Unit 1 - Regional Webs

The Han Empire and the Roman Empire both collapsed. Though the time and place of these collapses are different, which response best describes what life was like for both after collapse?

• A mysterious plague spread rapidly, which ended the lives of the few people who were still fighting.

• A series of natural disasters occurred, which made it impossible for new empires to develop in Asia and in Europe.

• Both fallen empires merged into the Silk Empire, and their former communities became prosperous for people on both continents.

• Smaller communities were ruled by chieftains, which resulted in anarchy and chaos as the old networks became closed off.

Of the following responses, which one best describes the era often called the “Dark Ages”?

• It was an era that followed collapse, when many aspects of society were reorganized but on a smaller scale than before.

• Major climate events reduced the amount of sunlight during this period; however, human society continued to thrive and even progress.

• After the Han and Roman empires collapsed, there were several centuries when human communities saw virtually no development.

• The world’s major religions were mostly inactive during this period, leaving many societies without a sense of community or drive to improve.

These three words – decline, collapse, fall – are often used to describe how a society ends or is forever changed. Which response is an important fourth option that should not be overlooked?

• Syncretism

• Destruct

• Catastrophe

• Transform

What trade route connected the Asia’s Han Dynasty to Europe’s Roman Empire?

• The Columbian Exchange

• The Incense Route

• The Tin Route

• The Silk Road

What effect did the emergence of Islam in the seventh century have on Afro-Eurasian trade routes?

• Trading was forbidden under Islamic rule, so merchants moving along the trade routes had to be very secretive.

• Trading became better organized with increased stability and more shared practices and ideas.

• The Silk Road became a more dangerous place due to clashes among people with different beliefs.

• The trade routes became limited to only those who shared Islamic beliefs, forcing other groups to create separate trade routes.

Why is increased trade good for governments?

• Increased trade results in more diversity.

• Increased trade results in less religion

• Increased trade results in fewer rebellions.

• Increased trade results in more taxation.

What happened to the Roman and Han Empires upon collapse?

• Both empires disintegrated, with government existing only at a local, decentralized level.

• The Roman Empire disappeared, and the Han Dynasty was split up and divided up among peripheral kingdoms.

• The Roman Empire was split up and divided up among peripheral kingdoms, and the Han dynasty disappeared.

• Both empires were split up among neighboring kingdoms.

How did the idea of romanitas (Roman identity) both harm and help the unity of the Roman Empire?

• It created stronger educational and governmental institutions, which increased unity, but the cost of building these was very high.

• It created cohesion and a common sense of identity among Roman citizens, while also increasing tensions with non-Romans.

• It welcomed Germanic peoples into the Roman Empire, decreasing tensions while also allowing previous enemies to enter Roman borders.

• It led many groups to migrate into the empire, but many of these people were not willing to fight in the army, which weakened the empire’s defenses.

In what ways did Roman traditions outlive the fall of the Western Roman Empire?

• Roman institutions continued to spread and the Germanic kingdoms that came after modelled themselves after Rome.

• The Byzantine Empire maintained the Catholic religion of the Roman Empire.

• International trade continued to flourish in former Roman lands.

• The Germanic tribes that took over maintained centralized power.

How did the belief that Han emperors were connected to the divine affect their ability to rule?

• People believed emperors were a kind of spiritual being, so there were not many attempts to overthrow them.

• Their divine authority allowed them to demand and receive high taxes from peasants and landowners.

• It gave dowager empresses more legitimacy to rule in place of male emperors.

• It strengthened the emperor’s authority, but people also blamed them for failing to prevent natural disasters.