural uniqueness's, including languages, religions, and technologies are added to and spread throughout the empire

• Over time elements of the conquered culture can become dominant – for example the Roman adoption of the Greek gods

• Future generations of conquered peoples become part of the now _____________________________

Accomplishments• The great _________________________ found within empires is a driving

force of achievement

• ___________________________________________________________, often with infrastructure (building society), farming, or the military, are cornerstones of all great empires – for example the aqueducts of Rome or the Great Wall of China.

• Cultural sophistication is also inseparable with the great empires of the past – many different customs, beliefs, languages, art forms, and knowledge are brought together and improved upon, or many different ideas form something entirely new.

Decline• All of the great empires of the past also go through ____________________, and ultimately cease to

exist – if they didn’t we wouldn’t refer to them in the past tense

• Reasons for decline vary, but there are usually a few things that all have in common

• Too expansive

• Outside invaders = they themselves are conquered

• Government corruption and/or heavy taxes

• Internal weaknesses like revolts and disease

• Loss of unity

Persia 500BC – 330BC• Middle Eastern and Asiatic people that united diverse groups from Arabia to

India

• Sat in the middle of the ________________________ route that linked __________________________

• Divided empire into regions (Satrapies) for easier rule

• Among the first to use a standard currency for trade, taxes, and purchasing

• United the empire through 1600+ miles of roads

• Advanced engineering and farming (underground canals for irrigation)

Greece 510 B.C. to 150 B.C. • Sea faring and trading people of the

______________________________________

• Initially united through common “Greek” culture and eventually formed Empire under Alexander the Great

• Advanced military tactics (Phalanx/Sparta/Persian Wars)

• Progressive government (Limited democracy/Athens)

• Advanced in philosophy (Plato/Aristotle), medicine (Hippocrates), mathematics (Pythagoras), and architecture (Parthenon)

• Much of _____________________________________________________________________________

Rome 500 BC-479 AD• Evolved from a small ____________________ (people

voted for representatives) into one of the largest and most sophisticated Empires of the ancient world.

• Conquered much of the Greek empire and incorporated and spread their culture – known as _____________________________________.

• Advanced military made them nearly unbeatable for centuries

• Created _________________________________ such as Rome throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia, all with modern architecture that wouldn’t be equaled for 100s of years.

Han 200 BC-200 AD

• Strong central government stabilized society and ended the violence that preceded this___________________________________

• Benefitted from the lucrative (very profitable) trade along the “Silk Road” that connected China to Europe

• Began the Great Wall of China

• Used ________________________________ belief system to “harmonize” society and reinforce values

Byzantine 330-1453 AD• The Eastern Roman Empire becomes known in history as

“___________________”, but it’s citizens called themselves Roman

• Lasted for 1000 years after the “Fall of Rome”

• Emperor controlled the government and the Christian church, which eventually becomes known as _______________________________________

• The location of its capital _____________________________________ made it the center of trade between western Europe and the far East (China)

• Helped to preserve and spread Greco/Roman culture

Islamic (632AD – 1258AD)

• In the time of _________________________, the religion of Islam was formed and became and political and military force

• After the death of Muhammad, Islamic “empires” were formed that stretched beyond the Arabian peninsula

• These empires spread to _________________________________________________________, and into India and beyond

• Arab scholars preserved and furthered the knowledge of the Greco/Roman culture after the fall of Rome and during the “Dark Ages”

Mali 1200 - 1450 AD

• Enriched by its vast supply of ___________________, the Mali empire controlled much of the west African trade for centuries

• Its greatest ruler, ___________________________________ brought the religion of Islam to the region

• European and Asia powers eyed west Africa after Mansa Musa’s seemingly limitless supply of gold was showcased on his ___________________________________________ (spiritual journey for Muslims)

• The capital city of ___________________________________ became a religious and academic center for the holy and scholars alike

Mongols 1216-1358 AD• Mongol rulers, beginning with the famed _______________________________ (universal ruler), came

to build the largest land empire in history

• Mongols rulers protected and expanded the Silk Road and facilitated the exchanged of goods and ideas from Asia to Europe

• Paper money, post office, gunpowder (_____________________________)

• They spread Islam throughout Asia, and they brought the _____________________________________ (Black Death) to Europe –early use of biological warfare.