Social Sciences En Politieke En Sociale Wetenschappen
History of International Relations
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Summary History of International Relations Chapter 5 (250-0 BCE) (Holslag)
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History of International Relations
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Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Book
A Political History of the World
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Summary A Political History of the World - History of International Relations (000761)
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250-1 BCE
==> Rise of the Han and the collapse of the Maurya were the most important events in the East of Eurasia.
- NCP: WS kingdoms struggling for mastery
- Mediterranean: Rome, Carthage and AtG’s successor kingdoms struggle dominance over the Med, its
trade, and the rich agricultural regions on its shores.
==> From these twin contests, two empires emerged: Han China and the Roman Empire
- NCP had more agricultural potential, but Rome was able to get much of its food from overseas
provinces (Sicily, Spain).
- The plains around the Yellow and Yangtze rivers to China were comparable to the Mediterranean to
Rome.
- Both were +/- small fringe powers who tended to win battles, which opened the way to further
conquests.
- Beginning C2 (200-100): Rome had become a great land and sea military power, while Han China was
unmatched in its infantry, chariots and fortresses.
- Both shifted from defense to offense
- Rome: after Second Punic War (defensive war) started offensive campaigns to Spain and Alps
- Han: whilst it was challenged by rival Chinese kingdoms, it sought to conciliate its northern
nomads; when the Han became unrivalled, it attacked them: wanted control of external trade.
Outside of the areas of empire (Rome and Han): instability
- Ptolemaic Egypt in decline
- Seleucid weakness allowed the birth of the Parthian Empire
- But its growth was curbed due to agricultural stagnation
- IGP: anarchy as the Maurya crumbled after Ashoka’s death
- Core of Eurasia became an arena for power: Xiongnu were driven west by the Han, where it collided
with the Yuezhi.
- Conflict for survival as well as for the riches of the Silk Road trade
- Destroyed Bactria
- Gave rise to the Kushan Empire - will later play a prominent role in Central and South Asia.
Asia
CHINA
● Battle of Changping (260): Qin victory
○ Decisive moment in the war of attrition
○ Deposed the last Zhou king and campaigned to eradicate the Zhao.
○ Wars of Unification against the Qin rivals (Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Qi) - all succumbed.
○ 221: Qin Empire established - first dynasty of imperial China.
● The Qin Empire
○ Huge cost of victory: massacre
○ Decisive factors for the victory: had a superior power base (farmland and iron mines) and a
diplomatic strategy which created a beneficial domino effect: befriending the far and
attacking the near (Sima Qian)
■ -> similar to Kautilya’s mandala system
■ Appeased the Qi to concentrate on closer rivals: Han and Zhao
■ Once conquered, these territories/resources helped defeat the Wei.
, ■ With these annexations, the BOP swung harshly against the Chu (strongest Qin
rival).
○ Ying Zheng -> Qin Shi Huang: first emperor of the Qin.
■ Sequence of reforms to promote unity
■ Former kingdoms divided into commanderies with directly appointed leaders.
■ Major infrastructure works
○ Imposed a doctrine of legalism: power, law, order more important than morality.
■ Qin became malicious and brutish.
■ -> “downfall was merely a matter of time”
○ 207: Empire died (3y) after Qin Shi Huang’s death.
■ Qin Er Shi was not capable of consolidating Shi Huang’s work of unification and
administration.
■ Military in permanent overstretch
■ Rebellions, mutinying soldiers
● Immediately 2 pretenders: Chu and Han
○ Fought over the spoils
○ Chu had a vast power base in the south - seemed bound to win.
○ But Chu cruelty made the five other kingdoms side with the Han
■ Han ruler Liu Bang claimed a just war against Chu tyranny
■ First a Chu victory (Battle of Pengcheng)
■ 204: Han successful dam (and release) plan to drown the Chu army.
■ Han sacked Chu capital and defeated the last Chu troops.
● The Han Empire
○ Imperial China’s second dynasty
○ Ruled for 4 centuries
■ Seen as moment of fundamental change: tyrannical repression -> imperial harmony
○ Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang): balance between Qin centralism and Zhou’s looser
political organisation
■ ⅓ of the empire organised into commanderies under direct control; ⅔ vassal kings
■ Taxes reduced, less harsh laws.
○ Relative stability under three capable rulers
■ Wen of Han: political reforms - meritocratic civil service exams
■ Jing of Han: subduing rebellious princes
■ Wu of Han: apex of dynasty’s power
● New (but not innovative) Confucian imperial doctrine (teachings of Dong
Zhongshu)
○ Rigid hierarchy, emperor on top prevented men’s wickedness from
dragging China back down into anarchy.
○ Legitimacy of the emperor depended on his provision of stability
and propensity. Self-criticism needed
● Demographic growth -> irrigation -> towns, markets -> boom of crafts
● Relentless territorial expansion
● Huge wealth but shocking inequalities: life for rural communities hardened.
○ Smallholders were replaced with large landowners with
monopolies to supply cities.
==> Became the world's most powerful empire.
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