Chapters 2,3,4 & 5

Political

You need to consider the following

•How did the political patterns develop and fall in each area?

•What similarities and differences develop?•What political styles turned out to be

effective over other patterns?

How do we govern?

China:Dynasties

•Development of a form of government known as the dynastic cycle

•Very centralized

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The Dynasty SongShang, Chou, Qin, Han

(SHONG, JOE, CHIN, HANN)Sui, Tang, Song

(TSWAY, TONG, SOUNG)Yuan, Ming, Qin,

Republic(u-JUAN, MING, CHING)

Mao Ze Dong, Deng Xiaoping

(MAO-TSE-DONG, DUNG-SHEEOU-PING)

Zhou Dynasty (1029-258 BCE)•Ruled through alliances and noble

families▫Will change throughout the span of the

dynasty▫Feudal like▫Agricultural

•What did they do right?▫ Expanded territory▫Mandate of Heaven (son of heaven) ▫Confucius

•Dynastic Cycle fall of Zhou and rise of Qin

Qin Dynasty (221-202 BCE)•CENTRALIZATION

▫Qin Shi Huangdi : First Emperor▫Legalism

•Very strong•Major innovations

▫Increase central power▫Census, weights & measures, standardized

writing•Qin was too harsh and taxes too high. It

fell and the Han rose

Han Dynasty (202BCE – 220CE)

•Saw the validity of Central Control without being brutal

•Improved the state bureaucracy in order to create a more effective centralized government▫Very successful

•Contact with India and Middle East•Wu Ti: Famous Han Ruler

▫Confucianism▫Improved Government functions

Political theory throughout the Dynasties

Confucianism

RegionalismLegalism

India: different kind of dynasties•Very Regional•From the beginning India was very

individualistic. ▫Religion

•The trick with the two Indian dynasties was:▫How do you control and connect ALL these

different peoples

No song for this one• Mauryan Dynasty • Gupta Dynasty

Mauryan Dynasty

•Chandragupta▫1st rule to unify the subcontinent

India’s cultural and political identity is too individualistic and that made unification VERY difficult

•Ashoka▫Expanded Mauryan land▫Brutal until he converts to Buddhism

•After Ashoka the empire fell apart. ▫It was too difficult to unit for long

Gupta Dynasty

•Out of the instability came a new empire•Larger•Allowed for more regional control

▫Due to the individual nature of the subcontinent, this created more stability

▫No bureaucracy •Uniformed code of laws

Let’s pause and talk about Persia

So Persia

• Founded by Cyrus the Great • continued by Darius I• Largest empire yet

• complex government• 20 provinces headed by a satrap (governor) • Taxes or tribute to the central government

Greece & Rome: “Democracy”

•Beginning of the thoughts of active participation in politics

•Developed out of a polis system (Greece)▫Strong city-states ▫BUT they are able to come together under

a centralize government •Many of todays political theories started

here

Direct Democracy:• all can directly participate

(if you are a citizen)▫ This is Greece▫ Why is this not

reasonable

Representative Democracy:• all choose elected officials

to represent them in government▫ Indirect Democracy▫ This is Rome (REPUBLIC)

Greece• Two strongest city-states were Athens

and Sparta▫Also very different political theories

Oligarchy/militarism Direct Democracy

•Pericles▫Ruled during the Golden Age of Athens

•Fell to the Macedonian Kings in the North

Roman Republic

• Indirect Democracy • Consuls• Senate (patricians)• Tribunes (plebeians)

• Twelve Tables: created a standardized system of laws and established rights for defendants

• When defeating others in battle: assimilated conquered people ▫Meant that many forms of political

institutions

Roman Empire

• Augustus: First Emperor • NOT a dynasty: succession often

depended upon military strength• Kept the Senate but it was basically

useless. • Roman law- Rules became more objective • Laws as a regulator of social life

What goes Up must also Fall

China (Not too bad)

•End of the dynastic cycle▫God allowed invaders (Huns) to take over

China so there wasn’t anyone with favor▫Someone had to restart the cycle

Daoists: Yellow Turbans•Sui Tang•Not a complete downfall

▫Basic core of the government was too strong to fall

▫Threatened but not destroyed

India (not great)

•Again invaders were able to dismantle the Gupta empire

•Central power over regional princes had been declining for awhile

•Different:▫Invaders didn’t take over instead they were

integrated into the warrior caste •Rajput: regional princes •Religion stayed strong

Greece & Rome (DONE)

•Slow decline into the abbess•Normal problems we have already seen•Death Spiral

▫Population decline▫VERY bad emperors▫Plague▫Invaders▫Alliances ▫New ideas

What were politics like during the classical period?

•What is similar throughout?•What could be considered a pattern?•This is a time of growth, change and

conquest•We see the emergence of 3 major areas of

strength and influence