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Notes from "Big History"

Chapter 7 on the "Afro-Eurasian Network" 

800-200 BCE: The development of the "core cities"/civilizations, more elaborate bureaucraticand religious systems.

First, don't forget that most peoplecontinued to live pre-urban livesoutside and around these corecities and urban areas. Notably,the Celts (Gauls) of Europe, whowere eventually conquered by theRomans – except for Ireland,Wales, Scotland, and Brittany innorthern France. (A) 

This chapter contains focuses on . . .

India:-- Aryan invasions and the beginnings of the caste system, p. 111 (B) -- Hinduism, p. 112-- lack of political unity (because of castes, no horses), p. 112-- origins, beliefs, and spread of Buddhism, p. 112-- political unity under Alexander the Great, p. 113 (C) -- unity and Buddhism under Ashoka, p. 113

China:-- warring feudal states until 221 BCE

-- new inventions, p. 113, (D), such as . . .-- trace harness (4th century BCE) allowed horses in China to do more work than elsewhere-- crossbows (not used in Europe until at least 900 BCE (except for Greeks)-- coins in the first millenium BCE-- saddles/stirrups, cavalry warfare by 350 BCE-- paper-- textile technology "not approached by Iran or Europe until centuries later"

-- intellectual developments, Confucianism, Taoism-- development of administrative bureacracies-- 221 BCE, Shi Huang Ti and Chin Dynasty unification: Great Wall, standardization, p. 114-- 206 BCE until 220 CE: Han Dynasty, p. 114 (E) 

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  -- Confucius (551-479 BCE) and Laozi, p. 115-- beginnings of the Silk Road under Han emperor Wu Di, p. 115*-- spread of diseases, leading to the downfall of the Han Dynasty, pp. 115-116

*"This connection between China and the Mediterranean proved no less significant for the firstmillenium than the link to the Americas by Columbus did for the modern world." (p. 116)

Greece:

-- connections between geographical limits, the polis, and greater equality, p. 117-- citizenship, p. 117-- adapting the Phoenician alphabet, Homeric epic, p. 117-- colonization and trade, p. 117-- military innovations, phalanx, and defeat of the Persians, p. 118-- Athens, democracy, Pericles, p. 118-- Deities, fertility cults, p. 118-- Sophists and philosophers, p. 118-- patriarchy in Athens, Sparta, p. 118-- slavery (mostly foreigners), p. 118-119-- Athens' success: silver mines, tribute from League states, p. 119-- Alexander the Great, Hellenization, p. 119

-- deforestation, p. 119

Rome:-- geographically more blessed than Greece, p. 119-- the Roman Republic, p. 120-- expansion, Julius Caesar, p. 120-- slavery, p. 120-- the Roman Empire, Octavian, p. 120-- Roman reach, connections, p. 120 (F) -- the story of Judea, rebellious province, p. 121-122-- Jesus, Christianity's origins, p. 121

-- disease, pop. decline, why Christians coped more successfully than other Romans, p. 122 (G) -- inflation in the 3rd century CE, p. 122-- Constantine's conversion to Christianity, transfer to Byzantium, p. 122-- dissolution and decay, p. 122

Closing thoughts on population, environment, and religion:-- population growth comes with agriculture-- in 1000 BCE was 100 million, but by 1 CE it was 250 million, p. 123-- natural costs to the environment: deforestation, erosion, salinization, desertification, p. 123-- costs for humans: increased density, dangers, diseases, warfare, p. 124-- changes in religion: from a celebration of life to a focus on the next life, p. 124 (H)

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(A)  p. 111

(B) p. 111

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(C) p. 113

(D) p. 113

(E) p. 114

(F) p. 120

(G) p. 122

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(H) pp. 124-125