Category: Writers Block
The Collapse OfThe Classical Empires
Written By Rachel The Philosophical
Author's note: I had to write this essay for my AP History class, so this essay is pretty limited in perspective wise.
The state of Warfare, the state of Chaos, and the unstable quality was what much of collapsing empires experienced in classical times. The trade route also
known as the silk Road was successful. It worked very well until diseases started circulating. As foreign diseases does not work well in foreign places
there were major problems. The Roman and Chinese empire collapses were very similar while being very different. They were both caused by diseases and disorder.
While the Romans tried to keep together even after the collapse of their kingdom, the Chinese immediately broke up in to smaller regions. The effects of
all this, was essentially chaos, which led to invasions, and introduction of new ideas. However, there effects were different as Romans kept their religion
strong, so their major problem was proportioning blame, while the Chinese had no problem with proportioning blame, but had a major religious reformation.
The collapse of both the Roman and Chinese empires were caused by diseases, and disorder. While Rome struggled to stay together, the Chinese fell apart
right away. The diseases first came in to Rome and China by the Silk Road, but even before that both empires had internal problems. Rome hosted two religions
which didn't get along, because they both had different sets of belief systems, which conflicted with each other. China was then ruled by Wang Mang who
tried to distribute land to everyone. He cut up the rich citizens' land. That also caused much chaos. As the problem of diseases mixed into both of the
societies difficulties, the kingdoms collapsed and the people were left to rule themselves. That usually doesn't work, and it certainly didn't work for
either society. China just split up in to different regions, and Rome struggled to stay together. It was split up more slowly, but they attempted to maintain
a united society. China made no such attemps however.
The effect to the causes of the collapse of both the Chinese and Roman empire is invasion, and introduction of new concepts. While both dealt with invasions
the Romans also had to deal with proportioning blame. China didn't have any problems with proportioning blame, but they had a religious reform. Romans,
however, were still either strong Christian believers or practiced the worshiping of many Gods. After the fall of both empires, it was rather chaotic,
so the neighboring country sought to take over. The germanic people invaded Rome, and took over the Governing. They were split into many regions, and they
were influenced much by traditions. The belief systems stayed strong, however culture society, and language varied. The germanic people learnt to follow
the proper Roman traditions, culture, customs, and other things, so to blend in. China had much of the same sort of invasion occur to them. The nomadic
people who invaded did the same thing. They invaded China, and brought in a new religion. Buddhism was not doing very well in China, but as the nomadics
came in they brought that in. Much of the Chinese observed people practicing it, and many converted. China adopted Buddhism and there was a large reform.
The nomads also blended in with the culture, and learnt the Chinese ways.
The Social Order Of Two Societies
Written By Rachel The Philosophical
Author's note: I had to write this essay for my AP History class, so this essay is pretty limited in perspective wise.
Too very different countries, so near each other, separated only by the tallest structures on earth, which is the himalayas. They developed different systems
and methods, but also did it similarly. The differences between the Indian and Chinese cultures were that one believed in ruling in the spiritual sense
and one is all about the powers and politics behind ruling. They both had emperors, and both cultures encouraged respect for them. The Chinese believed
in strict dutiful work without questioning as that was what the common philosophical practice, Confucianism, taught. Everyone had to go by ren, li, and
xiao so one can become a Junzi. They believed in bowing down to ones elders or the king and following his rule, because one had to do so. India, on the
other hand, believed that the gods sent the king, and they used the caste system for power. The people had to respect him because he was higher up in ranking.
If one didn't do ones job right, then one would not have nirvana, but if one did, one could be eventually let out of samsara. They both had kings that
had to be greatly respected and treated as a god. In China one had to bang ones head on the ground in front of him. In India one just needed to Worship
him.
The Chinese and Indian kingdoms had some similarities such as worshiping the king, giving him ultimate respect, and keeping in one's place well.
In China one had to keep in ones place and do what was right. In India it was the same thing. The reason behind it might be different, but it was bad to
be out of place. It was strictly forbidden for one to rebel. The king was Godly in many ways as they got all the power. They wanted to be treated like
a God. It was a requirement in both countries.
The Chinese and Indian kingdoms also had some differences in the way that order were kept, reason to deserve the respect, and why they were Godly.
The differences is here. China had Legalism and Confucianism. Legalism taught that if one moved one foot out of ones place one would be more then sorry.
One would get brutally punished, so would ones family while one watched. They also believed in what Confucius taught. To respect elders, which is xiao.
To be honest or to be straight forward, which is li. Ren is for respect as being kind. A junzi is all of those and one wanted to be a Junzi. So one had
to keep ones place, respect ones king as he is bigger in power than one are, respect ones elders whom are over you, Be kind to the people below you, do
ones job right, and be the right person one need to be. If one do anything unwise then it would be wrong. In India that was not so much the case. Their
was this caste system that one had to follow. The hierarchy is as follows: Mostly devoted worshippers or king, then nobles military people or people who
serve the country, then tradesmans workers and such, then the peasants slaves, and servants, and then last of all the untouchables. One had samsara and
one moved up and down these until one reach the highest point which is Brahmin . One could not get up there unless one were really serious about it. One
had to do ones job, be dutiful, do it well, and do it properly. If one rebelled against the king that would mean one aren't doing it right, so one would
move down a level. If one lived well one can move to the next level, and one would do that until one are out of samsara. The king was Gods sent, so they
had to obey him, and worrship him.
In it's entirety, they are very similar, but also very far apart. There ideas were the same, their motives similar, and they wanted to aim for the same
results. It is the methods that are different, varying in many of the cases.
CONSTANTINOPLE
Written by Rachel
Byzantine: if you go by there, then time will pass faster then you can catch it
GEOGRAPHY
This is rome or what use to be it. The geography is near to the sea. The black and mediterranean is around us, and everything here is pretty sweetly placed.
We have traders going through both ways, and we could easily be rich. We also have many gorgeous buildings. We have tradeing coming in so we get a little
of everything. We are not far from greece. Greek things make up some of our culture.
ECONOMICS
Our politics and economics is run mainly by the cause of trade and the influence of Greek economy. We are a pretty rich place over all. Our economics are
good, and we know where we are going. The seaport helps us flourish in trade, and gets us more trade items, which makes people richer. Merchants gain the
money. We buy and sell. That's the key to riches. Our most influential trade route is the one in the mediterranean. This helps us as it's quite large covering
Africa, the rest of Europe, and Asia. We import many things such as silks, gold, slaves, and spices. We export glass or other things. The trade is influential
as it carries religion and ethics.
CULTURE
We are both Roman and Greek. We are Roman yet we speak Greek. We eat greek foods, and we know greek things. Our religion is Greek Orthodox, and Roman Catholic.
The Greek Orthodox combines religion with Aristotles ideas. The other one is solely religion. We disagree with each other, so we split up. The haigiasophia
is a very important religious monument. We have to say that it represents life after death. Not in spirits, Gods, and Goddesses, but in the christian sense.
The grey outside means that you have a unhappy grey life, and then if you do right you make it into heaven. It's grey and not good outside, but it's awe
inspiring inside. It's amazingly beautiful. This shows people what life could amount up to, and gives the motives for them to live as such. The christian
belief is just that.
GOVERNMENT
There is one ruler who is the preast and governer. Justinian, the last emperor, decided he wanted something back, thus he conquered Byzantine, caused deathly
chaos, killed many, and then abandon his gains. Justinian was advised by Lady Theodora, who is a very wise ruler.
socrates
Written By Rachel
Socrates is an Athenian in ancient times who was one of the first recorded person who developed and used logical thought. He taught Plato, and said, "Think
not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove thy faults." He is a great philosopher who started the concept of
logical thought. He criticized many, and had many ideas. They were very different, and people didn't like it as much. Many thought he was a bad influence
to young people. They decided to try him, because of the way he acted. They tried him guilty, and they said he had to be killed, so he did die soon afterwards.
Author's note: I actually did this for Spanish, but it sounds like a History assignment.
Thesis
Written By Rachel
In the postclassical world the economic trade, religion, culture, and society changed, but also continued to grow. It was because of new ideas that came
in and influenced the old ones. Chinese, Indian, and Islamic ideas spread. The trade happened, because of the indian basin's existence. The culture as
the religious belief of the age which was islam and hinduism. Social as the caste system which virtually stayed neutrally or rather much the same. So in
essence, all this effected much of the change that occured, which was the blending of cultures.
SE Asia
Written By Rachel
S Syncretism because of the silk road, and the spread of things so there is much acculturation, which helps the blending of many places, which creates a
sense of unity.
E economics changes as in trade as it gets more popular, so new things and more thing spreads down it, such as islamic and hindu traditions, but it also
continues in some of the items they trade such as silks from China and spices.
A asian culture as a lot of it is religion, which changes as most of it was Hinduism along with buddhism, but with the introduction of Islamic ideas it
all changes, and government, because of the caste system, which stayed, as it spread out more expansively, while the religion blends
S social as in the popularity of the caste system as it was not so popular before, but then it got that way, and some things stayed the same such as some
of the religions and the customs.
I Islamic spread widely as time goes on and on.
A all this makes the postclassical era.
History is?
Written By Rachel
A study of the past that a variety of people sought to interpret, and thus, resulting in many different points of view of the same accounts. Individuals
look at it and analyze the evolutions in time so that we know how it effects the present. This shows us a reflection of what has happened. Some are to
be repeated, and some are to be prohibited. We know of such knowledge, because they have been discovered, associated with writing, which is to say the
primary source. This could be translated to become the secondary source.
May I ask, out of interest, what marks you got for these essays?
I got As on everything except for the second one, because I compared in one paragraph and contrasted in another like an English essay. I was supposed to talk about economics in one and social in another.
I'm not very interested in history, so I didn't realy find any of these intriguing.
No offense, but to the above poster, You seem like a very negative person! I've been reading your comments, and you dont seem to have anything nice to say. Like I said, just my observations :), dont take it offensively...we all have our tastes.
And to the original poster, good essay! I'm not into history myself, but as far as the quality of it, I think it's good, and the grades well deserved.
cumbiambera2005
Thanks for the nice comments.
Digressive Distortion
I hope my future works can satisfy you more, you have any suggestions to how I can brighten up my essays so to interest you?