Reorganization of Human Societies: The New Millennium to 700 CE

Introduction

Once upon a time, there existed a great Republic - but after a few power-hungry leaders refused to step down from their supposedly elected positions with term limits, it ended - so that was the end of that. And once upon a time, great Pharaohs walked the land - but after a particularly nasty snake bite, the last one died - so that was the end of that. And once upon a time, a great number of monotheists gathered to worship at a great temple (or more appropriately- The Temple) - but after a new bully knocked it down, they were scattered to the four winds - so that was the end of that. (Side note: eventually the descendants of that bully had their own great structures knocked down by some Visigoths - what a name! - so that was the end of that too.) Do you see a pattern?

But never fear, our story does not end here. They say "nature abhors a vacuum," and so, it appears, does history. For even as some things were ending or moving elsewhere, a poor baby was born with a message, a former merchant had a life-changing conversation in a cave, an emperor moved East, a subcontinent experienced a Golden Age, grand ideas (along with a few germs) traveled in caravans along a "silky road" and... way across a wide ocean, people erected elaborate monuments while counting days on a calendar that would one day upset quite a few people in 2012 CE. This is their story. And as their story set up the planet for globalization, it is our story as well.

Icons from left to right - baby, cave, compass, abacus, skull and crossbones, calendar

What is "globalization?" It is the process of interaction and integration among people of different nations. In our first module, you read about the first civilizations. In our second module, you read about how those first civilizations transformed into "second-generation societies." At the end of that module, you were introduced to the concept of a "Global World" as created through an empire and a road. This is the module that will expand that concept and explain how globalization (a term that is mentioned a lot by current politicians and businesspeople now) first got its start.

Essential Questions

How did the Roman Republic become a Roman Empire and what was the effect of that change on Rome and surrounding empires?
How are Judaism, Christianity and Islam connected? What changes transpired within the Middle East and the Mediterranean with the introduction of the two new monotheistic religions in the region?
What effect did globalizing institutions, like government or religion, have on the restructuring of civilizations?
How did cultural institutions, like language, unite people?
How did climate zones affect the culture and social structure of societies?
Despite their isolation, in what ways were the Mayans similar to the empires restructuring across the planet?

Study Guide

Click here to download a study guide for this module.

Key Terms

ARABIAN PENINSULA— a peninsula of Western Asia situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian plate
AUTOCRACY — a government run by a single person with unlimited powers and authority over others
BANTU— the root language for 300 to 600 different ethnic groups that speak the Bantu languages across Central, Eastern and Southern Africa; literally means "the people;" Bantu-speaking Africans migrated out of West Africa throughout Sub-Saharan Africa spreading their language and culture
BIOME— an ecological term that is used to label a large naturally occurring community of flora and fauna occupying a major habitat; an example would be a desert or a rain forest
BUREAUCRACY— government characterized by a rigid hierarchy of bureaus, administrators and officials
BUREAUCRAT— a government official that works at different levels to administer government policies
BYZANTINE EMPIRE— (330-1453) Eastern part of the Roman Empire that survived the fall of Rome, with its capital at Constantinople; developed Eastern Orthodox Christianity and the Justinian Code; also known as the Eastern Roman Empire
BYZANTIUM— located on the isthmus between Anatolia and Greece; originally a Greek colony that became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire under Constantine in 324 CE; renamed Constantinople
CHANDRA GUPTA I— (r. 320-335 CE) founder of the Gupta Dynasty that reunited the Indian Subcontinent under one dynasty; known for issuing in the "Golden Age of India"
CHRISTIANITY— the religion based on the teachings of Jesus as they appear in the Bible
CE— abbreviation which means "Common Era" and used to describe the years following the year 0 according to the Gregorian calendar; interchangeable with the abbreviation "AD" which means "Anno Domini" or after Christ
CONSTANTINE— (272-337 CE) Roman emperor who reunited the Roman Empire under one emperor following the Tetrarchy and established the Eastern Roman capital in Byzantium (on the Anatolian Peninsula) that later became known as Constantinople and eventually became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire)
CONSTANTINOPLE— Capital of the Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire
DIASPORA— in general, the scattering of a people from their homeland by an outside force; often refers to the two Diasporas of the Jewish people from their homeland (first, by the Babylonians after capturing Jerusalem and second, by the Romans after destroying the Temple in Jerusalem- 70 CE)
DIOCLETIAN— (244-312 CE) Roman emperor that brought an end to the "Crisis of the Third Century" by dividing control of the empire into four parts and creating four co-emperors, known as the Tetrarchy, to rule the Roman Empire
EASTERN HAN DYNASTY— (25-220 CE) the second part of the Han Dynasty in China
EDICT OF MILAN— a letter signed by Roman Emperor Constantine in 313 CE declaring religious tolerance in the Roman Empire
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE— (476 CE) describes the demise of the Western Roman Empire following the conquest of Rome by invading barbarian tribes ; considered to precede the entry of Western Europe into the period known alternately as the Middle Ages or Dark Ages
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM— basic tenets or duties that all Muslims must perform according to the Qur'an (Koran); include 1. Profession of Faith, 2. Prayer, 3. Alsmgiving, 4. Fasting, 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca
GOLDEN AGE OF INDIA— the period between the 4^th and 6^th Centuries CE known for the large achievements made in math, astronomy, science, religion and philosophy during the Gupta Empire on the Indian Subcontinent
GUPTA EMPIRE— (320-550 CE) empire that covered much of the Indian subcontinent; well-known for the achievements in many fields that led to the period being called "The Golden Age of India"
ISLAM— religion based on the teachings of Muhammad as they appear in the Qur'an (Koran); religion of Muslims
JUDAISM— religion founded by Abraham and based on the teachings of Moses as found in the Torah and in the laws of the Talmud; first monotheistic religion
JUSTINIAN — (482-565 CE) Byzantine emperor known for reclaiming lost Roman Empire lands from when the Western Roman Empire collapsed and establishing a Code of Laws based on the Roman Republic laws
JUSTINIAN CODE OF LAWS— the condensed version of existing Roman laws as written by Emperor Justinian in 529 CE
MAYAN CIVILIZATION— a Mesoamerican civilization known for creating the only pre-Columbian writing system in the Americas as well as other scientific breakthroughs; while formed earlier, the Mayan Civilization flourished from 250 to the 8^th Century CE
MILLENARIAN MOVEMENT— a movement by religious, social or political groups that leads to a major transformation of a society, after which all things will be changed
MUHAMMAD— (570-632 CE) Arab prophet and founder of Islam
MUSLIM— person whose religion is Islam
PARTHIAN EMPIRE— (247 BCE-224 CE) a Persian empire that followed the Seleucid Empire; spent its time in combat with the Roman Empire over territory and influence in Southwest Asia
PAX ROMANA — a term used to describe the period of peace that existed between the nationalities encompassed within the Roman Empire from 25 BCE to 235 CE
QUR'AN (KORAN) — Islamic literature containing the teachings of Muhammad
ROMAN-PARTHIAN WARS— a series of conflicts between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire between 66 BCE and 217 CE
SASSANID EMPIRE— (224-651 CE) the last Persian Empire before the rise of the Islamic Empire; continued the conflicts established by the Parthian Empire with the Roman Empire
SUB-SAHARA— region of Africa located south of the Saharan Desert
TALMUD AND TORAH— Jewish literature that contains the teachings, traditions and laws of Judaism
TEOTIHUACÁN— an ancient Mesoamerican city-state built near modern-day Mexico City that during its time served as the sixth largest city in the world
TETRARCHY— the division of the Roman Empire into four provinces and ruled by four co-emperors under the reign of Diocletian; this period followed the "Crisis of the Third Century"
THEODORA — (500-548 CE) Byzantine empress and wife of Justinian I; known for preserving Justinian's throne during a revolt and for serving alongside her husband as an equal partner
TRIBE— a group of people united by common ancestry and customs
VISIGOTH— the western branches of the nomadic tribes of Germanic peoples referred to collectively as the Goths

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