c H A p T E R 9

India, , and Byzantium

Lin Cheng yawned and pushed aside the report he had been writing. Noticing that the room was filled with a soft glow, he looked out the window. A full moon lit up the canal below. Barges filled with rice floated by on their way to Beijing. It had been a good harvest, and the peasants were singing as they poled their barges through the water. Tonight, Lin Cheng felt like a father to these strong, hard- working people. He had been their governor for 20 years. And thanks to the policies of the emperor, he had been a just one. Lin Cheng thought how lucky he had been. He no longer minded that his older brother had inherited the family property. He, Lin Cheng, had been the clever one. He had scored high on the civil service examination. Now, instead of acting as the manager of his brother's estate, he ruled a whole province. What if he had been born under the previous line of emperors? Under the Sui, he would have had no opportunity for advancement. Would he have grown resentful of his brother's arrogance? Would he have escaped to this very province? Instead of bringing peace and plenty to its people, would he have urged them to rebel against their rulers? Lin Cheng felt his pulse quicken a little. These contrasting fates would make a good poem. He turned back to his writing table and dipped his brush in the ink. 157 U s empires grew larger and more complex, their rulers tried Ei! many methods of governing. Lin Cheng lived during the in China. For the most part, the emperors of this line ruled wisely. Lin Cheng was able to better his own life and to help the people under him prosper. However fair and just the Tang emperors might have been, they did not allow their people a voice in making government policies. The leaders of the empires of the Gupta in India, the Tang in China, and the Byzantine in the Middle East used several methods of keeping control over vast territories. They established a close re- lationship between and the state. Their subjects, they rea- soned, would be more likely to obey the laws of the state if the laws were backed by religious principles. The Gupta and Byzantine em- perors made the greatest use of this method. The Tang emperors did something similar. They revived the of Confucius, which taught that people should have respect for their rulers.

THE GUPTA EMPIRE: A.D. 320-600

After the fall of the Maurya Empire in about 185 B.C., India passed through a long period of political unrest and division. When order was restored, a great civilization arose.

Three Emperors In A.D. 320, a new ruler took over a northeastern area of India called Magadha. He had the same name as the founder of the Maurya Empire, Chandragupta. He conquered more territory and became the first in a line of Indian rulers called the Gupta Dynasty. The second Gupta emperor, Samudragupta (ruled 330-375) tried to restore unity to India. He reconquered many of the kingdoms that had become independent after the fall of the Mauryas. Others he won back by making with their rulers. At the end of his reign, Samudragupta's empire included much of the territory once ruled by the Mauryas. This new empire arose during the period in which Con- stantinople replaced as capital of the . The third Gupta emperor, Chandragupta II (ruled 375-415), de- feated the Shakas, a people from the borders of China. They were trying to invade western India. With this military success, Chandra- gupta II won control of the with the Middle East and China. Foreign trade improved his empire's economy and enriched its culture with new ideas. India, China, and Byzantium 159

India: The Gupta Empire

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Cultural Achievements A long period of peace followed the military conquests of the early emperors. It was a time of great intellectual achievement for India. The Gupta rulers used their wealth to establish colleges and univer- sities. The upper classes supported a rich cultural life. Consequently, Indian art, science, and scholarship flourished. The universities and libraries protected the Sanskrit writings (lit- erature) of the past. These institutions became famous, and people 160 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

came to them from China and . When the scholars returned to their own countries, they took Indian customs as well as the Sanskrit language back with them. Indian writers and artists produced many masterpieces during this time. A great poet named Kalidasa (lived about 400 to 450) wrote plays in verse that were enjoyed by people of all classes. His themes were love, adventure, beauty of nature, and moral lessons. Music and dance forms that are still popular today were developed during the Gupta Dynasty. Two long poems completed during this period are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Both were passed down through the years by oral tradition before they were written down. They are still popular. The Ramayana is a tale of an adventurous hero who is separated from his wife for many years. It has similarities to the Iliad and Odyssey credited to Homer in ancient . The Mahabharata contains moral lessons and is respected as a source of religious inspiration and instruction.

Science and Mathematics Indian scientists and mathematicians of that time developed im- portant theories and ideas. They invented the decimal system and the concept of zero. The numbers 1 through 9 plus 0 are the ones we use today. Because they came to Europe through contacts with the Arab world, they are called numerals. The system is much easier to use for mathematical calculations than the one devised by the Romans. A mathematician named Ayabhata calculated pi, a necessary con- cept in geometry. (Pi expresses the relationship between the circum- ference of a circle and its diameter.) Ayabhata also realized that the earth is a sphere. He understood that lunar eclipses are caused by the shadow of the earth falling on the moon. Other Indian scientists developed theories about gravity.

Organization of the Gupta State Indian government under the Gupta rulers was less centralized than it had been during the Maurya Dynasty. Princes controlled areas outside the center ofthe empire. Their only official duty to the Gupta emperor was to send him (taxes, gifts). The princes did, how- ever, have strong ties to the emperor. It was commonly believed that the emperor was related to the gods. No one wanted to irritate the gods by disturbing the emperor. The emperor also secured the friend- ship and loyalty of the princes by making alliances with their families. Like the outlying kingdoms, towns and villages throughout the empire were largely self-governing. Nonetheless, the emperor exerted India, China, and Byzantium 161 indirect control through religion. Hinduism was the religion favored by the Gupta dynasty, and Hindu religious leaders regulated village society. Local temples provided meetingplaces for village assemblies. The kept records of local history and preserved local legends. They also helped manage important public works, such as irrigation.

The Influence of Hinduism and Buddhism Hinduism helped to make India's class structure more rigid. This class structure began when the Aryans, an invading tribe from the north, conquered large parts of India in the 1500s B.C. The Aryans introduced the caste system. It divided people into four major groups and set up strict rules for living. A person was born into a caste and could not leave it, except in rare cases. A person in one caste could not eat with anyone in another caste or marry anyone in another caste. The Hindu concept of reincarnation reinforced this system. Since people believed that their status in society was the result of their behavior in past lives, they felt that they must accept that status. If they accepted it and lived virtuously, they would be reincarnated in a higher form in the "next life." The Hindu religion also played a part in the spread of culture

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Hindu sun god of the Gupta Empire, 6th-century A.D. 162 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

throughout India and beyond. People on religious pilgrimages to other Indian villages learned about the inhabitants' customs and beliefs. Hindu traveled to Southeast Asia and taught the people about Hinduism. They also encouraged the use of the Sanskrit language. Although Buddhism decreased in popularity during the Gupta Dynasty, it continued to influence the culture of the time. The mag- nificent temples and monasteries that Gupta architects carved into the sides of mountains were Buddhist as well as Hindu. Though fewer in number, Buddhist schools continued to function. They taught grammar, mathematics, , philosophy, and sa- cred writings to the young people of India. Hinduism, however, had by far the most important influence on the people in their daily lives. Most people worshiped the idols of the Hindu gods. They followed its rules about not eating meat or drinking alcoholic beverages. They also lived by the rules of the caste system. Hinduism slowly emerged as the leading religion of India, a position it still holds today.

The Status of Women Under the Guptas Women of the Gupta period enjoyed more freedom than they had in previous dynasties. The wealthier Indian parents taught their daughters as well as their sons how to read and write. Although no woman philosopher of Gupta India ever became famous throughout the world, they did exist. Male intellectuals sometimes mentioned their ideas in their writings. Indian women often worked as midwives. (Midwives are women who have been trained to deliver babies.) One Indian midwife named Rusa wrote a textbook teaching this skill. Women in Indian society were permitted to own property and engage in business. Nonetheless, like Indian women of earlier times, those of the Gupta Dynasty were subject to their fathers and husbands. When they were small children, their fathers arranged for them. The weddings took place when the girls reached their early teens. The law did not permit widows to remarry or to inherit their hus- bands' property. Some widows followed a tradition called sati (also spelled suti and suttee). They committed suicide by throwing themselves on their hus- band's funeral pyre. This practice was supposed to ensure that both husband and wife would experience 35 million years of happiness in paradise. Historians speculate that many widows considered death preferable to a life of poverty and servitude. Finally in 1300, the law denying widows the right to their husbands' property was changed, and their position improved. But sati continued as a basic practice of Hinduism. Although outlawed, it may possibly be practiced in some remote areas of India even today. India, China, and Byzantium 163

The Decline of the Gupta Empire During the A.D., political conflicts shook the Gupta Empire. About 450, Huns, a fierce tribe of nomadic warriors from central Asia, invaded India. (Another name for the invaders was White Huns.) The Emperor Skandagupta (ruled 455-467) was able to fight them off, but the effort strained the already weakened empire. Continued raids by the Huns drained the empire's wealth by dis- rupting trade with central India. Large numbers of people from north India began to migrate to other regions. In the mid-, the empire fell and India once more separated into small kingdoms in constant conflict with one another.

1. How did oral history influence the literature of India during the Gupta period? 2. How did the scholars of Gupta India affect the mathematics we are fa- miliar with today? 3. Explain how religion influenced social organization, education, and cul- turallife in Gupta India. 4. Indicate why you AGREE or DISAGREE with the following statement: Indian women enjoyed freedom and opportunity under Gupta rule.

THE TANG DYNASTY (618-907)

Before the Tang From 581 to 618, a line of emperors, called the Sui, tried to bring stability to China. They reinforced the Great Wall to help keep out nomadic raiders like the Huns and introduced measures to boost China's economy. One of the most important of these works was the building ofthe Grand Canal that connected the Huang He to the Huai and Yangtze rivers. The new waterway improved communications be- tween government centers in northern China and newly developed areas in the Yangtze Delta. The Sui emperors tried to make agriculture more profitable by dividing the land more equally among the peasants. Unfortunately, their exploitation of the peasants defeated this goal. The second and last Sui emperor, Yang Ti, forced the peasants to work such long hours on public projects that they had little time or energy left to grow their own crops. He also forced them to take part in wars of expansion against Manchuria, , and Tibet. These wars were unsuccessful and expensive. To finance his public projects and mili- tary campaigns, Yang Ti demanded that all his subjects pay ten years' taxes in advance. 164 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

Outraged, the Chinese people rose against him. When Yang Ti was assassinated in 618, a general named Li Yuan took over the and founded the Tang Dynasty.

Early Tang Rule The Tang emperors ruled more wisely than the Sui emperors had. They improved the lot of the peasants. Extravagant projects that drained their subjects' money and strength were avoided. Under the Tang rulers, the peasants regained the prosperity they had known during the Han Dynasty. The Tang rulers were also more successful than the Sui in ex- panding their empire. At the end oftheir dynasty, they had conquered Korea and Tibet. The map on this page shows the extent of the Tang Empire. When the Chinese occupied Korea, they were in a position to exert a strong influence on their neighbor, . From observ- ing the Chinese in Korea, the Japanese developed a system of writing and record keeping. They also adopted Chinese methods of governing. During this period, Chinese trade revived. Merchants once more traveled along the Road, exchanging goods, customs, art, and ideas.

China: The Tang Empire

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Pottery camel of the Tang Dynasty, an artifact for a noble's tomb and a token of the important trade

Achievements of the Tang Tang emperors are most famous for their efficient organization of the Chinese government. They assigned special departments to su- pervise the various aspects of government business, such as military matters, foreign affairs, justice, finance, building, transportation, and education. A large bureaucracy was needed to staff these departments. Therefore, the Tang emperors brought back the Han system of se- lecting government officials through testing. The importance of ap- pointing highly ethical people to offices of public trust revived interest in Confucian values. Confucius taught respect for authority, tradi- tion, and scholarship. A difficult civil service examination tested the candidates' talent and memory. Those who were accepted as govern- ment officials were known as "Mandarins." Since education became an important means of rising in the world, scholarship and artistic expression flourished. Tang painters and sculptors developed new forms and styles of expression. Scholars wrote more encyclopedias and histories than ever before. The era also produced many fine poets. One of China's greatest poets, Li Bo (or Li Po), wrote in the 700s. His principle subjects were nature, good living, and morality. The invention of printing increased the production of 166 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

Around A.D.495, a Chinese emperor built Shao Un's popularity and influence on a temple for an lndian who had the martial arts peaked dUringthe Ming come to China to preach Buddhism. Be- Dynasty (1368-1644). More than 10,000 cause the temple was located in a small and students entered the Shao Un forest on Shao Shi Mountain, it was called ranks during this period. In 1644, the Man- the Shao Un Temple. Thel1loul")tainis chus overthrevvthe MingDynasty. The about 400 miles south of Beijing. new emperor saw the Shao Un Temple as Through the centuries, the Shao Un a threat. Its army of warrior monks helped monks gained a reputation for skill in the Ming loyalists. The Manchus outlawed the martial arts. These skills included both un- practice of martial arts in the Shao Un armed combat and the use of sWord, Temple. But the monks practiced secretly spear, and other "traditional" weapons. and kept their skills. Discouraged by the The monks also learned to move silently restrictions, a number of monks left the through enemy ranks and to strike with temple. Some joined other monasteries. surprise. H.ow.and vvhen the Shao Un Others established monasteries of their monks began practicing the martial arts is own. The scattering of the monks spread unknown. Most Chinese knew nothing knowledge of Shao Un martial arts about the Shao Un monks until approxi- throughout China. mately A.D. 621, when the Tang Dynasty In the early 20th century, Shao Un was being established. EmperorTang Tai martial arts declined. This form of fighting Zong had to fight invaders and those who did not fit in with the tactics of modern war- opposed his rule. Thirteen Shao Un monks fare. In 1928, the temple was almost com- joined the Tang army and contributed pletely burned down by a local warlord. greatly to the defeat of the emperor's ene- Many of the temple's historical records and mies. In gratitude, the emperor granted the martial arts manuscripts were lost. How- Shao Un warriors special status and al- ever, enough of the records remained to lowed the temple to house warrior monks guide the revivalof the teaching of Shao for protection. Un martial arts. By the 1990s, much of the Several hundred years later, during the temple had been rebuilt. Shaol..in monks Sung Dynasty (960-1270), the reputation again welcomed individuals who wished to of the Shao Un rose higher. The , or study with them. leader, of the temple invited 18 of the best- known martial arts masters in the country 1. How does the history of the Shao Un to gather at Shao Un. Each master was a Temple illustrate Chinese respect for specialist in his own style of fighting. It is tradition? believed that the first Sung emperor was one of the masters at this gathering. 2. Explain vvhyyou AGREE or DI.$- Knowledge of Shao Un martial arts AGREE Withthis statement: The learn- was spread to Japan in the 13th century by ing of martial arts skills is useless in two Japanese monks who came to study the modern world. at the temple. India, China, and Byzantium 167 books. As a result, literature became available to greater numbers of people.

Empress Wu Zhao One remarkable Tang ruler was a woman named Wu Zhao. She was the wife of Emperor Kao-Tsung. When he fell ill, the emperor asked his wife to help him rule the empire. Empress Wu encouraged agriculture and silk production. She lowered taxes and reduced the amount of labor that peasants were forced to contribute to the government. She commissioned scholars and artists to work for her. Mter the death of her husband in 683, Wu Zhao governed China on her own. Many government officials disapproved of Wu because she was a woman. Even more officials turned against her when she established civil service examinations for women. In 705, those who opposed Wu forced her to resign and make her son the ruler. She died soon after.

The End of the Dynasty In 907, the Tang Dynasty came to an end. The emperor had lost power to provincial governors during a long period of decline. The provinces declared themselves to be independent states. China was again weak and disunited. As the empire broke up, foreign invaders conquered and ruled China.

Painting of Tang Dynasty Empress Wu Zhao, shown with her officials 168 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

Complete the following sentences: 1. Efforts of the Sui emperor to make agriculture more profitable failed because 2. The Tang rulers expanded their empire by 3. Among the educational achievements of the Tang were 4. Steps taken by Empress Wu Zhao to improve China included 5. The Tang Dynasty ended in A.D. 907 when

THE (395-1453)

The Byzantine Empire began as the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Mter the fall of Rome in 476, the Byzantines kept alive many Roman ideas about law and government. Roman culture blended with the existing Greek culture ofthe area. Greek was the official language and the official religion. The capital of the empire, Con- stantinople, became a prosperous trading center. It controlled the wa- ter route between the and the . Byzantium's location exposed it to foreign attack. A number of groups from farther east in Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Arabian

The Byzantine Empire

The empire at the end of ARABIAN Justinian's reign in A.D. 565 DESERT

0 300 600 Kilometers I ',' ',' " ' , 0 200 400 Miles India, China, and Byzantium 169 peninsula tried to take over Byzantium. The Byzantines were able to fight off some, but they lost territory to others over the years. Byzantium's location also made it a buffer zone between Western Europe and the Middle East. In protecting their own empire, the Byz- antines shielded Western nations from invasion by and Turks. Had it not been for Byzantium, the major religion of Europe might have been instead of Christianity.

The Growth of the Empire The Byzantine emperors were dictators. They ruled with the sup- port of a well-trained army and navy and an efficient system of secret police and spies. The emperors controlled not only the government but also the Eastern Christian . Later it came to be known as the . Several Byzantine emperors were women. ConqueringTerritory. Early Byzantine emperors tried to in- crease the size of their empire. They fought the Germanic tribes who held lands that had been part of the old Roman Empire. Before Em- peror Justinian, who ruled from 527 to 565, no one had succeeded in adding much territory to the empire. Justinian's armies managed to conquer many lands around the . At the end of Justinian's rule, the empire included , southern Spain, the Bal- kans, western Asia, and areas of North Mrica. (The are the

Mosaic of Emperor Justinian of Byzantium, surrounded by his court 170 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

present-day countries of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, , Macedonia, Greece, part of , and parts of Croatia, Slovenia, , and Yugoslavia.) Justinian's conquests opened up the empire to many new enemies. To defend against these enemies, Justinian ordered forts to be put up throughout the empire. Invasions From All Sides. The leaders who followed Justinian could not keep the empire together. His military campaigns and building programs had left little money in the treasury. The army became too weak to fight off invaders. Movements of the same peoples who had destroyed the Western Roman Empire now threatened the Byzantine Empire. The took over southern Spain. The swarmed into most ofItaly. The Arabs gained possession of Egypt, North Mrica, , and Israel. The Serbs won the Balkans. The Turks conquered western Asia. At last, the empire included only Asia Minor (Turkey), southern Italy, and Greece. Heraclius. The Emperor Heraclius (ruled 610-641) led the Byz- antine army against the Persians and the . Mter driving off the invaders, Heraclius tried to strengthen the empire by organizing it into military districts. A general governed each district and recruited an army from the local peasants. As payment for serving in the army, the government gave the peasants land to farm. This arrangement provided economic benefits to the peasants and assured the empire of a loyal, inexpensive army. This system was especially successful in the section of the Balkans that remained part of the Byzantine Em- pire. The Balkan peasants fought bravely to defend their farms from invaders. A New Weapon. The Arabs posed the most serious threat to By- zantium. They conquered Persia and took the Holy Land and Egypt from the Byzantines. Once the Arabs gained control of large areas

Illustrated history of Byzantium showing Greek used against an enemy boat India, China, and Byzantium 171 along the Mediterranean Sea, they built a huge navy. This enabled them to threaten by both land and sea. Luckily, Em- peror Leo III (ruled 717-741), like Heraclius, was a brilliant general. With the aid of the Byzantine invention, Greek fire, Leo defeated the Arabs in 717 at Constantinople. (Greek fire is thought to have been a mixture of oil, resin, and sulfur. The heated mixture was pumped through a tube. As the mixture came out of the tube, it was set on fire and aimed at enemy ships or other targets. It could not be put out with water.) After this victory, the Byzantines continued to fend off Arab ad- vances. By their successful resistance to all invaders, the Byzantines shielded Western Europe from invaders for 900 years. Renewed Strength and Trade. About the year 1000, Byzan- tium became strong again. Able leaders added territory to the empire. The Byzantines created fine art and constructed great buildings. Con- stantinople grew in importance as a commercial center for Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The , brocades, carpets, and other luxury items manufactured in Byzantium were in great demand in foreign markets. Other Mediterranean trading cities, particularly Venice, were envious.

Setbacks for the Empire In the 1070s, the Seljuk Turks came out of Asia and stepped up their attacks on the Byzantines. The Turks were . After many years of defending the empire, the Byzantine emperor asked the in Rome for help against the Turks and other invaders. The pope responded by persuading various rulers in Europe to send sol- diers to the Holy Land. (The Holy Land was the area now made up of Israel, Lebanon, and part of Syria.) The Turks had held the area for some 25 years. Called Crusaders, the European soldiers began arriving in the eastern Mediterranean area around 1096. The wars between Christians and Muslims went on for years. In 1204, at the urging of Venice and against the wishes of the pope, the Crusaders captured Constantinople instead of fighting the Turks. The city-state of Venice in northern Italy wanted to control the trading routes to the Middle East. The Byzantines won back their city in 1261, but they could not regain their former strength. Another group of Turks, called Otto- mans, started raiding communities around Constantinople. Greece fell and so did most of Asia Minor. Finally, in 1453, the Ottomans captured Constantinople. The Byzantine Empire, which had existed for nearly 1,000 years, came to an end.

The Orthodox Christian Church Early in Byzantine history, the Western and Eastern branches of the Christian Church began to grow away from each other. When 172 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

Time Line

Year Dates and Events

A.D. 455-567: Rule of Skandagupta, invasions by White Huns, fall of Gupta 401 Empire 476: Fall of Rome makes Byzantine Empire caretaker of Greek and Roman culture 495: Introduction of Buddhism into China 527-565: Emperor Justinian expands Byzantine Empire to Spain, Italy, Balkans, western Asia, and North Africa; codifies Roman law into Justinian Code, basis of many legal systems today 565-610: Invasion of Byzantine Empire by Visigoths and Slavs (from and Balkans) 581: Beginning of 40-year Sui Dynasty in China; construction of Grand Canal waterway A.D. 610-641: Reign of Byzantine Emperor Heraclius; repels invading Persians and Slavs A.D. 618: Beginning of 300-year Tang Dynasty A.D. 683-705: Wu Zhao, widow of Tang emperor Kao-Tsung, rules China A.D. 717: Defeat of Arabs invading Byzantine Empire by Emperor Leo III at Constantinople A.D. 8608: Byzantine missionaries to Moravia invent Cyrillic (Slavic) alphabet A.D. 907: End of Tang Dynasty A.D. 920-1270: Sung Dynasty A.D. 988: Russian ruler Vladimir leads his people to convert to Eastern Orthodox Christianity A.D. 1054: Great Schism divides Christianity into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches A.D. 10708: Increased attacks on Byzantine Empire by Seljuk (Muslim) Turks A.D. 1096: Byzantine emperor initiates First Crusade A.D. 12008: Russia cut off from West by Mongolian invasions A.D. 1204: Crusaders capture Constantinople A.D. 1261-1453: Byzantines win back Constantinople; empire finally falls to invading Ottoman Turks India, China, and Byzantium 173

Constantine decided to rule the Roman Empire from Constantinople, he weakened royal power in the western part of the empire. The peo- ple in the West felt that their Church leaders were more powerful than the governors who represented the emperor there. As time went on, Western Church leaders claimed to have more authority than the emperor himself. During the , Ambrose, the of the city of Milan in northern Italy, had a dispute with the Byzantine emperor, Theodosius, over this issue of primacy. Ambrose claimed that Church leaders were above kings because they were responsible for saving the souls of everyone, kings as well as commoners. Byzantine emperors, on the other hand, assumed that they had the right to rule the Church as well as the state. They nominated the of Constantinople, who was the highest Eastern religious official. When Church leaders disagreed about religious beliefs, the emperor gathered them together in a council to resolve the problem. The emperor frequently headed the council himself. In 1054, rivalry over territory and a dispute about religious belief finally split the Eastern and Western branches of the Christian Church. This split is called the Great Schism. The Western branch came to be called the Roman . The Eastern branch is known as the Eastern Orthodox Church. (The Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches came along later.) Contributing to the East- West dispute were the differences over the use of in worship. Icons are painted images of Jesus, Mary, and . These pictures help worshipers understand religious teachings. Leaders of the Eastern Orthodox Church felt that praying to icons was a form of idolatry and banned it. The icons were to be destroyed. Emperor Leo III agreed. But the ban threatened to disrupt Byzantine society. Church leaders eventually backed down and let the icons be put in churches and homes. The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church believed that the icons gave people a deeper under- standing of Christian ideals. They encouraged the use of painted images.

Byzantine Monasticism The emperors and wealthy people of Byzantium donated money to support monasteries and nunneries, which were tax-free. Monas- teries and nunneries are religious communities located in out-of-the way places. Individuals joined the communities to devote themselves to serving God. Men were called monks, women, . The monks and nuns who entered the monasteries and nunneries lived lives of moderation and engaged in acts of charity. They ran hospitals, provided refuges for victims of oppression and crime, and gave food and clothing to the poor. Some monks and nuns became missionaries. They traveled to the Balkans and Russia to persuade the inhabitants to become Chris- 174 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

tians. Because of these missionaries, the Eastern Orthodox Church is the major Christian church in Russia and other Eastern European countries.

The Cultural Achievements of Byzantium Because of the closeness of the Byzantine church and state, reli- gion strongly influenced Byzantine culture. The Church set rules for marriage and family relations. During battles, holy pictures were car- ried like flags before the imperial troops. Art. Religious themes dominated literature and art. Ordinary people were just as interested as Church officials in religious ques- tions. They joined in arguments about the divine nature of Christ and whether or not it was right to worship images of holy people. Well- educated people read essays about Church doctrine. The less schol- arly read stories about the lives of the saints. Architecture. Some of the most beautiful Byzantine buildings were churches. The , which means Holy Wisdom, was one of the churches built during Justinian's reign. The architects who designed it blended Eastern and Western styles by placing a Persian dome on a rectangular Roman base. When the Muslims took over Constantinople, they admired the Hagia Sophia so much that they used it for a mosque. (Today, it is a national museum.) Scholarship. Not all Byzantine achievements were religious in nature. This period produced many historians. The empire's fine uni- versities and libraries protected Greco-Roman literature. Scholars wrote commentaries on the works of classical Greek and Roman writers. Law. The Emperor Justinian helped to preserve Roman law for future cultures. He asked officials to gather together all the laws of Rome and write them down so that they could be easily understood. The resulting collection of laws is known as the . This code influenced the legal systems of many present-day European and American countries. Weapons. The Byzantines made few advances in technology. Their successes in this field consisted mainly of weapons and other devices of war. They had the most advanced machines of the time. Using a kind of called the mangon, they hurled heavy stones over the ramparts of a besieged city. They bored holes through fortress walls with large, metal-tipped drills. Their battering rams had somewhat the same effect as modern-day armored tanks. The rams were attached to wheeled towers that had small forts on top. The forts protected the soldiers as they tried to batter down the city gate. Bridges carried by ships allowed soldiers to cross moats. (A moat is a deep, water-filled ditch surrounding a castle.) Once the soldiers got across the moat, the bridges were hoisted to the top of the fortress walls so that the men could enter the city. India, China, and Byzantium 175

The most famous Byzantine invention was Greek fire. It is not surprising that the Byzantines used their inventiveness to create weapons. They were constantly defending their empire against invaders.

Byzantine Influence on Russia and Eastern Europe In the mid-860s, the Byzantine emperor sent two missionaries to a Slavic people called the Moravians. (Moravia is a part of the pres- ent-day Czech Republic.) The missionaries, Cyril and Methodius, used their knowledge of the Slavic language to invent an alphabet for the Slavs. Although the Moravians and their neighbors eventually joined the Roman Catholic Church rather than the Eastern Orthodox Church, they adopted the alphabet. It is called Cyrillic after Cyril, who developed it. Russians, , and Serbs still use this al- phabet today. In 860, the Byzantines successfully turned back a Russian attack on Constantinople. For 200 years after that, the two powers remained hostile to each other. Gradually, however, the Byzantines and Rus- sians became trading partners. As the two peoples grew to know each other, many Russians became Christians. Finally, in 988, the Russian

Kievan Russia and the Byzantine Empire 176 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

king, Vladimir, and all his people converted to Christianity as rep- resented by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Russia of that time is known as Kievan Russia because its capital was Kiev. Becoming wealthy through trade with Byzantium, Kievan Russia began to make contact with Western Europe. Members of the Russian royal family married members of the royal families of and . Russian leaders made alliances with Germanic kings. A lively trade developed between Russia and the countries of the West. Russian contact with the West was cut off during the 13th cen- tury. During that period, the Mongols conquered Kievan Russia. No longer open to Western influence, Russians clung to the aspects of culture that they had adopted from the Byzantines. They remained Eastern Orthodox Christians. Their form of government continued to resemble that of Byzantium.

Building an empire involves more than conquering many terri- tories. It requires skill in governing large populations. Two important methods of doing this are the establishment of a strong bond among the people through a common religion or philosophy and setting up an efficient bureaucracy. Chapter 10 describes how the Muslims of the Middle East employed these methods in ruling their vast empire.

1. Identify a Byzantine achievement in each of the following areas: art and architecture, scholarship and literature, law, . 2. Who were Cyril and Methodius? How did their work affect the cultures of Eastern Europe? 3. How did the Mongols affect Kievan Russia?

Multiple Choice 2. During the Gupta Empire, Indian customs and culture were spread 1. The leaders of the Byzantine, Gupta, 'i throughout Southeast Asia and and Tang empires used several China by methods to rule their empires. These methods included 1. scholars who studied at the In- dian universities and took home 1. dividing the empire into military districts new ideas and ways of living 2. Indian workers who traveled to 2. using religion to support their different areas to find work authority 3. traders who took new ideas and 3. encouraging the acceptance of ways of living to their homes in Confucian beliefs China and Southeast Asia 4. all of the above. India, China, and Byzantium 177

4. military conquest of China and 3. conflict over whether the pope or Southeast Asia by the armies of the emperor was the head of the the Gupta emperors. Church 3. The mathematical concepts of pi, 4. the Byzantine Church leaders in- zero, and the decimal system all orig- troducing Latin into the prayers. inated under the 8. The Byzantines protected Western 1. Han Dynasty Europe from most of the attacks of 2. Gupta Dynasty the 3. Byzantine Empire 1. Japanese 4. . 2. Arabs 4. An example of cultural diffusion 3. Germanic tribes would be 4. Indian nomads.

1. the Chinese adopting Indian cus- 9. One of the early capitals of Russia toms and Sanskrit writing was 2. the Buddhists adopting the Hindu 1. Kiev caste system 2. Constantinople 3. the Tang following Sui agricul- tural methods 3. Venice 4. the Byzantine Empire adopting 4. none of the above. the Cyrillic alphabet. 10. In the 13th century, the Mongols 5. In order to insure that government conquered Russia. Select the answer officials were honest and well edu- that correctly lists one activity that cated, the Tang emperors relied on a ended and one that continued in civil service examination that was Russia under the Mongols. based on 1. The practice of Eastern Orthodox 1. Confucian values Christianity was forbidden, but 2. the Twelve Tables trade continued with the West. 3. the principles of Legalism 2. Trade with the West was halted, but the practice of Eastern Ortho- 4. the Hippocratic Oath. dox Christianity continued. 6. The Empress Wu Zhao was both re- 3. Russian nobles no longer read markable and unique because she Greek Epic poetry, but they con- 1. instituted civil service examina- tinued to study Hinduism. tions for women 4. Byzantine forms of cultural and 2. raised the peasants' taxes governmental practices were banned, but the Cyrillic alphabet 3. was the only woman to hold the continued to be used. title empress and rule China 4. conquered other lands. 11. According to the time line on page 172, which of the following periods 7. The Christian Church, though di- vided into Western and Eastern was important to the growth of the Byzantine Empire? branches, remained unified until 1054. Reasons for the break included 1. A.D. 527-565 1. Muslim conquest of Rome 2. A.D. 610-641 2. Western Church leaders banning 3. A.D. 860s the use of icons and images 4. all of the above. 178 EXPANDING ZONES OF EXCHANGE AND ENCOUNTER (A.D. 500-1200)

12. Compare the maps on pages 159 and house and belittled her husband, they 164 and select the most accurate shall throw that woman into the statement about the Gupta and Tang water." empires. According to this reading, what is ex- 1. Both empires were protected by pected of a woman in a household? defensive walls. 2. Major river systems aided trans- 2. A description of the Greek family: portation and communication in " . . . Heaven so made their bodies, and both empires. set their lives, as to render man strong 3. Both empires were far from the to endure cold and heat, journeying sea. and warfare, so laying on him the 4. The empires were separated by works ofthe field; but to woman. . . so the Thar Desert. laying, I think, on her the works ofthe house. . . Those who have work in- Thematic Essays doors will be under you; and you will take charge of everything that is 1. The Gupta, Tang, and Byzantine cul- brought into the house. . ." tures influenced future cultures. Task: Select two examples from In- What views are expressed in this dian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern reading about how tasks were divided be- cultures and describe how they af- tween men and women and what these fected future cultures. tasks are?

2. Task: Discuss the role that Byzantium 3. After viewing the picture on page 167, played as the protector and spreader of Greek and Roman culture. what can you say about the power and importance of Empress Wu Zhao? Document-Based Questions Use the documents and your knowledge of Document-Based Essay Global History and Geography to answer Task: Use information in the documents the questions. and your knowledge of Global History and 1. From the Babylonian Code of Ham- Geography to compare and contrast the murabi: status of women in China to India, Rome, or Greece. Include in your answer the na- If she [a wife] has not been a careful ture of the cultures in which the women mistress, . .. [has] neglected her lived.

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