and Fall of Classical Empires Decline and Fall of Empires N ine major factors led to the decline of the classical empires Dynastic Succession Bureaucratic Corruption ID: 575454
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Slide1
Decline and Fall of Classical EmpiresSlide2
Decline and Fall of Empires
N
ine major factors led to the decline of the classical empires
Dynastic Succession
Bureaucratic Corruption
I
nequitable Economic Burdens
R
egional, Racial, or Ethnic Tension
D
ecline of Martial Sprit
Moral Decline
Escapist or Otherworldly Religions
C
ostly
Technology
External EnemiesSlide3
Dynastic SuccessionRome did
no
t
hav
e
a
clea
r
line
of
succession
M
urders and disputes over succession undermined the credibility of the empire
F
rom 235-284 CE twenty-six emperors claimed the imperial throne
F
inally stabilized by Diocletian and ConstantineSlide4
Dynastic SuccessionDynastic empires
experience
d
a
decline
in quality
o
f
rulers
a
s
time
wen
t
on
D
ecline of the quality of rulers led to uprisings, usurpations, and civil wars
F
actions emerged amongst elites in Han ChinaSlide5
Bureaucratic CorruptionYellow Turba
n
rebellion
P
easant rebellion caused by corrupt government
practices
F
ueled by decline of population due to plague epidemics
Military
took
contro
l
o
f
Ha
n
government
duties
b
y
19
0
CESlide6
Inequitable Economic Burdensits tax
revenue
Increasing
tax
burde
n
fel
l
t
o
the
poo
r
as
rich
evad
e
taxes
G
rowth
o
f
large
plantations
an
d
the
decline
i
n
free
farming
contributed
t
o
fal
l
of
Rom
e
an
d
Ha
n
China
–
W
ang Mang (9-23 CE) attempts land reforms
G
upta
governmen
t
wa
s
unabl
e
t
o
collectSlide7
Regional, Racial, or Ethnic Tensions
capital
Alexande
r
the
Grea
t
wa
s
unabl
e
t
o
unify
Greek
,
Egyptians
,
Persians
,
an
d
others
India
reverted
bac
k
t
o
regiona
l
states
base
d
o
n
languag
e
an
d
ethnicity
afte
r
fall o
f
Maurya
n
Empire
D
iocletian
divides
Roma
n
empir
e
into
four separate
administrations
eac
h
with
it
s
ownSlide8
Map of Empire after DiocletianSlide9
Decline of Martial Spirit
R
oman army depended upon citizens’ pride in military service
–
D
ecline in pride forced Romans to use mercenaries which drained
the
treasury
A
shoka’s
e
mphasis
on pacifism
as a state policy sapped the spirit of IndiansSlide10
Moral DeclineRoman emperors became increasingly self-indulgent and hedonistic
–
N
ero, Caligula, et al.
H
edonism and extravagance of the upper class blamed for the decline of the Han
dynastySlide11
Escapist or Otherworldly Religions
C
hristianity
stressed
heavenl
y
rathe
r
than
earthly
rewards
–
R
eligious strife also contributed to chaos in Rome
Many Chinese
bega
n
t
o
follo
w
Buddhism
o
r
escapists
Daoists
Ashoka’
s
emphasi
s
o
n
pacifis
t
Buddhism
alienated
man
y
HindusSlide12
The Spread of ChristianitySlide13
Costly TechnologyCost of maintaining engineering wonders put a strain on already impoverished economies
–
R
oman aqueducts, roads, arenas,
etc.Slide14
External EnemiesHan dynasty experienced repeated invasions by the Xiongnu (Huns)
G
ermanic tribes lived on northern plains of Europe for centuries
–
V
isigoths
settled, developed agriculture, and served in the Roman militarySlide15
External InvasionsIn the
4th
century
,
Hun
s
migrate
d
from
thei
r
homeland
s
in central AsiaLed by Attila the Hun, the Huns attacked the Romans and the Germanic homelands
German
s
sough
t
refuge
i
n
the
Roman
empire
E
stablished permanent settlements in Roman territories
V
isigoths sack rome
in 410 CE
O
verthrow last Roman emperor in 476 CESlide16
Germanic InvasionsSlide17
Effects of CollapseHan dynast
y
divided
into
three
rival
kingdom
s
i
n
22
0
CEThree kingdoms would fight for control of China for centuriesChristianity wa
s
mos
t
prominen
t
survivo
r
of
Roma
n
collapse
R
ise of the church as an institution
Mos
t
Roma
n
institutions
disappeare
d
as German
s
wer
e
unwilling
o
r
incapable
of continuing
themSlide18
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tos/china/great_wall_china_photo_
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